Take a deep breath

I have wanted to, thought about, and then not blogged every night this week. So much to say and share! I think that I could honestly call this the “Week of Nigel” since his birthday (his actual birthday day and birthday party day) bookended the week for us. I have also been pondering so many, many things about life, motherhood, cleaning supplies, and calorie counting. Am I a closet feminist? I have seriously considered that this week.

Let’s take a deep breath and begin the week’s recap:

• Nigel turned 8 on Monday. He is awesome! We love him!
• Ernie and I both weighed in on Monday. He is doing awesome at weight watchers, I am doing tolerably well.
• I love my spin class a lot!
• Ernie, Nigel, and Emmaline collectively decided that this was the week that they were done wearing uniforms to school. Nigel wants to know when he can wear regular clothes to school again.
• Relief Society. Lots of Relief Society.
• Absolutely delightful 3 hour break in the middle of the week at the deserted pool with Jenny and Rhonda. Max swam around and Jenny, Rhonda, and I had a fabulous group therapy session.
• Ernie and I had a big fight this week. (Miserable) We talked it out, with a couple of false starts at first, and totally resolved the issue. (Relief)
• Nigel earned his bobcat and went to his very first Cub Scout pack meeting!
• Little Ernie got a belt loop at the pack meeting for- wait for it- video gaming. He was thrilled.
• Nigel’s only birthday request was a fox birthday cake. Fox as in an animal, not the TV network.
• I spent the entire week agonizing about finding or making a fox for the top of his cake. Hobby Lobby saved me the trouble of sculpting fondant. Thank you, Hobby Lobby, for stocking a miniature plastic fox.
• Ernie and I were able to attend a session at the Baton Rouge Temple during the day. He took the day off of work, we left Max with a friend, and we were gone and back while the kids were at school.
• The Temple was wonderful.
• Being in the Temple with all the old ladies got me thinking about what I’m going to look like as I age. I guess I should take a look at my mom and answer my own question.
• I am in charge of contacting all the coaches for soccer.
• Soccer started this week.
• Am I defined as a woman by how well I clean?
• I much prefer to be defined by how well I mother. I just wish my ideas of mothering weren’t so tied up with guilt over not being highly motivated to scrub toilets.
• Two dear friends finalized their divorce. I have survivor’s guilt. I also feel so sad.
• Nigel’s birthday party was a huge success. Emmaline told me afterward that it was the “BEST BIRTHDAY PARTY EVER!” (and yes, she was speaking in all caps)
• Here was my very favorite birthday card. Scott Raber wrote this personal message, on behalf of him and his younger brother, inside of his homemade card: “Hope your birthday’s all fun and games, and we’re glad to give you this gift as a token of appreciation. So, Happy Birthday.” -Scott and Bryce
• I might be the only one that thought that message was funny- but I really, really did.
• Ernie and I have started watching the first season of the most recent “Battlestar Galactica” on Netflix. Don’t judge our sci-fi nerdiness.
• Emmaline and I went shoe shopping on Friday night. She announced that she wished that we had a billion dollars so that we could buy every pair of shoes. I said that I wished that too, but that she still had to choose just 2 pairs.
• After shoe shopping, Emmaline announced that shoe shopping is really fun (it is) and that she loves going on “girl’s campouts” with me (because she misheard me when I told her that she and I were going to have a “girl’s night out”).
• And now, ladies and gentlemen, a few pictures…