Weekly Wrap-Up {May 4th-10th}
Introduction
Hello and welcome back NEO Homeschoolers! Today begins another new series where I simply chat with my readers about my week. I want to start sharing my week with you, everything from my meal plan each week to what activities I put together for Maureen. I'll try to include pictures of various materials and activities, as well as any links for places, events, and materials I think you might find helpful or interesting. So, without further ado, let's jump into this week! 😀
Meal Planning
If you're like me, meal planning and cooking are not your favorite things as a mama. I am so guilty of opting for takeout to avoid the "what's for dinner" debacle... not the best for our budget. So, when my hubby showed me this website that has hundreds of simple meals at budget friendly costs, I was all about it! I spent my Saturday afternoon last weekend exploring the various meals and creating a menu for the coming week. Looking back, I may have been a bit ambitious in my menu planning... hehe.
Menu Plan for 5/4-5/11
Monday: Easy American Goulash w/ shelled edamame + dinner rolls
Tuesday: Potato & cheese Pierogies -from Aldi- + mixed veggies
Wednesday: Creamy Garlic Chicken w/ green beans & dinner rolls
Thursday: Leftovers night!! >Every mama's favorite night of the week, right? 😉
Friday: Slow Cooker Meatball Subs w/ mixed veggies
Saturday: Restaurant dinner.
Sunday: French Toast w/ sausage + mixed berries
I am far from perfect when it comes to sticking with a meal plan, and usually have at least one night where I stray from what I'd planned to make. This week, that night was Wednesday. For some reason, I crashed hard Wednesday evening and had little to no energy left by about 5 PM. As a result, dinner ended up being a combination of "healthy-ish" salty snacks and Mitchell's ice cream to satisfy my sweet tooth. Maureen greatly approved, and while mom guilt would say that I failed to set a good example of healthy eating for my daughter, the kid in me says I allowed my daughter to enjoy childhood by having ice cream for dinner... I'm going with the kid in me.
Activities and Homeschool
We had a busy week this week! From soccer and gymnastics to playdates and VBS (i.e. Vacation Bible School) prep, I kept Maureen busy. Here's a look at what we did...
We started our week with our church fam on Sunday. Church service was challenging for me this week. There was no nursery, so I started service with a cranky, frustrated toddler who wanted nothing to do with being in service. She would've much preferred to be in nursery with her friends. In an effort to help her feel better, I allowed her to move our seats down to the opposite end of the aisle we were on in order to sit with her two besties, Sloane and Max, and their families. Unfortunately, what began as an attempt to cheer up my grumpy toddler turned into an hour-long effort to keep the three besties quiet so others in service could hear and focus. It was stressful to say the least, and after talking through things with my "big sister" (i.e., an older friend with whom I am close enough that she fills the role of big sister... and sometimes mom... in my life), I decided that from now on, Maureen will not be sitting with her friends in service. I felt so badly for how disruptive she and her besties were... even though they were incredibly cute together!
Monday was a home day. I focused on getting household tasks such as laundry and dishes completed, and worked with Maureen on potty training. We also took a trip to the library for some hands-on social-emotional learning. With lots of kids sharing the selection of toys, the library is the perfect place to practice taking turns and sharing, things every toddler and preschooler wrestle with doing. After a brief conversation about expectations in the car, Maureen did really well allowing other kids to join in and taking turns with the toys. Although I'd been hoping to get some new books out for her, Maureen was much more interested in playing with me than looking at books, so we skipped the books this time. We did, however, work on potty training while at the library. Maureen even sat on the big toilet in the public, library bathroom, something that used to freak her out. I was super proud, and although she didn't go, I rewarded her effort at doing something new with a "special treat" (i.e., a piece of candy) when we got home.
Tuesday is gymnastics day. Maureen and her bestie, Sloane are big girls now, going into the gym by themselves instead of with "the mommies" as they affectionately call myself and Sloane's mom, Allison. Maureen was challenged by her coaches to try doing several of the skills on her own, and I delighted in seeing the pride sweep across her face each time she completed a skill without the help of a coach. I personally thanked each of the coaches after class for challenging Maureen, expressing how much it means to me that they push Maureen to try things on her own, as that was one of my biggest concerns with her moving up. It made my mama heart so happy to see my girl gaining confidence in her ability to do things. 🤗
After gymnastics, Maureen had a playdate with her two best friends, Sloane -she had gymnastics with Maureen- and Max at a local outdoor playground. The three musketeers - my husband's nickname for the three besties- spent the better part of 2 hours climbing, swinging, and running around together, and I got to enjoy some much needed mom time, chatting with my friends Allison and Hilary. The rest of Tuesday was pretty low-key... Maureen's morning activities wore her out!
On Wednesday, I got to see a dear friend of mine whom I've affectionately begun referring to as Maureen's older cousin by friendship. Her name is Maddie, and although she's in her 20s, she acts so much like a kid that she easily entertains and delights Maureen with her antics.
She cleans our church, and I met her through my friend Quinn, who runs Children's Ministries and is like a big sister to me. While I was pregnant with Maureen, I spent quite a bit of time helping Quinn with Children's Ministries tasks, including the large task that is preparing for VBS. It was during those many hours spent helping Quinn that Maddie and I became friends. Maddie would randomly pop in to say hello to Quinn and inevitably end up distracting Quinn -and me by extension- with her animated stories and anecdotes about her chaotic life. I quickly grew to love Maddie, and am so grateful for her presence in Maureen's life.
Anyway, Maddie had a rare free day in her crazy schedule on Wednesday, and came to spend time with me & Maureen. From throwing "helicopter leaves" in the air to sliding down a roller slide at the playground behind our neighborhood, I had a blast watching Maureen fall in love with Maddie anew, and greatly enjoyed catching up with an old friend. Even better, I got to help Maddie and Quinn reunite for some fun, animated conversation. Wednesday was definitely a day for the memory books! 🤗
Thursday was relatively low-key and a bit challenging for me. Maureen and I started our day by helping Quinn with VBS preparations for about 2 hours. Maureen had a blast trying out a brand new toy Quinn had purchased for use in Children's Ministry, and I enjoyed the opportunity to connect with my big sister via conversation and Quinn's standard, loving teasing. It was so nice to be able to connect with Quinn one on one! I used to have the opportunity to connect with Quinn one-on-one more frequently, but since having Maureen and deciding to homeschool, it's been more difficult to find the time. It's one of the sacrifices of being a homeschool mom that I most frequently wrestle with. But back to Thursday...
I had hoped to have a second 3-way playdate with Maureen's besties, Sloane and Max Thursday afternoon, but Sloane's mom ended up coming down with a cold, and Max was worn out after preschool, so the playdate fell through. Unfortunately, this left me in a bit of a funk, and Thursday afternoon was challenging.
The end of the workweek brought a home day with plenty of down time and a focus on homeschool and potty training. Maureen and I started a unit on North American Birds, and spent some time learning about the American Robin, including listening to its birdsong on the internet. (Note: I'll link to the curriculum I'm using for Maureen's preschool education in an upcoming post.) We also read several Bible stories and spent some time coloring and building with her blocks. I even had the opportunity to get out for a bike ride! 😄We ended the day with a family dinner and prayer time around the kitchen table.
Saturday brought sunshine, comfortable springtime temperatures, and blue skies, so we spent plenty of time outdoors and with windows opened throughout our house. Maureen was supposed to have soccer Saturday morning, but our entire family slept in till almost 9 AM - i.e., the time soccer starts - so we ended up not making it. Instead, we spent a leisurely morning at home, eating breakfast together, playing with some of Maureen's favorite toys, and getting some necessary household chores done. My favorite part of Saturday was definitely the ability to get out for a hike at Rocky River Reservation, one of our favorite local metro-parks. Of course, we finished Saturday with a family dinner out at a local restaurant. Does your family have go-to restaurants? Mine certainly does! Our current faves are Chili's, Red Robin, Piada, Chick-Fil-A, and Five Guys.
Conclusion
Tomorrow begins a new week with church and Mother's Day. I'm grateful for the memories made this week, and the opportunity this post provided for me to chat with you, my readers. Thanks for checking in, and I'll see you next week for another weekly wrap-up. Happy Mother's Day to all the mamas out there!
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