Your Weekly Weekend Recap

Maybe we should start making the weekend recap a weekly event?  I really enjoy it because it gives me a sense of accomplishment to look back at the two days a week I get to spend exclusively on my own time (mostly) and determine that I didn't lay on the couch, watch HGTV, and eat Cheetoes the entire time like I wanted to.

I woke up Saturday to an empty house!  Ryan got up early and took Alli to get birthday presents for the two parties she had that day and he let me sleep in.  Sleeping in around here is 8:30AM, but I was grateful for it.  I got a little backyard workout in (lunges, pushups, squats, etc), and somewhere in that time, they came back and left again for the first birthday party of the day for Fletcher at Gymnastic Joe's.  While they were gone, I got a run in, picked up the house, and showered.  After that, it was my turn for birthday party duty, and I took Alli to Isaiah's party at Lokomotion.  Alli played video games, laser tag, and drove Go Karts while I made small talk with the parents and played on my phone.

Bad Mom Confession Time:  I don't like birthday parties.  I go out of obligation and the worry that if I don't go to theirs they won't come to mine.  But I cannot stand them!  First of all, I barely know any of the  parents or kids in Alli's class other than the kids she talks about all the time.  Second of all, for all I know, the only thing I have in common with any of these parents is where we live and how old our kids are.  And third, I hate the routine of play, cake, presents, play.  I don't really want to watch your kids open ten Barbies.  Take that home.

But this party took a turn for the better when Alli drove a Go Kart for the first time.  I have to tell you, I am quite the Go Kart driver.  I take no prisoners, I spare no souls, and I feel the need for speed.  I was anxious to see how my little protege would do.  I should have known that she would putter along, carefully take all of the corners, be overly cautious about bumping people, and let everyone pass her.  I had to stop myself from shrieking "HIT THE GAS, ALLI!!!!!!" so that I didn't alienate myself from my birthday party parent friends.

Do you see anyone else on the track?  NO!  They all passed her!!!!

Then Alli and I went to the mall to grab her some new kicks.  It's been a while since the poor thing has had a new pair of tennis shoes.  I ignored her pleas for Bella Ballerina shoes and grabbed several pairs of Nikes for her to try.  She picked the ones that made her look the fastest.  But she kept complaining that they felt weird in the toe.  It's called "space", honey.

And then, as I end most of my shopping trips, we stopped by Great American Cookie and split a cookie cake slice.  Thanks for the habit, Mom.

That night we walked down to the basketball court by our house, shot some hoops (don't I sound so natural saying that?), let Alli practice riding her bike without training wheels, and played on the playground.  Ryan's allergies bothered him so much that he rubbed his eyes until they were swollen, and he ended up looking like the cartoon character Droopy for the rest of the night and much of this morning, which Alli happily reminded him on a regular basis.

Via

We went to church this morning, despite having Droopy with us, and then we headed out to Prairie Grove for Alli's third horse show.

Alli won two first places and two seconds, and I can confidently say she should have won three - I think they were just being nice to the four year old she was riding against.  She truly did amazing at this show, and I am so proud of the progress she is making as a young rider.  And don't you just love Sprinkles?  She is seriously the cutest pony.

So now Ryan is taking a nap (I won't call him Droopy again, I promise), and I'm blogging, and Alli's playing a video game.  I'm thinking a grocery store trip is in order tonight, so I'm off to Pinterest to find some new recipes.  I think my family is getting tired of my rotation of brandied pork chops, braised chicken cabernet, and spaghetti.  Then it's an early morning and the start of another work week.  Enjoy your last few hours of the weekend!