Day 1379 | Dining Al Fresco

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Man, the last few days have been a total dream. The sun has been shining, the animals are reemerging (as well as the people in our neighborhood), and we’ve been outside enjoying every second of it. 

Today my parents were sweet enough to come over and help with some yard work (and we’re beyond grateful!) and we ate outside for the first time this year. This. This is what makes the winter [somewhat] bearable—these first spring days that bring a sense of total appreciation and happiness for surviving the winter. 

Day 1378 | Playmobil

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I’ve been talking to a lot of friends about Playmobil toys lately. I feel like it’s a great quality toy line with a wide variety of interests covered but totally flies under the radar.  

It has not flown under the radar for us. We are single handedly keeping Playmobil afloat. Ok, not really, but it feels like that.  

And one of the boys’ favorite parts of Playmobil is the mini catalogues that come with each set and the full-size catalogue (pictured above) which they browse for hours. No joke. Hours. We have the 2016, 2017, and 2018 catalogues in rotation these days and we discovered a 2007 mini catalogue at Goodwill earlier this week (with a whole new assortment of toys to peruse). I know it’s consumerism at its finest but it makes them so so happy, which brings me more than a little bit of joy, too. Win-win!

Day 1376 | Cushions

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We’ve done some reorganizing with the toys at our house and now the boys are spending more time playing downstairs. Aside from their toys, guess their favorite activity of choice. That’s right, playing with the cushions from our patio furniture. It’s amazing how they can find so many uses and storylines for these cushions. It’s going to be a sad day if winter ever leaves and we’re able to reclaim our porch again. 

Day 1375 | Snow Day: April Edition

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That’s right. A snow day on April 16th. On the bright side, it was the perfect snow for block building. I've been waiting all season for this. Unfortunately, this is as big as our wall got because somebody (or more accurately: some bodies) decided knocking down the wall was actually more fun that building it. I definitely agree...except it stinks to be the one constantly building but never the one knocking down. I'm sure you feel my pain.

Day 1372 | Pulley Fun

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What do you do when you’ve had a full day of entertaining little ones and your husband won't be home for bedtime? My solution: dig out this awesome pulley that has been waiting to be used for a project (we got it as a gift for Chris awhile ago). I taped it up to the banister, attached by a ruler, and the boys played with it for over an hour. They thought it was the best. And I agreed. It was super fun.

Day 1371 | Bedtime Reading

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I love bedtime. That is, I love it when it's time for the boys to go bed. They're great, but man, by the time 8pm rolls around, I'm ready for a break. I'm sure you understand. 

As much as a love bedtime, I really can't stand our bedtime routine. It's not even that long: just pjs on, teeth brushed, two stories read, potty, into bed. Pretty simple, right? Somehow reading at the end of the night is about the worst thing ever. 

Enter the audio book. The boys got sucked into a Boxcar Children audio book after school today and decided they wanted to try to finish it before bed. They sat like this (photo above) for 15 minutes as I finished folding laundry and putting it away. 

I'm not saying this is going to become a frequent occurrence, but it was a glorious break tonight. 

Day 1369 | Presents!

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Our six year old loves presents. Based on the amount of toys in our house these days, I’m a little less enthusiastic about them, but that detail doesn’t seem to bother Chase. He is in total paradise unpacking, assembling, and playing with all his sweet gifts (thanks, everyone!). 

I’ll admit it..I do really like helping with the assembly process. Even if it does mean adding to our collection. The pure excitement the gifts bring him definitely makes up for my embarrassment over how much he receives. At least he’s very appreciative! That’s something. :)

Day 1368 | Our Six Year Old

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I feel like my life should be divided into two categories: Before Kids (BK) and After Kids (AK). In my BK life, I was more carefree, more spontaneous (ok, still not that much), more selfish. In AK life, I’m definitely more exhausted, more routine-driven, more selfless. But in AK life, I’m also filled with more pure joy and happiness than I ever could have imagined. I have this six year old to thank for that. He made me a mom: the hardest but most rewarding job ever. Today we said happy birthday to our first born. The last six years have flown by and been eternally long at exactly the same time. I just love this guy so much. 

And here you go... 

Ten things you may [or may not] know about about our new six year old:

  1. He loves school. Chase might be the strong silent type when he’s there (a much different version that what we see at home), but he really loves his school and his school friends. We’re thankful that we found this educational home for him. 
  2. He wears holes in the knees of all his pants. This guy is serious about playing and it’s taking a toll on his wardrobe. When he tells me that another pair has worn out, he’s always so proud!
  3. He’s a secret reader. I wouldn’t say he’s “officially” reading yet but he’s getting close. We call him a secret reader because sometimes we catch him reading when he thinks we’re not paying attention.
  4. Legos and Playmobil are his favorite. Especially if these sets involve police, pirates, or knights.  
  5. He’s a sensitive soul. This kid takes after his parents. He feels very strongly all the time. 
  6. He could be read to all day. Every day. Favorites include: Boxcar Children, Geronimo Stilton, Scooby Doo, mysteries, and anything related to super heroes. 
  7. This guy is a rules follower. The trend continues. He still prefers to have clear directions and will happily follow those directions. It’s when the unforeseeable occurs that the problems creep in. 
  8. His birthday treat of choice: brownie with ice cream and hot fudge. Just like his Momma.  
  9. Dream job: NASA Mission Control Specialist. 
  10. He’s basically the best. Seriously, we couldn’t ask for a better role model for his brother and a more empathetic friend in our family.  

There you have it. We’re feeling pretty lucky. 

Day 1367 | Let the Festivities Begin

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I’m back! As promised, I won’t leave you out of all the fun birthday festivities. We knew we were going to be out of town on the big day so the birthday mantle and birthday photo collage (top two photos) went up a day early. Chase didn’t seem to mind.  

Between those going up early and a birthday dinner on Wednesday night, we’re really stretching the celebrations out this year. I guess that must be what happens when you turn six (6!!!). 

Day 1366 | The Weight of the World

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Sometimes it just feels like the weight of the world is too much to shoulder.

It's been a stressful couple of weeks for our family. I'm not going to go into it here out of respect for everyone's privacy (sorry), but I'm sure I'll share at some point. 

With everything going on and a feeling of constant overwhelm, I've decided to take a bit of a break from the blog. Chase's birthday is coming up this weekend, so I'll be back for that, but I'm going to give myself this bit of space in my day. 

You might recognize the photo above. I posted it almost two years ago when we were getting ready to uproot our lives and move to Wisconsin. This little weed was inspirational to me back then and I have found my mind wondering to the image over and over again recently. There is hope. I have hope.