Weekends Just the Two of Us

Shane and I didn't have the girls this weekend.  The pace of life without them around is much S...L...O...W...E...R...  We didn't have any plans this weekend.  No-plan weekends are sometimes the best thing!  Shane helped Ryan on the boathouse most of the weekend.  I had a productive weekend: cleaned, mowed the lawn, got groceries, graded papers, gave Dan & Lady baths and haircuts, vacuumed the Jeep.  It felt good to get caught up on things around the house.

Oh! And I cooked us dinner!  And dessert!  Which was the third night this week I have cooked!  Well...to be fair, Shane cooked the meat for one of the meals, but I bought it so he could cook it so I'm gonna say that sorta counts. Did I mention this is the second week I have done this?  Yes...two weeks in a row...my sistas are in disbelief (I can feel it from here).

I realize this sounds ridiculous to most wives/moms who make sure a balanced meal is on the table EVERY night. The important thing is I'm taking baby steps toward improvements in this area. I think in this 11th month of having two jobs I am finally adjusting to a (no)sleep schedule and finding a second wind.  That with the end of the quarter in site...only 4 weeks to go...I suddenly feel revived!

My goal...keep in mind I'm starting small here...is to cook two good meals a week strategically picking meals that provide adequate leftovers. This seems feasible, right?  Instead of tucking my written goal in my pocket as a constant reminder, here's my written affirmation of that goal: Cook two meals a week (and one dessert!).

It is amazing the guilt I've been carrying because I rarely cook.  Mom always had a homemade meal for us, always a fresh made brownie or dessert when we got off the school bus, taking care of 6 kids while working her part-time jobs.  What is my excuse?  I think from living by myself for so long I have become the prime example that you can survive happily on cereal and instant oatmeal...which I would be perfectly happy to continue.  But I do realize it's not healthy and it's not the example I want to set. I'm excited for my new goal.

Off the cooking topic, I wanted to share a few highlights from the weekend.  Yes, a few of these are very simple, but brought me a smile nonetheless.

Here is Dan with his new "baby." I found a 7-pack of toys at Costco for cheap and it's the greatest!  When one baby gets accidentally carried outside and/or de-stuffed & ripped to shreds by Lady, I can pull a new one out of the cabinet. Dan's excitement for a new baby makes me happy inside.   Look at that smile...

I love this time of year when all the leaves change colors.  The hydrangeas have changed from white to this beautiful color:

And lastly, what an amazing husband I have!  Last week I went bunko about the hallway closet being so unorganized.  It was overflowing with empty boxes / random stuff / things we never use.  Shane surprised me one day when I got home with this:

Everything in its place, and a floor you can see now!  What an amazing surprise!  Mops hanging neatly on their hooks made me so happy! He is so good to me!