Ever need a weekend after your weekend?

Some weekends just feel like a constant round of running, shopping, cleaning, cooking, fixing, etc.  I always feel like I need a weekend to recover from those weekends!

The most recent whirlwind started on Friday, the day designated for kids’ back-to-school shoe and supply shopping. I started by dropping Mr. Mamie off at his office, and then I went to Tar-jay to do some back-to-school shopping myself. I got a bunch of various classroom items, plus household stuff, dog treats, toiletries, etc.  Headed home to pick up the kids (who had been dropped off by Mrs. Igor), then returned to the BigTown, where we collected Mr. Mamie.

After a late-ish lunch at SmashBurger, we hit the shoe store.  Niece ended up with some very cute Nikes, while Nephew chose some cool black skater shoes.  Then it was BACK to Target for their school supplies – Nephew had a very specific list, provided by the Village Intermediate School. We got those items, plus two sets of “at home” supplies for homework time both at Casa Mamie and at their own house.  Niece got a nice new backpack, and I needed a few MORE items for my classroom, so those were obtained as well. Dropped Nephew off at a friend’s for a sleepover, and then returned Niece to our house to stay with GrandmaT.

Mr. Mamie and I then headed to town AGAIN, but this time for “date night!”  We saw “Salt,” which was GREAT – very exciting with some twists. I love a good spy movie, and it’s even better when the hero is an a**-kickin’ girl!  After the movie we had dinner at “Rexus Toadhouse,” as Mr. Mamie calls it. Not to fancy or spendy, but fun and a nice change. After that it was home to bed.

Saturday was the big monthly shopping day for the Mamies.  We started at Costco, which is where the bulk of our food and household items are purchased. $296 later we took that carload home, then loaded up all the recycling (which FILLED the Rav!) and hauled it into town. We got a whopping $6.84 for our aluminum and steel cans (nothing paid for the plastic and paper). Lunch at Wingers, and then we spent our “big” recycling payment on an iced green tea (me) and a caramel frappucino (Mr. Mamie) at Starbucks. 

We then hit Home Depot, where I exchanged the staple gun and staples I purchased last week for a better model – my hallway bulletin board at school requires “the big guns.”  OfficeMax took our money in exchange for a couple of printer ink cartridges and some Velcro dots, and then we went to Natural Grocers for part two of our grocery shopping.

Headed home and collected GrandmaT and the kids for a trip to NewWalmart. Grandma got the kids some shorts and jeans for school, as well as Nephew’s required P.E. outfit while Mr. Mamie and I gathered a few final grocery and household items. Finally, home again for good… at which point I was so exhausted that I gave in and ordered Domino’s Pizza for dinner. As expected, it was vile, but it was fast and easy and that was a higher priority at the time!

Sunday we slept in quite a bit, and then Mr. Mamie and I made trip to OldWalmart for a replacement toilet handle (the one in the master bath broke in the night) and some other odds and ends. Back home to laundry and other fun things. 

The kids had husked 6 ears of corn from the week’s Bountiful Basket, which I blanched and stripped to get some fresh corn kernels for the freezer.  I had three roasts purchased at Costco to deal with – two went directly in the freezer, and one got cut into stew meat. Cleaned out the kitchen fridge and started some brown rice cooking. Made the pinto bean filling for enchiladas, then rolled 8 and got them baking. Finished the rice, steamed some brocoflour, cut some fresh pineapple, and then we could sit down to dinner – finally!

After dinner Nephew had to be driven home to grab his Scout shirt, and then taken to the church for his Scout Review Board. While he was there, Mr. Mamie cut up a cantaloupe and mango for the week’s breakfast smoothies while I prepped celery, onion, carrots, and potatoes to go into the Crockpot for Monday’s dinner. Niece took the opportunity for an hour-long bath in our jetted tub – she loves it, because you can see the TV in our bedroom from the bathtub. OK, I love it too! Picked Nephew up from the church, and congratulated him on achieving Boy Scout First Class rank. On to Star! Except, football starts TODAY, so he won’t be doing much Scouting for the next three months.

I spent the rest of the evening under the ceiling fan on the bed surfing the interwebz and reading my latest trashy mystery while Mr. Mamie continued the work of networking various computers as part of his home-office set-up (today is his last day in the physical office, and then he’s going to be working at home). There was a flurry of excitement when Mrs. Igor came to pick the kids up – she was confronted by a 6-inch long scorpion hanging out on the wall of our house right by the front door!  Mr. Mamie got the task of capturing it and disposing of it while the other 5 of us watched and screeched and shouted directions (I’m sure we were very helpful).

By the time I collapsed in bed at close to 11, I was ready for some gooooooood rest. Too bad we were up early to haul GolfDad to the hospital for his hip replacement surgery!  He’s being sawed open right now, while I lounge in the waiting room and Mr. Mamie’s at the office for the last day. It’s going to be an interesting month, with GolfDad virtually incapacitated and pretty dependent on us, Mr. Mamie beginning to work from home, school starting, and who knows what else… by September, I’ll need a vacation!