Summer brings new visitation schedules for my girls and their father. They spend three, non-consecutive weeks with him during the summer months, which means we go a whole week without seeing them. This past week was one of those weeks and despite missing them and their energy in the house, it was a nice, productive time away.
I completely cleaned out their room and closets, for one thing. Any of you who have school-aged children know that bedrooms and closets can get completely cluttered in a big hurry and over time stuff accumulates uncontrollably. Even if your kids pick up their rooms regularly, they don’t always put things back exactly just so and don’t throw out the appropriate things. So with them gone, it was a perfect time to clean out. Three trash bags, a clothing donation bag and a pile of recycling later, a new room was born!
I also was able to choose dinners that my husband and I like to eat rather than what the girls would eat which is freeing and a nice change. We had salmon one evening, something they never enjoy, with a delightful Pinot Grigio from Italy, for example, and last night, we enjoyed sushi from our favorite local spot, Ocean Sushi in Liverpool, New York. Last evening, on the eve of their return, we relaxed with a red blend from Chateau La Paws Fine Wine in California. The winery is inspired by man’s best friend and each wine bottle features a photo of a dog. Proceeds from wine sales go support no-kill animal shelters across the country.
After toasting our own pets, Daisy the dog, and Grace, who was acquired from a local shelter, we took our first sips. Surprisingly, the wine was a complex blend of reds that was big and bold without being too crazy. We expected a fruitier “pizza” wine for some reason and that’s not what we got at all. I think it would go nicely with dark chocolate or even a juicy burger. My husband enjoyed it with some popcorn! Tonight the girls return and it’s Friday! Stay tuned for our next wine choice!