Monday Monday

I am (perhaps foolishly) considering joining some bloggers for a week in my life series of posts.  This week won't necessarily be normal (mainly because there is no such thing for us), but it may give a snapshot of what normalish might look like around here. 

We're supposed to start with Monday, that requires me to recall yesterday.  While it is no problem for me to tell you what I wore to my 8th grade graduation (or all of the birthdays of my 8th grade classmates), remembering yesterday will be a little bit of a challenge.

Hmmm.  Let's see.  Mike mostly worked from home yesterday (gotta love the new job).  I got up at 7ish.  Had some coffee/hot chocolate and a pumpkin muffin, took Jake to steel drum band (middle school, Monday mornings 8:00), called my mother on the way home to say hi (next Monday morning she or Jonathan or Madi will be doing the steel drum run because Mike and I will be on a cruise).  (pretty sure that sentence was more than long enough even though I don't think I really ended it) 

Did History with Madi, talked to Mike, may have done some laundry, and then it was time to go pick up Jake.  Did some school with Jake.  We are 'in Norway' in Exploring Countries and Cultures.  Jonathan (who had worked until about midnight the night before) got up and played a homemade Norwegian game with Jake (I think it's called fox and geese). 

If I continue doing this for everyday this week, I will definitely need to do it the day of because I'm sure I'm already forgetting stuff about yesterday.

Anyway, at some point Mike asked if I wanted to go out to lunch (yes), so I finally took a shower and got ready.  First we went to the bank to cash in two very old savings bonds.  One was from my First Holy Communion in 1978, the other was from our wedding in 1994.  The 1978 one was a $25 bond now worth $87!!  (cool huh?) The 1994 one was $100, now worth $110 (not nearly as cool).  Either way...cruise money!  So after the bank, Mike ran into the theatre for a minute.  We attempted to go to a newish BBQ place by the lake...closed Mondays.  We ended up with Italian (well actually I think it's Greek).  We split a salad and a calzone.  It was raining and pretty chilly when we came out.  We went to Walgreens to pick up a few things including travel size toiletries (did I mention we are going on a cruise?) 

When we got home, Mike left to go into the local office of his new company for  a few hours, and I really can't remember what I did.  I might have spent some time on the computer and did a little bit of laundry and dishes.  At 3:00 I took Jake back to the middle school for regular band.  I came home to start making some cookies, visited with Madi, Jonathan, and Chloe for a little while, then went back to get Jake (long car line).  Jake had asked for permission to take his steel drums home for a few days, he plays a triple, so he had three girls helping him carry everything to the car.  We now have a triple steel drum in our family room.  I brought Jake right from band to theatre, and came home to finish making the cookies (pumpkin chocolate chip).  While they baked, I folded laundry and watched some of Dancing with the Stars from last week and the week before.  I had known who went home, but didn't see some of the dances.  Mike came home and we ate left over chicken (he had some salad too).  Then it was time to get Jake from theatre and head to our Arise Together in Christ group at church.  When it was already past time to go, I remembered I needed something resembling dinner for Jake.  Microwaved hot dog (terribly bad I know) to the rescue.  Picked up Jake, said hi to Madi (who was on her was home from theatre), and we drove to church.  Half way there we got the text that Madi was home (always a relief), and then when we were about 2 minutes away I got a call from my brother.  Early on in the conversation I told him I only had a few minutes because we were almost to a meeting at church, but he was so talkative, I ended up standing outside talking to him for about 15 minutes.  My 40 year old brother has stage 4 melanoma, he has been terribly sick, but is doing remarkably well right now.  He's been driving the car, raking, grocery shopping, cooking and doing dishes.  From March until recently he was unable to do anything but go to the doctor and lay on the couch.  Please keep praying for him, the prayers are working.    I joined my church group already in progress.  We were discussing the gospel of John.  I wasn't the only one who brought cookies, it was almost like an impromptu cookie exchange.  While the adults (and my two year old Godson, Kolbe) meet in one room the kids meet (bang and make loud noises) in the room next door.  Last night they ate a lot of cookies too.  When we got home every kid was home, I read for a little while in the tub and went to bed. 

It seems crazy that anyone would be interested in reading this, but as a person who loves reading about other people, I'm going to post it.  You can also go to Team Whitaker for links to more Mondays.