We had back to back to back celebrations this weekend and it was a whirlwind! Dempsey graduated preschool on Friday and I somehow managed not to cry (though the slideshow almost got me!), but I can’t say the same for Toy Story 5, which had me tear up several times. Then a Saturday wedding (Lydi’s first!) where we ate, danced and socialized with family before celebrating Father’s Day on Sunday with a backyard dinner at our house. It was all really nice but between all of those events and the extra time I took off last week to enjoy some summer fun with the kids, I’m feeling slightly desperate for some alone time and to actually go into the office 😅

Sorry not sorry for all of the photos but it’s not every day your first baby graduates preschool 🥹🥹🥹 He had been singing bits of pieces of the songs they were rehearsing, so it was so sweet to actually hear them full out. And why does he look so cute in that cap and gown?? Post-performance, diploma handout and slideshow (complete with photos AND an interview 😂), we had our own photo shoot then headed to lunch at Fire on the Mountain. Dempsey opened some gifts from all of us and I hope he felt special because he is ❤️ I’m so proud of him and excited for his next adventure in kindergarten! A little bit later, the four of us headed to the theater to see Toy Story 5 and wow, they were not taking it easy on the parents! Kids struggling to make friends?? Nooooo. But I love to see a Jessie-forward plotline honestly and Joey and I laughed a lot at all of the Woody-is-old jokes. I also really loved the animation in all of Bonnie’s imagination sequences — I see you trying something new Pixar! The kids liked it too! Back at home, bed, bath and bedtime for the kids, then TV time for the parents before their own bedtime.

Joey was already out on his two hour run by the time I got up on Saturday, so I started pancakes for us then went upstairs once the kids were awake. We had planned to take Lydia to soccer before the wedding at 11 AM but she was NOT having it. Made me real nervous for preschool to start in September 😨 Did our best to brush that experience off and started getting ready. I curled Lydi’s hair for the first time and it looked so cute! We did our best to get a family photo but the kids had the sillies already 😂 11 AM wedding means a brunch buffet and Dempsey ate like ten pieces of bacon! Afterward, the girls and Landon were having a blast on the dance floor then relocated outside when they realized it was less loud and they had more room to run. Dempsey was out there already, so it worked for him! It was a really nice wedding ❤️ Back at home, BLTs for dinner (the best!) and then we put the kids to bed before starting this awful movie that we finished last night and I truly didn’t care for. What can you do?

Joey was up and out of the house early for golf with his own dad and I had planned to get up and work out before the kids woke up but I went to start and of course they were both awake 😅 So they got to watch TV while I lifted and at one point, Dempsey told me “you’re doing really good, Mom,” so that’s all the motivation I need 🥹 I took them to the farmers’ market after breakfast, on the promise that I would be quick and we wouldn’t have to be there long 😅 Got popsicles, peaches, pluots (whatever that is!) and flowers before sweating our way home. Joey came home around lunchtime and the kids were so excited to have him open their gifts! I picked up a pie, made pork carnitas, prepped taco toppings and corn before everyone came over at 3 and despite a little bit of rain mid-meal, we had a really good time. I could tell the kids were tired when Lydia was asking me to rock her at 4:45 and Dempsey was laying on the floor crying because we wouldn’t let him open a Spindrift after everyone left 😅😅 It was a long weekend for them too!

Hoping to return to some normalcy this work week before heading up to the mountains this weekend. Happy Monday!

A weekend of highs and lows — first the high of watching two BTS concert livestreams and then the low of them being over and what do you mean I don’t get to wake up at 3:45 AM to watch another show?? Then the highs of fun times with the kids — soccer success, a trip to Aunt Bean and Uncle Wayne’s, pizza night and a trip to the children’s museum and the absolute lows of our family photo shoot. Just so many coulda, woulda, shouldas running through my head today after Lydia had the biggest meltdown the entire time and I doubt we got a single usable shot of the entire group of 30 😱

Just me trying to rationalize paying to watch both Busan concerts to my husband by telling him “they’re gonna wear different outfits and Jimin’s hair will be different and they’re going to sing totally new surprise songs!” Worth it to me 😉 BTS is VERY punctual, so let me tell you how insane it was that this show started AN HOUR AND FIFTEEN MINUTES LATE — stadium entry must’ve been a mess! — so Day 1 ended much later than anticipated and both kids got to watch the end with me 🥰

The rest of the day involved work, a car lunch salad before my manicure, finishing my very very meh audiobook and hanging with the kids until Joey got home for dinner. Dempsey asked me to do some Danny Go videos with him and I loved every single second ❤️❤️ I made us some chicken, bacon ranch burgers for dinner and man was that chicken dry 😂 The kids very much needed baths but it was so hard to drag them in from outside where the neighbors were playing. Eventually did it and got them to bed before watching some TV and putting ourselves to bed.

Day 2’s concert started much more on time and they performed “Dimple” (an absolute favorite of mine!), “DDAENG” (an absolute favorite of the entire fandom’s that they’ve never actually released and wow, the crowd was going insane) and “Magic Shop” as a third BONUS surprise song. Glad no one was awake to see my reaction to any of that 😂😂 Post-concert, I made us all ricotta pancakes with blueberry sauce and then we headed out to soccer. She did so good this week!!! Which was extra exciting since she had been telling us “I don’t want to go to soccer, I’m scared” right before we left. Played at the park then headed home and Joey took both kids on a trip to Home Depot while I took a much-needed nap! Once they were back, we all took a trip to my sis’s so Joey could install a new kitchen faucet, while the rest of us watched Wayne and Dempsey play a video game 😂 For dinner, we ordered in Blue Pan Pizza and played outside before getting the kids inside and to bed.

Up and at em Sunday for our big family photo shoot and go figure we picked a day that was cold and cloudy. Whyyyy? We were all dressed in summer clothes and Lydia was having NONE of it. There was absolutely nothing we could say or do to get her to pose for a single photo. So she’ll just be wrapped in a blanket screaming bloody murder in all of them 😫 I felt bad for her and I felt bad for everyone else. Back at home, warm and cozy, she was all smiles. Bleh, we’ll see how they turn out but I’m not hopeful at all. After lunch and some chores, we paid a visit to the children’s museum and had such a good time! Dempsey and I climbed Adventure Forest for the first time and I was so so proud of him!!! He just kept telling me “I’ll try!” at each new section up and I love that about him so much ❤️ Finished up with some art, some kinetics and some time at the park outside the museum. Got back home so Joey could cook us dinner and my kids really love some steak. Me too! Put them to bed and proceeded to be called back into their room, so our son could ask us questions and just try to stay awake 🤪 That boy! Anyway, he eventually gave in and I barely made it much longer than him!

This week is a busy but good one that will end with Dempsey’s preschool graduation, hold me! 😭 Hope you all have a good one!