Weekend Happenings (No Baby Yet)

I'm 39w5d pregnant and running out of things to occupy my time. My house has been cleaned top to bottom. I've organized the front pantry closet, wiped the inside of the refrigerator clean, packed the hospital bag, sanitized Tory's toys and swept the garage floor. Both our freezer chest and regular refrigerator / freezer are plum full of make-ahead meals. Andi trimmed all the shrubs back for winter. It was on my to-do list, but he beat me to it. The only thing left to do is rake the massive amount of leaves in our yard. (I'm not so crazy I'd tackle that at nearly 40 weeks pregnant. Hiring that done for sure).

Since having a baby this weekend wasn't in the cards, Andi and I kept ourselves busy with visits to see family and friends, housework, cooking and a trip to the indoor water park. Andi was itching to make a quick trip to the cabin on Saturday, but I didn't feel comfortable risking it. My luck, I'd end up being one of those ladies who gives birth on the side of a highway. Um, no thanks.

The indoor pool was insanely busy Saturday night. Apparently, that's where suburban parents take their kids on the weekend. Who knew? Tory and Andi had a blast swimming together while I watched from the sidelines (can't be anyone out there itching to see my gigantic pregnant self in a swimming suit).

If there's one great thing about dual parenting, it's how differently Andi and I give Tory room to grow. As her mother, I probably shelter Tory more than needed and take far too long to realize she's perfectly capable of doing some things on her own. Andi is more willing to give Tory space to spread her wings. I nearly had a heartache from my chair by the pool when I saw Andi let Tory go down the water slide unassisted. (For the record, it was a small slide with padding at the bottom). But, you know what? She did just fine. In fact, Tory was a crazy little thing scurrying up the slide, sliding down and doing it over again x 100. She was having the time of her life.

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This afternoon, I dug down deep into my bucket list of things to do and decided to make homemade Runzas. I invited my sister-in-law Lindsay over to help. The simple recipe fools you to believe homemade Runzas come together in a snap, but they're actually quite time-consuming and messy. I always forget that part until I'm half way into the process. Totally worth it to make them once or twice a winter though. There's something about the first bite of a piping hot homemade Runza that takes me right back to my childhood. So delicious. Andi loves to pop one out of the freezer for fast meals. (My mom's homemade Runza recipe here).

This was Tory's first time making Runzas and she was a big fan. I knew there was a little Nebraska in my girlie! She helped Lindsay and I roll out the dough and insisted we all wear aprons while we cooked. When I dumped flour on the counter top, Tory said, "Mommy made a big mess!" That's okay, Tory Girl, it's all part of the process.

With two dozen homemade Runzas tucked away in the freezer, I've officially crossed everything off my baby to-do list. You're welcome to make your arrival anytime now, Baby Aden! If he's not here by mid-week, I'm going to pull my Christmas tree out of storage and start decorating.

Must. Keep. Busy.