Treasures: I picked back up a family relationship and after freaking out that I 'did it wrong' had 3 friends coach me through & I've got another tentative hangout planned with the person.
Relationships are hard y'all and I deeply appreciate the relationships that are stable enough for me to be human in them.
Hubby got paid!! Really feeling that paycheck to paycheck life right now, but I've also lived the life where we did work that only paid us 3 months after the fact so I am taking my wins where I see them.
It's my birthday month, I'll be 32 on the 21st (so yes, Jamie's hits at Cancers weren't my favorite, but tbh I dislike a lot about astrology so a good portion of me is Team Knox) and while in years past I haven't needed a month long celebration of myself, year 32 was the absolute pits and the fact that I'm mostly still standing in the last weeks of it makes me feel the need for a prolonged celebration. My aim for this month is to do one thing a day simply because it's what I want to do. We'll see how long that lasts but I'm basking in the optimistic side of myself currently 😆.
Good luck with the drive Erin & I hope Texas gives you the best of itself while you're there!
Birthday Month is a delight. When I turned 30, I did “30 Ways to Celebrate Turning 30” and I still think about it. I’ll be 40 next year and you’d better believe I’ll be repeating this practice. 😂
It was a mix of small and big things—I went to the symphony, tried a new pie cafe, read at the park, met different friends for lunch or dinner, bought new books and CDs (this was almost 10 years ago…ha), etc. I made a big list of things I liked already, things I wanted to try, friends I wanted to spend time with, and special places where I knew I found joy, and then I just filled in each day with whatever fit. 🙂
It’s Canada Day and our summer has just started (like my kids have not even been off school a week). But we are enjoying a couple days at our friend’s cabin and actually getting good weather after the rainiest June. I’ve spent the last month realizing that there is so much grey area and as a Christian I need to just love and support anyone who is forced to make a decision in a grey area. It is tough and who am I to judge where the Holy Ghost led them or what is best for them.
But know I am looking forward to finally crossing the border and seeing my American family (I was too cheap to pay for testing x6 before know). Also feeling old with my oldest graduating Jr. high and staring grade 10 in high school. I wish you luck in your drive, we got an 18 hour one coming up but at least we get some mountains but also lots of flat.
Happy Friday! I'm happy to report that we have survived the first month of summer vacation. VBS nearly did us all in last week, but we made it! All our kids will be at summer camp next week, so my husband and I have taken the week off as well and will be staying home to catch up on house projects, Stranger Things, and each other. Then all the kids come back and I have no idea what we'll do with them.
Y'all your girl is tired! I have people too much this week and I'm read to hide in my home this weekend and eat delicious food and sew things.
The visit with the girls was good, we got to have dinner with my pastor's fam one night which was absolutely perfect. I lived with them 1.5 yrs and they're my little Hickory family so having both groups together was lovely. One of my friends joked that my bed time is 8:30 and it just startled Jeffery so much and I've been laughing about it ever since. To be fair, 8:30 is my reminder to start my bedtime routine soon and I'm almost always asleep by 9:30 #grandma
🥜 PB&Js and Nacho's have been the star of the week over here, I planned the simplest things I could for meals this week and I have no regrets.
📚 The library is hopping and we're about to be really understaffed for 2 months so that's not fun, but today I got to put my headphones in and get a bunch of little things done which is perfect.
Listen, people really underestimate the zen power of driving across vast distances in a straight line. The drive from my hometown to Albuquerque is also great for this.
I'd like to join the chorus praising Holland Moon's guest appearance on the pod. She's a confident, thoughtful kid who's a thousand times more articulate than I could have dreamed of being at that age. You're a good mom, Erin.
I knew my a/c was working hard, but I got my power bill yesterday and nearly had a heart attack. So I'll be insulating my windows this weekend. On the plus side, it was partly cloudy with a tiny breeze this morning, so I got to sit outside with my dog and my breakfast to read the comments. Happy 4th - grilled meat and rebelling against tyranny, it's the American way.
So much I could say about this week but the similarities of that bear to me climbing into a cheap plastic baby pool I bought to help me deal with the Arkansas heat is making me giggle. No regrets; water makes everything more bearable.
Erin, happy trails on your way to Texas. Wishing you fun singalong times, delicious Buc-ee's treats (if they are along the way?), and wonderful camp experiences for the kids. Those photos you posted were MAGICAL. Thanks for sharing!
I'm looking forward to a busy gardening weekend, with so many outdoor projects on the list. I'm emotionally and physically exhausted, but am praying for strength and perseverance. On the plus side, I tried flower pounding on a shirt this week and was pleased with the results, and our 20yo daughter went on a get-away weekend with friends and brought me back a hummingbird poster - so sweet! Can't wait to bring that joy into my office.
Most significantly, a close relative came out to me as bi yesterday (last day of Pride Month). I'm still processing it all, including the fact that I was the last in the family to know because she said, 1) she was concerned how I might respond given my faith, even though I've grown in being more and more affirming in recent years; and 2) my relationship with her was the most important one, so the fear of that at stake made her hesitant. Praying to be extra loving and supportive in the months and years ahead. Any advice and encouragement on how to proceed would be much appreciated.
Sending you so much good energy & prayers - this relationship sounds like it matters a lot to you so I hope finding your footing & continuing to be her people goes as well as possible 💖
Hey Swipes! Congratulations on making it to July in the year of our Lord 2022. I don’t know about you, but after the last few years, that feels like a miracle.
🚙 We are also making the trek to Texas, leaving tomorrow morning. I have done exactly nothing to prepare except make a list of snacks for the drive. Truly the most important piece, tbh.
🤞🏻 We are staying with my in-laws while in TX. For 2 weeks. This is the longest we’ve stayed with them. If it were just my MIL, this would be great. My FIL is a different story. We think he has early-onset dementia and he is just a different person these days. He also takes our vocal affirmation of 2SLGBTQIA as an open invitation to debate, and I am too much of an 8 to back down. So prayers that I am able to tame my tongue would be appreciated. No one else in that family goes toe-to-toe with him, but that seems to be where I stay anytime I’m there.
✈️ My husband had 2 back-to-back work trips and he got home late last night. I’m very thankful. I’m very exhausted.
🎆 I truly have no desire to celebrate the 4th - the only exception being that fireworks are one of the few things in life that make me feel like a kid again. The only way I’m feeling comfortable celebrating this year is by knowing that I’m showing my kids a different path forward for the country and I’m hoping to be part of burning it all down for them to be able to rebuild it in a better way. That feels a bit heavy for this early in the day, but after the last few weeks/months/years it’s just the honest truth.
Hello, all. Thankful for this place after another difficult week.
Staying with my grandma while my parents were on vacation was a very mixed bag. She is my last grandparent and the person in my family I am most similar to, and I loved spending the time with her. But she is really struggling with depression, and because of dementia/memory issues, no longer filters those thoughts, so it was really very difficult to listen to them for 10 days, and I ended up in a very dark headspace.
A self-care hack I am trying is actually getting dressed everyday in real clothes that make me feel good, instead of gym clothes all day. I have been taking advantage of the Boden & Madewell end of season sales to stock up on some new shorts & tees, and it has been a game changer. I feel much more human.
My oldest is finishing up his first day camp today, and it has been a great experience. He and our middle want to do an overnight camp next year, so super excited about that!! I don't think I reported back after our trip to California, which was just an absolute dream. Saw the redwoods, elk, and whales, and canceled all our dinner reservations to drink wine & eat munchies on the deck of our Airbnb because the view was just unbeatable. But our childcare options are getting more limited for a getaway like that, so very excited about the possibility of combining a summer camp for the kids with a getaway for us.
Looking forward to catching up with everyone in the comments - good thoughts for all of your weekends!
Echoing Jenny; you are not alone in these emotions. My mom’s personality changed after her stroke, and she is also going through dementia challenges now. It’s a slow slipping-away, which I’m grateful to have (slowness), but experiencing the changes is excruciating at any stage. Solidarity. 🤛🏻
Thank you!! I'm not a primary caretaker for my grandma, but it's hard not to feel like having an outside perspective and not being in the thick of it, there are things I think could be done differently to make all 3 of them (my grandma and parents) happier. But I'm not a decision-maker. Sigh.
That California trip sounds like a dream! I am very much looking forward to reaching that point of parenting. Congratulations on getting your first taste!
I’m sorry to hear about your week with your grandma. That is so hard. We are about to spend 2 weeks with my in-laws, and we suspect my FIL has early onset. I’ve only known him as this volatile, moody person but my husband is having to deal with watching his dad slip away. I empathize deeply with seeing someone you’ve loved so dearly completely change. I’ll be thinking of you as you navigate through this. 🤍
Thank you so much! I hope your 2 weeks with your in-laws goes okay for you. I don't know about you - I do not feel ready for this place in my life yet! I somehow had thought these kinds of things were still a ways down the road.
I am going through this right now with a relative and it is so hard. Feels like a robot has taken them over and they are not the same anymore. Courage and know that you are not alone in dealing with hard relative times 😐.
👨🏼🏫 After 7 years of the not-so-slow realization my husband’s workplace is 💩, he accepted what we hope is a dream job. Bye bye professoring, hello policy analyzing (I think).
🏖 Going with my parents to the beach in a couple weeks. Anxiety already ramping up for the Trump talk. My husband and them had a fight and falling out that has yet to be broached (he’s not going on the trip, see new job). I just want to have peace and fun, but I fear I’ll need all my Pantsuit Politics nuance and grace.
I love H-E-B so much!! I’ll be thinking of you and the talk with your parents. And also that in spite of any tension, you’re all able to enjoy yourselves and each other. My mom fell down the Q rabbit hole a few years ago and it is still a delicate dance to avoid many topics, but I can enjoy being around her again. 🤍
After reading an article about how HEB prepared for the pandemic (tl;dr they were much more organized and thorough than the federal government) I have been campaigning to put them in charge of FEMA.
Good morning, Swipes! I’m happy to be back here this week and to see all of your treasures.
I subscribed to Nadia Boltz-Weber’s Substack after reading that. So good. And I’m going to be mulling the idea of “don’t obey in advance” from Kristen DuMez’s newsletter and adding the book she was quoting to my eternally long TBR.
- I was at the hospital with my mom yesterday and she was feeling much better than last Thursday. Last Friday I pretty much moped after crying myself to sleep Thursday because it was so rough to see her so weak.
- Our little church has been so supportive of us with my mom and has been a good place to share in the sorrow of *wildly gestures* all this.
- We are sending our kids off to Gatlinburg with my in-laws on Monday while we head to Asheville for a belated fifteenth anniversary trip. I’m nervous because it’s the longest they will ever have been away from both of us.
- Also: we need Asheville recommendations! The problem is we aren’t very outdoorsy and it’s July. Most recommendations I’m seeing are the Biltmore--which we don’t have interest in, maybe at Christmas--or outdoor stuff.
I literally just got back and had the BEST time! You can spend your entire time just wandering around downtown. There are so many shops and restaurants, and even though it’s the middle of summer, it really wasn’t that hot. My favorite restaurants were Tupelo Honey and Biscuithead. I really wanted to try Buxton Chicken Palace, but we didn’t make it. It’s in a fancy food court with other good places, too and they have a cheerwine bourbon slushy! You will have a great time!
Asheville there there are a ton of indoorsy things to do here: the Asheville pinball museum is a lot fun, the grove arcade is across from the pinball museum ( indoor mall with restaurants and shops - if you can get a reservation for Wake Foot Spa- it is amazing foot soak very relaxing!) tons of restaurants (biscuithead for breakfast/brunch is not to be missed) Lots of breweries (some of those are outside though) the lazoom comedy bus tour is a good way to see downtown and learn some about Asheville. Also the grove park inn is a great place to get some Mountain View’s or drive up the blue ridge parkway to pisgah inn (if you want to eat lunch there, make a reservation) also off the blue ridge parkway the folk art center is a great way to see works of local artists. If you want more restaurants or other recs let me know.
I hope you guys are able to relax and enjoy the trip! I have yet to be away from my kids longer than 4-5 days, and that was back when I only had 1 (ahhh, pre-COVID days). I get that anxiety! Here’s hoping Asheville charms the hell out of you and you float through on peace, quiet, and good food while you’re there!
great treasures. thank you. words and images for my massive inarticulatness this week!
Hope y’all made it to camp in Texas! And stoped at a Buc-we’d! No Texas road trip is complete without that stop!
I don’t think it will exactly protect the vibe, but I hope you listen to Jesus from Texas by Semler on your trip!!!
Not much to add here, except this tweet made me laugh and I thought this might be the right group for this nerdy humor: https://twitter.com/adcohen15/status/1542731167224528896?s=20&t=TRGcqGhi8DS4hrj-0wdk6g
That's hilarious!
Yes, this is the perfect group for that kind of humor 😂
The sin joke made me lol for real.
Treasures: I picked back up a family relationship and after freaking out that I 'did it wrong' had 3 friends coach me through & I've got another tentative hangout planned with the person.
Relationships are hard y'all and I deeply appreciate the relationships that are stable enough for me to be human in them.
Hubby got paid!! Really feeling that paycheck to paycheck life right now, but I've also lived the life where we did work that only paid us 3 months after the fact so I am taking my wins where I see them.
It's my birthday month, I'll be 32 on the 21st (so yes, Jamie's hits at Cancers weren't my favorite, but tbh I dislike a lot about astrology so a good portion of me is Team Knox) and while in years past I haven't needed a month long celebration of myself, year 32 was the absolute pits and the fact that I'm mostly still standing in the last weeks of it makes me feel the need for a prolonged celebration. My aim for this month is to do one thing a day simply because it's what I want to do. We'll see how long that lasts but I'm basking in the optimistic side of myself currently 😆.
Good luck with the drive Erin & I hope Texas gives you the best of itself while you're there!
Birthday Month is a delight. When I turned 30, I did “30 Ways to Celebrate Turning 30” and I still think about it. I’ll be 40 next year and you’d better believe I’ll be repeating this practice. 😂
I love that!!! What kinds of things did you do to celebrate?
It was a mix of small and big things—I went to the symphony, tried a new pie cafe, read at the park, met different friends for lunch or dinner, bought new books and CDs (this was almost 10 years ago…ha), etc. I made a big list of things I liked already, things I wanted to try, friends I wanted to spend time with, and special places where I knew I found joy, and then I just filled in each day with whatever fit. 🙂
I’m an Unseen Sunscreen girly but just heard Trader Joe’s has an $8 dupe?!!! So I will be trying that momentarily
Thank you for this info! I wanted to try that sunscreen but it’s so pricey!
It’s Canada Day and our summer has just started (like my kids have not even been off school a week). But we are enjoying a couple days at our friend’s cabin and actually getting good weather after the rainiest June. I’ve spent the last month realizing that there is so much grey area and as a Christian I need to just love and support anyone who is forced to make a decision in a grey area. It is tough and who am I to judge where the Holy Ghost led them or what is best for them.
But know I am looking forward to finally crossing the border and seeing my American family (I was too cheap to pay for testing x6 before know). Also feeling old with my oldest graduating Jr. high and staring grade 10 in high school. I wish you luck in your drive, we got an 18 hour one coming up but at least we get some mountains but also lots of flat.
Happy Friday! I'm happy to report that we have survived the first month of summer vacation. VBS nearly did us all in last week, but we made it! All our kids will be at summer camp next week, so my husband and I have taken the week off as well and will be staying home to catch up on house projects, Stranger Things, and each other. Then all the kids come back and I have no idea what we'll do with them.
Y'all your girl is tired! I have people too much this week and I'm read to hide in my home this weekend and eat delicious food and sew things.
The visit with the girls was good, we got to have dinner with my pastor's fam one night which was absolutely perfect. I lived with them 1.5 yrs and they're my little Hickory family so having both groups together was lovely. One of my friends joked that my bed time is 8:30 and it just startled Jeffery so much and I've been laughing about it ever since. To be fair, 8:30 is my reminder to start my bedtime routine soon and I'm almost always asleep by 9:30 #grandma
🥜 PB&Js and Nacho's have been the star of the week over here, I planned the simplest things I could for meals this week and I have no regrets.
📚 The library is hopping and we're about to be really understaffed for 2 months so that's not fun, but today I got to put my headphones in and get a bunch of little things done which is perfect.
Alright, that's all I've got this week. ❤
Listen, people really underestimate the zen power of driving across vast distances in a straight line. The drive from my hometown to Albuquerque is also great for this.
I'd like to join the chorus praising Holland Moon's guest appearance on the pod. She's a confident, thoughtful kid who's a thousand times more articulate than I could have dreamed of being at that age. You're a good mom, Erin.
I knew my a/c was working hard, but I got my power bill yesterday and nearly had a heart attack. So I'll be insulating my windows this weekend. On the plus side, it was partly cloudy with a tiny breeze this morning, so I got to sit outside with my dog and my breakfast to read the comments. Happy 4th - grilled meat and rebelling against tyranny, it's the American way.
That last sentence. I needed the reminder because celebrating America feels..... less appealing in so many ways right now.
So much I could say about this week but the similarities of that bear to me climbing into a cheap plastic baby pool I bought to help me deal with the Arkansas heat is making me giggle. No regrets; water makes everything more bearable.
Hee. “Bearable.”
Erin, happy trails on your way to Texas. Wishing you fun singalong times, delicious Buc-ee's treats (if they are along the way?), and wonderful camp experiences for the kids. Those photos you posted were MAGICAL. Thanks for sharing!
I'm looking forward to a busy gardening weekend, with so many outdoor projects on the list. I'm emotionally and physically exhausted, but am praying for strength and perseverance. On the plus side, I tried flower pounding on a shirt this week and was pleased with the results, and our 20yo daughter went on a get-away weekend with friends and brought me back a hummingbird poster - so sweet! Can't wait to bring that joy into my office.
Most significantly, a close relative came out to me as bi yesterday (last day of Pride Month). I'm still processing it all, including the fact that I was the last in the family to know because she said, 1) she was concerned how I might respond given my faith, even though I've grown in being more and more affirming in recent years; and 2) my relationship with her was the most important one, so the fear of that at stake made her hesitant. Praying to be extra loving and supportive in the months and years ahead. Any advice and encouragement on how to proceed would be much appreciated.
Sending you so much good energy & prayers - this relationship sounds like it matters a lot to you so I hope finding your footing & continuing to be her people goes as well as possible 💖
Thank you so much! It does matter a lot, and I don't want to put it at risk.
I very much appreciate you chiming in, Dana. Thank you for sharing your wise perspective!
Hey Swipes! Congratulations on making it to July in the year of our Lord 2022. I don’t know about you, but after the last few years, that feels like a miracle.
🚙 We are also making the trek to Texas, leaving tomorrow morning. I have done exactly nothing to prepare except make a list of snacks for the drive. Truly the most important piece, tbh.
🤞🏻 We are staying with my in-laws while in TX. For 2 weeks. This is the longest we’ve stayed with them. If it were just my MIL, this would be great. My FIL is a different story. We think he has early-onset dementia and he is just a different person these days. He also takes our vocal affirmation of 2SLGBTQIA as an open invitation to debate, and I am too much of an 8 to back down. So prayers that I am able to tame my tongue would be appreciated. No one else in that family goes toe-to-toe with him, but that seems to be where I stay anytime I’m there.
✈️ My husband had 2 back-to-back work trips and he got home late last night. I’m very thankful. I’m very exhausted.
🎆 I truly have no desire to celebrate the 4th - the only exception being that fireworks are one of the few things in life that make me feel like a kid again. The only way I’m feeling comfortable celebrating this year is by knowing that I’m showing my kids a different path forward for the country and I’m hoping to be part of burning it all down for them to be able to rebuild it in a better way. That feels a bit heavy for this early in the day, but after the last few weeks/months/years it’s just the honest truth.
Catch y’all in the comments ✌🏻
Hello, all. Thankful for this place after another difficult week.
Staying with my grandma while my parents were on vacation was a very mixed bag. She is my last grandparent and the person in my family I am most similar to, and I loved spending the time with her. But she is really struggling with depression, and because of dementia/memory issues, no longer filters those thoughts, so it was really very difficult to listen to them for 10 days, and I ended up in a very dark headspace.
A self-care hack I am trying is actually getting dressed everyday in real clothes that make me feel good, instead of gym clothes all day. I have been taking advantage of the Boden & Madewell end of season sales to stock up on some new shorts & tees, and it has been a game changer. I feel much more human.
My oldest is finishing up his first day camp today, and it has been a great experience. He and our middle want to do an overnight camp next year, so super excited about that!! I don't think I reported back after our trip to California, which was just an absolute dream. Saw the redwoods, elk, and whales, and canceled all our dinner reservations to drink wine & eat munchies on the deck of our Airbnb because the view was just unbeatable. But our childcare options are getting more limited for a getaway like that, so very excited about the possibility of combining a summer camp for the kids with a getaway for us.
Looking forward to catching up with everyone in the comments - good thoughts for all of your weekends!
Echoing Jenny; you are not alone in these emotions. My mom’s personality changed after her stroke, and she is also going through dementia challenges now. It’s a slow slipping-away, which I’m grateful to have (slowness), but experiencing the changes is excruciating at any stage. Solidarity. 🤛🏻
Thank you!! I'm not a primary caretaker for my grandma, but it's hard not to feel like having an outside perspective and not being in the thick of it, there are things I think could be done differently to make all 3 of them (my grandma and parents) happier. But I'm not a decision-maker. Sigh.
That California trip sounds like a dream! I am very much looking forward to reaching that point of parenting. Congratulations on getting your first taste!
I’m sorry to hear about your week with your grandma. That is so hard. We are about to spend 2 weeks with my in-laws, and we suspect my FIL has early onset. I’ve only known him as this volatile, moody person but my husband is having to deal with watching his dad slip away. I empathize deeply with seeing someone you’ve loved so dearly completely change. I’ll be thinking of you as you navigate through this. 🤍
Thank you so much! I hope your 2 weeks with your in-laws goes okay for you. I don't know about you - I do not feel ready for this place in my life yet! I somehow had thought these kinds of things were still a ways down the road.
I am going through this right now with a relative and it is so hard. Feels like a robot has taken them over and they are not the same anymore. Courage and know that you are not alone in dealing with hard relative times 😐.
Thank you so much, Jenny! I really appreciate the solidarity.
Mornin’!
👨🏼🏫 After 7 years of the not-so-slow realization my husband’s workplace is 💩, he accepted what we hope is a dream job. Bye bye professoring, hello policy analyzing (I think).
🚌 If you know a Texan, you’ve likely heard of H-E-B. They are the best grocery store, no question. Why? This so why (get your tissues!) https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/texas-news/h-e-b-commits-10-million-to-new-school-construction-in-uvalde-after-massacre/3003296/?amp I mean. I MEAN. The way this business and family serve their people is consistent, beautiful, and purposeful. Bravo.
🏖 Going with my parents to the beach in a couple weeks. Anxiety already ramping up for the Trump talk. My husband and them had a fight and falling out that has yet to be broached (he’s not going on the trip, see new job). I just want to have peace and fun, but I fear I’ll need all my Pantsuit Politics nuance and grace.
I love H-E-B so much!! I’ll be thinking of you and the talk with your parents. And also that in spite of any tension, you’re all able to enjoy yourselves and each other. My mom fell down the Q rabbit hole a few years ago and it is still a delicate dance to avoid many topics, but I can enjoy being around her again. 🤍
After reading an article about how HEB prepared for the pandemic (tl;dr they were much more organized and thorough than the federal government) I have been campaigning to put them in charge of FEMA.
Oh yeah - HEB, Jose Andres, and the Cajun Navy should lead FEMA
Good morning, Swipes! I’m happy to be back here this week and to see all of your treasures.
I subscribed to Nadia Boltz-Weber’s Substack after reading that. So good. And I’m going to be mulling the idea of “don’t obey in advance” from Kristen DuMez’s newsletter and adding the book she was quoting to my eternally long TBR.
- I was at the hospital with my mom yesterday and she was feeling much better than last Thursday. Last Friday I pretty much moped after crying myself to sleep Thursday because it was so rough to see her so weak.
- Our little church has been so supportive of us with my mom and has been a good place to share in the sorrow of *wildly gestures* all this.
- We are sending our kids off to Gatlinburg with my in-laws on Monday while we head to Asheville for a belated fifteenth anniversary trip. I’m nervous because it’s the longest they will ever have been away from both of us.
- Also: we need Asheville recommendations! The problem is we aren’t very outdoorsy and it’s July. Most recommendations I’m seeing are the Biltmore--which we don’t have interest in, maybe at Christmas--or outdoor stuff.
I literally just got back and had the BEST time! You can spend your entire time just wandering around downtown. There are so many shops and restaurants, and even though it’s the middle of summer, it really wasn’t that hot. My favorite restaurants were Tupelo Honey and Biscuithead. I really wanted to try Buxton Chicken Palace, but we didn’t make it. It’s in a fancy food court with other good places, too and they have a cheerwine bourbon slushy! You will have a great time!
Asheville there there are a ton of indoorsy things to do here: the Asheville pinball museum is a lot fun, the grove arcade is across from the pinball museum ( indoor mall with restaurants and shops - if you can get a reservation for Wake Foot Spa- it is amazing foot soak very relaxing!) tons of restaurants (biscuithead for breakfast/brunch is not to be missed) Lots of breweries (some of those are outside though) the lazoom comedy bus tour is a good way to see downtown and learn some about Asheville. Also the grove park inn is a great place to get some Mountain View’s or drive up the blue ridge parkway to pisgah inn (if you want to eat lunch there, make a reservation) also off the blue ridge parkway the folk art center is a great way to see works of local artists. If you want more restaurants or other recs let me know.
I hope you guys are able to relax and enjoy the trip! I have yet to be away from my kids longer than 4-5 days, and that was back when I only had 1 (ahhh, pre-COVID days). I get that anxiety! Here’s hoping Asheville charms the hell out of you and you float through on peace, quiet, and good food while you’re there!