I love May. The weather is gorgeous, we’re outside with our neighbors every spare moment, the kids are wild and free and end every day just covered in dirt, exhausted and so happy.
On Tuesday, I was signed up for playground/lunchroom duty, but I had back to back meetings over the entire time. Luckily, Grandma Debbie was available to step in and the boys were thrilled to have her visit and have lunch with them!
Tuesday night, we got a text message challenging us to kids vs. grown ups soccer- loser buys ice cream. We had SO much fun and and when the kids won, you should have heard them cheer! I’m not sure what those 6 sweaty dirty little street urchins thought was going to happen if they lost- they didn’t have a penny between them, but they were very excited to have won ice cream!
Soccer started for the summer on Thursday and the boys are on the same team this year. I’m eager for the school year to end, because soccer didn’t start until 7:15, which made for a late night (our boys are usually in bed by 7:30!). But they were super excited and it was fun to see them playing hard.
Friday was Gussie’s last day on the farm. Camp St. Croix has had “homeschool on the farm” every other Friday during the fall and spring. Augustus has learned a lot, played, gardened, and enjoyed himself so much. It has been such a great program and also been a good way to keep him busy on Fridays.
Friday night, we took neighborhood happy hour on the road! Packet pickup for the Women Run the Cities 10K was at Summit Brewery, so all of us who were running (and our men) had drinks and dinner while the kids ran wild in a big open field behind the brewery. It was such a classic summer night and I am thrilled summer is almost here!
Saturday morning, bright and early, me, Melissa, Kelly and Sarah ran the Women Run the Cities 10K. It is easy to do things you know you will be good at. It is SO MUCH HARDER to do things that you know will be hard and that you will NOT be good at. I am not a fast or graceful and every step I take is effort. But I show up. I put one foot in front of the other. And I am so proud of myself. At 41, I am no longer concerned about not being fast- I am not embarrassed- I feel no shame for not being “good”. I like the nerves at the beginning. I like the camaraderie. I like the participant shirt and the medal you get at the end and the festivities after the race. 6.2 miles was NOT easy. But it was a gorgeous morning and I was so happy to be there.
When I got home, the boys (and our neighbor Matilda) were ready to have a lemonade stand, so I found some plastic cups and made a pitcher of fruit punch (we didn’t have any lemonade powder). They went door to door drumming up business, and they did made a few dollars, but I think they drank most of their product.
I took an afternoon nap (that is a RARE occurrence), and then it was time to celebrate Kelly’s 40th birthday! There was a popcorn bar, so many snacks, drinks, burgers and brats, and 2 giant cookie cakes. The kids were running around, the weather was gorgeous- it was basically the perfect afternoon/evening.
Sunday has truly been a day of rest. We didn’t have anything on the calendar. We did a little family clean up time and I went grocery shopping, but the majority of the day was just relaxing and playing and enjoying a slow day.
The boys played outside. I went for my first bike ride in about a decade. Our neighbor Aaron is a serious biker- like 100 mile bike races. He is amazing. Last summer, he fixed my bike for me and then I never actually got on it. I know how to ride a bike. But the thought of actually getting on the bike was very intimidating. So he was determined to get me on the bike this summer. Today was a day I couldn’t make any excuses.
I was so nervous. The seat felt very high off the ground and I was sure I was going to tip over. But once I got on and started pedaling, that saying, “it’s like riding a bike” was actually true. First time on the bike, but I don’t think it will be the last!
A short week ahead and just 3 weeks until the summer is here! Let’s go May!