- On Saturday morning I went for a short run in new shoes which felt like running on clouds!! Phil’s cousin who is a handyman came over to help Phil pressure wash the deck. My boys are obsessed with cousin Brian so we got out of the house before he arrived as it would have been tough to get out the door to gymnastics otherwise. The boys got donuts from the grocery store and I got a latte. Then we headed to the library and then to gymnastics.
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| The boys enjoyed their donuts, although Taco basically ate the sprinkle/frosting part and left the rest. |
- When we got home, daddy and Brian were hard at work on the deck and other projects so I couldn’t get Will to eat lunch (he was probably still full from donuts + the cup of cheerios) and then he wouldn’t nap even though the guys left to get stuff for the deck around his naptime. Turns out he won’t nap if there is anything remotely exciting going on - must have major FOMO. Phil got him out of his crib when he got back and took him on a long walk and to the park and eventually got him to eat something.
- Phil had a guys night pool party at a friend’s house that started around 5. I was pretty burned out on solo parenting but luckily my friend was up for a low key hang at her house. It’s great to have friends you can text and say - can we get together because I’m worn out from solo parenting. (To be clear, I know single parenting is far harder than solo parenting! I’m just in a stage where solo parenting exhausted me so very much.)
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| The boys enjoyed the sprinkler for about 5 minutes. I feel like I spent a lot of time running through the sprinkler as a kid. My kids are not nearly as entertained as I was! |
- I had a great, fast (for me) run on Sunday morning. I don’t know if it’s the new shoes, lower humidity or what!
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| My new Hoka Mach 5s. I wore Mizunos for 15+ years but switched to Hokas last summer when the new model of Mizunos hurt my feet. I had to wear orthotics in the Mizunos but don’t have to in my Hokas!! |
- We ended the weekend by going to an outdoor Minneapolis Pops symphony concert at the Bandshell of the lake by us! I’ve been wanting to do this for years and my kids are finally ok ages for it. I think I enjoyed it the most by far out of my family. We met up with several other families and had a nice little spread of food! There was a park close by to entertain the kids.
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| At the start of the picnic. I love the quilts we brought to sit on - they were made by a good friend’s mom who has since passed. I always think of her when we use them. |
On the way home from the concert, I was listing out all the things we did - donuts, library, gymnastics, play date, a park, and a concert. We sure are giving our kids a full life! We do so much more in a weekend than I did as a kid. But I was 1 of 5 kids and we lived in a rural area so there were far fewer options available to us and my parents were so spread thin. I had a good childhood, of course. It just looked so very different!
How was your weekend?
13 comments:
The shoes look great!!! And how wonderful that they made your run feel amazing.
My kids are the same with sprinklers. 5-10 minutes max.
I 100% agree that my childhood is so different from my own kids. I will say that I think I was a lot more content? We try not to be helicopter/pushover parents, but it's just a different reality for them. My parents had very little money, so we made the most with what we had and it was wonderful. We would go to local lakes and canoe in the summer/skate on the ice in the winter. We'd spend 3 weeks each summer at a rustic (no electricity or running water) little cottage on a lake. We rarely went out to eat (McDonald's, one time each year!)...and while I wanted some of the special lessons and camps and treats my friends had, I was also really, really happy.
I feel like my own kids are just naturally far more entitled because we have more disposable income and parenting expectations have changed. Parents are WAYYYY more involved now and while that can be so, so good...it is also stressful for both parties. I used to go bike to friends for the day when I was L's age (8), or go hiking in the woods with friends at the same age and be...gone. So I wasn't fighting with my siblings or my parents. I was out and independent. And I think that independent breathing room was great.
Anyway - I think about this A LOT. Trying to balance being able to provide for my kids in ways my parents weren't able to provide for me (financially) while recognizing that I want them to learn a good work ethic and to self-entertain. I CAN take them out for ice cream so I do and it's fun, but it's not nearly as special to them as a 1x/year ice cream outing I might have had as a kid!
What a fun weekend you had! I also feel like my kids have had way fuller lives than I did - but it was such a different time, and since their teen years happened during a pandemic, their teen lives were so different from mine. So much less freedom for them. But I did so many things with them when they were small - my mom just didn't have time (I had a much-younger brother) and money was an issue as well. We were typical 80s kids who just left the house with friends and came back when it was dinner time.
Those shoes look fabulous!
I was thinking the same thing about how busy and full your weekend sounds! So many great experiences for your boys. Like you, I grew up in a rural area. Not just rural, but like... on the outskirts of a small rural town that didn't have any of the amenities my current city does, like an orchestra, zoo, botanical garden, museums, etc. I don't have any bad feelings about my life growing up though -- it had a lot of joys. But I am glad that we live in an area where my kid has all these cultural opportunities. That reminds me that we should probably take advantage of them more often -- we did everything so many times when she was little, we have almost completely stopped now that she is more independent. Whoops!
And wow! It sounds like your husband and cousin did a ton of work on the house! That's excellent. Even though being the solo parent while all that was going on would of course be exhausting.
Minnie's eating patterns affect her sleep SO MUCH and it stresses me waaaaay out, especially when she's home with Ben and he gives way fewer effs than I do about content and timing of snacks. Gah.
In all honesty, I don't even know what days the weekend was this week. Or what day today is. Not losing it -- it's just that when you live in a world with no calendar, days just happen! The concert looks lovely. I really love the quilt!
I know you're on the same page I always was that keeping the kids busy/ occupied usually goes a LOT better than just bumbling around at home with nothing to do. That was always just a recipe for fighting or boredom or hyperactivity. Even though it can be tiring to be on the go so much, I still think that's generally the better option! It does sound like you ended up with a bunch of solo parenting though, given the deck project and boys night in one weekend! Hopefully you can maybe get a free evening this week or something to get a little break.
That seems like a fun weekend! Your quilts remind me of the one I have that my grandma who passed away made, which I keep on my bed and it makes me remember her over and over. It is white so I would be hesitant to put it on the ground, but I have another from my other grandma (who is still kicking!) and it has much darker colors and is made from a sturdier material so that one is a bit more functional.
Maybe my memory is spotty, but I do not really remember my parents being around much when I was a kid. I was not neglected, but we did a lot of things on our own. I will have to ask my mom when I next see her if she parented a lot more than I remember, but in my hazy mind, we were independent and had to fend for ourselves a lot.
Yes, you guys do a lot on weekend and this one was especially busy. But I think that's what happens when you have little kids. I remember when my daughter was that age, every once in a while I would think "let's just stay home and have a low-key day." It NEVER went well! When your boys are older they'll still probably be involved in lots of activities, but you'll have the option of juts staying home on a rainy day if you want. Anyway, your weekend sounds really fun!
I keep seeing Hokas around - I should check them out because I'm in the market for new shoes very soon. I do like my Asics but I've never been very brand loyal when it comes to shoes.
Your weekend is full and busy, but it's probably so nice to get out and about! And I'm glad you have a friend that you can lean on when solo parenting is getting to be too much. Good for you!
Yay for new running shoes! I am a Brooks girl (after a slight detour to Asics).. I have not tried Hokas or Mizunos. I do want to compare some time. Have you ever bought shoes, tried them, and then brought them back?
It sounds like a fun weekend and I am glad you had a friend that you could go hang out with when solo parenting seemed too hard!
Same! I do the same! List what my kids do and what I did when I was a kid. I often wish my kids' childhood would have been similar to mine: look at the clouds, pick flowers, roam the woods. But not happening hehe
Such a fun weekend!!! Those donuts look amazing!!! I LOVE Hokas!!! I switched from Mizunos to Hokas several years ago and I tried Allbirds due to the sustainability but the first pair I bought didn’t compare to my Hokas. They have a different version and I know I should give them another try but I really love my Hokas! I’m so glad y’all were able to enjoy the pops concert!!! What a fun memory!!!
Lori
What a crazy busy but FUN weekend! I am so glad you reached out to your friend when you were just done. Having those people in your life is so important for your sanity!
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