The Weekend After Christmas

I don't know about you, but the day after Christmas always makes me sad. We start planning for Christmas the day after Thanksgiving, put up lights, decorations, get a tree, buy presents, enjoy the holiday season, etc. There is a month of this hoopla and after one single day, it's all over. Christmas comes and goes and we're left with memories and lots of new toys to stuff into the overflowing toy box (and a fuller than usual recycling bin!!). So we spend all this time building up to the one day and then it's over and done so quickly. It always leaves me feeling sad the following day. I wanted to head off this depression so we decided that we would make December 26th really fun.

We started the morning by going to the gym. I had to do my long run for the week (four miles, wahoo!!) and Richard ran right alongside of me for three of them. We rushed home after and got ready to head to a local Barnes and Noble for story time. It was kind of sad because they had forgotten about it and had to just put it together quickly when two families showed up. The kids listened to a Fancy Nancy Christmas story and then colored a picture. We also bought two Christmas books (who can resist Christmas books at half price?!?!). I just love the bookstore, I could spend all day in there and spend hundreds of dollars on books. I just love to read!

After story time we had a fun lunch planned at a place Richard found online. It was a hamburger joint with a sandbox for the kids to play in. Unfortunately the sandbox was outside and it was too cold for us to sit out there so the girls kept running back and forth. The door to get outside was very heavy so this made for a lot of walking back and forth to open it for them on our part. But I think they enjoyed playing and the hamburgers were awesome!! Mine was huge and I didn't think I would be able to finish it all, but after running four miles on an empty stomach I was more famished than I thought.

Serena's hair is getting so long and look how BLONDE it is. We are blessed to have such beautiful girls.

And I can't forget about our handsome and happy boy! He barely made a peep the whole lunch!
When we finished lunch we had planned to do some shoe shopping. Richard was looking for a new pair of boots and I needed a new pair of black shoes (the ones I have I bought when I was pregnant with Serena and now that I've lost weight the heel keeps slipping off). We went to Famous Footwear, but didn't have any luck finding the shoes we wanted. Richard ended up getting a pair of work shoes and I got some new white Sketchers.

Since we were so close to the mall, we headed over there next. Dorks that we are, we forgot our stroller! So we had to make due with the Baby Bjorn and renting a stroller for Serena to sit in. She loved it, but I wasn't so happy wearing my BIG baby. My shoulders were aching before long and I was happy to sit down and watch the girls play in the play area. I ended up taking him out of the Bjorn and putting him in Serena's stroller. HE WAS SO CUTE AND LOVED IT!!

Isn't this just the sweetest little boy you've ever seen?

When Serena caught sight of Jameson in HER stroller I knew there was going to be protests. I held my breath as she ran over and when she got right next to him she burst out laughing and gave him an impromptu hug!! (this one I caught on camera was prompted, as I didn't have it ready for the surprise one so I told her to do it again).

After a few minutes of fussing over her brother, Serena did want back in her stroller. I thought maybe we could fit both of them in so Jameson sat on her lap for a bit.

I just love these photos of the two of them. You can really see how much Serena loves her baby brother. It melts my heart.

We finally left the mall and got home around 5pm. Surprisingly we had bought very little that day, but we just enjoyed being out and having fun and warding off the post holiday blues!

The fun continued on Sunday when we decided to go to the duck pond for a picnic lunch. We packed the girls some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and we stopped at Schlotzsky's Deli for some sandwiches for ourselves (they weren't very good so we don't recommend them!!).

We got to the duck pond and let the kids eat lunch and then play in the park.

Jameson enjoyed going down the slides with his sisters.

And finally we went over to the pond portion to give the ducks their lunch.

On the way home we stopped by Dick's Sporting Goods store so I could return some things and get a bunch of new work out clothes and a good pedometer. I haven't tried it yet, as I ran my three miles at the gym this morning, but I hope it works well!!

So all in all, we had a fun weekend and I can't believe it's back to Monday morning. Calli is off at art camp and the little ones and I have some grocery shopping to do today. Is it the weekend yet??