Mondays Are For Getting Stuff Done

Mondays are my jump into the week. A great Monday can set me up to feel fairly successful and capable. (A bad Monday can...well, we all know about bad Mondays, don't we? They are Bad.) 

This morning was sort of a triple whammy - our house cleaner was coming, I had a 9:30am Zumba class to get to, and I needed to leave the house 15 minutes earlier than usual so I could make a quick stop at a friend's house to drop something off. (Oh, also? Last night, Ying Ying decided she had to eat every two hours. All night long. *yawn*) (She usually gives me one 4-6 hour stretch at night.)

Anyhow, marched the kids through breakfast and chores, and we got out on time. Hooray! Delivery made, off to the YMCA. Zumba was awesome. The child care room had to page me to come and get a fussy Ying Ying, but I was already in line to pick her up anyhow, so it was no biggie. 

Since the house cleaner isn't done cleaning until about an hour and a half after I drop Ming Wai off for afternoon Kindergarten, we usually stop by McDonald's for lunch on Zumba/Cleaning days. The kids don't mind and, if you are careful, it's possible to pick up a lunch for me that doesn't completely negate the day's workout. (My favorite right now is a premium mcwrap, hold the mayo and cheese, grilled chicken.) 

The kids always order the same thing - a cheeseburger with extra pickles and a yogurt parfait. 

Slimy, yet satisfying. (Sorry - had to say it.) 

After lunch, I dropped Ming Wai off for Kindergarten, and took off for my parents' place. I needed a place to hide with the kids for a while (and I needed to raid their cupboards for some sugar. Sssshhhh. (Dad, if you are reading this, see what a good daughter I am? I took your old bag of sugar with me, and will replace it with a shiny new one. Rotate the old cupboards, eh?) 

(Baby Ying Ying chilling out at my parents' house. Check out those yummy thighs. Yowza! I had just handed her that stuffed duck on the left, and she totally said "dah!" which is obviously "duck!" which means obviously that my baby is a genius. Obviously.)

When I was done raiding the cupbards and Ying Ying was about ready for a nap, we took off for home and goofed off until it was time to pick Ming Wai up. After school, there was another long to-do list: 

1) Play at the park

2) Eat pickles

3) Paint Ming Wai's nails

4) Start a batch of watermelon rind pickles

5) Feed the chickens

6) Cut up a pineapple and see what happens if you try to dry it in the oven. (Spoiler alert: Good things, yo. Good things happen.)

And would you believe not one item on the list was less important than the others? (Would you also believe that the list was a  joint effort? I don't usually include "eating pickles" in the day's schedule. Some people, however, find it necessary.) I can happily report a 100% success rate on today's to do list. So that's something. 

(Also? Since our piano recital was last week, my kids and I are enjoying a week "off." No lessons to teach, and nowhere to be after school. Kind of nice!) 

The rest of the day was spent outside with friends, eating strawberries and macaroni for dinner with ice cream for dessert, and a s.l.o.w. bedtime (because Mommy was feeding the baby and couldn't ruin their fun with her silly rules). 

Eventually, all of the kids were tucked into bed, I got a few minutes to jot down these stories about our day, and...that's our Monday! 

Just for kicks and giggles, here's a pictures I snapped on Saturday evening on my way home from a walk with the baby. Do the clouds look familiar to anyone else?

What if I turn the picture? 

Does anyone else remember the cellular phone campaign a few years ago where images of the "service bars" were present in dozens of objects? Clouds, buildings, kites, etc? Huh- maybe it's just me. 

Happy Monday, everyone!