Where Have I Been?

Perhaps you’ve noticed a lack of new posts lately here and have been wondering where I’ve been? Or maybe you haven’t, in which case please don’t tell me as it will just hurt my feelings.

I didn’t mean to neglect my website – life just…happened.

What EXACTLY have I been up to?

So glad you asked.

1. Trip to Indiana. One set of grandparents lives in Indiana, where I grew up, and the boys and I went for a little road trip to see them recently. As it turns out, it was the last time we’ll be visiting my parents in their old house, since they are in the process of downsizing into a new one! We did get to see the house they’ll be living in, though, and it’s really perfect for them.

Hopefully my dad forgives me for putting his picture on my website. I couldn't help it. It's just too sweet. He's a really good Papa.

2. Vera Bradley Outlet Sale. For several years now, my mom and I have discussed going to the Vera Bradley Outlet Sale. Well, this was the year we made our dream come true.  If you’ve never been to this annual event then let me tell you that it’s INSANE. I’m assuming that you know what Vera Bradley bags are – if not, take a look around their website then come on back.

I’ll wait.

I think people either love these bags or think they’re hideous. I will say that if, like me, you like Vera Bradley but can’t easily afford it, then you might want to consider a trip to the annual outlet sale – there was an unbelievable selection of items and all at a substantial discount. After we got back home with our loot, my mom and I added up the savings and for most items it was more than 50% off!  My mom and I really enjoyed spending the day together (my very brave dad took care of all the boys all day!) and decided we’d definitely go back to the Outlet Sale another time – but probably not every single year.

Before you think "hey, it doesn't look crowded at all" - this picture was taken when we first walked in at the start of our session of time. It filled up FAST.

3. Indianapolis Children’s Museum.  While we were in Indiana, we made a quick trip to Indianapolis for the day. They have a phenomenal Children’s Museum that we used to visit all the time when we lived there.  If you’re anywhere near Indy I highly recommend taking the time to visit this museum – there is something there for kids of all ages.

On our way to dinner in Broad Ripple after leaving the museum we did a drive by of my Alma Mater – Butler University (Go Dawgs!). It looked mostly the same (again, I won’t mention how long ago I went to school there).

4. Bruce Springsteen. Once we returned home to Cleveland, we had a visit from the other set of grandparents (you can start to see why there’s been no time for post-writing).  They watched the boys one night while my husband and I headed to downtown Cleveland for the Bruce Springsteen concert – it was our 11th anniversary gift to ourselves. And it was AWESOME. Before the concert, we had some tapas and drinks at D’Vine Wine Bar. This was our second time visiting this place – they have delicious food (and at a bargain with weekly Happy Hour specials) and a wide variety of drinks and wine flights. If you find yourself in downtown Cleveland, looking for a place to maybe relax with your significant other, then you may want to try this place out.

5. Playroom Redo.  We live in a really terrific rental house, but had a bit of a flood disaster in the basement awhile back. We had to rip out the carpet before it became a job for a Hazmat team. We replaced the flooring with something more waterproof and also took the opportunity to make the space into a more organized play area for the boys and all their Legos. It would probably be more impressive if I had a “before” picture, too.

6. First Communion. Even if you aren’t Catholic, chances are you’re aware of what a big deal this Sacrament is to those of us who are.  This was my second oldest son’s special day and we were so blessed to have family and friends join us from near and far away.  Fortunately, the weather cooperated and we had a beautiful weekend for the celebration! And I only cried twice during the Mass. I’m sorry, but the sight of my sweet boy walking down that aisle – dressed up,  hands-folded, look of innocence on his little face – of COURSE I got teary-eyed.

7. Mother’s Day.  I was fortunate enough to get two Mother’s Days! The first one was celebrated with family during First Communion weekend – the boys got to swim in a hotel pool and my parents treated all of us to a wonderful dinner out. MY Mother’s Day was celebrated the following weekend. As many of you know, my husband is the General Manager of a restaurant. Which means I don’t ever see him on Mother’s Day. So when he did have a day off, he helped our boys treat mommy to a nice, relaxing day together. My day included a delicious breakfast, finally buying a new phone, time alone at the bookstore/new fabric store, ice cream (finally got to try the Blizzard of the Month – “Confetti Cake” – yum!), and a cookout for dinner with chocolate covered strawberries that my boys made for me.  Not much more you could ask for in a Mother’s Day.

That, my friends, is a rundown of the last month or so for our family. Phew. Where does the time go? Somewhere in there, we have been making progress with school work, too.  We’ve added some things that I’ll be posting about on my homeschooling website soon. 

I hope you and your families are doing well and enjoying the season of spring as well!

~ Dori