more of Jude says...

"Mom, you forgot to blow dry your hair."

"Mom, the bathroom is getting dirty, you should clean it."

jeneva's birthday party

We told Jeneva she could invite three friends for her 9th birthday this year.  Without hesitating she wanted Ava, Madeline, and Lydia to come.  Steve and I dropped Jude and Josie with friends and we took just the girls to the water park for the afternoon. 

We came home and had garlic bread and pizza.  This picture is kind of deceiving.  They appear to be all nice and calm and quiet.  Most of the evening was actually quite silly and noisy.

Let the sugar high begin!

Julia made these super cute cupcakes with Pez candy as the flipflops!

All smiles after only 6 hours of sleep (except poor Josie, she couldn't sleep with them)

We decorated flip flops in the evening by adding some ribbon and bows to Old Navy flips.

This was the highlight!  Brittany came in the morning and surprised Jeneva.  She did face paint on all of the girls.

Lydia and Britt

Brittany with Jeneva

Three of the girls chose matching designs.

Jude even got in on the fun! 

Seriously!  So cute!  Little Jude Knight wanted a baseball rocket.  Brittany delivered!

happy birthday, jeneva!

Today Jeneva is 9 years old!  I'll post pictures later from her birthday party this past weekend.

today

Wow, what a difference a couple of days makes.  I had two really awful days in a row.  The kids were extra high maintenance.  I was extra crabby and had zero tolerance for anything.  There was more sand in the doorways than usual.  Everyone was louder than normal.  Today is a new day.  The kids all woke up cheerful.  They cleared the table without complaining.  They "folded" the laundry on the couch and put their own stuff away.  And now all three of them are upstairs playing a game quietly together.  Do I hear a hallelujah?  I took a shower and am sitting on the couch with my laptop and a cup of coffee.  Another hallelujah.  We are going to leave soon to go look at a stroller I found on Craigslist and will then tackle our Trader Joe's grocery list.  That's always a happy place.  I feel like things are under control.  When things get out of control I easily freak.  I know that's why God allows things to get out of control in my own little world.  To teach me that I am not in control and to rely on Him.  I have no control over Steve's work schedule.  I have to trust.  I have no control over the condition of my kids' hearts.  I have to trust.  I have no control over what the day will bring.  I have to trust that His grace will get me through.  I do need to learn to control my own emotions when things are out of control and my tendency is to flip out.  My problems are not all solved.  Responsibilities are still looming.  Nothing in my life is all rosy and perfect.  It never will be.  And I'm okay with that--for today anyway.  :)

so thoughtful

Me:  I'm not feeling very good this morning.

Jude:  I'll give you all the Tylenol's in the world to help you feel better.

not the happiest post i've ever written

I am beyond crabby today.  The word crabby doesn't even suffice.  I am irritated, annoyed, tired, sinful, burdened and have a very heavy heart. 

I am irritated with these dumb curtain rods I'm trying to hang in the babies room.  How can something seemingly so simple be so frustrating?

I am annoyed because I have seven weeks left in my pregnancy and I'm already sleeping just awful.

I'm tired because I'm sleeping horribly.

I am ever so aware of my sin, my obsession with the world, and my distance from God right now.

I'm burdened because I feel like there's so much to do and really all I want to do is sit on the couch with my laptop and a cup of iced tea and no kids in the room.

I have a heavy heart because several dear friends are experiencing serious challenges and I don't know how to help besides pray.

Well kids, someday you'll look back and read this blog and perhaps you'll remember that day (or sequence of days) that mom was a crazy lady.  Or perhaps you'll remember it as the day mom took you to the dentist and was so proud of you there and then just happened to cook a really awesome supper.  Two good things happened today.  Yep, that's about it.  Oh yeah, and the sun shone and it was quite glorious. 

jude

He's my planner and my responsible, orderly child.  He always likes to know what's going to happen the next day.  And in what order of course.  It cracks me up whenever it begins to rain outside he has to either run outside and check to see if all of the toys (bikes, scooters, etc.) are put safely away in the garage or ask us if they are.  He often thinks of it before we do.  This morning we had a rain shower and when he came down for breakfast I made a comment about the windows being opened upstairs.  He said "I closed them.  I shut the fan off in my window too."  He's four and he thinks of these things?!  This thrills me to no end as I'm still trying to get a certain 8 (almost 9) year old to think of these things. 

our mid-week weekend

Steve and Jude went away for a couple of nights near Bayfield, WI with his dad and a couple of Jude's boy cousins.  They stayed in his dad's friend's little cabin by Lake Superior.  I am so glad that Jude could go away with just dad.  He needed some guy time especially after a long weekend of not seeing Steve for a few days while he was working crazy hours.  They went on a 2 mile hike, picked wild blackberries (for over an hour Steve said!) and ate them all, went fishing, canoeing, paddle boating and even took a dip in Lake Superior which Steve said wasn't quite as cold as he was expecting.  Jude came back very happy and very dirty.  It was great. 

While they were gone, me and the girls went to swimming lessons, visited a friend in the hospital, went to a funeral service of another friend Jeneva's age (so glad I was able to take her to it) and did some fun girly stuff too.  We spent Wednesday evening on Grand Avenue in St. Paul.  We ate at Cafe Latte, did some shopping, and then had ice cream at the Grand Ol' Creamery.  Thursday night Heather and Madeline came over for pizza and a movie.  We made the most out of our time with the guys gone and I think they made the most of their time while away from us!  It was so good to have them come back though because we really did miss them!  Jeneva and Jude had to tell each other all of the things that each of them did....and of course both of them were a tad bit envious of what the other one got to do.  :)

stop lecturing?

I'm not sure how to teach my kids to be patient in adversity.  Let alone be grateful.  I can tell them to "be thankful in all circumstances" and use stories from the Bible or personal situations in the lives of people we know to illustrate what that means.  But what I think it just really comes down to is simply living life.  I can't always lecture.  They just need to learn.  And our lives will be filled with difficult--whether minor or major--situations.  Jeneva had to go to the eye doctor for her yearly exam.  They referred her to a specialist because she has a hereditary (Steve has the same thing) condition that causes her eyes to be really dry and super sensitive to light.  It's not necessarily "serious" just inconvenient.  So, a week later I take her to the new eye doctor and of course they had to dilate her eyes causing her to be uncomfortable for several hours with blurry vision.  While we were waiting in the waiting room for her eyes to dilate, she was huffing and puffing and pouting and saying "it's not fair! Why does this have to happen to me?" under her breath.  She was clearly upset.  My first reaction was to lecture her and tell her how ridiculous she sounds.  So her eyes are uncomfortable for 2 hours.  Big deal!  Get over it.  I started to remind her of all of the people we've been praying for lately--Amara who was sick in the hospital with lots of pains, 3 year old James who is going through chemo, etc. etc.  I told her that they probably didn't complain very much and that their situations are MUCH more uncomfortable than hers.  I was annoyed.  I'm still not totally sure what to do in a situation like that.  I kind of think I just need to be quiet in situations like that.  Let her huff and puff.  Pray with her that God would help her to have patience--let it go--and pray that God would work in her heart.

Soccer Camp!

Jeneva spent each morning this week at Soccer Camp.  The program is put on by our church and held at NWC.  This was a great first soccer experience for her.  She did pretty well and was pretty aggressive out on the field!

Her team (the UK) were the World Cup champs!!

Holding the UK flag.  Great intro to the real Olympics that start tonight!

A word by Coach Joe (her teams coach) at the closing ceremony.  The theme of the week was Jesus=True Friend.  They were not only coached well from an athletic perspective, but were encouraged to be true friends to others and to show good sportsmanship.

Soccer Camp Champs!  Go UK!

Jeneva and Ava.  Friends since birth and often asked if they are sisters.

random family update

...a third of the summer is over.  but we've still 2/3 to go...

here are some random thoughts and updates thus far...

Our garden isn't doing so hot.  It was growing fine in May when we had oodles of rain.  I don't really care much.  I don't like gardening.  Our expert gardener neighbors garden is thriving though.  I'll just look at theirs instead.

Talking about the weather is lame I know, but I'll do it anyway.  We had 10 inches of rain in May alone.  Now we are on day 10 of record degree temps of 98-102 degrees.  Unusual for Minnesota.  But, I'm not complaining.  I have central air and lakes to keep me cool.  My ankles are still crazy swollen though.

Once again it's time to enjoy the free water here--lakes and pools.  It was fun to watch Jude in the lake the other day.  He is definitely more confident in the water than he was last year and was perfectly content to just float around in his life jacket.  He told me with his arms stretched out in the water that he felt like a bird.  Hmmm.  Figure that one out.

Jude took a week of tennis lessons a couple of weeks ago.  He really enjoyed it.  It was good to see him want to run out there on the court, come back to me for water breaks and then not hesitate about running back out on the court.  He has one more week of lessons next week.

God is teaching me patience.  I am a very impatient person.  Enough said.

Steve is working 60 hours a week at two different jobs.  It sucks, but we're thankful at the same time.  I'm thankful that he's willing to work.  I'm thankful that he has two decent jobs to work at with great insurance and maternity coverage.  One of them has to go though--just aren't sure which one will go and how it will all play out so he gets enough hours (40) with just one job.  God knows.  And my patience is tested.

Though our social life (family friends, etc.) has suffered because he is working, I have to say Steve is doing an awesome job at being dad.  Every other weekend he doesn't see the kids because he's working overnights and days and then sleeping in between.  But, the other days he has time in the afternoons and evenings and he spends it WELL with the kids.  Sure, we have projects and stuff that "need" to be done, but spending time with the kids is much more of a "need" than dumb house projects.  I am so so thankful that he is a family man.  The time is now and we can't get that back.  Ever.  

Jeneva and I started working through a book together at night after the youngens go to bed called How to Study your Bible for kids by Kay Arthur.  Each lesson takes about 30 minutes.  She is excited about it, but I think I might even be learning just as much as she is.  Maybe I can get more excited about studying the Bible myself through this study.

I figured out a system for chores and allowance for the older two.  We went on a date to Caribou the other day and I let the kids tell me what they thought they should be doing for chores--and what their attitudes should be like when asked to do things that aren't on their official chore list.  They were right in line with what I was thinking--except I had to add a few things, so we made our lists and allotted an allowance (Jeneva gets $3 a week and Jude gets $1).  I didn't ever follow through with the things I've tried before, but I think it will work better this time.

I am so ridiculously tired.  I know it's pregnancy related, but seriously.  Can't I just take one big long nap until this baby arrives.....in October?  It's called hibernation.  Bears do it.  Why can't humans?

We signed Jeneva up for soccer camp for 5-12 year olds at Northwestern College.  We haven't had her in an organized sport yet except for a few years of tennis lessons.  Steve really wants our kids to learn a sport at a young age (I do agree with him) so he's always been good about tossing the ball around outside with Jude and playing basketball with Jeneva.  We'll see how she likes soccer and next year she can do basketball at her school.

We went to Kalona a couple of weeks ago.  The kids had fun as usual visiting Grandma and Grandpa and Matt and Libby too.  We also got to see Great Grandma and a couple of second cousins and aunts and uncles.  Jeneva keeps telling everyone that grandpa built a really cool swing in the hayloft.  The kids had fun running around together and helping grandpa with the baby turkeys a couple of times.

Our dear friends, the Kenows,  have been on our hearts so much lately.  This past year they have suffered the loss of two boys--Bobbi was approximately halfway through each pregnancy when the miscarriages occurred.  And now just over a week ago they found out their 3 year old son has something called a Wilms Tumor.  He had it surgically removed (and the surgery was very successful praise God).  He will have to go through chemotherapy now for several months.  Such heartache, but such hope they have.  They are a sweet example of God's goodness amidst trials.  Love them Kenow's!

Jeneva has been wanting to learn how to type, so I found a typing website online.  She went through about the first 15 lessons on the homerow keys and the upper keys and didn't want to stop.  Now that she's on the bottom row it's getting too hard and she wants to quit.  I think I'll let her.  She's only eight.  Won't let her quit violin though.  :)

All of the kids have had Fifth Disease in the past couple of months.  First Jude, then Jeneva, now Josie.  Random.

Some books on the docket for summer reading when I find the time:  Simplicity Parenting by Kim John Payne and Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer.  Have you read either of them?

The kids have a second bedroom in the basement.  Their room upstairs isn't air conditioned like the rest of the house, so down they go to the basement every night in this stifling heat.  It's so dark down there so they usually sleep until 8:00 every morning.  Nice!

And now for a few random pics...

Just lounging around reading a whole book in one day.

"I got a scooter!"

(repeat 3x in a high squeaky voice)

Jude and his friend Addie waiting their turns to smack the tennis balls.

Beach day number 2 so far this summer.

I told them no diving.  But jumping is definitely allowed!

A mini ferris wheel ride!

Happy Father's Day!

This is my wonderful father and mother!

too many sisters?

I never really know what to think when people say "I hope for Jude's sake you have a boy next."  To be completely honest we are kind of hoping for another boy as well and I too have said that I hope Jude can have a brother.  But there's something about that comment that doesn't always sit quite right with me--whether it's from my own mouth or from others.  Would it be so bad if he only had sisters?  Would it mean he is less manly?  Does it mean he might have too much girly influence and not enough boys around him to be rough and tumble with?  I actually think it would be rather sweet even if he ends up with only sisters.  He would probably more quickly possess the leader-caretaker type qualities that we are praying for him anyway.  From a parenting perspective, I think it would mean that we will need to be really intentional about letting him do boy things--get dirty, wrestle, and be rambunctious.  He isn't overly rambunctious by God's design in him, but I think we are trying to give him those opportunities now--and he's got one sister in particular who loves to wrestle, a father who loves to do all things manly, and several good boy-friends.  We'll just have to be even more intentional about it IF we do end up having another girl.

All that to say, we do NOT know what the gender of our baby is, but we will be thrilled with whatever God has decided will suit our family perfectly!

steve's birthday activity of choice...

Josie's very first fish!  It bit her line immediately and she reeled it in all by herself.

Jeneva caught one too.  This is old hat to her though.  She's caught quite a few in her lifetime....and I think she feels pretty much like I do about fishing.  :)

Here's Jude's.  He HATES when we have to throw them back in because they are too small.  I kinda do too, buddy.  I understand how you feel.

to remind me...

These pictures are to remind me of how cute she is despite her being two....and very strong-willed....and a tad bit sassy....

spring planting

 

Jeneva and I went, a couple of weeks ago, to our neighborhood nursery and bought a few flowers and some perennials to plant in our yard.  We've gotten most of the planting done and have been splitting our overgrown hostas and lilies and replanting them.  Steve got some black dirt mixed with compost from a local farm (our soil is so sandy and not good for gardening unless you haul in better soil to mix in) and we're going to attempt a small garden this year.  He tilled up an area in our back yard and put a border around it.  We'll plant this week sometime.  I like the idea of gardening vegetables, but don't really enjoy it all that much--well at least I didn't when I was a child living on the farm.  *wink* mom.  :)  I think I'm afraid nothing will grow--and it very well may not because my thumb is not green.  It is a very small space though--like 5x7.  Mostly I just want lots of fresh tomatoes!  And the kids want to plant peas and peppers and watermelons.

Mother's Day thoughts

"Perhaps there is something more powerful to experience than a perfect mother: the wonder of a committed mother who simply humbles herself. No one gets it perfect. Grace stands in the gaps." ~Ann Voskamp

I love this quote.  I am not and will never be the perfect mother.  It's easier to become discouraged in so many aspects of my mothering.  I often feel discouraged that I'm not doing things the "right" way--or the way that I sometimes perceive other Christians to say is "the right" way.  That's where Grace stands in the gaps.  And that's where I can trust that God's guidance in my life is causing me to walk in such a way that is good and honoring and pleasing to Him no matter what it looks like to the world or to others.


I love being a mom!  I wouldn't have it any other way and I am humbled that God has blessed me with 3 (4 soon) children.  For me, the joy, the fun, the companionship and the responsibility of training far outweigh the weariness, the tantrums, and the struggles of these younger years.  I love my kids more than I ever thought it possible to love another human being!  I love experiencing and enjoying life with them inside the home and outside the home.  Thank you, Jesus for the gift of being a mom.

laundry helpers

I'm trying to savor these days that they are so eager to help with laundry even though it's so much easier (faster) to do it on my own.  They always fight over who puts in the soap and insist on putting the clothes in.

Two Harbors, MN March 2012

The end of March....Northern Minnesota.  Brrrrr!  Off season.  It actually turned out quite lovely and the weather was in the 60's!  We were blessed by some friends who offered us their time share for the weekend because they wouldn't be using it.  We were able to go for three nights and enjoy some sweet family time together.  The kids had a blast (me and Steve did too!)  We got lots of rest and plenty of exercise.  The bottom picture of Jeneva standing by Lake Superior was the view we had from our condo.  Beautiful!  We enjoyed going to Split Rock Lighthouse and to Gooseberry Falls.  Lots of hiking, a little bit of fishing, and plenty of swimming at the indoor pool on the resort.  Fun fun times.  I think the kids will remember this.

jude's travel ambitions

"Can we go to outer space the next time we go on a trip?"-Jude
"Can we go to the jungle tomorrow?"-Jude (a few minutes after the first question)

I explained to him that he could go to outer space when he gets much older.  He would have to go to college and learn how to be an Astronaut.  He then asked if going to college means you are a teenager.

climbing trees

Steve taught the kids how to climb trees.

just woke up

Oh Sara Groves. Is there any song that you write that doesn't deeply affect me? This is an old one, but I've found myself listening to it a lot recently.

Just Showed Up--Sara Groves

Spending my time sleep walking
Moving my mouth but not saying a thing
Hoping the changes would take by working their way from the outside in
I was in love with an idea
Preoccupied with how a life should appear
Spending my time at the surface repairing the holes in the shiny veneer

There are so many ways to hide
There are so many ways not to feel
There are so many ways to deny what is real

And I just showed up for my own life
And I'm standing here taking it in and it sure looks bright

I'm going to live my life inspired
Look for the holy in the common place
Open the windows and feel all that's honest and real until I'm truly amazed
I'm going to feel all my emotions
I'm going to look you in the eyes
I'm going to listen and hear until it's finally clear and it changes our lives

There are so many ways to hide
There are so many ways not to feel
There are so many ways to deny what is real

And I just showed up for my own life
And I'm standing here taking it in and it sure looks bright

Oh the glory of God is man fully alive
Oh the glory of God is man fully alive

There are so many ways to hide
There are so many ways not to feel
There are so many ways to deny what is real

And I just showed up for my own life
And I'm standing here taking it in and it sure looks bright

jude runs and jude bikes

We are thinking that Jude has the athletic gene. I'm not sure how "coordinated" he is, so we'll see how he does in sports like basketball or football. The boy sure can run though! He can go nearly a whole mile without stopping. And he's fast! AND he's got good form! I think the best part though is seeing him so excited to do it. This spring we have given Jeneva the freedom to ride around the block on the parkway side without an adult along. Jude can go too, but he has to be with her, not on his own. Sometimes he chooses to run while she bikes. The other day she went around the block 4x with him tagging along the entire time. One time around is about a quarter of a mile. It's so cute to see him chasing her all the way around and pushing himself to keep up with her! Now we just need to teach him to pace himself. He's also becoming quite proficient on the bike. Jeneva was 4 1/2 when we took the training wheels off and she's been biking fearlessly ever since. Jude is 4 1/2 now and I think once his legs get a little bit stronger we'll be able to take them off too. Probably in a couple of months. He's getting more and more confident on his big bike. The other night we went for a family bike ride. Josie was in the Burley of course, but Jude biked right along and did great! Needless to say all the exercise has wiped him out and he's sleeping just fantastically at night.

random family update

~Being pregnant with number four has brought about many unexpected emotional occurrences. Excited? Yes! Four has always been kind of our dream family size number. And I'm so thankful for God blessing us in this way. Overwhelmed? Yes! Four is a lot of little mouths to feed. Nauseated? MORE THAN EVER! Weeks 4-12 (I'm 12 weeks now) have been utterly miserable beyond description. I went on some medication for a while and that helped a bit. Tired? Of course. There's no way around that. I get out of breath walking up the stairs. Determined to enjoy this pregnancy? Yes! Once I'm over the hump of feeling sick, I think I will truly enjoy this pregnancy-maybe not the final few weeks, but hopefully everything in between.

~Jeneva very enthusiastically volunteered to play her violin for March Music Madness at her school yesterday. She only had to play one song--and I think she was mostly excited about the free t-shirt she got. We need to work on her performing skills I think. She played her song 3x faster than it's supposed to be played and then RAN off stage. It was hilarious!

~The weather this March has been unusually warm (mid 70's day after day!). I LOVE IT! It's been truly a gift from God just for me I think. He is relieving me a bit from my winter blues mixed with pregnancy insanity.

~Almost every morning for the past week or two Jude, Josie and I go down to the creek by our house after Jeneva gets on the bus. They spend an hour or two throwing sticks and rocks in the water, trapsing through mud, and hiding in the trees. It's awesome! I love seeing them play so nicely together AND it uses up some of their energy for the day resulting in nice long afternoon naps for both of them. Them taking naps is vital to me taking a nap. And naps for me are VITAL!

~We are so thankful that Steve has a job. He has never gotten laid off or anything, it provides for our family, and the insurance is good. However, he is not satisfied there and we hate his schedule (he works weekends and has two weekdays off). We are praying earnestly for a change and hope God answers that prayer soon. He has been applying for different jobs here in the Twin Cities as well as in Iowa City. Obviously if an Iowa City job happened, that would mean an out of state move and a huge life change. Trusting that God has a plan for us and trying to be patient and satisfied until he shows us what that plan is.

~We are headed to the North Shore (north of Duluth) next weekend for 3 nights. Some friends offered us their time share right on Lake Superior. We are excited for a little family get-away and love it up there. Minnesota at it's best!

~The kids are outside painting right now. I better go supervise before they end up needing bath number two for the day!

a four year old and a knife

Jude is a master chef in the making. He likes to pour in the ingredients, stir things, measure things, put cheese on things, and now.....cut things. I gave him very explicit instructions with lots of caution. He did great! He cut all of the cucumber circles into halves. There was no blood and we had a tasty salad.

guess where...

first cousins

malachi (6 mo.), jude (4), jeneva (8), josie (2)

randomness

~Today is Chinese New Year. Fun times at Yinghua Academy!

~Josie likes hot sauce.

~I visited RiverTree school the other day. It is a Charlotte Mason School. How they do school there is very interesting!

~Lost. Season 1. I'm six years late, yes. It's addicting.

~I have been enjoying my Wednesday morning job at church. Love that I can take my kids with me to a job I get paid to do...and the kids love it. It satisfies the people-person side of me too.

~Steve started working overnights again. It's working better so far this time around.

~The kids have declared that they will be famous traveling singers (together) someday.

~Google Translate is fantastic!

~I want house plants. I need house plants!

~I continue to be refined daily. By God. It's hard.

~Reading aloud to Jeneva is very important to her even though she can read on her own. She prefers being read to. It's a relational thing for her.

~Josie is doing pretty much everything a tad bit earlier than the other two.

~I got a duvet cover that perfectly matches my bedroom at Ikea for $7.99

~Jude gets cold sores on his lips just like me.

~I love Frank Asch books.

~We are having orange rolls and smoothies for breakfast. I can't wait!

~We just Skyped with the Morse's in China, but the sound wasn't working.

~I just ordered the book "For the Children's Sake" on Amazon for 1 cent.

~I'm not really enjoying following the curriculum I have for Jude's homeschool preschool.

~We are watching "Heidi" as a family. It's good, but I wish we would have read the book first.

~We ordered ants for Jude's ant farm today. They will arrive in the spring.

~I have two loads of laundry staring me down right now, and the next episode of Lost. Better get to it! Steve will be home soon from Cub Scouts with the kid he mentors. G'nite!

well before midnight on new years eve...

We were with our friends, the Coronado's on New Years Eve. Here were the kids at about 9:00. Perhaps in a few more years we'll be able to make it to midnight. The mock New Years countdowns you can find on YouTube work fine and appease the kids, but just aren't quite the same as the real thing. :)

cousin love

jeneva and leanna sporting their new hats

1,2,3 today

1 kid with pink eye.
2 clearance items ordered from Lands End this morning..
3 days of school missed in the past week.
4 dentist appointments to be made.
5 people in this family who had fun at family Christmas this weekend.
6 pages of math homework to catch up on.
7 loads of laundry done in past 24 hours.
8 water, milk, juice glasses sitting on my table right now.
9 meals I'd like to plan for in my grocery list.
10 degrees outside.

uncle mike

Who chases the kids around the house? Uncle Mike!
Who scares them? Uncle Mike!
Who teases them and tickles them? Uncle Mike!
Who hangs them upside down? Uncle Mike!
Who puts them in laundry baskets and carries them on his head? Uncle Mike!
Josie is by far our biggest thrill seeker and became a huge fan of Uncle Mike this weekend.