Last week

As usual I'm late to the game, and I'll write about my weekend/last week on Tuesday morning.

In some ways it was just a typical quiet weekend at home, but in other ways it was awesome. Just a great combination of stuff. Friday night I had my work holiday party, which I left early to meet some friends for our annual holiday drinks. I got to really practice my moderation. The holiday party was meh but meeting up with friends was amazing.

Saturday I went for a brisk 5 mile run, decorated our house for the holidays with the boys, played endless board games, decluttered a bunch of stuff from our basement, & did 5 loads of laundry, and then went to B's karate belt ceremony. He was SO PROUD to get his yellow belt and didn't even complain about sitting for 2+ hours watching all the older kids get their belts/demo moves/receive long-winded personalized acknowledgements from the teacher. They had cookies, chips, and juice afterwards which also helped. G and I had a "date night in" with pizza & beer after the kids went to bed. I couldn't sleep at night so I drank wine & finished my book (Alain de Botton, the Course of Love...MUST READ with spot-on insights about dating, marriage, and parenting).

Sunday I did a killer HIIT workout at the gym. Helped the kids with a "project" (home made mixed-media birthday cards for grandma). More board games. A park trip. And lots of cooking/food prep. Also lots of yelling at the kids. They had been whining & fighting ALL WEEKEND and I couldn't take it.

This week has been OK so far. I'm going to a short, close-by study group meeting this evening (after dinner), and will be back Thursday by dinnertime. I am planning to enjoy the short break from the whining/fighting and hopefully return with more patience. We are getting lots of RSVPs to B's birthday party and will have to work on prep this weekend (including making another pinata! This time out of cardboard, because papier mache is messy in the house and its too cold to do in the backyard!) I have to figure out what to get L for Christmas (we already picked out some board games, Lego kits and books for B's birthday & Christmas presents). I was going to bake holiday cookies with the boys, but we are getting a sitter for Saturday night to go out with friends and she is bringing over cookie dough as an activity! Outsourcing, woot!