TToT – Dashing Off Again
I would much rather be in bed falling asleep right now than writing my TToT list.
Can’t blame a girl for being honest. But the truth is that if I don’t do this now – quickly – I won’t do it at all because there won’t be a moment to do so. We’ve been busy this week in lots of great ways, which I’m figuring have to add up to ten great things for which I am thankful.
For starters, despite a few days where the plans just got totally derailed, we tackled several big jobs around the house. Come back Monday or Tuesday for The Great Clean and Purge Project update for more details.
Some of the reasons we got derailed this week are good ones. I want to leave it at that for the moment. Stay tuned. (Sorry, Dyanne – I know you hate when I leave you hanging…)
The Fab Hub and I got to go on two dates this week, neither one very sexy. Grocery shopping and other such errand-ish nonsense. But sometimes it’s good to grab a parents-only date any way you can.
The reason we were able to grab those dates was that Zilla has had Vacation Bible School all week. She absolutely loved it. She loved last year, but she really loved it this year – participated much more than she did last summer and sang and danced her little pants off all week. She came home excited every day and told us all about every part of it. That makes a Mamma and Dadda very happy.
And VBS gives me yet another opportunity to say how impressed and proud I am of our Zilla. If you have any experience with Vacation Bible School, you know it involves snacks. And when your kid has issues with things like food dye…well, snack time isn’t the easiest part of the week. I am thankful for the people who run VBS and their attention to detail – they provided a snack list for parents so that those who need to can be aware of allergens, etc. and send alternative snacks. So there’s that. And I am thankful once again that our Zilla is so great about knowing what she can and can’t eat, understanding why, and just being so completely mature about the whole thing. In an effort to make her week’s experience as close to the rest of the group as possible, I scoured the Internet for ingredient lists and substitute products and managed to duplicate darn near everything they were serving with really only one exception: there is simply no healthy and dye-free substitute for Jell-O. Period.
But it gets better. We have caring people who provided a food list for us. I found Zilla alternate snacks. Her group leaders made sure she got her own personal snack from the kitchen each day and looked out for her when a surprise snack showed up. Zilla handled the whole thing like a champ. AND…this is the part that kind of gets me a little choked up…AND our Zilla was so appreciative of the extra effort to keep her snacks Zilla-friendly I was floored. I kind of expect her to take it in stride by now. But she was so grateful it just amazed me. I had to tell my Mom, particularly because it is such a far cry from The Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookie Incident of my childhood. But that’s another story.
What else…oh, the Hub makes the list again. He took over a chore for me this week that I had just basically given up on. He finished the job and I am thrilled. If you want the details, check out The Great Clean and Purge Project update early next week. I should also be thankful here for him putting up with my drama about the whole thing. And my whining. And my unreasonable reactions to one or two other things this week. He tolerates my nonsense and for that I am always thankful.
Lunch with an old and dear friend. That was a great treat. Good food, good conversation, and a chocolate chip cookie dough fudge brownie for dessert. How decadent.
New sheets with lobsters on them – how fun is that? My Aunt grabbed them for us because she knows we have The Lobster Thing so these are just terrific.
![20140718_231302[1]](http://www.themeaningofme.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/20140718_2313021.jpg)
Surprising Zilla with fresh flowers from the market – in her favorite colors, of course – to put inside the cutest basket we found several weeks ago. I saw a woman with them at the market this morning and knew Zilla would love them so I grabbed a bunch. The Hub and Zilla had their own mac and cheese lunch date while I was out so I wasn’t home when she saw them, but he said she just loved them. That makes me happy.
![20140718_143507[1]](http://www.themeaningofme.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/20140718_1435071.jpg)
I am thankful for thirty minutes of solitude this morning. Zilla was at VBS, the Hub was out on an errand, and I got to take a shower, get dressed, and dry my hair uninterrupted.
Even better yet, a lazy nap this afternoon because…why not? What is summer vacation if you can’t take a nap just because you feel like it? And I am thankful that I didn’t beat myself up about it and take a guilt trip about whatever chore didn’t get done.
I could probably go on, but it’s time for bed. And the best part? There is still an entire weekend to go and we have lots of great things planned!
What has made you happy and thankful this week? You know what to do…share in the comments or link up with us!
Have a wonderful weekend!
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Zilla sounds like a truly responsible, self-aware young lady! You’ll have less to worry about!
She really is – and remarkably so for her age. We are hoping that continues into those difficult years of growing up where it’s so important to be able to stand up for yourself!
I thought our one dinner (adult) date last week was a lot, but jealous you got two! Seriously though sounded like a wonderful week with all good stuff and now wishing you a great and fun weekend, too 🙂
Yeah, two in a week was huge, Janine! It was a good and the weekend ahead looks great. Well, except for the fact that a pair of pants I thought would fit this morning didn’t…sign.
VBC is so much fun. I have taught it almost every year for 15 years, and I have just as much fun as the kids. I’m glad the snack issues were taken care of and Zilla was able to participate almost exactly as the other kids. She is such a sweet little girl.
It doesn’t matter what you actually do on a date, just having them is what is important. Glad you and your husband were able to have a couple.
Can’t wait to see what all you’ve tackled this week. Except I’ll be gone without wifi. I’ll have to wait.
Have a lovely week!
It’s amazing how parenthood changes your perspective – a date is no longer such a big deal as a night out on the town. It’s a meal where you don’t have to cut anyone’s food or say “sit down” ten times. At trip to the grocery store without a bazillion questions. I love every single second of my daughter, but even the most in-love of Mommies needs a few minutes along with the Daddy.
A truly beautiful Ten, and I hope you got lots of sleep.
Those sheets are hilarious 🙂 And I’m glad you managed to get a couple of adults-only times, even if they were mundane. Still a good chance to catch up and reconnect.
I’m so glad Fab Hub keeps making your lists. That’s awesome 🙂
The sheets are great aren’t they? Someone gave us a set when we got married that were much more subdued – blue and white stripes with a bit of red trim and a solitary lobster in the center of the trim. These, however, are rather raucous and I absolutely love them!
What an impressive creature that Zilla is! How wonderful to witness such maturity! No, what is the Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookie incident?
Hah – the Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookie incident is me being a total brat. I just started to explain here, but I think perhaps I’ll just do it justice and post it all on its own.
I forgot to comment on the lobster sheets. Amazing!
I know, aren’t they a hoot? I’ve never seen anything quite like them and I think they’re fabulous!
Two dates? In one week? That’s almost unheard of! Congratulations and I hope you enjoyed every moment.
You should most definitely be proud of Zilla. She is quite a young lady and the flowers you brought her are picture perfect.
Love those sheets…how fun!
I don’t think we get two dates in two months most of the time, so it was definitely appreciated! I suppose we should probably try to concentrate a little harder on making time, even for practical-style dates. So easy to let the couple slip into the parents and kind of forget…
I think I am so proud of Zilla that people probably get tired of hearing me say so. But I really am just so floored by her sometimes. We could not be more blessed.
I get the errand dates. Even though the kids are mostly gone, we still are so busy a trip to the Home Depot might be our only time to connect. I have socks with lobsters on them. I am a fan of downeast Maine.
I have lobster socks, too, Val! They were a gift several years ago from a friend – a native New Englander – who vacationed in Maine and brought them back for me. They’re so fun!
The errand dates were just fine – honestly, we kind of enjoyed them. Sometimes a date to a place like the supermarket or Home Depot sparks conversation that might not happen otherwise – I think it’s all about taking advantage of the moments we get.
lobsters? ( I can understand birds and flowers…and my wife Phyllis bought some dinnerware that had like small bugs on flowers as a pattern…)
must be an X Chrome thing.) they sound very… cute I will stop now lol
although who doesn’t enjoy new sheets? with or without crustaceans?
Glad to hear that the VBS can make adjustments for the snacks, seems to make a good thing even better.
The lobsters go all the way back to the very early days of our relationship – it’s become sort of an ongoing thing. For those interested enough to venture, the story is here: http://www.themeaningofme.com/a-lobster-tale/
New sheets are terrific – as are freshly-washed sheets. Nothing like it!
Making a good thing even better is about how I’d describe Zilla’s experience this week – she would’ve been fine just avoiding the “no” foods, but having her own special version and people to help her police things made it really great. For all of us!
You have definitely been earning nap time. Clean and purge is exhausting.
Sure is! And I can’t think of a better reward than a nap!
Running errands together definitely counts as a date!
It sounds like Zilla really understands and accepts her dietary needs. And to express gratitude to those who help her? Wow!
Didn’t you have a post on your blog recently about dates like that? I remember reading something about it. Sometimes I think couples put too much pressure on themselves to have dates of a particular type, style, whatever, rather than recognizing what opportunities they have.
I’m always so glad Zilla is so great about the food issues – I can only imagine it would be so much more difficult for everyone if she fought us on it.
Yes, I’ve written more than once about dates to the home improvement store, etc. I think the important thing is to call it a date; the priority is on the company, not the activity.
I think that’s key – acknowledging the time as “date time” sends a clear message.
Oh gosh- there is just SO much goodness in this post!!! That precious Zilla amazes me!! And I love love love that she had such a great time at VBS!!! Also very impressed that they give attention to the snacks, for any kids with allergies. Very very good.
Two dates (kind of dates) with Hubs? And hubs doing a chore for you? Nicely played. 😉
Nap and beautiful flowers are my favorite part. Oh, and that adorable white picket fence basket!! Love love love…
Our school and church are very much on top of things like allergies, etc. – so many kids have so many different food issues. It’s great to know that the people handling the food can provide that info so parents and kids can make decisions.
Isn’t that basket the cutest thing? Zilla and I grabbed it when we were out to lunch with the Hub a few weeks ago at a café we like. I had it on the table by itself, but the flowers really give it something special.
Gahhhh! There you go again!!! I’m excited for you, and I don’t even know why 🙂
Zilla is such an amazing kiddo! How terrific and mature that she appreciates you (or anyone else) going the extra mile to provide her with a snack that she can eat.( My son was allergic to peanuts and we went through much the same thing.)
Zilla’s flowers are beautiful! I think it’s darling that she likes to get flowers.
Now that I’m back from vacation, I have to get back on the purging train. Inspire me this week, Lisa!
I know, I know…but in due time when all is in place, as we hope it will be, then it will be totally worth it.
I’m glad she is able to appreciate the help she gets – I want her to remember that when people go out of their way to help her and she is appreciative, to let people know.
I will try to inspire…this week’s update should be posted late Monday night, so check back! We did some seriously good stuff last week!
How did I forget you had a lobster thang!????? I love the sheets… xo lobster fan too!
I do – and I always forget you do, too…until I remember! The sheets are terrific and so silly.