Day of Rest

I am thankful that the theater camp that Nadia is attending this month is much closer to our home than the theatre camps she attended in 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2019, but when we were at the pool yesterday afternoon I decided to ask Paul if he would take the kids to the pool today without me. Of the past twenty-two days, I took the kids to the pool nineteen of those days. We didn't go the two days I drove them to Six Flags, and we missed one other day because of the weather. The pool is only 15 minutes from our house, but when Nadia is at camp I drive 20 minutes to take her to camp, 25 minutes to take the boys to the pool, 25 minutes to go back to get Nadia, and 20 minutes to go back home. I thought I'd drive less on Saturday, but the FBC youth group went on a hike in Lewisburg yesterday morning. In light of COVID-19, it's more challenging to find ways to occupy the boys for 2-4 hours while she's otherwise occupied. The park in Lewisburg that has shade hasn't been reopened due to COVID-19. I was shocked when I took the boys there around 3pm on Thursday. I talked to someone on Saturday who said her boys just walk around the barrier and play at the playground anyhow. We can't hang out at the library, and the Lewisburg swimming pool is closed due to COVID-19. I took the boys to the playground which doesn't have shade; I had brought some bread for them to feed the ducks again. It's been HOT and dry the last couple of weeks. I haven't mowed the lawn in two weeks, and I still don't need to mow it. I usually mow once a week. They lasted a little less than an hour at that playground. I ran into the library to pick up one book and one DVD, and then we got lunch. I went through the drive-thru at Wendy's to buy nuggets for the boys and through the drive-thru at Panera to get myself a salad. We ate in our vehicle in the parking lot at Panera. On my receipt it stated that I had earned a free cookie. After I finished my salad, I went into Panera and selected one cookie for the boys and I to share. I love their chocolate chunk cookie. I'm thankful I don't know how many calories are in it. At least I only ate 1/3 of the cookie and not the whole thing, right? It was SO delicious. I think at some point I'm going to attempt a copycat recipe for that particular cookie.

I thought we'd drive straight to the pool after picking Nadia up at noon, but she begged me to stop at a thrift store we pass on the way to the pool. She picked out a dress, pair of shirts, and a long sleeve shirt. She wore the dress today. We swam for a couple of hours and stopped at the grocery store on the way home to buy four steaks as they were having a three day sale on steaks. I have been in penny pinching mode for the past year once I realized I was unemployed again, but I have been trying to loosen up a little bit recently because we have spent less than planned due to many things being cancelled and have received more money than expected (for example, the stimulus check). I have been putting most of the extra money into a savings account or CD for future expenses, but it's also nice to have a few little splurges here and there. I can go years without buying any steak, but I bought four rib eye steaks. Paul grilled them today. Nadia and Paul each ate a whole steak. Oliver and Ian shared one steak. Paul will eat the fourth steak tomorrow. I made myself a taco salad because I'm not a fan of steak.

I had reservations for the Children's Museum on Friday as I assumed we'd go swimming with Nadia from 5:30-7:30 pm as we had on Thursday because Nadia had missed not being able to swim Monday through Wednesday, but Nadia didn't want to have eat a meal I packed. She wanted to eat lunch and dinner at home so she could have a hot meal both times. So I took the boys swimming for three hours instead. I also took the boys to May's Drive-In for ice cream on our way back to pick up Nadia. Ian asked for a peanut butter fudge sundae. My first instinct was to just ask him to get something that was a little cheaper, but I stopped myself and said yes. We could afford that "splurge." It only cost about $10 total for the three of us to have an ice cream treat even with his sundae. 

Paul was disappointed when I asked to stay home this afternoon. He was looking forward to the five of us doing something together. I totally understand where he is coming from. He swam with us on two other Sunday afternoons this month, and both times I contemplated staying home and both times decided it was important for the five of us to do something together. We don't see much of Paul Monday-Saturday. But I had a much more hectic schedule last week, and it will continue this week during her second week of theatre camp. Next Sunday I will be driving to Long Island. I knew TODAY was my chance to spend more time at home. We all went to church this morning, and I take Nadia to youth group at 6:30 pm and Paul picks her up at 8:00 on Sunday evenings. I am able to read a book at the pool, but I am trying to finish a photography course so I can end my membership this week before they charge me $14 on Saturday.

I think part of the reason I'm tired of running here and there the past week is because I had recently spent several months at home not going anywhere. I'm not saying I like staying home ALL the time. I am very grateful that we are able to go to church on Sunday mornings and pick up books and DVDs at the library, and the kids have really been enjoying being able to swim on an almost daily basis, but being out and about every single day of a week is not my preference. But one of my "jobs" as a stay-at-home mom is chauffeur. This too shall pass. The pool will close on August 20, and after that we will probably return to spending most of our days at home because I think field trips will be few and far between for the rest of 2020 due to COVID-19. The kids don't play on a team sport in the fall, and I'm not planning on signing them up for classes at MCS this year due to COVID-19. I don't think I'll have choir rehearsals on Wednesday nights this year, and AWANA might be done by Zoom this year. So Sundays might be our only day that we'll be regularly going somewhere this fall.