Week in Review: The Martin Bunch, Summer Swims and Food is my Favorite

Happy Friday!  

This was a good week with both the feast day of St. Maximilian Kolbe on Wednesday (read about my connection/love for him here) and the Assumption on Thursday.  As I told my kids the way to remember the difference between the Ascension (when Jesus went to Heaven) and the Assumption (when Mary went to Heaven) is that there's an "M" in Assumption.  CCD class over :)

Last Saturday, Andrew and I took the littles to a YMCA pool near where I work.  Well, this pool is a hidden gem because it seems like nobody else knows it exists and we had the place to ourselves - such fun!

Any activity is more fun when a big kid comes along.

Andrew leaves next week for a semester in Austria and I am so sad already :(

But ice cream makes everything better and my favorite flavor was our special this week at The Cottage:

Mocha Chip

And I threw together this little photo to post about the family behind our family business.  Very Brady Bunch-esque, oui?

If only we had an Alice.

On Sunday we headed to a beach and met up with some friends there.  Phil and I were sitting on the beach and  talking to our friend, when he all of a sudden pulled off his hat and sprinted for the water.  A little baby had toddled over and fallen into the water and was bobbing/thrashing trying to stand back up.  Our friend pulled him from the water and it was all so scary.  The poor mom had turned her back to watch her other child and this is why I never bring little kids to the beach alone.  It only takes a second.  The whole scene played out right in front of the teenage lifeguard who didn't even seem bothered by it at all, didn't check on the kid after and didn't thank our friend.  Some lifeguard.

 

Declan on Phil's shoulders and Brendan on Xander's shoulders

JP has just under a month left of studying for the MCATs.  His has to teach himself BioChem which is a whole section on the test and a class he never took in college.  He is taking the class this fall but the test will be over by then.  Talk about bad timing.  He has taken two practice MCATs so far and got a 503 on his last one, so hopefully that score can only go up with more studying.  I feel bad for him trying to get some peace and quiet in our loud house!  His very very thoughtful girlfriend sent him some noise cancelling headphones as a graduation gift and he says those help a lot.

Studying in his work clothes at a messy island in a loud house.

I made a Chinese Chicken Salad for dinner, and it was so good and easy.  I bought marinated teriyaki chicken breast and cooked it in the air fryer while I chopped up lettuce and scallions and threw on shredded carrots, sliced almonds, chow mein noodles and a roasted sesame dressing (bottled).  

This is a delicious snack I've been having at work - a cinnamon magic pop with vanilla greek yogurt and nectarines.  Mmm.

Date night this week was at the restaurant next to The Cottage, and it did not disappoint!  Chicken Milanese with an arugula and burrata salad for me and Chicken Parm for Phil:

Declan and Brendan have been at a town camp this week and got to go to Wicked Waves Waterpark on the Cape for their field trip and participate in a Junior police Academy...those lucky duckies.  Maggie has been at a volleyball camp this week and is so sore but loving it.  The kids have all been trying to finish up their summer school work and I think my weekend might be spent helping a certain ten year old with a certain book report.  Hope we get an A!  Haha, have a lovely weekend everybody!