Our Labor Day weekend was a good mix of productivity and relaxation– a rare combination around here. I usually either cram a million errands, tasks and projects into the weekend that by the end of it, I feel burned out and like I never got a break OR I throw out my to-do list completely and end up feeling stressed and unprepared for the start of the week. It’s so hard to find that balance sometimes!
The reason I needed to finish a few big tasks and spend some quality time with Jake and the girls is because within the next two months, Jake will be working nonstop on numerous depositions, several mediations, and FOUR trials. So, basically we won’t see him until Thanksgiving. Knowing September is going to be a little crazy, we spent the weekend prepping to make every day just a little bit easier this month.
After planning out our meals for the month of September on my Google Calendar, I made a massive shopping trip to buy every non-perishable food and household item we’ll need for the month. The idea is to only go to the store for things like fresh produce, milk and eggs every week and a half or so.
Ever since my sister-in-law, Juliette, flew out from Colorado last year to spend a week with us prepping months and months worth of freezer meals for me, I am such a believer. Freezer meals have saved my sanity on so many occasions, but especially in recent months when the girls’ fussiest times tended to be during dinner prep.
One of my projects for the weekend was thus to prep a bunch of freezer dinners and make a month’s worth of whole wheat pumpkin chocolate chip waffles and spinach and egg breakfast burritos. I’m hoping this will make meal times a little bit easier this month.
During the girls’ naps, I did a much-needed garage and patio de-clutter/cleaning and a few small organizational projects I had been procrastinating (hooray for my kitchen drawers not overflowing with baby utensils anymore!) I guess I’ll still have to do regular upkeep, but at least we’re starting off the month with a clean slate.
Jake was working Saturday and most of Labor Day, but when he was home, Jake kept the girls busy for me by taking them and Bandit to the dog beach and going on little excursions.
The rest of the evening was low-key and peaceful. One of those evenings you want to capture every detail in your mind so that later you can remember how things used to be. “Remember when Samantha just LOVED that play house, but couldn’t climb up herself, so she’d tug at us until someone lifted her up?”
“Remember how Amelia loved the swings and would tilt her whole body back so she could laugh and look at the sky while swinging?
“Remember how we’d let Bandit off the leash and he’d zoom down the hill, disappearing in the bushes chasing bunnies? Remember how the girls would beg to run after him, but couldn’t quite manage to roll down the hill themselves, so they’d kind of awkwardly run and face plant?”
It was a nice evening to end a very productive long weekend. Now that it’s September, bring on the crazy!
Lots of love,
