Day 1352 | Lego Assembly

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I really like Legos. Sometimes I secretly wish that the boys would tire of putting their sets together so I can step in and save the day. 

One thing I don’t like about Lego assembly? Trying to put a set together after its pieces have been mixed in with all the other assorted pieces in our bin. Having to find one million specific Legos, one by one, in a bin of similarly-sized, but incredibly-different blocks, is arguably the worst task in the history of the world. 

At least I got to sit in sunshine as I searched and searched. That’s something. Oh, and it seems as though the task will continue tomorrow because the set isn’t complete. Oh joy!

Day 1350 | Photography Festival

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Chase participated in his first photography festival today through 4-H. The photograph was entitled: Snow Tree.

He waited patiently (more patiently than one of his parents [me], that's for sure). He interacted with the judge better than I would have expected. And he seemed to really enjoy the experience.

Even better, the Festival was a part of a bigger Drama Festival, too, and we stayed to watch some of the 4-H club plays. We thought we'd stay for one or maybe two plays, but the boys were so interested and enthralled that we watched five. Apparently stories in 10 minute increments starring kids is the equation to keeping their interest. Who would have guessed?

Day 1347 | Turning a Corner

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Chase had his first fever-free day since Friday. Whew. It’s been a long five days. I’m running low on sympathy and patience but I’m aware of that...so maybe that makes it ok?!?

I tried to make the most of another sick day. I got quality solo time with Chase (which rarely happens). I got him his first coffee shop hot cocoa (very exciting) and read the Boxcar Children for over an hour straight.

I tried to remind myself of how lucky I am to be able to be the one to care for my sick child and not have to worry about balancing a full time job in addition to being a caregiver. That’s a pretty amazing luxury.  

And we made it. Chase heads back to school tomorrow. Robbe and I will resume our normal existence. This mildly-incovenient sickness will fade into a distant memory and all will be well with the world. Even typing this, I realize how lucky we are. 

Day 1346 | Winter Continues

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Mother Nature decided we needed *a bit* more snow last night. I wouldn't say that I was hoping we were done with the season (I'm not that delusional), but I will say that the sight of the fluffy white stuff is losing some of its pure joy. The 4-5 inches combined with another sick day for our big guy and I'm feeling a little gloomy. 

Instead of playing the victim and dwelling on a less-than-ideal situation, I've decided to look on the bright side. Winter is actually pretty great. It's hard to remember that in the [way too long] spells of bitter cold...or during the last few weeks before Spring finally breaks through, but it is. And so, in case you need a pick-me-up to round out your day (like I did)...

Top Ten Reasons Winter is Pretty Great

  1. The excuse to lay low. When it's crazy cold outside, there's nothing better than snuggling in (preferably by the fire) with a warm beverage and some loved ones. 
  2. Wearing scarves. I really like scarves--especially the infinity variety. My life wouldn't be nearly as happy without a season where I can wear them.
  3. The sound of crunching snow. I've realized this year that this is one of my favorite sounds. Either under foot or under the tires of the van, there's really no other sound quite like it. 
  4. Eating soup. I know some folks eat soup all year, and we do every now and then, I guess, but there's nothing as delicious as a warm bowl of soup, preferably with a toasted slice of yummy bread next to it, on a cold winter night. It really warms the soul.
  5. Our river view. We're one house removed from riverfront property. In the winter, surrounded by naked trees, we actually get a pretty decent view. I never really thought I'd like to live on the water, but catching the glimpse of sun shining off the river does brighten my days.
  6. Pants. I am not a shorts person. I will wear skirts and dresses when it's hot outside, but my preference is to wear pants as many days out of the year as possible. I can't exactly pinpoint why, but part of it is that I don't have to shave my legs as often (I have to do it daily in the summer!). That's a lovely break during the winter months.
  7. Red wine. I'm more of a white wine girl...or maybe a Moscow Mule variation during the warmer months, but in the winter, there's nothing yummier than red wine. I remember more *mature* people telling me they had this preference when I was in college and it didn't make any sense to me. I'm not sure I qualify as any more mature than I did back then, but I totally get the red wine thing now.
  8. Christmas. I realize that this doesn't really help now (since it's long gone), but Christmas is my favorite part of winter. And, I do recognize that Christmas exists regardless of the weather, but having spent at least one Christmas where there wasn't snow, it's just not the same. To me, Christmas needs to be cold and white.
  9. The glistening snow. In the early morning sun, on very specific days, the snow almost looks like it's covered in glitter. It's pretty incredible.
  10. The appreciation of warmer weather. Again, maybe this is a cop-out, but dealing with the bitter cold for months on end makes the interspersed days of sunshine + warmer temps (not to mention spring at some point...) so so much more appreciated. Those first days of 40s and then 50s after a long winter...there's just nothing that makes me happier.

There you go. See? We can all make it through this. Right? Right?!?

Day 1345 | Budding Photographer

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Chase has had a camera since we moved to Wisconsin (we found an old one when we were packing that miraculously started working again) and his photographs are actually really impressive. We decided that we better start Robbe on his photographic journey young as well.

For his birthday, we gave him a *new-to-him* point and shoot camera (donated by my mom...thanks, mom!) and he's been snapping photos constantly ever since. He's up to 430 images since we gave him the camera on Friday night. Ha! 

The shots above are his. He's been honing his selfie skills and has been capturing some good moments around the house, too (since we haven't really left due to Chase's fever). Now if only I had the time + energy to download and organize all these photos that they're taking. That's a problem for future Sara to worry about.

Day 1344 | Another Round

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Chase is still sick. A full three days of a high fever is not anyone’s idea of fun. Luckily, ibuprofen and tylenol have been kind to him so he’s been getting some breaks from feeling terrible.  

I realized this weekend that the boys have been sick or on some sort of antibiotic since mid-January. Seriously. I thought we were on a pretty good trajectory this winter but not anymore. We’re ready for a break. Here’s hoping there’s one on the horizon.  

Day 1343 | Our [Four Year Old] Birthday Boy

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Today was a different birthday celebration for our little guy than we expected. We did manage to get to Strum for our annual (it's annual now!) birthday breakfast, but our plans to go to the Children's Museum and to attend a Winter Festival at Chase's school got side-tracked because Chase came home from school with a fever. Ugh.

Luckily, Robbe was happy to play with his new toys (SO. MANY. NEW. TOYS.) and lay low watching a movie (what's there to be sad about?). And, we got to have a birthday dinner with both sets of grandparents (for the first time ever). So, even though it wasn't the day that was planned, it was still Robbe's "best day ever" according to him. We'll call it a success. 

In birthday tradition (2016 + 2017)...

TOP 10 THINGS YOU MAY [OR MAY NOT] KNOW ABOUT MY FAVORITE FOUR YEAR OLD:

  1. He loves Heart Bear. Robbe got a random stuffed bear from his Sunday School teachers for Christmas and he's borderline obsessed with it. He's never been attached to any stuffed animal so this is weird. But also adorable.
  2. He's into drinking tea. Robbe's favorite "special treat" its a good cup of tea. I think it's amazing.
  3. Playmobil and Legos are his current favorite. This is definitely the way to his heart. 
  4. He's a puzzle master. I don't think you could find a better puzzler out there in his age group. He doesn't have any specific strategy (from what I can tell), but man, does he knock it out. 
  5. Photo albums make him happy. I'm old school and still print out hard copy photos and put them in albums that live on a bookshelf in our living room. Robbe loves pulling them down and flipping through the memories. It's really lovely.
  6. He's still feisty about bedtime. It's not nearly as bad as he used to be. I'd say we're 95% back to a peaceful routine, but he still gets *a bit* grumpy and whiney when it's time to turn out the lights. Not great, but knowing where we've come from...I'll take it.
  7. He loves to ham it up. This guy is hysterical. He's got a lot to say and most of the time it's super funny. 
  8. He could live on french toast and pasta pillows (ravioli). Robbe eats just about everything but he definitely prefers these two entrees. 
  9. The scooter is still his favorite mode of transportation. Some things will never change. It's reassuring, really.
  10. Perseverance is his middle name. This year has been a big (HUGE) year for our little man. He quit sucking his thumb at night cold turkey...perseverance. His determination and drive toward verbal communication has been nothing but inspiring...perseverance.

Three year old Robbe was the best. The truest version of him really came out. Before this year, he couldn't express himself. That makes life really hard. This year that changed. Now his thoughts can be verbalized. His jokes can be made. His stories can be told. What a transformation.

I can't wait to see what four year old Robbe has in store for us.

Day 1341 | Let the Festivities Begin

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This little guy got to start the birthday celebrations early: his first school birthday treat! He picked strawberry aliens to continue his brother’s tradition. Luckily, I only had to make 15 this time.

Can you tell he’s *a little* excited? 

**Photo credit to his amazing teacher, Ms. Megan. She even captured a natural smile. That's hard to do with this one (as I'm sure you've noticed). Thanks!

Day 1339 | Snow Shoeing

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The trend continues: playing outside two days in a row! Yeah, we’re pretty excited, too. 

Today, the boys tried out snowshoeing for the first time. Beaver Creek Reserve lets folks rent winter atheletic gear so it was a low cost way to let the kids try something new. I wouldn’t say they loved it but they definitely enjoyed it more than I would have expected (especially Chase). I’m glad we weren’t attempting to do a full hike. The couple of short laps they did were more than enough to make the introduction.  

Day 1337 | Taking in Some Culture

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Check out this sweet art exhibit. Interesting + interactive...perfect! The best part? It was right down the street from our house. Even on a cold + sleeting night, we still managed to walk/scoot there. That's how close it was. 

Chase was not thrilled with the idea of the excursion (we went to the library today and he had LOTS of reading on his to do list), but even he had fun at the ArtFly exhibit. And we're all super excited about the new SHIFT Cyclery + Coffee Bar opening up in this space soon. Eau Claire is the best.

Day 1336 | A Good Day

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Today was a good day.  Chase was off of school (planned, not a sick day) and we had high hopes of doing something super fun. Enter Robbe with a high fever for the second day in a row. We didn't let that get us down, though. We rocked today, even with a sickling. 

The day started with an early morning photo shoot of the new blanket of snow. I hustled Chase out the door in his pajamas to talk photo ops in preparation for his first entry in a Photo Festival (through 4-H). He got some really great shots. 

After that, some friends came over to hang out. [For the record, Robbe has an ear infection so he's not contagious and with one dose of tylenol he was back to his joyful self. I promise I wasn't exposing anyone to danger!] We had fun with our friends, then ate some lunch, then the boys took naps. I got some work done (and made some progress on a serious web design challenge I've been having) until Chase woke up.

Then I stopped working (it's so hard to do when you're finally making progress) to focus on my son. As he waited for me to finish up (just a couple of minutes, I swear), he grabbed the latest Boxcar Children book that we got from the library...and started reading it. I'm not kidding. He has been so afraid to start reading--because it's hard. He's not used to things being hard. Today...for whatever reason...he decided to do it. And he did it! 

He read two paragraphs out of that charter book and you could see the pride rush over his face. We spent the next 45 minutes reading that book (me to him) and then afterward, he told me that he wanted to read a book to Robbe. What?!? Where's this coming from? So that happened.

Also today: I did letter of the week work with Robbe. Chase practiced piano. We had a super yummy meal (mini tater tots might have been involved). I washed the bunkbed sheets (my least favorite chore, but most gratifying when it's done). We enjoyed family reading time after dinner (so we could finish the Boxcar Children book...it was a real nail biter). 

This probably all seems a little boring, but this is what a really good day is for me right now. And I'm totally ok with that. 

Day 1335 | Parent/Teacher Conferences

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We’re bursting with pride over here. Two parent/teacher conferences today and two glowing reports. Is it just me or does everyone love the opportunity to have focused chatting time with these important people in our children's lives? I love it. 

Let's start with the big guy. His teachers say he's kind, polite, focused, and super smart. No surprises, right? But it's nice to hear from someone who's not related to him. 

And the little guy? His teacher said, and I quote, "I've never had a student make this much progress in such a short amount of time." That. That's an amazing compliment, right? The chart above is evidence to this statement. He entered the classroom in the fall with a Word Level accuracy of just 26%. That's really low, you guys. Now he's understandable at the Word Level 98% of the time. He needed to reach a certain benchmark with the Word Level before moving onto Phrases...and he's at 96% for that after just four months of being assessed. Once he hit the benchmark for Phrases, he graduated to Sentence Level...and he's at 94%. Whoa.

It has been exactly one year since we started this journey down the speech therapy road. To say we are grateful for the expertise and patience that Robbe's current teachers and his original speech therapist have shown him, is beyond understated. These women have given our little man the gift of communication. I can't imagine how different his life (and ours) would be right now if we didn’t trust our gut instinct telling us something was wrong. We're so proud of this little nugget.

Day 1334 | Pattern Play

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Chris didn’t take me seriously when I said I wanted this Pattern Play set for Christmas. Luckily, all my subtle hints payed off as I got one for my birthday. Chase has been doing this pattern “work” at school and when I was introduced to it at a friend’s house, I was smitten. It’s just so fun! 

When Chase does it at school, he has to take all the pieces out in an orderly fashion and line them up (like in the bottom left photo) before he starts the actual pattern (there’s a stack of cards with a bunch of different options). He was excited to show me the “correct” way to start the pattern work but he was even more excited when I told him he could just dump mine out with a loud thud and start the pattern right away when he’s at home. Talk about breaking all the rules. For our rules-following dude, this idea is crazy. And crazy awesome. You should have seen his smile. 

Day 1333 | Recovery Day

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We had a lovely recovery day today.  Chase was the only one with any type of responsibility (he had school), so the rest of us enjoyed a low key morning catching up on life a bit. Chris and Robbe spent a good chunk of time deliberating the right choices from the latest book order (see above) and we decided to surprise Chase by bringing him lunch at school (it was a huge bummer that he couldn't hang out with the rest of the fam, after all). But then, as we were waiting to surprise him, we found out that school was getting released early due to weather. We opted to bring him home right after lunch...so we all won! The evening wrapped up with one last birthday dinner with my parents (so nice not to cook!). And now we're ready to take on the week.

Olympic Party Pics

As promised, here are some photos from the Olympics party we put together for my birthday celebration. If you want a full rundown on the specific activities, pop over to my friend Ashley's blog. Special thank you to Ashley and Chris for going along with this crazy idea with just three days of warning. It was exactly how I wanted to celebrate the big 3-4.