Day 765 | Celebrating the Dads

Well, the big weekend didn't take the direction we had hoped. Instead, we spent another two days in isolation as Chris fought the latest round of Hand, Foot, and Mouth disease (at least that's what we think he has...rash is yet to be seen). Luckily tomorrow is Monday. A new week for a new outlook on life.

It's weekends like this when Chris is out of commission that make me realize even more how appreciative I am of him. The enthusiasm, energy, love, and patience he brings to every interaction with our boys is beyond impressive, to say the least. He makes this whole parenting-young-children-thing as enjoyable as a mom could ask for. Thank you, Chris, for all you do everyday for our family. My appreciation might go unsaid at times, but it is definitely felt.

And to my first and favorite dad, I'm thrilled that next year I'll get to celebrate this day with you in person. Thank you for always being a role model to me and now to my boys.

Day 764 | Summertime Bucket List

Things got serious around here today. We made a to-do list for our summer vacation. Two lists, actually. One for DC and one for EC (short for Eau Claire, our new home in Wisconsin).

Here's what's going to keep us busy for the next few months:

DC Bucket List, Deadline: July 13

• A final stop at the American History Museum
• Visit Turkey Thicket playground
• Ride the Wheaton Miniature Train
• Watch the ball drop at the Discovery Building
• Eat at our sushi restaurant
• Wade in Yards Park
• Ride the Metro
• Pick berries at Butler's Orchard
• Fort Steven's Park 
• Eat at H&Pizza

EC Bucket List, Start Date: July 22

• Watch cows being milked
• Discover new playground
• Walk to the Children's Museum
• Go to a movie in a move theater
• Find a new library
• See trucks
• Ride ATV with Grandpa
• Ride in a real tractor
• Order from Toppers
• Attend fair/festival

The good news is we've already checked three of our DC items off the list since drafting this yesterday. Take that!

Day 763 | Summer Begins

Today was summer vacation, day 1. All in all, it wasn't too bad. Oh, except Chris is sick...and it's our 10 year anniversary. Not exactly how I thought we'd be celebrating. So, to focus on something else, a new pro and con list for all of you.

Reasons Summer Vacation is Definitely Going to Rock

1. Low key mornings. I've missed not having to rush rush rush in the mornings. Today I didn't shower until 9am. It was glorious.
2. Getting out there. It's been harder to get to some of our favorite city sites with Chase in school. Even Robbe and I couldn't squeeze in some of the outings we wanted to because of the time constraints with drop off, lunch, nap, and pick up. Now the city is calling our name and we've got quite a list of places to revisit.
3. Brotherly bonding. These two have been playing together really well lately. I'm cautiously optimistic that trend will continue with all the extra time together this summer. It's quite lovely to watch.
4. The move. Oh yeah, that little moving-across-the-country thing that's happening this summer vacation. It can't come soon enough.
5. Time with family. Not only is Chris taking the month of August off between jobs (woohoo!), but we'll get to spend half the summer learning what living near extended family feels like. I have a hunch it's going to be the best ever.

Reasons Summer Vacation *Might Not* Rock

1. The meals. Making three meals a day for two kids is exhausting. I'm already over it.
2. Playing moderator. It's true that our kiddos get along (thank goodness!) a good deal of the time. That doesn't, however, mean I don't spend a fair bit of time playing referee between them. 
3. The heat. Summer in the District isn't always the most comfortable. A lot of the time, outdoor activities (of which we dedicate most of our time to) are sticky, sweaty, and less-than-enjoyable. So far we've been lucky. I hope that continues.
4. The move. Right now, I'm feeling ok about everything related to the big move. I do, however, realize that the hundreds of things on my to-do list might catch up with me at some point. 
5. Leaving the District. It's the only place Chris and I have called our home as a married couple. It's not going to be easy to turn the last page of this chapter in our lives.

Day 762 | Farewell, Bulldogs

It was a happy and sad day in our house. Happy because summer vacation has officially begun! My little guys, without even knowing what that means really, are super excited about it. I think it's because summer vacation means moving to Wisconsin to them. All the more reason to be pumped!

But it's a sad day, too. I'm sad Chase had to say goodbye to all the buddies he worked so hard to get close to this year. I'm sad because so many of his friends get another amazing year with their two incredible teachers and we don't (Bridges combines pre-k classes with three and four year olds so Chase would have been in the same classroom with the same 4 year olds next year). I'm sad that my quality solo time with Robbe has to come to an end. We're, like, pretty good buddies. I know that won't change with the big brother around, but it's definitely a different dynamic.

It's been a really good year for all of us. And it's a good feeling that it's a happy + sad day. I wouldn't want it any other way.

Day 761 | One More School Night

Just one last school night for this pre-k3'er. We couldn't be more proud of the friendly four-year-old he's blossomed into this year. He's always been the sweetest, smartest, kindest little guy, but after a year with these two ladies, he's added social butterfly to his list of amazing qualities. It wasn't a problem before, don't get me wrong, but he's always been shy and more comfortable having mom or dad deal with his interactions with other kids. Now he builds spaceships, plays monster (whatever that is), tells jokes, and sticks up for himself with the best of them.

I'm telling you, if you have a child in the District, you want these two women, Liz Koenig and Beatriz Torres Vasquez, to teach them and guide them as long as you can. The love, order, fun, discipline, and compassion that surrounded Chase every day is more than I ever could have asked for. I debated a long time about whether to send our sweet three year old to full time school (he was only three!), but there is not one bit of me that questions our decision now. Thanks to these ladies.

We will miss the Bulldogs, but we will especially miss their fearless leaders, Ms. Liz and Ms. Beatriz.

Day 760 | Sickness Spreads

What does a two year old do while you're feeling too sick to even get off the couch and can barely keep your eyes open? This two year old played happily by himself ALL MORNING. I went from laying on the couch, to laying on the floor, to sitting in the sunshine on the steps. That's how we made it to a very needed naptime (for both of us).

Luckily, Chris came to the rescue after nap and entertained the boys fully all evening to make up for my neglect. Being sick is the worst.

Day 759 | Whatever It Takes

No luck with the whole "getting back to normal" around here. Robbe was still not acting like himself and we couldn't get him into the doctor early enough, so Chase stayed home from school (again) in case we're all contagious.

Turns out...we are. Both boys were diagnosed with Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease. You can google it. It's as terrible as it sounds. Luckily, Chase is past the contagious stage so he can go back tomorrow and I think Robbe is slowly making steps toward a recovery, too.

So what happens at our house on day four of sickness with a little guy who won't eat anything because his mouth hurts? You give the boy whatever it takes to get him eating again. Today's menu items included donuts (which he had no trouble with), ice cream (which helped him eat a better dinner, if you can believe it), and some very dignified tea drinking (that always helps my throat).

To top it off, now I'm not feeling great. After a long nap this afternoon for me (having two kids that both still nap is the BEST!), and an early bedtime (heading there now), I'm hopeful I'll be feeling better, too. We've got to rally for the big end to the week...the last day of school (Thursday), the first day of summer vacation (Friday), our 10 YEAR! wedding anniversary (also Friday), and Father's Day (Sunday). No time to waste in the recovery process.

Day 758 | Still Sick

It's been a long, long weekend around here. I'm hopeful that we're over the worst of whatever sickness has taken over our sweet boys, but I thought that yesterday and today wasn't much of an improvement. Think happy thoughts for a good sleep for everyone tonight!

p.s. The photo above was from a super fun stop at Union Station last weekend (nothing really to capture in a photo today). Maybe those smiling faces will make a reappearance tomorrow.

Day 757 | Getting Ready

Our guest room has turned into the moving box staging area. Maybe this move is actually going to happen afterall. 

Day 756 | Surprise Sick Day

My sweet four year old had to miss his first-ever year-end school carnival because he had a fever last night and this morning. To be honest, I think I took it harder than he did.

As if one sick wee one wasn't enough, after naptime, the two year old woke up with a fever, too. 

And we even managed to end the night with a puker. Too much information? Probably, but that's life and I think you can handle it. 

Day 755 | Making an Ocean

We had another installment of Science with Uncle Matt today (I should come up with a better name). Today's project? Making an ocean in a bottle. A little water + food coloring topped off with vegetable oil. That's it. And it makes this really cool bubbly, thick, mesmerizing consistency that actually does create waves. 

Here's the tutorial we used. I'm a fan. 

Day 754 | Scootin'

The boys got out the door early enough this morning to get a little scootin' time in before heading to school.

Could they be any cuter?

Day 753 | Uncle Matt Shorts

Our big guy is getting bigger. Chase has grown out of most of his summer clothing and a shorts shopping spree was greatly needed. In addition to a few other pairs, he picked out these (pictured above) and calls them "Uncle Matt shorts" because they're so hip and fashionable. Just like Uncle Matt. But don't tell Chase that Uncle Matt isn't really into wearing shirts with giant roaches on them (or maybe Chase is just ahead of the trend).

Day 752 | Hydrangeas

To me, the sight of a blooming hydrangea bush right in my backyard is one of the best parts of early summer. The big puffs of pastel blue flowers is enough to brighten any dreary day.

I've been bummed that I can't seem to bring that type of joy indoors, though. When I cut them and put them in water, they start out looking all bright and cheery and within hours they're droopy and downers.

The internet to the rescue! I googled the problem and came across this website explaining why this happens and what to do about it. The short answer? Immediately after cutting, put the stems in boiling water for 30 seconds. This technique even brought mine back to life!

The internet is the best, isn't it?

Day 751 | Good Times with Good Friends

Last night was amazing.

My sweet friend, Dawn (far right) organized a night out for me and some of my closest DC friends. I think it might have been one of the very few times I've seen these ladies without kiddos in tow. 

We did some free-style painting (I chose to paint birds, of course), we ate some yummy Mediterranean tapas, we chatted, we laughed. Glorious, just glorious.

Thanks ladies for carving out the time to make last night happen. To say I will miss you all is an incredible understatement.

Day 750 | Impressive Field Trip

The Bulldogs (Chase's class, made up of 3, 4, and 5 year olds) took an impressive field trip to Nationals Park today. Kudos to his teachers for having the motivation and energy to tackle this type of undertaking.

What are the logistics of this little outing, you might ask? Well, we left the school at 9am to walk to the metro (yep, all these kids loaded a metro train at 9:20am). They all waited patiently through nine stops where we all exited in an orderly fashion to make the short walk to the stadium.

A kind and patient tour guide led these youngsters all over for an entire hour which included the following highlights:

• the press box
• the visiting team's locker room
• the Nationals' dugout
• the Delta Club seats right behind home plate
• walking on the field (but not the grass...and everyone, including Robbe, complied)
• taking in views of the Washington Monument and the Capitol

Following the tour, we stopped for a quick snack break before walking back to the Metro, took a train back the nine stops, and walked back to the school, arriving around 12:15pm, just in time for lunch. All said, those kiddos walked about 2.5 miles from start to finish (I was wearing my Fitbit to track it). And, aside from pretty constant requests for snacks, the kids didn't complain one bit. 

Those Bulldogs, they're tough cookies.

Day 749 | Fire Safety Presentation

The DC Fire + EMS team made an appearance at Chase's school today for a fire safety presentation. Depending on who you are, there were two different perspectives on how the morning went:

1. As a pre-k or kindergarten student:

• Yay! We got to stop, drop, and roll during school!
• Yay! We got to watch a movie with a cartoon dog!
• Yay! Fun coloring sheets with fire fighters on them!
• Yay! A real fire truck!
• Yay! A fireman in his full uniform!

2. As the organizer of said event (me):

• Ahh! Why doesn't anyone know what's going on?
• Ahh! Why do people keep parking in the coned-off area where the firetruck is supposed to park?
• Ahh! Is the firetruck ever going to arrive?
• Ahh! Why did the firetruck show up 1.5 hours late?
• Ahh! Why is this pre-school presentation so dull?

At the end of the day, there was a firetruck. The kids did learn about dialing 911, how to stop, drop, and roll, and the importance of having a meeting place for your family. I guess we'll call it a success but why, oh why, was this event the most complicated endeavor I've faced to date? 

Day 748 | Excited for Wisconsin

The excitement is building around here. We're so close to finalizing so many details of the move (inspection of WI house came back great, moving company decision is imminent, DC house appraisal is expected tomorrow, *never-ending* mortgage lender paperwork is almost complete), but we're still so far away from our official move date (mid-July). The boys and I decided to wear some Wisconsin gear today to bring us there in spirit.

Day 747 | Snuggles

The boys have been extra snuggly towards me lately. 

No complaints here. 

Day 746 | Outdoor Time

Due to the *finally* beautiful weather, we busted out of the house today and ventured over to one of our favorite places: the Wheaton Regional Park. We played at the park. We rode the carousel (twice). We hung out with some friendly turtles, swans, and fish at the pond. We had a picnic in the shade. We even got to ride the miniature train (which was questionable due to an overnight rainstorm). Sounds pretty awesome, right? It was.

Side note (that is definitely worth documenting): Chris and I noticed some unwelcome garbage in our front yard the other day. Because our house is right off a busy road, it's not unusual for some stray candy bar wrappers or newspapers to get caught in our grass, but this discovery was particularly disturbing. It looked like chicken feet. Gross, bug-attracting chicken feet. I finally got the stomach to clean them up today and, it turns out, was in for a crazy surprise: they weren't chicken feet at all. They were these rotten-smelling, oozing mushrooms called stinkhorns. I know I should somehow feel comforted that we didn't, in fact, have discarded chicken feet in our yard, but if you had been the one to try to remove the stinkhorns, you would understand how terrifying it was (I didn't know they were mushrooms at that point, after all). To say they were foul-smelling with a terrifying consistency just doesn't cover it. I hope these new friends aren't here to stay.