Day 1160 | Camping Success

After about ten loads of laundry and a good portion of the day dedicated to cleaning and putting away camping gear, we can definitively say that our first weekend camping trip with the boys was a big success. The weather cooperated, the campground was great, and the boys were troopers. I could have used *a bit* more sleep (sleeping through the bright sun + chatting birds takes some practice), but the morning sleeping bag snuggles with my favorite little ones [pretty much] made up for it. 

Maybe it won't take us four years to work up the motivation to do it again! 

Day 1159 | Camping

We might have debated about it all week, but we finally pulled the trigger and decided to go camping! We made the spontaneous decision last night and managed to snag the second-to-the-last available campsite available for the weekend at Willow River State Park in Hudson. More details to come, but the spoiler is that we're having tons of fun. 

Day 1158 | Summer Reading Program

The boys are showing off the new books they earned by completing the summer reading program at our library. They got to name their own goal this year so Robbe got to check a box every time we read four books. Chase's challenge was even more impressive. He had to read a book on his own for each box (his first attempt at reading). There were 36 boxes to check so this was no small feat. 

Unfortunately, I don't have computer access right now, or I'd include a couple of historical links to how cute the boys looked completing  summer reading programs in the past. Maybe I'll include it, just for fun, in a future post.   

Day 1157 | Well Hello, Fall

It's been rainy and cool all day. I mean, the didn't get above 60 degrees kind of cool. And it's been glorious. 

This is one of my favorite parts of Wisconsin. You can go from three weeks of sunshine + 80-90 degrees to today's cool temps in just 24 hours. It's such a lovely respite from the summer heat. No complaints from me...I'll take a rainy day any time.  

Day 1156 | Beaver Creek

Another item off the summer bucket list! We checked out the Butterfly House at Beaver Creek Reserve today. I'll be honest, it didn't really compare to the butterfly room at the National History Museum, but it was definitely still fun!  

Afterward, we hiked down to the creek that the reserve is named after. Thankfully, it was a short walk because the mosquitos were out in full force. We did manage to escape with minimal bites, though. I was surprised, too. 

2017 EC Summer Bucket List

• Discover 3 new parks - CHECK!
• Take a pony ride at a festival - CHECK!
• Weekend camping trip
• Pick strawberries - CHECK!
• Pick blueberries - CHECK!
• Attend a city or county fair - CHECK!
• Build a tree fort
• Bike a city trail - CHECK!
• Stay up past bedtime - CHECK!
• Visit an animal shelter
• Swim in three different pools - ONE DOWN
• Play mini golf
• Complete summer reading program at the library - IN PROGRESS
• Ride the mini steam train
• Eat a s'more (Chase has requested one without the marshmallow) - CHECK!
• Attend an Express game - CHECK!
• Visit the Butterfly House - CHECK!

Day 1155 | Christmas in July

I know it's August and I should have done this post yesterday (the title would have made more sense anyway) but I just couldn't contain my enthusiasm any longer. Check out all these sweet (and really thoughtful) gifts I got in July. I'm not sure how I ended up with such generous family, but I'm beyond excited and super appreciative.

Top left: My mom made this amazing cowl for me! She made it! We spotted it at a local fabric store and she recreated it with contrast stitching and all. Although there's no part of me excited for colder temperatures to creep in, at least being able to wear this new scarf will make it more bearable. 

Top right: Chris brought me back this funny + adorable sloth print from his recent trip to Asheville. I love it...and him for that matter.

Middle right: I scored this Turkish towel from Chris's brother's family that lives in...wait for it...Turkey. That's right, it's the real deal. I've heard rave reviews about these towels so I'm excited to experience their magic first hand.

Bottom left: My sweet niece hand-selected this little cat clutch for me when they were on vacation. She knows me so well! I'll think of her every time I use it. 

Bottom right: My best-gift-giver-ever sister in-law found this amazing necklace for me when on (the same) vacation and I couldn't be more excited about it. I'm not kidding that I've been needing this exact necklace for so long and just haven't had the time/energy/motivation to go out looking for it. And now I own it! I think I've worn it about three or four times a week since she gave it to me. Seriously perfect! 

Thank you again, dear family, for showering me with such generosity. I'm feeling loved, that's for sure. :)

Day 1154 | The Things Kids Do

Chase's dining room chair was in need of a modification. This specific chair grows with the kids (see how cute they were just three years ago!), because you can move the seat + leg boards down as they get bigger. I made the appropriate modifications to the chair and then Chase decided he needed to completely dismantle it during nap (because allen wrenches are just so fun). I'm not complaining. It kept him happily entertained (and using his fine motor skills) for a good chuck of the afternoon.

Don't worry...we did get it back together.

Day 1153 | Lego Exhibit

After yesterday's crazy day, I opted for low-key and quiet existence today. We did end up with a bit of a family gathering for dinner with my uncle from out of town, but I didn't snap any photos. Eek!

So, instead, enjoy this gem of the boys in front of their favorite 4-H exhibits yesterday: the Legos. If Chase wasn't excited about 4-H before, he is now. And he already knows which Lego set he'd like to bring to the fair next year (the police station). Check back next year to see if that dream comes true. 

Day 1152 | "Busy Day"

We woke up knowing today was going to be a big one. And it was.

1. It started out with a morning at the Eau Claire County Fair (with lots of 4-H exhibits, animals, games, and tootsie rolls).
2. We ate a quick lunch, then onto Madagascar: A Musical Adventure put on by the local children's theater. It was the first full-length musical for either of the boys and it was the perfect introduction for them. 
3. Back home for a bit of a break then onto Chalkfest at the local university. It remains one of my favorite events in this city. I wouldn't have minded a few more clouds as we were admiring the crazy-impressive art, but I'll take what I can get. 

All in all, a busy but wonderful day--three of my favorite activities all wrapped into 10 hours!. A big (HUGE) thank you to my parents to treating us to all the fun. 

**Special note: You'll notice the quotes around today's title. Robbe just kept repeating "busy day" over and over again all day. That's when you know there's a lot going on.

Day 1151 | Friday Funday

Last day of VBS, homemade tie-dye tees, food trucks, and snow cones. Yep, that's a good day. And that was all before nap!

Day 1150 | VBS Crafts

Man, this church doesn't mess around with their Vacation Bible School program. 300+ kids, 170+ volunteers, and a church over-flowing with energy and spirit.  

And the crafts? They're no joke either. My mom and I volunteered two days this week and the ladies running the craft tent are serious about cranking out projects. So far, they've colored footprints for a mural, painted handprints on fabric to be made into quilts for the less-fortunate, tie-dyed shirts, created + painted handprint cement stepping stones, braided (with assistance) bookmarks, made faux stained glass window hangings, painted bible-verse coasters...and they still have tomorrow! Whoa. Crafting does seem to be a universal answer for the kids' best part of their days so it's safe to assume they don't mind all the hard work. 

Don't you love where the boys placed their stepping stones? In our garden boxes, of course! Chase said it's to keep the bunnies away from our broccoli. He's a problem solver, all right.  

Day 1149 | Window Seat

Sorry for the delay on this one. We're loving our new window seat but we've just been too busy to feature it in a post. Isn't the fabric so fun? Thanks to my mom for making this magic happen. The project was both simpler and more complex than I expected. Buh-bye super outdated + stained beige fabric!

Day 1148 | Meet Swish Deedee

That's right, we're a family of five. The boys were beyond ecstatic to pick out their very own fish yesterday. We went with a baby beta fish because they're the easiest, because, well, you know how it is with little kids. Fingers crossed we picked a good one. 

The boys also created this pretty sweet house for our new family member, Swish Deedee. For the record, the name Swish was selected by Chase and Deedee was Robbe's top pick. It's just about perfect, right?

Day 1147 | VBS

Remember that day that I took a solo bike ride, enjoyed a cup of coffee, and read my book in peace while not having to feel stressed about childcare arrangements or feel guilty for having to ask someone to watch the boys? I do. It was today. And it was glorious. 

The boys started vacation bible school at our church this morning and they (and I) couldn't be more excited. It was so fun to watch Robbe settle right into the chaos (and it was chaos with 300 kids running around) even though it's his first full morning camp (and longest time away from me solo).

I'm volunteering two of the days and have appointments the other two but you better believe I'm going to soak up all the kid-free time that I can. Oh, and I'll probably miss them *at least a little*, too. 

Day 1146 | Family Fun

Just another day filled with lots of family time and plenty of sunshine. A town celebration, an afternoon of water play (more water balloons!), and an evening full of conversation and yummy food.  Everyone should sleep well tonight! 

Day 1145 | Cousins!

Look! The gang's all here. Six months later and even cuter. Hard to believe, I know. 

Day 1144 | Blueberry Overload

If we were living the lives of our favorite bear family, the title of this week would probably be called, The Berenstain Bears and Too Many Blueberries. Don't get me wrong, we love blueberries around here but it's possible we have maxed out. Two berry picking field trips, three yummy blueberry recipes (see below), and handful and handfuls of straight berries consumed. We *just might* have reached our limit. 

In case you're interested in using up some of the spare berries around your house, I highly recommend these recipes:

• Blueberry Crumb Bars

• Lemon Blueberry Bread

• French Toast with Blueberries

Day 1143 | Be Afraid

Be very afraid.  

Day 1142 | Pinball

Check out this gem of a business we have right down the street. Board games, pinball games, and vintage arcade games galore. We haven't sampled the mini corndogs yet but I see that in our future. If you're looking for unlimited arcade + pinball gaming for $15 (and free boardgames), this is your place. Yay for the District Company!

Day 1141 | Painting Bowls

A local non-profit (a food bank) does a fundraiser every year where they sell soup in bowls created by others...and you get to keep the bowls. Tonight I went with a friend to paint some bowls for next spring's event (we painted and then left the bowls with them to give away). I wouldn't say mine are going to be the most sought after, but I think someone will like them. I hope! Either way it was a fun night.