The Shop is Closed, So We Must Must Be Enjoying Our Free Time

I have been looking forward to our first weekend WITHOUT the ice cream shop open for a loooooong time.  As anyone knows who owns their own business, especially an actual store with hours set in stone, there's never a day off.  But we are merely a seasonal business, so working 7 days a week is more palatable knowing it comes to an end in October.  I had grand ideas of doing something fall-festivy with the family, a pumpkin picking trip, maybe going to Hobby Lobby on my annual decor shopping trip, having a family dinner with everyone at the table.  But no, life is not that simple.  

Phil and I were able to attend a Franciscan Alumni reunion event in Rhode Island on Friday night which was fun.  There was Mass and then dinner at a restaurant that had a drink with my maiden name on the menu:

The work began on Saturday, after Brendan's soccer game and an 8 mile run that was on our training plan, as we started pulling out 19 years worth of accumulated clothes and mementos from our crawl spaces in order to have insulation installed on Monday.  We donated over 20 garbage bags full of clothes - maternity and kids - and got rid of our crib, baby items, and all sorts of junk we saved for no apparent reason.  These projects are draining both physically and emotionally and I'm just glad it's done.  

On Sunday, Phil had Religious Ed in the morning and then Open House at the high school in the afternoon, so he was gone all day.  I finished cleaning and went to Declan's soccer game (2 goals for our little man!) with his devoted fans ;)

I came home and cooked Phil's birthday dinner - maple chicken with rice pilaf and green beans.  

His birthday was actually on Wednesday but he had Parent-Teacher conferences that night.  I have to admit that I was not in the greatest mood to host his birthday dinner, as I felt very let down to not have done much besides house work and schlepping kids around on our first weekend without "work".  It feels like I've been a single mom every weekend since February, when work for The Cottage began.  I have accepted and been up for the challenge, understanding Phil has been working hard at our family business during those weekends and knowing I needed to do my part at home.  I honestly don't mind being reasonably busy, I prefer it to being bored, but if we can't find time to have some family fun on the weekends, then what are we working so hard for?  Next weekend better BRING IT.

OK Colleen, pull yourself together.  Life is good, your problems are the type of problems some people would pray for.

You're right Colleen, moving on.

Phil's gifts included lovely cards from the kids, an electric pepper grinder, an olive oil dispenser, a few new customized glasses to replace some broken ones, and Franciscan soccer zip up:

Happy Monday to you all, a fresh start on a fresh week may just be what we all need :)