fun – Sweat & Sparkle

Where Did the Weekend Go?

I knew before the weekend even started that it was going to fly by. My husband and I had plans both days, on top of the usual weekend chores, tasks, and to-do lists.

We tried something a little different for date night on Saturday and went on a behind-the-scenes animal feeding tour at a museum nearby with native animal exhibits. We toured the animal food prep kitchen, then got the chance to help feed river otters, cougars, and a black bear. It was awesome! The bear took a biscuit from my hand, and my husband got to feed her a grape, which she took gently, but not without sneaking a lick of his finger to see how he might taste!

On Sunday, I finished a large jewelry order for my online shop, washed and vacuumed my car since I can’t stand a dirty car, vacuumed the house because I also can’t stand a dirty house, then did a quick face mask and hopped into the shower so we could head out to meet one of the kids for dinner. We had a lot of fun and ended up just sitting and talking for a long time, the best kind of conversation: about anything and everything that popped into our heads, serious and funny and everything in between.

When we got home, we stayed up much too late, trying to hold onto the weekend as long as we could. I sat down with my planner to jot down reminders, and this upcoming week is going to be very busy too! Seems like there is something going on each day, besides the obvious: Thanksgiving, one of my favorite holidays. I can’t wait!

Happy Halloween!

Halloween was just better when I was a kid. I am so glad I grew up when I did. My brothers and I put on our costumes, then burst into the chilly night air, with Mom close behind, watching us walk up to each front door, knock or ring a doorbell, wait eagerly for candy, and say “Thank you” before strolling on to the next house.

I still remember all of it. The excitement. The cool evening. Debating with Mom about whether I really needed to wear a coat (it covers my costume!), then putting on my coat because I never won that battle. Smiling as people opened doors and praised our costumes. Checking the bag (after they closed the door, of course) to see what kind of candy we got. Comparing candy later at home with my brothers, while Mom made sure to tell us we weren’t eating piles of that junk before bedtime or we would have a stomachache.

Kids today miss out. It’s not the same. Trunk-or-treats don’t even come close to old-fashioned trick-or-treating. I get it, I get it. It’s not the same world anymore. That makes me sad, too.

I’m glad we got to take the kids trick-or-treating when they were little, and Halloween happened to fall on our weekend. I don’t know if they remember it, but I sure do.

My husband and I wanted to make sure they experienced a traditional Halloween, a real Halloween. We walked around the neighborhood, with them decked out in their costumes, passing other kids dressed up in theirs. That time, we were the ones waiting nearby instead of the one knocking on the doors. We were the ones making sure they said “thank you”. And you know something? For different reasons, it’s just as awesome.

Happy Halloween!

What Phones?

I love that when my husband and I are together, our cell phones are the last things on our minds, or in our hands. There is nothing on that screen that will ever be as important, as interesting, or as fun…as each other.

Beaches, Sunsets, and Classrooms

This week, my husband and I celebrated 19 years together. We’ve made a tradition of taking a weekend trip near our wedding anniversary. It fell on a weekday this year, so we took a few days off to spend our anniversary at our favorite beach.

It threatened to rain on us, and it was actually sprinkling as we set up our chairs and umbrella the first day, but that was surprisingly soothing: relaxing in our chairs and listening to the gentle rain tap lightly on the umbrella, waves crashing rhythmically in front of us. Then the rain decided to give us a break, and we spent a beautiful afternoon alternating between jumping in the waves and half-dozing under the umbrella.

The days went by so fast. I loved our time together, nothing to worry about but what to get into next. On our last evening, we took a long walk down the beach, picking up seashells that caught our eye, pausing to take in the pink and blue and purple sunset that managed to peek through the clouds, seemingly just for us.

Today, my husband is helping our older daughter set up her classroom for her very first teaching job. I’m not sure which one is more excited about it, him or her! She has talked about being a teacher ever since she was very little. I got her a teacher Barbie doll many years ago that she still has, with a mini chalkboard, stored away with other cherished toys in her old bedroom closet. We played endless hours of school over the years, sitting in front of her while she instructed, preached, told random stories, issued commands, whatever popped into her head as she strutted in front of us. And now, here she is, awaiting the first day of school and her first classroom of (real) students.

I have been thinking of both of them all day. It’s fitting, actually, that the two of them are working together on her classroom today. They have always been close. I love that she was at our house when she received the job offer, and I love that my husband is with her today, working in her classroom with her. They deserve to share this happiness together, after all the jealous and bitter attempts by his ex to drive them apart. It didn’t work on them, and it didn’t work on us. Go figure.

I’m looking forward to heading home and hearing all about his day, and her classroom, and her new school, before we settle into our weekend together. It’s going to be diabolically hot, but yard work doesn’t do itself, so there is definitely some heavy sweating in our Saturday forecast. But after that (and after much-needed showers) is our date night, so it will be a great day, no matter what.