This has been one of those weekends where I sit back on Sunday night and wonder what the heck we actually did over the past few days. I think that’s one of the biggest differences of being at home now, from working outside the home – weekends were always much more defined before, and I used to spend most of the day on Sunday dreading how Monday was looming over me. Now there really isn’t nearly as much of a difference between weekdays and weekends (especially with the girls on summer vacation) – only Sundays really stand out because Ron’s usually home.

So after wracking my brain to remember what the past couple of days have held, here’s what I’ve come up with for our top five this week. 

5: By Friday, I was ready to have a day that didn’t include rushing around, so I made a deal with Abby and Hannah. They skipped their summer program that morning – and since that meant missing out on an ice cream treat, I took them out for ice cream in the afternoon. They were perfectly happy with this option, and so were Becca and I – since we got ice cream this way too. Afterward, I took them to the mall for a couple of hours where we browsed happily through clearance racks, ran off energy in the play area, and got some reading done at the bookstore. I also had a Gap gift card to spend – and was thrilled to find shirts there for all 3 of the girls (that they love) for under $20 total.

4: Ron signed up last week for a 2-week free trial of Ancestry.com. And since it’s incorporated right into Family Tree Maker, he’s been on the computer almost every waking moment that he’s at home, trying to take advantage of every free minute of it he can. I went on and did some searches for my relatives – and actually found quite a bit of information. It’s incredible what’s out there – for example, thanks to census data from 1930, I now know that my dad’s grandmother lived with his family for a time since she’s listed as a member of their household. And I’ve traced a portion of my mom’s family back several more generations. Ron’s been using a combination of this method, plus Facebook (of all things) and has found and connected quite a few new family members. I’m really excited for him – but wishing he wouldn’t spend QUITE so much time on the computer when he’s home.

3: Saturday was another one of those lazy days where we get dressed late and hang out mostly at home. Being a bit occupied on the computer myself (see #4), I let the girls bring out blankets and pillows and stuffed animals into the living room to do with as they wished – with the caveat that they would clean it all up by dinnertime. Here’s what I saw when I walked into the room mid-afternoon:

They had divided up the living room with blankets so they each had her own ‘room’. They even made me a ‘room’ as well. You can’t see the couch in this photo, but it was full of books and stuffed animals to the point where you couldn’t sit on it. But rather than get angry at the mess (as per my usual reaction), I simply let them keep playing (even joined in for a while). And yes, they did clean it all up – at least mostly. There were a few of Becca’s things left in there overnight, but overall I was very impressed.

What didn’t impress me however, was how often and how badly the girls argued, teased each other and fought during the day. I’m thinking that they’re spending way too much time together lately, so will be definitely taking them back to their summer program this week. They need the break from the house as much as I need the break from the fighting!

2: At Abby’s post-surgery checkup last week she was cleared to be able to go swimming again. So we waited until Sunday, when Ron was home, and hit the local pool that we loved so much last summer – along with Kristi’s family. While her boys spent most of their time on the diving boards, my girls didn’t head over there at all. Abby and Hannah each took a couple of trips down the water slide…

And Becca went straight back to exactly what she loved doing last year at this pool. Walking through the shallow end from one side to another, ‘swimming’ with her arms. So Ron and I traded off going along with her to make sure she didn’t go too deep or trip. She was thrilled to do this over and over, back and forth and is apparently convinced that she actually is swimming, even though her feet never leave the pool floor. I foresee a bit of an issue at swimming lessons next month – where there is no ‘shallow’ end… 

1: We only lasted at the pool for an hour – which was very surprising to me. But it was a bit cool out – to where the water temperature was actually warmer than the air. And both Abby and Hannah were shivering and ready to be done. Becca, on the other hand, had to be carried out because she wanted to stay and ‘swim’ some more so badly. I would’ve liked to stay longer in general – but was having an issue with water in my left ear which has been driving me crazy ever since. It’s all plugged up and when I move my head a certain way I hear a rushing sound – so annoying! So we’ll try again next weekend, I think. Instead, we came home and spent some time playing outside. We finally bought a fourth swing for the swing set, so all 3 girls can swing at the same time – and still have a swing left for a friend.

So that was our weekend! How was yours?

Check out other Weekend Top Five posts over at The Wheelz Are Rolling.