Family Fun

We had a great weekend! Saturday morning I got up and went running in the Battlefield. I did 10 miles for the first time ever. I completed my run in 1 hour 30 minutes. I had an average pace of 9 minutes 22 seconds per mile. That is my best run time. I lowered my mile per minute by an entire minute. I was very proud of myself! I think the key is to not run during the week. I have stopped running on Tuesdays and Thursdays and only run on Saturdays. I have gotten much better since doing that.

This was exactly 10 miles... Sometimes the distance on my RunKeeper freezes.

After running, I came home and ate lunch. We got the boys ready and headed to Chattanooga for the rest of the day. We went to Target first where I returned the dress my mother-in-law got me for my birthday. LOVED the dress, it was just way to short. I haven't shopped at Target for clothes in FOREVER!!! I tried on clothes for almost an hour. Everything was short or immodest or "not me". The current style doesn't appeal to me quite yet. So, I shopped around the store. Of course.... I ended up in the home decorating section. This is where I end up in every store these days. I found this gorgeous glass vase and then a set of green decorative balls to fill it up with. I plan on putting it on our new kitchen table. I love it!!! Brent stayed in the car with a sleeping Dane while I went into Target. Man. I forgot how easy it is to shop with just one child. When I came out, Dane was just waking up.

We headed over to the pottery store to paint a Christmas present for someone special. Ooooookay. Since my hubby doesn't read this, I can vent for a moment. I had originally asked him if he would mind helping me out while I painted pottery. I said, "I need you to take the boys to the park (RIGHT NEXT DOOR) while I paint. I then need you to bring them over, get their hand prints on the piece I'm painting, and then take them back to the park. If you don't want to, I can ask my dad if he would do that." Brent said, "Oh no. I'll do that. No problem." So, while on our way to Chattanooga I said something about the park. He no longer wanted to go with that idea and said that he and the boys would just stay with me the whole time. I just kind of looked at him and said, "Ummmm. That may not be such a good idea." Well, long argument story short, they went with me. So in tromp me and Brent and 2 rambunctious boys into a store with TONS of glass stuff everywhere. Signs are posted on each wall x5 that say, "If you break it... You buy it."  We walk around and look at everything. Dane sees a motorcycle that he just HAS TO PAINT!!!!! We cave and agree to let him just for the peace. I pick out what I need and we sit down. Complete chaos follows. Dane decides (after he and Brent started painting the $18  little motorcycle!!!!) that he no longer wants that and wants the fire truck he saw first. Webb falls down and hits his head and starts screaming. He begins flinging himself in the nurse position. Dane is screaming at me and Brent, "I DON'T WANT TO PAINT THE MOTORCYCLE!!!!!!!! I WANT TO PAINT THE FIRE TRUCK!!!! IT'S A STUPID MOTORCYCLE!!!! I WANT TO THROW IT IN THE DARBAGE!!!!!!" Every.Single.Person. in the store was looking at us. I pull up my shirt, place the blanket over me, and prop my knee up to nurse Webb. I move the paint and the piece I'm painting towards the middle of the table so Webb's wiggly feet and blind reaching hands do not grab and pull it off. I now have to strain over Webb's body and over half the distance of the table to reach what I'm painting (which by this point, I don't even know what it is!). Dane is still having a total and complete hissy fit. Brent is eye level with him talking in a low growl. Dane is still belligerent and acting completely unacceptable. I catch bits and pieces before they make a much needed trip to the bathroom. When they return, Dane comes up to me and screams again which gets him another trip to the bathroom. When they come back out, Webb is sitting up grabbing a paint brush full of paint. Brent looks at me with complete and utter irritation and a bit of sarcasm and says, "Oh yes! This was a GREAT idea!" I just stare at him. I'm finding the situation a bit humorous considering this was NOT my original plan (but I know better than to laugh even though from the outside looking in, we had to look like a full blown circus). I calmly said, "This is why I said take them to the playground." That might not have been the best time to bring that up. I paint like a mad woman. I can't even remember which colors I picked out for where. I get the lady's assistance for their hand prints and she gets Dane with no problem. She puts the paint on Webb's hand and he sticks it straight in his mouth. Blue paint all over his face and up his nose. She said she has never seen a child do that in all her years of owning the shop. She tells Brent, "Daddy! Get a picture!" I am laughing hysterically and encouraging Brent to get a picture. Dane is screaming, "Moooooomy! Webb has blue paint on his face. Mooooooomy! Webb ate the paint. Mooooooomy!!! Whhhhy did Webb eat the paint?" Then Webb turns around and smears it on my pretty pink shirt. I am saying, "Hurry. Get the picture." Brent doesn't want to get a picture. He wants to get out of the store as fast as he possibly can.He looks at me and the lady like we have lost our minds. He quickly snaps a picture that is a big blob of blur and tells me to go wash Webb off. We get his hand print and clean him up. She asks me if I have made me (Momma) one yet and I said, "No. This is a Christmas present. I REALLY (emphasis for Brent's sake) want to make one for me eventually." She lowers her voice and says, "You know... most people just come in here without their children and bring the children in only for the prints. It's much easier that way." I just look at Brent. Then I say, "Oh! What a great idea." Anyways, whoever gets this present better be very appreciative and not say a WORD about the way it turns out. LOL. It was a fun experience all in all and definitely a day we shall never forget.

We then ate at Panera Bread on a giftcard my dad gave me for my birthday. After that we headed to Ross and Marshall's and we got some things for the new house (surprise surprise) and some clothes. I got some blue jeans marked down to $10, a shirt for $7, capris for $7, and a sweater for $13. I was excited!

Sunday was a busy day of church and school work that afternooon.

On Monday, I went to the gym and the chiropractor and met friends at the park. We had a great time having girl talk and letting our boys run wild. Then I came home, put the boys down for a nap and worked on school work. I took a break in between to make homemade laundry detergent. So simple.

You need a box of 20 Mule Team Borax.

I got this for about $4 at Ingles.

A box of Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda.

I got this for about $4 at Ingles.

And your choice of bar soap.

These 2 were on sale at Ingles for $5.

You mix 1 Cup of the Borax, 1 Cup of the Washing Soda, and 1 bar of the soap. You need to shred that first. I shredded my in a food processor that has a blade for shredding cheese. It was shredded in about 15 seconds. Then you mix that all together and put it in a safe container. I put my in one of my raw milk jars. You use 1 Tablespoon of detergent per load or 2 Tablespoons for extra soiled loads. I went ahead an doubled the recipe up since I bought to bars of soap.

Final product.

It's super easy and you can add essential oils to your wash if you want it to have a strong scent.

Have a blessed day, ya'll!