Day 1300 | 1300!

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1300 is a lot of posts. We've come a long way, haven't we? See throwback posts below if you need a refresher. 

As I do every 100 days, here's the full rundown of what's going on with our little team these days:

Sara

FAVORITES: A clean car, my old sherpa sweatshirt, warm sunshine, white fingernail polish, new socks, cheese + crackers for a meal, decluttering the house after Christmas, the Obama book by Pete Souza, watching the tranformation of my boys from babies into kind human beings (deep, I know) 
BIGGEST HURDLE TO OVERCOME: Coming to terms with the fact that winter could last another three or four months.
DREAMS FOR THE FUTURE: I already went *fairly* in depth about my dreams in this post. I'll save me the extra typing and you the extra reading.

Chris

FAVORITES: His 90s Pandora playlist, having someone else make his pb+j sandwiches in the morning (which rarely happens, unfortunately), his new xbox game on his new tv, his old sherpa sweatshirt, checking things off his 2018 to do list
BIGGEST HURDLE TO OVERCOME: Surviving the drive to work in a cold car. 
DREAMS FOR THE FUTURE: Enjoying a tropical drink on the beach in Mexico (Spring break 2018!!).

Chase

AGE: 5 3/4 years old
FAVORITES: Reading chapter books, building with legos, his new sherpa sweatshirt, pasta pillows (ravioli), his school, his friend Madeline, demonstration speeches, staying inside, momma + daddy snuggles, Imaginext toys, playing spy, amassing candy (but rarely ever eating it), the song "I am Moana", playing Sequence for Kids
BIGGEST HURDLE TO OVERCOME: Realizing that his little brother doesn't always want to do everything Chase wants to do. Surprising, right?
DREAMS FOR THE FUTURE: His joint birthday party with his brother. It’s going to be pretty awesome...hopefully. 

Miles

AGE: 3 3/4 years old
FAVORITES: Heart Bear (a new stuffed animal friend from his Sunday school teachers), his new sherpa sweatshirt, going to the library, building with legos, pasta pillows (ravioli), bubble baths, drinking tea, momma snuggles, playing spy, building forts, his sleeping friends
BIGGEST HURDLE TO OVERCOME: Waiting for the next opportunity to receive presents. The Christmas withdrawal is real.
DREAMS FOR THE FUTURE: Graduating from his speech intensive preschool (his teacher suggested it might be on the horizon!).

Looking back on 1300 posts:

Day 1298 | First Demonstration Speech

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Chase gave his first demonstration speech at a 4-H meeting tonight. I remember doing these every year as a member and was beyond excited to have him jump into his first foray into public speaking. 

The topic he selected was "My Favorite Sandwich" and he demonstrated how to make his hummus, pretzel, and cheese sandwich that he created (remember this?) and it turned out to be the perfect topic for him. He nailed it: an introduction, he didn't use any notes but he didn't forget anything, and he even made some eye contact. We couldn't be prouder of ths little guy. And his brother did a great job of showing off his visual aid (which Chase wrote all the words on but Chris illustrated).

If you're dying to watch the speech (I know there's a good chance only the grandparents will take me up on this), you can see it here (don't mind the full minute that he spends spreading the hummus in total silence...ha!):

Day 1295 | Hello, Falafel

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Eau Claire has a lot of great things going for it (remember this?), but one thing it definitely lacks is ethnic food options. Some of our favorites in DC (Thai, Mediterranean, Ethiopian, Indian), are no longer options for us. So sad, I know! 

Guess what I got for lunch today when I was in the big city (Minneapolis/St. Paul) for my MRI appointment (nothing to report on that quite yet)?!? You guessed it...falafel. And it was amazing. Driving 1+ hours for lunch every now and then seems totally reasonable, right? 

Day 1293 | Baby, It’s Cold Outside

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It has been cold. Bitterly cold for the last couple (maybe few?) weeks here in Wisconsin. And, just so you don’t think I’m a total whimp, when I say cold, I mean windchill not above zero. And most days the temperature hasn’t even been above zero. It’s crazy. I can’t remember the last time I was outside longer than the sprint from the house to the car (or vice versa).

The temps did bust into the teens today, though, so I made it a point to walk to an appointment for my back...in the snow. It was cold but totally worth it for the fresh air. I guess I’m ready to retreat indoors for the next stretch of bitterly cold.  

Day 1292 | Welcome, 2018!

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I'm not one to set New Year's resolutions, However, I do like to reflect a bit on things as the calendar year ticks over and come up with some areas of my life that could use a little extra attention (that's different than a resolution, right...right?!?). So, here goes. Hopefully 2019 Sara will look back on this list and gain a sense of accomplishment for totally rocking 2018. Optimism!

Room for Improvement List

  • Figure this back thing out. I'm over it. Like, really over it. I'm sure you are, too, as readers. This is the year I'm going to make some changes to give my body some much needed relief. What does that look like? Verdict is still out, but I'm hoping the MRI I have scheduled for next week can shine some light on my path moving forward.
     
  • Facilitate learning. I've decided to focus more time + energy on Robbe's education while I'm still home with him during the day. Chase was in school five days a week at this age and I feel like I need to be doing more to prepare Robbe for 4K come the fall. My first order of business? A letter a week! Stay tuned for the fun ideas I come up with (fingers crossed). 
     
  • Home organization. When we moved in (a year a half ago), we realized pretty early in our unpacking process that we had a surplus of closets and storage areas in our new house (don't hate me!). Because of this, when we unpacked we weren't particularly organized when finding homes for some of that random stuff around the house. Now it's starting to annoy me. By the year's end, I will have organized closets. I will! 
     
  • Savoring the little moments. By "little moments" I don't mean those fleeting times when you're too focused on what's behind you or what's ahead of you (although that's good, too). I mean the moments when our boys are little. Everyone with older kids constantly reminds you how fast the years go by. It actually really annoyed me as a mom when my kids were under two. I was just trying to survive the days so, no, I was not interested in "holding onto those moments". Now, as I look at my 3.5 + 5.5 year olds, I get it. The constant snuggles + smooches, the requests to play, the joyous homecomings (even when I'm gone for less than a half hour), the bedtime routine (which still isn't my favorite part of the day), the books (and books and books) we read, the pure elation when they collect any little prize (perfect timing to be living closer to the grandparents), etc. You get the picture. I can finally say I will be the mom of teenagers looking back at this time fondly. I'm glad we've finally arrived.

There you go. Not resolutions, but some reflection geared toward self-improvement--even if they are the same thing. 

Happy 2018!

Day 1291 | 2017 in Photos

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Well, another year comes to an end. 2017 was good to us, but I'm ready for 2018 and all that comes with it. To continue with tradition, take a look at my favorite photos from the blog this past year (click to enlarge the photos). 

To continue the journey down memory lane...

Day 1288 | A Merry Christmas Break

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Now that the hustle + bustle of Christmas is through, I'm going to take some time to relax + recover from it all. I'll be back soon (probably before the week is out), but in the mean time enjoy the newest podcast (below). Spoiler: it's a good one.

Celebrating #MomFails

We've all had those moments in parenting that are too funny or too gross or too ridiculous not to share. In this episode, we read all the #MomFails that we've been collecting since the beginning of the season and shed some light on the less-glamourous side of parenting.

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Day 1285 | Traditions

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Growing up, we went bowling with family every year on Christmas Eve day. Looking back, it was one of my favorite memories from our time visiting Grandma and Grandpa. I never did well (I’m sure you’re surprised) but it was about the perfect way to spend quality time before the big night ahead. 

To continue the tradition, Chris and I took the boys bowling for the first time today (even though it was a day early). It would have been more fun with the aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents in tow, but we had a good time nonetheless. And I even won. I know...I’m in shock, too. 

Here’s to continuing traditions! 

Day 1283 | Cookie Decorating

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The boys were pretty busy with their train setup downstairs so they couldn’t help with much cookie decorating. I think they each did two. Does it make me a terrible mom that I was completely fine with their lack of interest and genuinely enjoyed frosting in peace and quiet. Sorry not sorry. :)

Although we won’t win any prizes for appearance, the cookies turned out super delicious. At last, we’re ready for Santa.