This weekend was exactly what I needed. I am sitting here at 9p on Sunday evening feeling content, relaxed and ready to tackle the week ahead. I had Finn with me this weekend and I just soaked him up. We had so much fun together. I think this is the only weekend out of 6-8 that I am in Charlotte and a huge bonus was that the weather was INCREDIBLE!
Here’s a recap of our weekend!
FRIDAY
If it’s possible from a work standpoint, I try to take Fridays off on the weekends that I have Finn. This Friday had a magical start because Finn willingly and happily rode in the stroller to walk the dogs. Understandably, he is all about freedom these days and not a big fan of stroller rides. That said, it is very hard for me to walk the dogs when he won’t ride in the stroller. It’s a lot to manage both dogs on a leash and Finn running free when I am solo. I’ve felt so much guilt lately that I don’t walk the dogs as often because it used to be a daily routine and something that we all enjoyed.
I promised Finn a trip to “gymnastics gym” for tot time after the walk and he had a blast! It is truly amazing that this gym allows us free rein of the facility for a $5 drop in.
Maybe it’s an effective marketing technique because I am 100% signing him up for toddler gymnastics classes at this gym in the fall! Finn loves to climb and jump and I think he’ll really love it!
He went down for a nap after our morning outings and woke up wanting a snack. Dying over this “cheese” face. You’ll notice his left eyelid is a little swollen and red here. Not sure what happened, this popped up on Thursday and has improved ever since. It never got gunky just a swollen lid. I think it’s likely allergy related.
Next stop was my second COVID vaccine. Sweet Finn said, “It’s okay mommy. I’ve got you.” I put my second vaccine off for a week because I didn’t want to get it before I went to Tennessee for teacher training in case I had a strong reaction. Luckily, I experienced very minimal side effects. Just a bit of arm soreness and some achy/tired feelings the next day. Nothing that slowed me down, although I did take a rest day on Saturday.
After the vaccine appointment we headed over to Squirrel Lake Park where we spent two hours running around and exploring.
Back at home we did the dinner and bedtime thing. 🙂
SATURDAY
My goal for Saturday morning was to make it to the Charlotte Regional Farmers Market, even though it’s 20-25 minutes from our house. It’s been months since I visited my favorite farmers. I stocked up on meat at Windy Hill and grabbed some produce from Blue Bird and Hoffman Heritage. So great to be back and the lettuce offerings were amazing.
Since we were on that side of town, I took Finn to the airport overlook park to watch the planes take off.
We sat in the back of my car in the sunshine for about 45 minutes and it was so much fun although Finn didn’t quite understand why we couldn’t go to the airport and go see Meme, Mema and P-Paw. He was ready for lunch and a nap when we got home.
While Finn was napping we received a Saturday afternoon playdate invitation from some friends. I love last-minute plans so I confirmed that we would be there soon. We ended up hanging out for over two hours and the weather was PERFECT. My friend’s son is just a couple months older than Finn. They broke out their bounce house while we were there and I swear that Finn would have stayed the night had I let him, haha.
We got home just in time for dinner and bedtime.
SUNDAY
Finn woke up at 6:20 this morning and I said…no. I told him that it was too early and that we needed to snuggle and go back to sleep. Believe it or not, after 20 minutes of squirming he fell back asleep and the next time I opened my eyes it was 8:15. THE BEST on a Sunday morning!
It was all around and amazing morning in that Finn ate a whole pot of homemade oatmeal over the course of three servings with banana, peanut butter, chia seeds, hemp hearts and coconut oil and I had the chance to bake my Carrot Maple Oat Banana Bread.
I tried to squeeze in a weight workout midday but Finn wasn’t having it. I got two short kettlebell sets in and on the third he laid on top of me for 10 minutes and I quit once he told me he was ready for nap. Couldn’t even be annoyed because he was so sweet and I honestly don’t love home workouts.
After his nap we headed off to meet a friend of mine at a nearby park. We were LONG overdue a catch up and luckily she was game for hanging with Finn. We spent about an hour and half with her exploring the trails.
And then we hung out a little longer at the playground. I snapped this shot of Finn absolutely cracking up at an older kid who was teasing him in a sweet way.
Dinner tonight looked like homemade spaghetti for Finn. Bedtime was easy!
For me this weekend was the perfect blend of staying home, getting out and being social. Finn seemed to thrive with this mix too and we had no major meltdowns (minus one fall at the park that set him back for a bit but that he rebounded from). I love being at home, I love being outside and I love sprinkling in adventures and socialization. This was all so grounding and perfect. I am so lucky to be this boy’s mama.
Time to head upstairs to read.
QUESTIONS
What did you do this weekend?
What’s your ideal blend of being home and socialization?
Talk to me about home workouts with a small child…
How do you walk your dogs with a stroller-resistant toddler?
I am in CLT too, and I agree that the weather was PERFECT on Saturday. We had a very small party for my son’s 10th birthday – and it could not have been a better day for it.
I recommend a glider board if your stroller has that option. They can be a pricey attachment but totally worth it!
It looks like Finn has a stye! I used to get them frequently as a kid. A warm washcloth/compress helps heal and soothe it. I’m glad it didn’t bother him too much!