Busy, Satisfying Weekend

This is going to be a boring entry...feel free to skip:)

I have a love-hate relationship with busy times. Compared to many families, we aren't busy at all. Compared to my childhood, we are crazy busy. At one point in my childhood, my days consisted of riding bikes, maybe doing swim lessons, and then hanging out at the pool until lunch time. Coming home for lunch. Then back to the pool until dinner. After supper, backyard kickball games, catching fire-flies, and more bike riding. Even in high school, I wasn't that busy. I participated in some of the plays, but avoided Drama Club and it's activities. I played a little rec league softball, but no school sponsored sports. I seem to remember spending a lot of time lying around, listening to music and talking to friends. Of course, I remember some other activities that are better off not discussed in a public blog my children have access to, but in general, I wasn't busy.

At least not as compared to the young people I know today.

This is the tail end of soccer season. This season, we are less "busy" than seasons of the past because Nathan isn't playing, nor are he and Aidan reffing. When all three boys played on travel teams, and two of them also reffed, and Nathan wasn't yet driving, we were busy. But that's not the case this year.

Because we knew Thursday through Saturday would be busy, we used Wednesday evening to have Tynan's celebratory Birthday Dinner. He chose Dairy Queen, complete with food and ice cream. So, Tynan, Aidan, Nathan, Patience, Louis and I walked to DQ. While there, Aidan remembered he had to attend the high school art show, so he and Louis left for that, while the rest of us finished ice cream and walked home.

Thursday, I got my all clear, and then in a sort of dumbstruck, happy, giddy mood, I went shopping for Aidan's summer wardrobe, if you consider two bathing suits and a few polo shirts a summer wardrobe. Came home, got to have a wonderful conversation on the phone with my wonderful sister-in-law, Anna. Did some celebrating my good news with my husband and older sons. When Tynan came home, we let him open presents (being the lame-o family we are, they weren't wrapped but they were buried under crap in the back end of the van....does that count?) and he very happily rode his new skateboard thingie and blasted away with his new nerf gun....until time for soccer, which we had to force him to go to. I'm not sure what happened, but Aidan ended up helping Nathan coach instead of going to his own practice, and then, as it turned out, Tynan's practice had been cancelled, but he got to hang with some friends and skateboard, so all was good.

Later that evening, Brendan joined us. It was his birthday as well, the big 18. I do know that at some point, he and Nathan were talking about how he could celebrate turning 18....he could buy tobacco products or porn. Tobacco products didn't really appeal to him and porn can be gotten for free on the internet, so I guess they decided instead to hit the streets with their long boards. I think that was a good decision. I'm glad they didn't decided to go tattoo shopping or join the military just because....I suggested he register to vote, but that wasn't celebratory enough.

Friday rolled around, rainy and overcast. The start of the local Relay for Life. Tynan also had a soccer game (they won). Aidan hung with me and Patience at the Relay. Nathan had to work. Then the Relay was delayed for heavy weather.

Saturday morning it was back to the Relay, where Nathan, Aidan, Patience and I walked until Nathan had to leave to coach. Poor Aidan had been up all night at a sleepover, but he hung tough. Tynan and Louis showed up briefly, but then had to leave for Tynan's game. Nathan came back to help us tear down after his game (his team lost), and then we all hustled over to catch the last 3/4 of Tynan's game (they won). Then hustled over to Aidan's last home game (they won), then home to set up for Tynan's birthday party (Louis had done the prep work of making cupcakes and several dozen pbj sandwiches).

At 3:30, we were descended upon by 15 ten year old boys and their nerf guns....OK, if my memory serves me correctly, it was 13 nine to ten year olds, my two older boys and one of their friends. After a rousing game of kickball, they had he nerf gun battle to end all battles, scarfed numerous sandwiches and...well, you get the picture. We had it at at local elementary school playground, and I do believe a good time was had by all.

Sunday was much more sedate. My mother-in-law and brother-in-law came over for lunch and patio sitting (our favorite good weather past time). Then I had to hustle Aidan into the netherworld of NW Ohio for yet another soccer game (they won). When I got home around 8 pm, i was done. But I still had to book Aidan's flights to Puerto Rico. I hate doing stuff like that. Really hate it. I always feel like there's a better deal out there somewhere and I missed it. I'm sure that's true, too. I'm also willing to pay more for convenience, and if a web site isn't intuitive, I'm less inclined to use it.

I had a beer or two, maybe three, and went to bed. I didn't get up to exercise this morning. I'm using "at the peak of my fatigue" as an excuse. But I'll go later. Now, Amy is picking me up here in a few minutes and we are off to do some shopping and exchanging of the swim suits I got for Aidan.

So, what was your weekend like?