over the weekend | the domes (and the list)

Coming up with things to do over the weekend can be both a joy and a curse in our household. We want to relax! We want to get stuff done! We want to finish projects and make delicious meals and get out of the house and do something exciting, and we want Ralph to take good, long naps on top of it all!

Sometimes we get lucky and it all goes exactly how we want. But most of the time we accomplish two or three to-dos, and the rest slip by while we're sitting down to drink our coffee and watch episodes of This Old House on Saturday morning. Then, out of nowhere, it's time for lunch and Ralph is tired, and I still need to put makeup on, and we still haven't decided what we're doing for rest of the day! It's a silly rut that we've gotten into every weekend that frustrates us both.

And then I realized if we made a plan-- an actual, tangible list-- we might be able to squeeze every last bit of fun and productivity out of our weekend. A weekend itinerary, if you will. I know, it sounds crazy and slightly overbearing, but a plan written down on paper (with boxes next to them that I can check when they're done-- thrilling!) totally works for me during the week. I love a good list, and so does Ryan, when he actually takes the time to sit down and make one. I figured, why not make one for the weekend, when the time we have together as a family is even more valuable?

So I did. And it worked.

Thanks to a bit of good planning, we ran all the errands, started and finished a couple projects, ate well, and made a trip to the desert dome for a happy dose of dry warmth and sunshine.

And we still had time for coffee and This Old House on Saturday morning. Boom.

some quiet moments from the weekend ::

{The extent of my fall decorating. It makes no sense to pull out any of my pretty fall things, only to have to pack them back up when we move. Though, I do feel like I'm disappointing Martha Stewart. Oh the guilt!} {You know those black and orange Halloween candies-- the taffy and peanut butter things? As a child, all the old ladies in my neighborhood passed them out for trick or treating, and I hated them. Now I'm married to a man who LOVES them.}

 {How the boppy is being used. For now.}

 {A quick Saturday lunch in-between errands. Ryan prefers American cheese, while I like a good sharp cheddar, although it doesn't matter to me as much as long as my sandwich comes out slightly burnt.}

{Organizing baby stuff. For the fortieth time.}

{Aaaand the forty-first. Oh! And our rocker came in the mail. A good spot for the swaddled sock monkey to rest.}

strawberry festival

After the wedding festivities over the weekend, Ryan and I were happy to spend Sunday just the two of us, doing whatever we wanted. We took a nice drive up to Cedarburg again, this time for the Strawberry Festival. It was fun. It was crowded. It was hot.

After about an hour of weaving through crowds of sweaty people, we'd had enough, and decided to drive home. But not before treating ourselves to a big strawberry lemonade and a free balloon.

And free samples from the kettle corn guy.

Twice.

Over Memorial Day weekend, we . . .

 ate lots of strawberries . . .

 brought breakfast and 10 loads of laundry to the laundromat . . .

 made our first angel food cake together . . .

 slept in and shopped for baby . . .

 discovered some cheek-pinching worthy photos of Ryan at Grandma B's house . . .

 spent a beautiful afternoon at the zoo with the Schapekahms where. . .

 "Uncle Wyan" got lots of love and attention . . .

 I leaned on lots of railings (my feet) . . . 

 Henry and Oliver peeked at all the animals with very important sight-seeing equipment . . .

and poor little Henry missed the last carousel ride by literally 24 seconds. (Do you see that face? He was  so. sad.)

Not pictured: the massive amounts of foot rubs I received from Ryan. 

So, though it's possible that I woke up this morning even more tired than I did before the long weekend began, I'm marking this weekend down as quite successful.

the time we went to Cedarburg and did not fight once

A long long long time ago, when Ryan and I were still wee college kids,

we took a day trip to Cedarburg, WI.

It was a Tuesday or something, I think.

And it was cold.

And we were trying so hard to have fun.

But it was cold, and we were both broke, and I'm pretty sure all the cute little shops were closed.

And we ended up fighting somewhere along the way, and drove back to campus in silence.

We laugh about it now, but.

It was a stupid day.

Well. Cedarburg got a second chance this past Saturday,

And I'm glad! Because guys! Cedarburg can be fun! I'll tell you why::

First we went to Amy's Candy Kitchen. Do you see that vent above the door in the photo below? It's a magical vent that blows steamy, sweet fumes into the atmosphere.

The doorway air is thick and warm and smells like buttery caramel. 

Ryan said it was a smell that could have made him sick if he sniffed too long.

But I could live in that doorway. I could.

The inside smells good too.

And then, when we left with our bag of peanut butter balls and chocolate meltaways, I took a bump picture. Because I was a happy woman.

Then we went to a meat market, where the lady clerk tried to get me to eat head cheese. (NO THANKS.) We bought two beef sticks, and Ryan was much more comfortable with the smell.

Do you see this face? This was after the beef sticks.

Other items of note:

-- We went to the cutest toy store that sold pretty blocks, old fashioned Golden Books, and nose flutes. A nose flute is like a kazoo, but you play it with your nose. A woman bought one while we were there, and the clerk said, "Just the nose flute today?" 

-- Ryan found the most perfect golf club at a thrift store for only a few bucks. But it was a lefty. It almost ruined the day. It still haunts him.

-- We went to a restaurant and ordered soup, and did not get saltines. But the guy that came in after us also ordered soup and he did get saltines? Minus one for you, Cedarburg.

sunday picnic

We packed a little picnic and rode our bikes down to the lake on Sunday.

Ryan made peanut butter and honey sandwiches, 

put them in baggies, and wrote our initials on them just like a mom would.

A little dachshund puppy named Keifer was there, and I loved him.

The weather was beautiful and sunny but the wind was chilly

so when we had had enough, we rode our bikes all the way back home.

And we each have that bruised feeling 

on that very specific spot 

on the underside of our buns 

to prove it.

the weekend

What a wonderful weekend! The sun came out, and the rest of Milwaukee (and their dogs) came out with it. We participated in as many outdoor activities as possible, including eating, strolling, tennis (Ryan,) baseball (also Ryan,) reading (me,) and more eating (also me.)

Oh yes, and did I mention that we ate a lot this weekend? Friday night, we went to Rudy's for Mexican. On Saturday, after much searching, we discovered a Girl Scout cookie stand. "I'll take some of those, and some of those, and two of those," I said brazenly, and Ryan didn't even stop me. I grabbed those cookies and hustled to the car without looking back. A number of thin mints were devoured before we had even left the parking lot. And Sunday. Oh, Sunday. Steak, and mashed potatoes and asparagus. A meal my father would be proud of.

We also did the wash, but I think we all know that the most important information in this post is FOOD.

weekend.

First of all: thank you so much to those who wrote such wonderful words about my baby's birth story. And thank you for your prayers! I feel so much better after writing that out and reading your comments. Ryan and I feel so loved.

Speaking of Ryan, it's his birthday on Monday! He's out with some dudes tonight, so I'm watching SNL and preparing for his party. The theme is:: woodgrain. The man likes carpentry and bears, so it seems like the only logical choice. Unfortunately, now that I'm actually looking at my decorations, it seems I'm planning this party for an eight-year-old girl? I may need to adjust some stuff.

Happy weekend to you all!

scenes from the weekend of a happily married couple (that is trying to save money) ((and likes to eat)) in the dead of winter

if he hadn't already been adopted, and we were allowed pets in our apartment, 

that pup would've come home with us.