Almost None of All the Things

This was the BEST weekend. It was 118 degrees outside (for real; it's 9 p.m. right now and still well over 100 which is INSANE and terrible and why do I live here), BUT we didn't have a single thing on the calendar and it was the BEST.

It started on Friday. The kids were finishing their 5th day of golf camp with the temperatures 110 or higher. Claire got frighteningly dehydrated on the first day (headache, listless, uncontrollable shivering during dinner which freaked us all out; a dose of ibuprofen, a bunch of powerade, a warm bath, and cuddles with mom cured her), but some Gatorade powder purchased at 10:00 Monday night fixed them up for the rest of the week. As I explained, this is the rare situation where you need the Gatorade! It's not just a juice/treat, it's literally why it was invented! So on Tuesday they headed off with a half-gallon water jug each and drained it dry by the afternoon. Dehydration defeated.

Anyway, because it was still 110+ and it was their second week of golf camp for the summer anyway, James picked them up right after lunch and dropped them in my office for some air conditioned good times. Unfortunately they quickly realized that my work is not all pizza and playtime like Take Your Kids to Work Day had promised them, but they were happy to watch a movie on their kindles while I organized exhibits for my testimony next week. We stopped for ice cream on the way home. Work may not be as fun as they thought, but spending the money you make is! (Well, when it's on ice cream; not so much with the taxes and mortgage and law school loans.)

Once home, I collected Cora and bribed them all with a movie so I wouldn't have to watch them swim (seriously; it is too hot even for that) and then a new babysitter came over so James and I could have a date night! Hooray!

Date nights are my favorite. Even when we end up agreeing to sit outside to avoid an hour wait and get a free appetizer at HG SPLY. What's a little sweat for free $14 nachos? The frozen Moscow mules were also $5 and we enjoyed them very much. And luckily, my dress was machine washable.

On Saturday we all slept in and James went to swim practice. I made our weekly menu and grocery shopping list and then he took all 3 kids on a whole long list of errands (Academy! Target! Costco! Trader Joe's!) because he's a crazy person who genuinely prefers doing that with a car full of children. Cora got dressed for the occasion.

I luxuriated in the empty house, prepped our crock pot meal (this one), and then went to yoga. By 1:00 p.m. we had accomplished all we were going to accomplish for the day. James and the kids got home around 2, because he likes to wander the stores and waste time in a non-efficient manner (we don't really errand together), and Claire bought a mermaid fin with $20 in birthday money she only still had because she'd lost the twenty for 6 weeks and just relocated it that morning. Claire is not a saver.

We bribed them with more movies to keep them inside, and then James and I laid down and accidentally fell asleep and then I woke up at 6:45 p.m. 6:45!! You guys, I only nap when I have the flu or I'm pregnant (or I'm on the wrong anti-depressant, which I don't think I am anymore). I think the heat had sucked the life out of me and then the hot yoga sealed the deal. Other than being disoriented, I felt kind of amazing. Naps are great.

We ate dinner and followed it with the ice cream treats I'd picked up at Trader Joe's (the "Hold the Cones" are my favorite thing ever; so tiny and perfect) and then read books. Landon finished all 3 books he'd ordered with his birthday money that were delivered on Thursday and now he's bookless yet again.

Today we woke up early-ish (an accidental 3-hour nap will do that to you apparently) and went on a family walk before it hit 100. It was 9 a.m. and already 92, so we just made it. The kids got to swim because Claire was dying to try out her mermaid fin and we said they could stay in the water until it reached 102. James watched them while I did work (testimony prep ftw!) and then I joined them.

And by 11 we were all back in the house. Lunch was eaten, and midway through the meal Cora, wearing her pj's for reasons no one questioned, peered outside and said, "Is it not dark outside?". No, we responded, it's the middle of the day. "Then why am I in my PJ's?!!" she exclaimed incredulously. We did not know. Then she requested her Disney braids be inserted into her hair by daddy because he is the only one who knows how to do it properly. Any time I question the hassle and expense of our Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique visit (and I don't, actually), I look to the fact she still wears these braids at least a few times a week and it is amazing.

I worked a little more and we put Cora to bed for her nap. Then I put James and I to bed, again, because I thought we should test my new hypothesis that snuggly naps under the ac vents on boiling hot days that suck your soul are awesome. I set an alarm just in case because I was teaching a barre class at 1:30 and was shocked to be awoken by the buzzing at 12:55. Maybe the heat is actually killing me?

My barre class was AWESOME. My biggest class yet, with lots of newbies, high energy, great music and lots of sweat. (New favorite song: Miracle by CHVRCHES.) I got home to kids wanting to go outside so we bribed them with another movie because my phone said it was 113 and felt like 118 and just no. Not okay. I forced myself to start a photo book because I'm a full year behind and the kids have spent time EVERY single day for the last two weeks reading their photo books and exclaiming over the stories and pictures and memories and ugh, it's not just me who loves them you guys, but they are such a pain in the ass. Part of what takes me so long is I weave in little snippets from my facebook posts and blog stories along with the pictures and of course that's what both Landon and Claire exclaim every EVERY TIME because their words and stories are hilarious and give them such a snapshot into versions of themselves they don't remember and dammit, I really need to get started on 2016-2017.

But I started a re-read of the third Kate Daniels book instead. Book 10 comes out in August and I'm going to re-read the whole series by then. And THEN I'm going to photo book for realz.

In the theme of delaying work and things that are hard, we randomly decided to go out to an early dinner because it was too hot to cook and I felt a perfect combination of lazy and exhilarated after my barre class. Our Mexican food hit the spot and then we played Monopoly and then we finally let the kids swim again even though it was still too hot but they needed a physical outlet. And now they're in bed, all cozy and tired and they don't have any camps this week because we're leaving Friday for the state swim meet.

This week is going to be super busy at work (two days of testimony in two different cases) and then next weekend is crazy as we drive to College Station then Conroe then back to College Station then to Houston and then back to Fort Worth, but this weekend was GLORIOUS (my other favorite song right now: Glorious by Macklemore and Skylar Grey). So much lounging. So many movies. Two Kate Daniels books. TWO NAPS!

Sigh, it was a really, really nice two days. Now food:

Monday: Fettuccine with Prosciutto and Peas (the linked recipe plus a bunch of cut up prosciutto and frozen peas added at the end).

Tuesday: Chicken Tacos (3 frozen chicken breasts in a crock pot with a jar of salsa, shredded, in tacos with all the toppings), Mexican Rice, Refried Black Beans.

Wednesday: Chicken Chow Mein with extra Veggies (Trader Joe's frozen chow mein with a big bag of fresh shredded cabbage, shredded carrots, and whatever other veggies I scrounge up from the fridge).

Thursday: Black Bean Quinoa Enchilada Bake (probably with the leftover chicken from Tuesday).

Friday: Spaghetti at Uncle Eric's house (I'm sending him a detailed list of ingredients and will make it up when I get there).