2 Weekend Overview

The last two weekends have been, well, packed full!  My parents came by 2 weeks ago, and that we lovely.  Truly.  It's so nice to live close enough to family to actually get visits from family.  We've actually have always lived close enough to some sort of family to get visits... I wonder what's going to happen when we are hours and hours away from everyone?!  Not going to think of that right now.   

So Grammie and Gramps were here (Annie and Darryl), played with the kids, hung out, and then had to leave.  Sad.  

Saturday Matt and I were able to get in a fun date, though.  We went and saw a movie, yes, but we also went to a ton of stores and looked around.  Like a music shop, where I played the trumpet and Matt picked at a 12 string guitar (he can play guitars, piano/keyboard, drums; and I play brass instruments, and one hand on the piano), then a fun furniture store, and wandered around Target.  It was an awfully rainy day that whole day, so no exploring Downtown Savannah for us--but I think we made of for that.     

This weekend, well... Let me just jump right in:  

Friday afternoon I was looking at IKEA's website, saying, "Matt, I really need to go."

And he said, "Go."

And I said, "Okay!  I need to ask my friend a question about a product though."

So I call her, and she gives me an answer.  A few hours later she says that she's coming too, and that she'll drive.  Awesome, and awesome!

At 5:50am on Saturday morning she picks me up, and we make the 3.5 hour trip to Atlanta.  

Sunrise at our back. 

Matt stayed back with the boys and has a fun filled day.  First it was Isaac's last soccer clinical, then pizza, then t-ball practice in the yard, then jumping on the trampoline for an hour.  Did I mention it was a "really cold" day?  Yes it was, but they powered through and had a blast.  Except that Isaac started running a fever towards the end, so that wasn't great.  

Reminds me of two old men laughing and talking about the weather. 

I spent two hours in IKEA, loading my friend's SUV to the max, then we got something to eat.  I didn't get home till almost 6.
Matt and the boys were excited I was home, and a little confused about all the boxes.  After we got the boys in bed, Matt and I started to put everything together--and were up till past midnight.  Wow, we were both exhausted!!

Sunday we decided not to go to church.  We didn't know what was up with Isaac's fever, and wasn't sure if we should expose everyone at church (mostly the Primary kids) to some possibly nasty bug that all our boys were possibly carrying.  Isaac ended up being fine, and his fever disappeared along with any symptoms.

We enjoyed Sunday with a lot of fort-box building:

And Matt got some of his gear together.  Must pack all this stuff up to take, you know?  Here's my first attempt at a panorama pic with the iPhone: 

Pork tenderloin, sugar cookies, church movies, and "Dragon Game" finished up our Sunday.

Here's Eli as "Toothless" shooting fire balls at Matt. 

I think Titus was a mild dragon.

Here's Isaac, taken down by Matt.  Not sure what kind of dragon he was. 

Matt going after the "prey."  Basically our "Dragon game," "Dinosaur game," and "Ice Age game" is the same.  One team is the prey/wild creatures, trying to destroy the "hunting" team.  And the hunters are trying to get the prey/wild before they are ran over.  It's extreme, I'm not going to lie... But whatever!

Okay, here's the product that I made that wild IKEA trip for, the 5 cube x 5 cube EXPEDIT.  And it's awesome!  Fills all our needs, and hopefully then some.  

We live in an 1,100 square foot home.  IKEA products are so great at helping our "small" space be so much more functional.  I've become an IKEA believer!  

I really am glad I made the trip--having Matt put this stuff together before he's leaves is great.  

Oh, Books!

Two weeks ago I sat down and ordered some new books for our collection.  Wondrous joy filled our home!  And we've been reading, and reading, and reading all these new favorites.

Plus last week was literary week (celebration of Dr. Sues' bday), so we tried to do things literary.  Like go to the library and see a "Cat and the Hat" show.

Anyway, it's been a lot of fun around here.
And just a little extra picture just because... STAR WARS!!

"Single Mom" Needs Morning Schedule [Dood Idea]

"Single parenthood" is right around the corner.  Yup, Matt's leaving really soon.

I'm trying to figure out the best schedule to put me and the boys on.  It seems like if I'm able to plan well, set things up, and follow through with the plan I do much better in life.  I typically like to "fly by the seat of my pants," but I learned last fall (when Matt was gone for his school) that that philosophy doesn't work very well.
And then I start to yell a lot.  Boo.  

So here's what I'm thinking a daily morning schedule could look like:

• Before going to bed I set the dining room table up in this way:
• each chair facing out, so the boys know when to come to breakfast they should say their morning prayers first (Sis Hinckley did this with her children). 
• on each chair have an envelope that has a personalized note from either me or Matt, just saying "hi" or a drawing, or what have you. 
• In the morning I wake up at 6, get everything together
• prepare Isaac's lunch, snack, binder signatures
• prepare my gym bag and other essentials 
• I read my scriptures at the table till the boys wake up
• Boys get up, they say their morning prayers, have breakfast, and look into their envelopes.  
• The rest of the morning is dedicated to getting ready and out the door to school.  

What do you think?