Memorial Day is for Freedom...and Family

Happy Memorial Day everyone! We are just back from a weekend visiting family that lives just a few hours away in the next state over. I brought the kiddo and the dog and made an adventure out of it as always. Lots of barking, yelling, running, jumping and the occasional sounds of fighting, crying and ultimately making up. Just another day in the life.

One of my nieces is getting married in a few months and so her engagement dinner was the motivation for our trip away. I'm glad that we had a reason to make the trip because I probably wouldn't have gone away otherwise and it was nice to see everyone.

It certainly didn't hurt that the weather was better than originally forecasted because we were able to spend both days on the beach. My kiddo played with my god-daughter and collected crabs and other critters in the water the entire time while her mom (one of my best friends from high school) and I relaxed on the warm sand. Occasionally my neurotic dog barked at passing seagulls but aside from that, the beach was pretty peaceful.

It got a lot crazier once we left the beach because the kids were over-tired, hungry and way over-stimulated. So that's when the yelling, fighting and crying started to kick in. I will say I went back to my brother's house each evening, happy for my bed, for these were some long, loud days. It was great to be at my brother's because he always had a glass of wine waiting for me too. Gotta love that.

I was nervous about how my kiddo would do at the engagement dinner last night because yesterday was such a long, busy day. I was afraid he'd get there and just melt down. Smart mama that I am though, I took him back to the house after the beach, got him showered and dressed and laid him down on the sofa for an hour-long nap. We were late for the dinner but I don't care because the kiddo was in good spirits and held it together for the entire evening. Not one complaint and yes that's rare. Especially after the day we had had so I definitely recommend sleep. Sleep is good.

Christopher always brings his Angry Bird toys with him wherever he goes and last night that worked out well because it was quite the ice breaker. All the cool kids wanted to be with Christopher and his Angry Birds.

I will say, I was beyond exhausted today and the 2-1/2 hour drive back home was a bit rough. We got back home mid-afternoon and I immediately climbed in bed for a nap while my little guy happily reunited with all his Angry Bird toys.

Now it's time for dinner and I could really use a trip to the grocery store but I really don't feel like I have it in me to pack up the kid (whining and crying because he hates shopping) and go out again. So maybe I'll just hold off till tomorrow...you know after a long day of work when we'll both be tired again. Ugh.

Happy Memorial Day all.

Springtime Means SO Much Going On

The long winter of my discontent has finally ended and the beautiful springtime weather is finally upon us. In New England, that type of weather lasts for 10 minutes (practically) so we locals always try to take as much advantage of nice weather as we can. This is especially after this past winter, which was colder and longer than any I remember in recent history. Thank you El Nino.

Anyway, with a goal to accomplish as much as I can before the weather turns cold again, I've got a To Do list that's as ambitious as as that of two people. No one can say I am not goal oriented.

Yesterday for example, we took a day trip down to Cape Cod for our family's annual work weekend at the Stage Harbor Lighthouse. It started off as a rainy day so soccer was cancelled but it was forecasted to stop raining by 10am, which it did. So we made the last minute decision to trek down to the Cape, which I'm glad we did. It turned into a gorgeous day.

Christopher had a great time learning how to hang shingles from his uncle

And then also spent quality time searching for crabs and clam shells with his cousin

I did a little cleaning but mostly spent the time outside on the beach with the kids and my dog.

It was a beautiful day but after driving down there for two hours then spending all day there in the sun and driving home two hours, I'm worn out today! But there is no time to be tired. Why? Because my latest goal is to sell my condo and buy a single family home. I need more space!

My condo's open house is at 1pm today and I've got a few things to do before the realtor shows up. I've got to vacuum, put laundry away, sweep, declutter, etc. etc. Then I need a trip to Home Depot to get a new welcome mat for the front porch and get a duplicate key made. No day of rest for me today.

I wish I could be my kid and dog who are lazily relaxing on the sofa right now. Not me though...I've got a long list of things to do. And no partner to share them with so I'd better hop to it. This is where it's hard to be a single parent because I'm already exhausted. I am happy that my son is so content but man, it's tough.

But the good news is, uploading photos and blogging were two items on my To Do list that I can now cross off for today. Yay! Now onto the rest of it.