I am really not trying to be obnoxious by listing “wine” in the title as if it were an event. Drinking one glass of wine is hardly considered an event by any cool kid I would think. I list it only because a glass of wine happens for me about once per month and therefore seems significant enough to put in the title and include a huge picture of. This mostly speaks to how wildly un-social I am lately rather than me trying to show you that I know how to party. But the truth is, when you only drink a glass of wine per month, it becomes a bigger party than you might think. Or in other words I have the alcohol tolerance of a spider.
Because weekends involving wine make me feel like a rockstar, I’ll be linking up with Katie for MIMM.
Wine isn’t the only thing marvelous that went on this weekend though. I also ate food (always a good time) and my kids met Santa, plus Sunday was filled with 2 back to back dance recitals.
Dance recitals never fail to tug on my emotions. There is something about watching my girls perform on stage doing something that they learned and perfected all on their own without my help or guidance. It always makes me want to cry, in a good way. I remember being totally caught off guard by this feeling the first time I saw my then 3 year old daughter on stage for the first time. It’s like recognizing that they are these amazing little humans capable of more than you realize. Of course, I also have never failed to be really on edge during these recitals too, hoping it all goes well. That sigh of relief when they nail the routines is priceless.
Our attempt at meeting Santa was kind of awkward from my perspective. Any other parents out there who just feel awkward about the whole Santa thing? It’s like you want to pretend you believe it’s really Santa even when it’s obviously a guy in a costume, and you somehow can’t imagine your kids will buy that this guy is Santa Claus.
What confused me even more was that we met two different Santas in two different (but nearby) locations and they clearly were not the same person. We wound up telling them that the second guy was the real Santa and the first one was a helper. Is this what other people do?
I guess I should have planned something out before hand. Anyhow, my son was scared of the first guy but was okay with the second. The second one was much more legit with his age and “hohoho” stuff. My son read between the lines I think. Either that or he just got warmed up to the Santa idea by the time we got to the second one. He told Santa he wants a Rapunzel doll, which we already have.
The weekend was busy and with that usually comes some odd food choices. I ate a salad out of a plastic container twice. Not my ideal, but it beats pizza. My husband barely makes any sardine comments nowadays, and I’m at the point where I just let my “to-go” food all hang out. Let’s just say a few of my meals from this weekend might win the least appetizing food photo award, if there is one. It even seemed like my breakfasts weren’t photographing well this weekend, a sign my game was just off. Breakfasts are usually my “specialty.”
And lastly, my longest run of the week happened on Saturday morning, 7 miles. I don’t even know who I am anymore, seriously. Might have to do 10 next week just to remember what it’s like.
Did you dance as a child or do your children dance now? How do you feel about recitals? Ever feel awkward around Santa Claus or do I just have a serious socialization problem?
Looks like a great weekend! Love all the pics, really brings me back to the kids being younger … 🙂
– Totally get the pride/anxiety of events – we had drama and karate and piano recitals, and like you say it is awesome but stressful, and you feel for them for every move and second.
– Santa – we did the helper thing as well, especially when you are at a school or wherever and you know it will not be the greatest looking costume 🙂 So yeah, helpers 🙂
– Food on the go is always a challenge, and especially given your dietary restrictions … but as you have said, you COULD eat some of that stuff, but you’d pay the price later. I never take for granted my ability to just eat anything I want, whenever. THAT makes life easier when you are rushing on the go.
– I could have gone for a glass of wine this weekend, but we tend to buy on an ‘as needed’ basis, and haven’t bought anything this week, and well, it just wasn’t that important (I have a tolerance of a small mouse, more than a spider, but nothing like my younger self!) I really do think that having it less often makes it more of an event and less of a habit. 🙂
Yeah, my son who’s 3 said “I didn’t know Santa wore a costume” so it was kind of what you’re saying 🙂
Totally agree on the wine stuff. One glass is special now and since my husband doesn’t drink on a regular basis, a beer is special for him too!
Sounds like a busy but fun weekend! Im sure its totally normal to get emotional about seeing your kids perform! As for the whole Santa thing, that sounds like a totally normal explanation. Im pretty sure that at one point my parents told me that all the Santas in stores were helpers.
That definitely makes sense to say! I think since the kids are older every year (duh) we have to explain it a little differently every time, and my son who’s 3 doesn’t remember any other year anyway, which we sometimes forget 🙂
Looks like an awesome (& busy) weekend! I can definitely imagine how emotional it must be watching your kids perform. My brother and I have a 12 year gap, and I definitely felt emotional watching his performances (music, sports, etc).
I also had to smile about the wine. I average a bit more than you as of late. Now that I’m not nursing anymore, I’ve been going wild with 1 a week usually on a weekend with the husband 😉 I also like to make mulled wine, which is also fun this time of year.
Mulled wine sounds really interesting! There was a point when once per week was more the norm, but lately I just haven’t been going out and we don’t drink at home ever. I’m fine with how it is, my husband and I are usually too exhausted to think about alcohol after the kids are asleep!
Aw, dance recitals are adorable. My son obviously hasn’t been in one but I know that feeling just by watching him in school play-type things or even when he plays in his sports games (like yesterday’s basketball game when he makes the baskets. It’s a great feeling).
I think it’s the same with any performance or game/sport! My son might do boys hip hop since he’s been asking about it. Dance is all he knows! I would love him to get into sports when he’s a bit older but I’m going to let him take the lead. He’s extremely stubborn 🙂
Its okay, I don’t really drink wine either, so it would be an event for me too hahah! I loved how honest you were about Santa, I am sure others feel the same, I will be interested to hear!
I’m sure other parents aren’t reading quite as far into it as I was, but leave it to me to make that awkward! And I am fine with wine being an event, makes it special I guess!
Sounds like a great weekend! I took dance for 13 years so I had plenty of dance recitals as a kid and my parents went to every single one of them 🙂
I love watching them and how excited they get, and proud they are afterwards 🙂
AHH THE DANCE!!!
I miss those recital cuteness days already.
They’ve been doing it for 4 years already and seeing the 2 and 3 year olds made me miss those first recitals. So cute 🙂
Such a wonderful weekend. Dance recitals always made me beam and cry at the same time with smiles and tears of pride. You are so right that to watch your children accomplish something so rewarding that they worked for that we have played no role in,except schlepping them back and forth routinely at the witching hour, is amazing and an incredible feeling for a parent. Brings back so many memories–the adorable outfits, their love to get made up and their sheer excitement of being on stage. Your girls and you look so beautiful and happy. As to your food pics, when you eat whole foods, they are always delicious. The thrown together salad greens with the avocado and beets with a protein and good oil is the most tasty. These resemble my lunches a lot of the days give or take a different salad add in. I love this lunch. Is that fish in one of the picturesplated for dinner? I don’t drink anymore because it use to make me so tired and give me headaches. Gave it up a year and half ago. I stick with my kombuchs now as my husband drinks his red wine and gin and tonics. Thanks for sharing these beautiful family experiences with us. Have a great week.
Ahh the schlepping! I know all about that. About to go do it in a few minutes actually, it never stops!
The dinner picture was bass out at a restaurant in a lemon butter. It definitely tasted better than it looked! Enjoy your week as well!
Seeing as I don’t drink all that often, I consider wine to be a pretty big event too 😛 Everyone actually tells me that I should start making it a more regular thing, which I think is just a nice way of telling me that I need to relax more. And I’m absolutely bawling my eyes out in every.single picture I have of me as a kid with Santa. my mom said she always dreaded taking me 😆
I think it’s fine that wine is an event. Yes it shows we’re getting old, maybe it also shows we have good priorities? Not sure 🙂 My dad asked me this weekend if I ever relax, I said probably not. I’m not sure I totally know how to do it!
I danced for years (ballet, tap and jazz) and it has definitely come back to help me out years later–proper posture and body awareness.
And hey, a glass of wine is always something to celebrate 😀
Glad to hear you loved dance and that it helped! They are so into it now and I just go with it because it’s great seeing them enjoy an activity so much. You will probably see every glass of wine I ever consume posted on here 🙂
I wish I could remember what went through my head as a kid seeing santa! I don’t remember at all :/ Haha!
Seeing Santa is one of the most awkward things to me… It’s just so odd! Plus the thought of “keeping up the lie” makes me cringe. BUT, that being said–> obviously i will indulging in elf on the shelf- Santa-is-coming stuff when I have kiddos!!
I LOVE your shirt in the pic with the girls…it’s so CUTE!
Good…I’m not the only one! That too – I feel strange going on and on making things up as my kids get older! I think they like it though and it never damaged me of course 🙂
And thanks! It’s a Free People Sweater I bought a few years ago.
Your girls are so cute at the recital! I find that I drink less and less and it does oddly become more of an event. I used to always cry seeing Santa. It’s such a mixed message we teach kids to fear strangers, right?
Strangely I think I drank more wine when my kids were really small because I’d do “wine playdates” with my friends! Now it’s just on the rare occasion that I have a girls night or go out with my husband. I’m fine with it as an event 🙂 And I agree, Santa is one odd stranger!
I bet dance recitals are so cute! Makes me want a little girl 🙂 I was thinking this past weekend when we were seeing our 5th Santa of the year, does my son notice the differences? He tends to pick up on little things so I’m surprised he hasn’t asked yet why one santa has a real beard and one has a fake. Or one has fair skin and one’s a bit darker… I’m wondering what age they start to cue in on those things if at all. I’m with you though on the awkwardness of meeting santa. I always feel so strange standing there telling my son to crawl up on a grown strange mans lap! The kids love it though! Well, most the time…
The real versus fake beard, that’s funny! Yup, they all look completely different from one another! I asked my husband that question on the way home, I think my daughter who’s in second grade is onto it, but still believes in the whole thing. I’m thinking maybe one more year for her or tops, two? And then what about the other kids? My mom actually has never admitted the tooth fairy isn’t real, to this day. Obviously a joke now, but still 🙂
My daughter just had her first recital on Saturday. It was the cutest thing. I can’t wait for her spring recital which is where they go all out with costumes.
Same thing by us too – the spring is the big one with costumes! I’m always a nervous wreck but love every minute of it 🙂
oh the girls looks so precious!!! i get nervously excited for you just thinking about watching them, lol!
i always know it’s a weekend when i have to eat a couple quick meals out of our leftover containers – i feel like a rebel for not using a dish and eating out of it and then clearing one more container from the fridge. i find joy in strange things!
friday’s have become our ‘we can have some wine’ night, mainly because saturday is the 1 day of our week that we don’t get up at 4:30 am! sadly this also means i will pass out after 2 glasses while watching our show and my poor man is just getting started. i have many promises for ‘after the marathon/wedding/honeymoon/etc.’ to make up for, LOL
happy monday, so happy your runs are feels so easy and fun!!! what an awesome thing 🙂
I like clearing out leftover containers too! It’s the little things I guess? I feel like I’m always saying “after this I won’t be so tired” but that time just never comes! There’s always a reason I’m exhausted at the end of the day, and life doesn’t stop 🙂
Your monthly glass of wine is my weekly glass of wine! ; )
I always get choked up when my kids are involved in activities on stage. There’s something so sweet and innocent about it.
We have no more Santa believers here…it’s sad. Enjoy it while you have it, even if they are a bit suspicious!
My oldest is just starting to be suspicious but still believes! I’m thinking one or maybe two more years tops. Somehow the weekly glass has turned into a monthly because I just don’t get out much!
Still looks yummy to me! Your kids are adorable
Thanks! I feel like salads look so much uglier once they get tossed with dressing, even though it’s all the same stuff 🙂
I want details of your low tolerance alcoholic par-tay!!! =) I don’t think I would’ve ever considered the possibility of a multiple Santa encounter. I think you handled it quite well.
LOL sadly the details are probably just as pathetic as the 1 monthly glass itself 🙂 Multiple santas is a weird situation, especially when they look completely different from each other!
Hahaha!!! We’ve always told the girls that all the mall santas are helpers because the real Santa can’t be in all places at once. But even with me telling them that, when my 5 year old sees other santas in other pictures, she says that “her” Santa that we see each year is the “real” Santa 😉
That totally makes sense, and I think I’ve said that in years past? But as they get older and smarter each year, the story has to change a little! I definitely should have planned out my story beforehand!
Ok ow what you mean by watching your kids grow up so fast! I myself am not a mother but I have a huge age gap between my siblings and i, and watching them go through growth and langauge spurts sometimes breaks my heart because I want to preserve their innocence, if that makes any sense.
I understand that, as a mom! In a lot of ways you probably experience what a parent would having much younger siblings. I often think about what I can do to help them “stay young” while getting older and having so many new experiences.
Looks like a fun weekend. The santa thing is always tricky, but I find if you act like you believe all the kids around you will believe too.
I should have worked on my santa poker face, that’s for sure!
wine and salad in a box with sardines —> my style. So no judging here. Glad you enjoyed!
Haha thanks! That is definitely my style!!
Recitals/Games/Events that the kids are in are always emotional and just awesome to see them doing their thing. Seeing Santa is weird to me too..I don’t know why. My oldest “knows” and my younger ones always ask…I always just ask them what THEY think. 😉 I love the magic for them though..it’s fun. I don’t make a big deal about him with my kids though.
I’m pretty much the same way! Never actually spoke to anyone about it though, so funny to get people’s feedback 🙂
I am seeing your family in the above picture and i am very happy to see your family. I love this kind of treat. Seafood is my one of the best food. It is great fun If we drink wine with it.