Day 1010 | Buy This Book

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We went to a book signing celebration last night (during the craziest thunderstorm ever, by the way) for my favorite author and a really good guy. Here's an article from our local paper that does a much better job setting the scene for the book than I ever could.

If you're in need of a new book or like to have a back up handy, here's the link:

The Hearts of Men: A Novel by Nickolas Butler

I can't vouch for it myself quite yet (it just came out today!), but I'm fairly certain we won't be disappointed.

Day 1009 | Managing My Back Pain

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I think I can finally say my back pain is getting better. For good this time. I can feel it. This Momma Strong program is working wonders for me and I highly *highly* recommend it for any moms with aches and pains related to childbearing and child rearing. 

What's the big deal, you might ask? The trainer who runs this amazing program, Candace, really knows her stuff and does a good job of re-training moms to do exercises in a new way to target the areas that plague most of us. And it's not just the exercises that are helping to control my pain...she has these bits of wisdom that she just casually throws out there and they totally rock my world. For example, let me share a few of her pearls:

Momma strong pearls of wisdom

  1. Walking + standing with parallel feet. I had no idea I was standing and walking with my toes pointed out until Candace called me out on it (via the internet). I guess if you walk/stand like that, it means your hip flexors are doing most of the work (because that stance is more comfortable for them). You don’t want them to be taking over so forcing a more parallel stance will retrain the muscles and force your core and glutes to do the work they're supposed to be doing.
  2. Tilting the pelvis. In another stroke of wisdom, Candace suggested that standing (or walking, exercising, holding babies, etc) with your pelvis tilted back is causing a lot of back pain (and other complications in moms). Why would we tilt our pelvises, you might ask? If you’ve ever taught yourself to stand with a “better” posture to flatten your stomach, you’re probably doing this. I have! The natural curve of the spine forces you to pooch your belly out more than any of us probably want it to, so we try to retrain our pelvis to correct it. When I stated making the pelvis shift (to its natural position), I noticed improvement right away. Whoa!
  3. Rolling on a lacrosse ball. I’ve realized through my weeks of Momma Strong that the bulk of my back problems stems from my troublesome hip flexors, or iliopsoas muscles (mentioned above). Rolling on a lacrosse ball for about 45-60 seconds a day per side makes a world of difference in loosening up this overly-ambitious muscle group. I tried to find a video to share with you, but no luck. The basics, though, are to lay on your side and place a lacrosse ball (or tennis ball) on one side of your hip bone. Roll the ball about two inches below the hip bone and then lay down onto your stomach. Roll the ball back and forth in very small movements. If you feel some pretty intense sensation, you've hit the right spot. Do this for 45-60 seconds and then switch to the other side. I'm telling you...game changer.

Maybe this type of magic will only work for me, but it's worth sharing *just in case* it can help one of my mom friends who might be struggling with the same (or similar) aches and pains. 

Day 1008 | A Berenstain Bear Party

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Here's a longer snapshot of what our Bear Country birthday party looked like. Everyone had a bear-y good time. Get it? Ha!

A few of the details on the party:

  • Our menu was based on the book Too Much Junk Food and consisted of choco chums (chocolate Teddy Grahams), sugar balls (donut holes), carrot sticks, apple rings, and trail mix. We also had honey sticks...we needed to have honey, right?!?
  • The "sewing" project below was based off of this idea. We did the shape of a sun instead of a heart and it was a hit (at least from what I could tell flitting around the party).
  • The "horticulture" project was based off of this seed planting. We've had two cloudy days since the party so no growth is visible...yet. Fingers crossed!
  • The "woodworking" project was to make these cute airplanes out of a clothespin. I simplified the design so the kiddos could make them. I just used one clothespin, two ice cream spoons (for wings), and one small popsicle stick (for the tail feather). And we used Zots to adhere the pieces instead of hot glue.
  • Then we set up a play station for Brother Bear and coloring for Sister Bear.

As you can probably tell, I like the idea of having things for the kiddos to do at parties other than just play. I think this number of quick projects was perfect for the age range of the kiddos (mostly 2-6) and they still had plenty of time to play (and eat!).

Click on the photos below to enlarge. 

Day 1006 | Wall Art

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We need to host more parties. Man, it's just such a good motivator to finally get to some of the things on our to do list around the house. We've even hung up pictures + art on a few of the walls. Woohoo! 

This little collage in our dining room just makes me so happy. I feel like it tells so much of our family story...in just a few images. It's lovely what a little visual comfort can do to boost your spirits and make it feel more like home. 

Day 1005 | He's Three!

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Check out this big three year old. Yeah, that's him posing next to all those photos of himself wearing rain boots. What's the big deal?

We spent the day doing Robbe's favorite things: breakfast with family, library time, lunch with daddy, a long nap, a "choo-choo" movie, breakfast for dinner (french toast), popsicles for dessert (his special treat of choice), a special world-premiere stop-action short-film (painstakingly made by his dad), and presents. That last one *might have* been his true favorite. 

In keeping with blog tradition...

Top 10 things you may [or may not] know about my favorite three year old:

  1. He’s a problem solver. This kid. You never know what he’s going to do next to get what he needs. Good thing he’s real trustworthy as well, otherwise, we’d be in serious trouble! [ Exhibit A: Mr. Independent, Exhibit B: Independence , Exhibit C: Bug Barricade ]
  2. He’s got mad dancing skills. He must have gotten them from his dad.
  3. This kid loves monkeys. Talking like them, acting like them, constantly thinking about them, etc. You might say he’s bananas for monkeys. Hahaha!
  4. He’s a puzzle master. In the last few months, Robbe’s puzzle interest went from 0 to 60. And his mastery of them has been just as impressive. “Me do” is his response whenever you try to help him too much.
  5. He’s empathetic. If Chris and I have done nothing else as parents, I’m happy to report that we’ve raised two very empathetic and caring little guys. Robbie’s empathy (especially towards his brother) is heartwarming and very special to watch.
  6. He’s a tough guy. This kid bumps and falls more than I could have ever imagined. Aside from a few passing tears occasionally, he bounces back super fast and it doesn’t get him down. 
  7. He’s got a crazy long attention span. He can focus on certain tasks, projects, and pretend play longer than I would expect from a fresh three year old. The best evidence? The fact that he can sit through two (2!) Berenstain Bear books in a row (and probably more but we never test that). In case you’re unfamiliar, these books are about 7 minutes long each. 
  8. He loves, loves, loves his big brother. And the feeling is mutual. Robbe’s best friend is Chase and he’s the happiest version of himself when Chase is around. It makes me happier than I’m able to express in words.
  9. This kid has will power…really impressive will power. He stopped sucking his thumb cold-turkey (during the day, that is…night time has been a bit tougher) and now he potty trained himself throughout the day, nap time, and bedtime. These two accomplishments are maybe the most impressive actions I’ve witnessed out of my kiddos.
  10. That smile. 

I have a feeling this next year is going to be a really good one for our sweet babe. He's got the spunk + charisma that are going to lead to great things for this little guy. Chris and I are beyond lucky to have front row seats to the Robbe show.

Day 1000 | 1000!

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Quadruple digits. That's no joke. I'm not sure what I expected when I started this blog nearly three years ago, but 1000 days later I'm both exhausted by the time + energy I've spent on it and in love with the fact that we have this amazing record of such a special and important time in the lives of our young family. Looking back at the BIG DAYS we shared with my little guys brings a new level of appreciation and joy to a time that is often filled with more challenges than rewards. Thanks for coming along on this journey. I'm glad you've been joining us.

With no further ado...a little update on our team:

Sara:

FAVORITES: listening to Hamilton, planning birthday party crafts, eating dried mango, seeing + feeling the signs of spring (it was so sweet while it lasted), coffee (although I’m trying to cut back…you shouldn’t love something that much), eavesdropping on the boys’ conversations, not having to change diapers anymore, being greeted by the boys hand-in-hand to welcome me in the morning
BIGGEST HURDLE TO OVERCOME: conquering my back pain [finally]. I’m hopeful that my strengthening (mommastrong.com) + alignment attention (chiro + massage) will finally give me some relief. I've made some impressive progress but I've still got a ways to go. Fingers crossed!
DREAMS FOR THE FUTURE: Finally sorting out the school situation for both my boys. Chase is all set for next year (Woohoo! Finally!), now we just have to find the perfect home for sweet Robbe. Getting close!

Chris

FAVORITES: his new sherpa sweatshirt, honing his stop-action animation skills for Robbe’s birthday video, developing the perfect cocktail, playing super heroes with the boys, trips to Chicago,  weekend morning snuggles with his three favorite people (even if they don't last as long as he'd like)
BIGGEST HURDLE TO OVERCOME: having to be cooped up in the office all day (now that we've had a glimpse of spring) while the boys and I are off frolicking in the sunshine. 
DREAMS FOR THE FUTURE: designing + building the perfect backyard structure for the boys. Stay tuned. There will be photos.

Chase

AGE: 4 years, 11 months
FAVORITES: riding his scooter again, wedgits, anything super hero-related, swim lessons, Berenstain Bear books, playing the role of big brother, blueberry tea, reading about the day’s weather (in the newspaper), talking about ducks, assembling lego cars + houses (with the little legos!)
BIGGEST HURDLE TO OVERCOME: dealing with adversity. A lot of things come easy to this smart kiddo so when he’s faced with a challenge, sometimes he doesn’t have the patience + motivation to work through things on his own (at least with his mom and dad…seems like school might see a different side of him). This is a tough life-lesson, for sure!
DREAMS FOR THE FUTURE: reading. He’s been sounding out words more and more these days. It’s a fine line between pushing him too hard and standing back and letting him take the lead. It’s exciting to watch, though!

Robbe

AGE: 5 days shy of 3 years
FAVORITES: Berenstain Bear books (we are very familiar with the Bear Family these days), asking if it’s his birthday yet, book orders, firetrucks, wearing blue clothes, playing baby batman, sleeping without a diaper on (for nap AND bedtime!), Sunday comics, waking up in the same room as Chase, talking about monkeys, singing, snacks, being outside
BIGGEST HURDLE TO OVERCOME: getting his point across. His thoughts are so complex these days that his sweet [and still limited] three-year-old vocabulary can’t keep up. 
DREAMS FOR THE FUTURE: starting school. There’s been a lot of talk about school around here lately and Robbe has caught the bug. Just *a bit* longer, little guy!

And here's the rundown of how far we've come:

Day 997 | Bug Barricade

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Let me set the scene for you: 

I was in the kitchen cleaning out the refrigerator (which doesn't happen nearly as often as it should, by the way), when Robbe calls out to me "BEE!" "BEE!" (his general term for any bug) from the entry way. I ask him if it's alive or dead. He replies "dead" and I tell him I'll be there to take care of it when I get done putting the food back.

Approximately three minutes later, I arrive in the entry way to find that Robbe set up a bug barricade with cones to protect himself from the dead "bee". I've never been prouder of anything...until I realize that the dead "bee" is actually a piece of dried grass (or dirt) on the floor. You can see it in the bottom-right corner of the photo.

Hahahaha!

 

 

Day 995 | A Glorious Weekend

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I'm sure it's not a surprise (at least it shouldn't be) to hear that our weekend sans kids in Chicago was absolutely the best. Seriously, the best.  A HUGE thanks to my mom and dad for taking such good care of our boys while we were away. It was much easier to enjoy the weekend knowing they were in your loving care.

Just a few of the highlights (in no particular order):

  • The weather! I mean, what are the chances we hit 60•+ weather in Chicago in February? We spent every available second walking around and soaking in the sunshine. A bit of a tease since we know we've still got winter left ahead of us, but we'll be thankful while it lasts.
  • The food! We had Indian, sushi, plus my favorite new eggs benedict variation with tomatoes, balsalmic glaze, + goat cheese (pictured here from my last trip to Chicago).
  • The views! I love walking around cities and being in awe of the energy. Chicago is no exception. We even had a super special view of the cityscape from the Signature Room in the Hancock Building where we managed a romantic table for two right in front of the window.
  • The company! Part of the decision to head to Chicago was to reconnect with one of Chris's college roommates. It's been years (eek!) since we've seen them and yet the conversation flowed like no time had passed. Hopefully we don't let 3+ years pass again.
  • The shopping! Being the bargain shoppers we are, the Magnificent Mile wasn't really our idea of prime shopping. However, the decision to drive (instead of fly) made a stop at the outlet mall on the drive home a reality and we definitely scored some great deals. You probably won't recognize us the next time you see us. 
  • The lack of a schedule! Our nap/eating/bedtime schedule is one of the reasons I've managed to stay sane as a stay at home mom. It also drives me crazy. It was beyond lovely to take a break from the monotony of our daily routine for two days. 
  • Time with the husband! Chris and I are thankful every day to call each other best friends. When things get busy+hard+crazy+exhausting with the boys, sometimes you forget just how amazing the person who you spend every day with really is. I mean, I never forgot that, but this trip was a nice reminder that we do have more in common than the kids, the household tasks, food, and friends. We laughed. A lot. And some of the predicaments from the weekend will live on as inside jokes for years. The testament to a good trip!

That's it. Chicago in a nutshell...oh, except for one little thing:

Hamilton!!!

The best musical I've ever seen. No question. And I've got quite a few under my belt (mostly thanks to my mom). I almost feel like this theatrical experience has been what my love of musicals has been prepping me for my whole life. The seats were amazing. The songs were crazy impressive. The emotion portrayed by everyone in the cast was infectious. Almost indescribable. 

Thanks, Chris, for making all my musical dreams come true. I'll be happy if I never see another broadway show. But, hopefully that's not the case...especially because Hamilton will be in Minneapolis in 2018/2019. Ha!

No idea what I'm talking about? Here's a brief video from CBS Sunday Morning that gives a pretty good introduction to the phenomenon that is Hamilton. [Remember when I started linking videos all the time?!?]

Day 994 | Birthdays: Back to Back

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That's right, after my wonderful day yesterday, we're celebrating Chris today!  I need to get this posted before he notices, so it's going to be short. 

We're the luckiest family in the world to get to spend every day with this guy. He's the best. I know you all agree. 

Best of husbands, best of men.  

Happiest of days, Swan. We love you. 

 **Special note: I'm taking the weekend off of blogging. Chris and I are escaping on a magical, Hamilton-filled trip to Chicago (without the boys!!). I'm just *a bit* excited. And, although, I would love to share all of our adventures with you in real time, I'm opting to be completely present instead. I'm sure you understand. Check back on Monday for the full report!