Day 993 | Treat Yo Self

When you’re a stay at home mom and it’s your 33rd birthday but it’s a week day and everyone is at work, what do you do to “treat yo self”? It’s tough, I know, but I think I managed pretty well:

Sara's Treat Yo Self Day, 2017: 

• A car wash: super lame? Yes. But I love a clean car so much. I'd get one every week if that wasn't crazy. And, to be honest, I did this yesterday but a clean car for today is the real present so it counts.
• A manicure: gel (so it would dry quickly), while the boys happily entertained themselves…with some assistance from my sister in-law (thanks, Tera!!)
• A coffee date with my #1: Chris snuck out of work to join me for a coffee while the boys played like maniacs. Did I mention we were at McDonalds? Not anywhere I thought I’d ever celebrate my birthday but it worked out exactly as I’d hoped: the boys were happy and I had some kid-free time to enjoy my coffee…and my sweet husband.
• No laundry: I do laundry most days so that I don’t end up having a million loads on any given day. I gave myself the day off today, though, and it’s been wonderful.
• No cooking: I’m hosting my whole [local] family tonight for dinner and I’m not cooking. Chris did the prep work for the burgers last night and he’s picking up real sweet potato fries on his way home from work. I might have to turn on the grill, but I think I can handle that.
• A banana: are bananas a hot commodity in your house? They are in ours. I don’t think I’ve eaten a banana in months, even though I love them and they’re always on our counter. We constantly run out of them (leading to problems) so I just don’t eat them. Not today. I ate that banana. And it was delicious.
• A back pain fix tutorial: I’ve been sticking with mommastrong.com (and it’s amazing + totally life-changing!!) and was debating about doing a regular work out or taking the day “off” with a back-pain tutorial video. I decided to “treat myself” with the tutorial instead. Definitely the right decision. I learned so much and can focus on fixing my back problem as well as strengthening the trouble spots. Win-win!

For the record, things I wasn’t able to take the day off of:

• Tidying up: these boys are like a tornado!
• Potty duty: no further explanation needed.
• Dishes: who wants to stare at dirty dishes all day on their birthday? Not me.
• The school day rush: no matter my intentions, I’m always *right on time* for school and am always feeling rushed to get there. Today was no different, unfortunately. 
• My blog: It's definitely the one thing I love to hate most in my life. I love tracking our days and journaling our life, but man, it’s such a pain! To give myself a break, I wrote early today so I’ve got the night free. Whoop whoop!

**Special note to all of you who dropped me a line, called, sent a card, gave a gift, or just thought of me today, thank you. It just warms my heart to feel surrounded with love from my family + friends. 

Also, if you have no idea what a "treat yo self" day is, watch this. You won't be disappointed.

Day 992 | Feeling the Love

We had a really lovely heart day. Way too much sugar was consumed, of course, but you've got to do that every once in awhile, right?!? 

The boys were overjoyed by all the cards + sweet gifts from the grandmas and grandpas.  And it was the first year we had an official school valentine opening session with both boys. Chase's teachers were sweet enough to put a few valentines aside for Robbe so that he wouldn't feel left out. Thank goodness for that! The boys had such fun opening and comparing treasures. 

Maybe Valentine's Day is filled with commercialism and lots of hype, but I don't care. I dig it.  

Day 991 | Valentine Prep

We're in full valentine prep mode over here. My annual sugar cookies: done. Some adorable heart-themed art: crafted. 30+ valentines signed with Chase's eight letter name: complete.   

Ready for tomorrow! 

Day 990 | Whew.

It's been a weekend around here. We've been so busy running around and socializing that I didn't take any photos. Please forgive me. 

Instead, I'll post this shot from Beaver Creek Reserve on Friday. I forgot to mention how much fun we had frolicking on the trails and snowy play areas. 

Day 989 | Ice Fishing

We headed down to the 35th annual Strum Ice Fishing Contest today. I think I've only been once before (ever!) and it was a first for all my boys.  

The little boys even got to fish in an indoor kiddie-tank. Chase caught one (with grandpa's assistance) and was subsequently terrified of the flailing creature. To be fair, I was too. Maybe we're just not the fishing/hunting type of people. I'm sure you're shocked to hear this about me. 

Day 988 | Weather Winner!

We've been waiting a long time for this announcement. Today was the first day [since we've been keeping track] that it was warmer in Eau Claire than it was in DC. 

Eau Claire, WI: 41°
Washington, DC: 38°

It's not much, but we'll take it. The boys and I have been comparing weather every morning since we subscribed to the local newspaper just after Christmas. Some days the weather in DC has been 40°+ warmer than it was here. That's a mood-crusher, for sure. Not today! We basked in the "warmth" of the 40° and enjoyed that our friends in DC had to wear winter coats today. That's not too mean, is it?

Day 987 | Masks

What do you do when your four year old requests a mask to play Incredibles and you don't have one? You make two masks out of leftover fabric, of course! 

Disaster averted! 

Day 986 | Almost Three

In case you're wondering, this is what an adorable almost-three year old looks like. 

Day 985 | Window Garden

Robbe got this sweet window garden for Christmas (thanks, Uncle Matt!) and we finally put it together today during one of our science FaceTime sessions with the gift giver. 

We're really excited to see what happens with our seeds! And we'll be sure to keep you posted on their progress. 

A couple of predictions to include:

Sign of first sprout

Matt: 7 days
Chase: 8 days
Robbe: 10 days
Sara: 14 days

First seed to sprout:

Matt: Radish
Chase: Carrot
Robbe: Carrot
Sara: Onion

Stay tuned!

Day 984 | Snowy Playground

Weather above freezing (33° counts, right?!?), means we needed to get outside and enjoy some fresh air this afternoon. Can you believe this is our first snowy playground adventure? I know! Me neither!

The outing had a rough start when both boys realized they needed to pee minutes after getting all their snow gear on (yes, I had asked them both beforehand). Urgh! Every time!

After that glitch, though, the boys had a blast and actually stayed out for over 45 minutes...and it was only that short because I was tired of standing out in the cold.

I bet they'll sleep hard tonight.

Day 983 | The Art of the Selfie

I'm really into teaching the boys important life lessons. Recently I taught Chase the tips and tricks to taking a good selfie. Check out his before and after pics above. I'm such a good mom.  

Day 982 | Candle Light Snowshoeing

It's been on my to-do list all winter: candle light snowshoeing. I can't exactly pinpoint the appeal, but it's been calling my name every time I see an event promotion for it at number of local trails. 

Tonight was our night! Aside from a lack of fresh snow, it was really lovely. Seeing the trails lit up, enjoying some lively conversation, and getting some exercise in (before we enjoyed the hot chocolate at the end of the trail)...what more could you ask for?!?

Special thanks to Skylar for watching the boys. We are appreciative beyond words. 

Day 981 | Party Store Treasures

We went to our local party store today to collect some Valentine's goodies and scope out some birthday decorations (the season is almost upon us!). I offered to let the boys each pick out one treasure. 

Robbe's choice? Truck stickers. Classic Robbe.

Chase's choice? Nine tiny treasure chests. Obviously. They sure are making him happy, though. I still don't really get it.

Day 980 | Play Hard

I wouldn't say our boys are tough on clothes. Robbe is still wearing many of the pants that  Chase wore (and that we got as hand-me-downs from a cousin).  

Enter this week. We've put holes in the knees of four (4!) different pairs of pants. What?!? I guess these boys must be doing some serious playing now.  

I think we'll be able to make it with our backstock of pants until shorts-weather arrives, but, just in case, the photo above is capturing Robbe saying, "Grandma, please?" We've got both of them on speed dial, as a back up plan.  

Day 979 | My Morning View

I opened the door to collect my morning newspaper (it's a new thing...kind of a big deal), and this scene was looking back at me. The beauty of winter stops me in my tracks again. I like it. 

Day 978 | Swimming Lessons

This big guy started his first-ever solo swimming lessons today. No hesitation and he declared it was "awesome" afterward. His favorite part was when he did the front float. I'd call that a success.  

Now if only Robbe could join him in the pool. He missed the cut off by one (1!) month! Oh well, there's always the next session. 

Day 977 | Begin Again

My back has been particularly bad lately (you didn't think I had miraculously healed, did you?). My attempt at getting to yoga more often didn't help (and my wrist wasn't really feeling that, either). My 2+ miles of walking every day hasn't helped. The boys getting bigger and not needing as much lifting (no more crib!) hasn't helped. 

Urgh. I was really hoping the yoga+walking+limited lifting would be the right equation to give me some relief. Not so much. 

Today started my new game plan: strengthening. I signed up for this Momma Strong program. It's fifteen-ish minutes a day and focuses on some of the serious problem areas for moms. I'm still not convinced I can find the extra time or reallocate my time to fit this work out in on a daily basis--crazy right, since it's only 15 minutes! I already feel like things are falling through the cracks, but it's time to start really focussing on this back problem and I'm hopeful that finding this extra 15 minutes (ok, more like 30 when you consider set-up, clothes-change, work out, + clean-up) in my day to make me feel better. The slogan for Momma Strong is "Begin Again" and that's what I'm signing up for.

My goal is that by posting it here, I'll be motivated to find the time. Seems like a good plan, right? Want to join me in this crazy experiment? It's just $2/month. I know...I can't believe it either. 

Jump over here to sign up. And then let me know you did so we can start chatting about it + motivating each other. 

Day 976 | Mini Pizzas

I delegated the task of dinner prep to my two small children recently. Well, that's how they perceived it anyway. In reality, I heavily supervised every second of the mini pizza prep (obviously), but man were they proud of themselves for "making dinner." It was adorable. 

How do you rope your kids into making such a healthy (not really) + delicious (totally!) meal? It's all super fun stuff: squishing out biscuit dough into flat circles, spreading the sauce, applying pepperoni, sprinkling the cheese. I was *almost* sad to delegate.

The boys did have a ton of fun, though, and are excited about making us dinner again soon. Yippee!

*Special note: I recommend using parchment paper to line your baking pan so you don't have to worry about all the periphery cheese that didn't quite make it onto the pizzas. 

Day 975 | A DC Love Letter

Dear DC Friends, 

I miss you. Terribly. 

You know who you are and you know how important you are to me (and not just those pictured above, for the record). I lived in a city for close to ten years with no family. That's not true. You turned into my family. When my back went out, you helped rear my children. When I was sick, you dropped off a meal. When I couldn't shoulder the weight of motherhood on my own anymore, you offered distraction + laughter. When I was deliberating the countless child-focused decisions along the way (when to wean, how to select a doctor, when to stop swaddling, which school to attend, etc), you offered an ear, guidance, and suggestions. 

Thank you. Thank you SO much. I am beyond grateful to have crossed paths with you at the park or at school drop off or at a playgroup and I'm saddened every day to not see your smiling faces anymore. I hope you know how much you meant to me at the time and now I hope you know that you are not forgotten. The opposite, actually. I find my thoughts wandering to all of you every single day. 

There are big things happening in DC right now (and not just politically). I mean, each one of you is going through a pretty substantial life event right now and I'm devastated that I can't be there to be walking side-by-side with you through these moments. I would do just about anything to spend two hours (or more...I'd take so much more!) with each of you just to let you talk and tell me what your life is like right now. So much has changed in six months. I want to help with childcare. I want to deliver a meal. I want to give hugs and offer a supportive ear. I want to be with you.

I'll be back to DC for a visit soon (I promise!), but until then, I'm here. I want to stay connected with you in a real way even though lives with little ones are crazy and it seems like we don't have time for anything. Ever. I'll make time for you. Your friendship is important to me.  

I miss you, dear friends. 

Love,
Sara

Day 974 | Eucalyptus Wreath

Check out this AMAZING eucalyptus wreath I made at a workshop last night. I'm completely *obsessed* with it. A wire circle form, a couple varieties of eucalyptus, some sprigs of lavender,  and a few billy buttons (the adorable yellow flower)...and there you go. Did I mention how the smell is to die for as well? It is. 

The workshop was held at this sweet local boutique: Red's Merchantile. I'm hoping you'll see future crafts from me coming out of the workshops here. So fun!