Robbe and I had our first science class at the Lily Pad Lab today. I think Robbe said it all when he declared, "That's a lot more fun than I was expecting!" **And we were expecting it to be fun.** Can't wait to see what's in store for the next four weeks of frozen science-y entertainment.
Today we talked about love and kindness. Luckily, we stumbled upon these books over the weekend that helped guide the lesson. I highly recommend this series. They do a good job of introducing topics in an appropriate way to little ones while planting the seed for big picture values.
Proof that chapter books are Chase’s new favorite. This week we’ve read one from library, the Boxcar Children, and Chris and Chase finished The Phantom Tollbooth. It’s been a big week.
Robbe and I made these monsters today for “m” week. It was pretty awesome.
Oh, and he was his normal self today so all is well in our world. Thanks for the happy thoughts!
What’s the only thing that can ruin a perfectly low-key and dreamy snow day? A sick kiddo, obviously. Robbe woke up fine...a bit grumpy, but fine. By lunch he didn’t want to eat (not like him at all), by naptime he had a smidge of a fever, and by the time he woke up from nap the fever spiked to 103+ and he was just miserable.
Luckily, a dose of medicine, some oj, and a movie were just what the doctor ordered. When dinner rolled around, he was practically himself again and ate a full meal. It’s pretty incredible, actually. Here’s hoping for a good sleep tonight and no new symptoms in the morning. I’ll take all the happy thoughts you can send our way.
As a special treat, my favorite quote of the day:
Chase: I like everyone. Even bad guys.
Robbe: I like bears.
Guess what? I’m actually doing this whole letter of the week thing! Week One: The Letter M is going pretty well, I’d say. I'm trying to not push anything on Robbe too much. I'm just making some new materials available to him and letting him explore (and throwing in discussions about M wherever possible). He seems to be digging it and M was a good starting point so that he can practice his name a bit more, too. and it's made a difference already!
I will admit that I took the easy way out with my "curriculum" for my weekly letter focus. Instead of scouring the internet for hours (+ hours) coming up with activities for us to do together (there's just so much out there, you know?), I purchased a Letter of the Week package from this blog. This might be the best $24 I've spent in a long time. Everything is here for me...books to read, activities to do, little books to print, handouts to use, seriously everything. The marshmallow structures above were one of the M ideas for this week and Robbe loved it. He also loved eating the marshmallows...a little too much, actually (hello, sugar rush).
Yay for learning!
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:
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.
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!!).
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.
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:
What happens when the temperature rises above 30 degrees for the first time in weeks (and weeks)? Dig out the scooters, of course. At least we’re consistent.
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!):
Before the boys got home from their sleepover (thanks again, Mom and Dad!!), this was the scene at our house. Coffee, reading, a toasty fireplace, and some much appreciated sunshine. It lasted about 45 minutes and it was about the best thing ever.
What do you do when the thermometer reads -10 [again]? Head to the indoor gym, of course. A few of the other parents in the city had the same idea but the large group didn’t dampen the fun. Some day we’ll get a break from this unending cold spell. Some day.
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?
The other night the boys called us into the bathroom because “they were doing something really cute” and were requesting a photo (which never happens). For good reason, we were concerned. As we made our way to the bathroom it became clear that they were sharing a seat on a stool. That was the really cute thing. We obviously obliged and snapped this photo.
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.
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!
There you go. Not resolutions, but some reflection geared toward self-improvement--even if they are the same thing.
Happy 2018!
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).
This *practically* teenager and I snuck out this morning for an aunt + neice date as part of her Christmas present. Coffee/hot cocoa + manicure + delightful conversation = one of my favorite mornings.
We wrapped up our final round of family Christmases today and I have to say we went out with a bang. A full turkey dinner (think Thanksgiving), loads of presents, quality family game time, lots of laughter, and happy kids. It was the perfect send off to Christmas season 2017. Thanks again to our amazing family. We’re feeling very loved.
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.
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.
To friends + family we celebrated with this season and to all of you we didn’t, thank you for being in our lives.
Merry Christmas.
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