i'm doing the best that i can: Field Trips, a Lunchable and Mother's Day...

As shown from my planner pic in last week's post, this past week was insanity. Like stupid insanity. It all was made worse by the fact that Matt was basically gone from Wednesday to Saturday for work stuff. I did survive, and the major points to this post are:

-I could never be a teacher
-Puppets are creepy
-Lunchables are gross
-I am blessed

Let me begin...

Layla had a field trip on Wednesday to a farm. Goat petting, bunny holding, hay rides and the like.

It was much colder than anticipated, so we decided to skip out on lunch with her class and have some mommy and Layla time that we just don't get enough of. Cheesecake Factory for whatever she wanted (a grilled cheese with fruit-- not fries. Parent win!) and red velvet cheesecake (to die for) and some honest-to-goodness sweet one-on-one time. She is so stinkin cute.

Summer had a birthday party that night, but I also had plans to meet up with some phenomenal old friends (which I am SO happy I went to... one of them informed me that he was moving across the country. Thrilled for him but so sad to see him go!). Got a sitter for the younger two, a ride home for Summer, and had a great time catching up and talking about exciting futures.

Thursday was Summer's open house and performance for her Spanish class she takes after school. Had to get another sitter for the younger two again (I brought them to the open house first semester and vowed... never again). Summer performed her "chick" role perfectly (The Little Red Hen was their story) and I actually remembered the water bottles I was supposed to bring. Another win!

I chaperoned Summer's class field trip on Friday. We were going to Glen Echo Park for a puppet show of Pinocchio. We had to bring a disposable lunch, and this is when I decided to grant Summer one of her lifelong dreams: A Lunchable. Now I remember the excitement of a Lunchable as a child. The cute little round meat slices with the cheese and crackers... It was a major treat. Looking back at them, they really just are disgusting. A ridiculous amount of sodium in a non-quality meal. Summer had seen them a few times from classmates and whatnot, and she would always drop hints about how much she would just DIE to have one. How convenient they must be, how it would relieve me from packing her a lunch because it was an all-in-one box. A future saleswoman? I think so. Now I try to feed my family in a mostly healthy manner, but I will never deprive them of treats on occasion, no matter how gross I think they are. I decided to surprise her on Friday...

I was actually hoping she would realize how tasteless they really are. After she started putting her first little cracker sandwich together, she made a side comment, "Hmm. This turkey is pretty slimy." I think I nipped this one in the bud. Not that I want to destroy her dreams in life... but this is a Lunchable. We can have other dreams.

So I was in charge of Summer and three of her classmates. Spending several days with so many children makes me realize that teachers in general really are saints. I love my children... but even they drive me insane, and they are my children. And spending so much time with little boys makes me realize why God gave me girls. The puppet show was SO totally bizarre. I don't know if it is the story of Pinocchio in general--super weird--or the creepiness of puppets, but I just didn't follow. At one point, some freaky character said to Pinocchio, "We are going to the greatest land of all-- The Land of Boobies." All the kids burst into laughter and the parents were all looking at each other questioning if we misheard them. I still have no idea what that was about but thankfully the kids moved on from that very quickly.

After the somewhat painful bus ride home, I made the executive decision that I needed my own Summer/mommy time that afternoon instead of leaving her at school for some unnecessary assembly. So we left. And went to get a pedicure.

It was glorious, and she loved it.

Friday night Matt was actually gone overnight, and I had agreed a few weeks ago to watch my sister's kids (we trade off sometimes for babysitting to get free date night situations). Since Matt was gone I figured I wouldn't be doing much of anything, so it was a rare open Friday evening that I could help her out. I got a little overzealous with my planning for our activities, which included a dance party, pizza, strawberry milkshakes, popcorn and a movie. I was exhausted to an epic level by the time I got them downstairs for the movie. I set myself up on the couch with my wine, the giant cookie I added onto the Papa John's order, and Bravo TV.

I legit could have fallen asleep and it was only 6:30. The movie ended around 8 and I put everyone to bed... but my sister and her hubby came to get them shortly after, where I discovered that my niece had thrown up in the pack and play she sleeps in (which we always put in my closet). I guessed that perhaps it was due to the mass amounts of food we ate. I cleaned that up and went to bed myself before it even hit 9 o'clock.

Saturday was ballet (I somehow feel the need to acknowledge every week that we remember like it is some sort of celebration), and then one of my lifelong best friend's 30th birthday that we celebrated the exact same way that we celebrated her 16th: a fabulous fondue night.

Sunday arrived. Ahhh Mother's Day. A day that stressful and relaxing all in it's own ways. A day that can be sad for some, a joyous new occasion for others, a hyped-up disappointment for many. As a mom, I think we all have in mind what would be our "perfect day." Which will most likely never happen.

I actually had a phenomenal day. I woke up too early (nothing can be perfect), got my favorite coffee and lots of wonderful cards from the girls. Summer made me a totally adorable book:

Is it just me or do I look pissed in this drawing?

Translation: Favorite game- Don't Wake Daddy. Favorite movie- Hop;

Love it.

When I told her I actually know how to make ice cream, she nearly keeled over.

Accurate... but the "whole" house is a bit of an extreme statement.

Matt made me ridiculous huevos rancheros (I cannot explain how much I love it that my man can cook):

And Orange Crushes made with OJ from our juicer:

We lounged outside in the absolutely gorg weather with some neighbors throughout the afternoon. The girls gave me a bunch of herb plants, strawberry plants and tomato plants (I swear they are trying to rid me of my black thumb. I'm trying... I ordered two gardening books). Matt then made yet another ridic meal for dinner: Salmon grilled on cedar planks, and grilled squash and zucchini. Steamed spiced shrimp for appetizer.