The past seven days were some of the most jam-packed I've had in a long while. Thankfully, my mom was here to take care of the boys and I have been so blessed because of her willingness to come help. Jacob can be quite a handful, after all. She spent most of her time with him, playing golf out back in the afternoon or puzzles inside when it rained or blocks and cars in the mornings. I often was able to sleep in past 8, which was wonderful! I also didn't have to even think about laundry or doing the dishes the entire week and for that I am especially grateful!
By way of explanation, I volunteered for VBS ages ago, before anything else was on the calendar. The Kids' Club dates were chosen by the amazing church who helped us out (who could turn down an offer like that?), and our manager picked the date and time for the Pool Party back in April. So no, I am not insane (though that has been contested) and did not choose this schedule all by myself!
Activity: VBS at our church
When: Monday through Friday, 1-4 p.m.
Assignment: Crafts
I was usually there by 12:30 every day to help set up. Everything was a kit, so it wasn't too hard to oversee, and I had some great helpers in three wonderful women from our church. Jacob stayed home with my Mom and napped, while Ethan had a blast with the nursery ladies, who only had to come get me once or twice during the week to nurse. He was like clockwork, and every day about 2:20 he'd suddenly get hungry! We discovered, too, that he sometimes prefers to be in his car seat so he can rock and kick his chubby little legs! Jacob was much better off at home, napping, though he was missed by one little friend in the nursery.
Activity: Kids' Club at our apartment complex
When: Monday through Wednesday, 6:30-8:00 p.m.
Assignment: Hostess
For this event, we just had to be present. Ethan usually tagged along, since either Gaines or I were always available to hold him, and Jacob would eat dinner with my mom and go to bed. I showed up every day around 6pm, and a local church brought a bus full of volunteers, dinner for an expected 40 kids, and all the crafts and games and smiles you could imagine! Due to a strict interpretation of fair housing by our management, we couldn't do an all-out Bible Study, but we could bill it as character-building. We told three "stories:" The Prodigal Son, The Lost Sheep, and The Good Samaritan. The church brought all the craft materials and supplies for some cute tote bags, handprint sheep, and butterfly suncatchers for the kids. We got to know a ton of new families through this event (free dinner was a big selling point). The best part was that some of the parents already knew one of the families who volunteered since their children attend the same local school! The last night was had 21 kids attend! We hope to continue a Kids' Club event once a month with some of the same volunteers!
Wednesday night, Gaines and Ethan and I snuck away for a quick trip to Bruster's to celebrate. (Don't tell Jacob!) I might be addicted to a combination of chocolate chip cookie dough and birthday cake ice cream, though I've heard they have a key lime pie flavor I want to try next.
On Friday morning, we went to the mall for lunch with my mom and rode the carousel, something Jacob still does not enjoy even though he talks about the "up and down" over and over again. One day he'll warm up to it, I know. He exchewed the horses and tigers and ostriches for the bench. Here he is, a bit freaked out and sitting on my lap.
Later that night he said "I rode on the sofa!" We almost thought he meant he WROTE on the sofa in the den (something he's done before and knows he shouldn't repeat) until we figured out what he was saying!
Friday night, Gaines and I went out on our first date alone since Ethan came along. It was my first experience at Five Guys, and the burgers are definitely worth all the hype. (Ironically or appropriately, they were running the interview on TV that night where the President made a run to the infamous burger joint, complete with greasy fry bags.) Next time, though, I think I'll skip the fries and save room for more ice cream. They were TOO good, if ya know what I mean.
Activity: Pool Party at our apartment complex
When: Saturday, Noon-3p.m.
Assignment: Hostess
Neither of the boys was at this event, though I did have to run back to feed Ethan at his usual mid-afternoon time. Thankfully, there wasn't much for us to do except greet people! We had a resident serve as a DJ and a fantastic chef grill all the food, so we didn't have to bring anything but some tables and tablecloths and prizes for the kids. We think it went well, and over 120 residents attended, despite the clouds which hung around until about 2pm.
Activity: 2nd Birthday Party for a friend across town
When: Saturday, 3:30-5 p.m.
Assignment: Guest
We went to this mostly because I wanted Jacob to have some fun and see his friends, especially since it was at one of those Gymboree places that he loves. My mom followed us and watched Ethan so I could play with Jacob on the mats. He wasn't very social (as is his custom when he's in a big group), so he mostly climbed and jumped by himself. He was afraid of the parachute again, even though he seemed to enjoy it at his own party a few months ago. I'm not sure what was different, but there were certainly more adults and kids than at his last party, plus we were about 30 minutes late, which meant he needed more time to warm up to the idea of everything, I think. Next time, I really need to get there early (HA!). All in all, I think it was a fun note to end the week.
Isn't this just the cutest party favor bag? Filled with alphabet stickers and flash cards and a notepad, it was the perfect theme for a precocious 2-year old! Thanks, Jessica!
We were sad to say goodbye to my mom Saturday afternoon, but all enjoyed a quiet evening after the rush of the week. The boys' naps were short Sunday, so I missed mine. I compensated later by watching an abundance of the Food Network and baking a cake topped with strawberries. Just because I could. Of course, watching that channel for too long will make me do crazy things. (It's like how all my attempts at healthy eating fail after reading The Pioneer Woman.)
This morning was slow for all of us, and I even napped a bit with Ethan while Jacob watched television. I decided I deserved it, just this once. Yay for no schedule!
Oh, I almost forgot. No post would be complete without a picture of my almost four month-old!
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