Four years of first day of school pics and this little just keeps getting cuter...and more easily photographed, for that matter.
Chase had no hesitation at drop off today and was all smiles at pick up raving about his day. I'd say it was a huge success. He did admit to not talking to anyone all afternoon (which, if you know him, seems utterly impossible), but said that by the time he goes full day (on Monday), he'll probably be ready to talk.
Look at my two big guys starting school this year! Today was school orientation day and we took both boys to meet their new teachers and see their schools (again). Both boys seem genuinely excited to be starting this next chapter. Tomorrow is Chase's first official day (but full days don't start until next week for him) and Robbe will be going two days a week, starting Monday, to a speech intensive preschool (remember this post?). Let's hope today's enthusiasm continues through to their first days!
**Special thanks to Nick for hanging out with each of the boys individually so we could take each one separately to their orientations. We really appreciate it.
It was another lovely work-free day around here which included not taking any photos. Eek! Â
Instead, I'll share another one from our time with family over the weekend. This photo is of a four person air hockey game that shot out a ton of pucks. It was pretty intense. And pretty awesome. Â
Today was a really good day. It started out with breakfast with family, then we took advantage of the beautiful weather by checking "play mini golf" off the bucket list (see more details below) and pool-sitting for a neighbor that was out of town. Round out the evening with some yummy sushi and some Netflix binge-watching and that's a good day.
In case you're thinking it can't get much better than that, though, it does! I had the best game of mini golf ever. I even beat Chris (mostly because of my two hole-in-ones). Don't be mistaken by the tallied scores, Chase and I did not tie. Chris was just trying to be nice by evening out the scores. Also, if you're worried we were playing all day because of Robbe's "94" and "84" scores, we subscribed to the honesty-scoring system with the boys. We let them power ahead on the course and they just reported their scores back to us. Chris and I did not subscribe to the same scoring method. You can't trust that guy. I won fair and square.
Because of that game of mini golf, I'm happy to report that we managed to cross everything off our bucket list but one item: "build a tree fort". We've decided, after careful consideration, that we're going to wait and do some more brainstorming on the perfect plan for our fort. Next summer, though, next summer.
Time to make the fall bucket list, I guess!
Sometimes all you need is to laugh so hard your cheeks hurt and tears run down your face. Seriously, is there anything better? Thanks, Mike and Andi for all the hearty belly laughs. We can always count on you.
*Side note: we also spent an exhausting morning at the Action City trampoline park (see above). It was pretty fantastic.
Some of our favorite house guests came to visit! And guess what?!? We got a babysitter (thanks, Erica!) and had some quality no-kid time. It was glorious.
It's been on our list for a year and today it finally happened: the dead tree at the end of our driveway is no more.
Thankfully, the crew came early enough for us to enjoy most of the show. The boys [and I] watched for a shocking amount of time. It's such an interesting process, though! The bucket truck, the chainsaws, the chipper, the moment the tree trunk topples. Such intrigue!
Another day, another fun [and new!] playground to explore. Hard to believe all these summer play dates will be coming to an end for Chase with school starting. Luckily the little one will continue to keep me busy, so you don't have to worry.
The family that built our house back in the 60s dropped off this incredibly sweet and detailed book of our house's history over the weekend. There are some images of the original mansion that occupied our lot before it was tore down. There are some images of our house during construction (see above). And there are lots and lots of memories shared in these pages.
We are beyond grateful to the original family of our house for putting the time and energy into creating this treasured book. Thank you. Â
Check out this front page article in our local paper! I have such fond memories of visiting the Telemark Resort while growing up, it makes me smile just thinking someone might bring it back to life. Here's hoping!
The sun came out for a brief period this morning and we took full advantage by brining Chase and Chris to Big Falls County Park to show off the amazing views (Robbe and I went earlier this summer). Because of the cooler temps, we were just about the only people there and it didn't take the boys long to find the sandy beach and strip down to their undies for some water play time.
Another cool, rainy day kept us cooped up most of the day. But no one was complaining. The last couple of weeks have been surprisingly busy so a lazy day stuck inside with nowhere to go was pretty much perfect. We did some science experiments, sorted through some of the photos Chase has been taking, squeezed in some housework, watched a movie, and just hung out. It was lovely.
You might think a summer fire would be a bonfire outside, but we were so chilly and damp after our morning outing to the little zoo near us that a fire was the only way to warm up this afternoon. 60 degrees and rain will do that to you. Â
It's not a big deal. It's a HUGE deal. Chase can tie his own shoes!! We've been working on it here and there since we bought his new school shoes a few weeks ago and then yesterday he just did it. I was upstairs after telling him to get his shoes on and when I returned downstairs he managed to tie both of his shoes. Solo. He's such a big guy now.
My year of spontaneous coffee dates with my two favorite dudes is coming to an end as Chase starts kindergarten in just a week and a half. Sniffle sniffle.
Every time I look at this photo I smile. It's my new favorite. There's a good chance it'll even end up in a frame on a wall [someday]. I can't handle it. The fun + colorful art?!? The perfect poses with the matching pants?!? Not to mention a real smile from my three year old?!? Crazy!Â
We got our solar eclipse on today. Thanks to the Eau Claire Children's Museum for hosting a hopping block party and my friend's sweet hook up for the nearly-impossible-to-procure glasses. I wouldn't say the boys were as enthusiastic as they should have been but they did seem to enjoy it. When I told Chase he couldn't keep the glasses, his response was, "then what's the point of this anyway?" I think our space-lover and self-proclaimed budding-astronaut *kind of* missed the significance of today.
We had a busy but super fun weekend. We walked or biked almost everywhere we went. I love that. You'll be glad to hear we checked another item off our bucket list: a steam train ride at Carson Park. I don't know why it took us so long to get there. The boys loved it. We're getting so close to finishing our bucket list...and good thing since Chase starts school in two weeks.
Then, after nap, Robbe had a big (HUGE) milestone. He got to go to his first movie! Cars 3 finally came to our downtown theater so we immediately made plans. Robbe had no problem staying interested and even managed to finish his whole bag of popcorn by himself. He was so proud.
Between the framers market and our garden, I had one amazing lunch. There's not much I enjoy eating more than a fresh + flavorful caprese salad. Yum. Â
Grandma Mary was sweet enough to take the grandkids shopping today. Don't worry, they were sufficiently spoiled and a fun time was had by all. Thanks, mom!Â
small city | BIG DAYS
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