The past ten week or os has been a whirlwind of emotions.
Halloween Shenanigans and Unexpected Showers
This year, Halloween landed on a Thursday, which would have been just fine except we woke up to a ton of water dripping from our garage heater. It turns out something’s probably messed up with how it was installed into the roof. Not the best way to start the spooky season, but we rolled with it.
Despite the morning chaos, I managed to sneak out of work to catch the kids’ parade at daycare. Seeing them in their adorable costumes was totally worth it. They looked so cute marching around, and “Magic Bob” was back again, just like last year. The photos that daycare sent over showed the kids having a blast, which warmed my heart.
After the parade, I headed back to my office for our office potluck. I brought crockpots of meatballs and vegan meatballs, and if you know me at all, you won’t be surprised the crockpots are still sitting at my desk a week later. Joel’s parents picked the kids up from daycare so we could trick-or-treat from their house. The houses are so spread out over there that we decided to stick to our neighborhood since it was so cold. The weather was a total rollercoaster: two days before Halloween it was 80°, then 60°, and on Halloween, we got sideways rain, some snow, and it turned super cold. We trick-or-treated around our neighborhood for a little bit until the kids were ready to go home. Hailey was so excited to hand out candy, but since not many kids showed up, she got a bit sad, she even turned around at one point and said in a dejected voice “the lights are on but no one’s coming”.
Joel’s Pickleball Predicament
Friday was a bit of a mixed bag. Joel and I went on a sushi lunch date before he had to head to Atlanta for a pickleball tournament. His partner drove all the way from Austin and probably took a million wrong turns because it took over 24 hours to get there instead of 13. They were almost late to check in, arriving just as the tournament was starting. To top it off, his partner had given his pickleball paddle to a homeless person, so he had to borrow one of Joel’s. Needless to say, they didn’t play their best and they didn’t make it past pool play. It was a bummer, but Joel did have a great time going to dinner at an African restaurant with some other guys from Minnesota. At least he found some good company despite the tournament mishaps.
Family Time and Little Victories
I had the kids back in Minnesota and tried to stay as busy as possible. We hit the gym Saturday morning with the kids, After the gym, we grabbed lunch at a nearby restaurant and then headed home to play a bit. The weather was beautiful so the kids played in the backyard and got covered in mud. They love to play in the giant dirt area that used to be mole hills. We then met up with one of Hailey’s friends that used to go to our daycare for dinner at McDonald’s. The kids had a blast at the playplace and enjoyed their happy meals. We headed home to take a bath to get cleaned up from all the activities from the day. I’m super proud to report that Miles had no accidents all day as he tried out new undies for potty training!
Sunday was another active day. We went to the gym again and then visited an indoor play place that Hailey had been asking about. The little buildings and activities kept the kids entertained for a couple of hours. The kids are pretty close to being too old for that one, but we only have a few punches left on our punch card. After, we braved a trip to Costco in Maple Grove to get lunch. Let me tell you, that place was a nightmare—so many people and their bathrooms were under construction so they had these trailer setups OUTSIDE in the front of the building, which is wonderful when you have littles with small bladders that don’t tell you they have to potty until it’s urgent. Miles was on his potty training mission, so we had to sprint through crowds just to make it to the bathroom. While we were keeping busy, Joel’s parents picked him up from the airport. I dropped the kids off so I could enjoy some grocery shopping solo. It was nice to browse without the usual interruptions (I even got to try to find coupons for things I was buying), even though it felt a bit strange not stopping for a cake pop on the way in. It was a hectic day, but Joel played with the kids and they had a great time while I was away.
Voting and Mixed Feelings
This week, we took the kids with us to vote in the morning, which was a proud moment for me. It was great to involve them in the process. I also caught up with a couple of coworkers over coffee, which was lovely, though it was sad to hear that one of them is dealing with some health issues.
On a less positive note, the election didn’t go the way I hoped, and it’s been weighing on me. Add in daylight savings time, which has made the evenings feel darker and gloomier, and it’s been a bit of a downer overall.
Wrapping Up the Chaos
Looking back, the past week and a half have been a mix of highs and lows, but so many moments where I actually stopped to realize how much I love my kiddos and family. We have a roof over our heads and it was just the garage part of our roof that was leaking. We are privileged to be able to vote. I got a nice award thingy at work. The kids are doing great at swimming lessons and having a blast swimming with daddy beforehand. Lots to be thankful for as we enter the holiday season.
How are you doing with Daylight Savings?
Bonus Pictures
Swimming lessons days:
Daycare shenanigans:
