The truth is I can only play hooky for so long before I have to pay the piper. Two or three days is probably my maximum. So today was payment day. We had two full days of outings over the weekend and another big one tomorrow. So today we had to stay home, hunker down and get some of the less fun things done that have been piling up over the past few months since school started.
No one was happy about the plan for today, least of all me. But what can you do? Life can't be a box of chocolates everyday, unless of course you are Forest Gump. On days like today, what I wouldn't give to be Forest Gump.
I went from sun up until well after sundown (it's closing in on midnight as I write this), working nonstop. The kids helped out a lot, even if I had to prompt them every five minutes to stay on track. Catherine and Graham are pretty steadfast when it comes to sticking to the plan and getting tasks crossed off the list. Garin, on the other hand, gets sidetracked approximately every 30 seconds. Miles pretends there is no list and just wanders off into his own world of exploration and adventure, leaving the rest of us to pick up with slack. He is the baby of the family, after all. What can we expect?
So here is a peek at our not very fun (but interesting, nonetheless) day. Garin even made a few videos on the down low, for your potential enjoyment.
Sleeping Beauty. Catherine slept in until well-after 10 and only awoke when Garin and Miles got into a row in the hallway and woke her up. She loves her beauty sleep and would probably slumber all day if left to her own devices.
I escaped for my walk around 7:30 and returned to everyone waiting around in their PJ's for me make breakfast. Since I felt a bit guilty about the day that lie ahead I obliged them and made them brunch: Winter fruit salad dotted with fresh mint from the garden, homemade buttermilk waffles and scrambled eggs. My ulterior motive was to stuff them so that I wouldn't have anyone asking me to make lunch. It worked, for the most part.
Amongst many other things, Graham and Catherine helped iron about 25 of the boys' dress shirts. Graham is a ironer extraordinaire. He can press with the best of them. Catherine decided to join him at the end and helped him finish the last 10 or so. What a team they make. If you want a good laugh, click here to see the ad they made for their mock ironing business: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRHXysbeBzU
At my behest, Catherine made this extraordinary hand-drawn card for our wonderful British housekeeper, Kirk, who comes every Tuesday to help keep this house spic and span. It is his birthday this week and we wanted to do something special for him, so Catherine decided to draw this image of a pug (Fitzy, I surmise) for him. Fitzy is Kirk's favorite member of our family. This photo doesn't do her masterpiece justice.
I asked Garin to organize the drawers in his desk and he obliged. He actually did a great job, although it took him most of the day. Click here to watch his very quirky video about his organizational process (some of you might be able to relate, although I am not one of them): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLBvQFka3rQ
Miles contribution was to hammer peanuts in the yard and create a huge mess that I later had to clean up. If he wasn't going to help us, at least he found a way to amuse himself. Click here to see the video of Miles' Coyote trap he built in the backyard (after he finished hammering all the peanuts): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwRTn0N2jWs
Fitzy, much like Miles, took it easy most of the day. He rested on his pink velvet pouffe, then, later in the afternoon, he meandered outside for a sun bath. A dogs' life.....
Later, we headed out to run a few errands (Target, Michael's and the doggy salon). Fitzy was a good sport, as he always is, about his fluff and fold. Catherine and I spearheaded the bath while Graham served as the official photographer. Garin and Miles ran around the pet store getting in trouble (some things never change).
Graham and Fitzy heading out of the pet store together.
It was a long and very busy day. But we worked together as a team and got almost everything done (much of which is not pictured here). I am blessed to have the most capable bunch of kids a mom could ever hope for. They help me keep this ship afloat each and every day. A huge thank you, hug and kiss to my amazing gang!