Day 1372 | Pulley Fun

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What do you do when you’ve had a full day of entertaining little ones and your husband won't be home for bedtime? My solution: dig out this awesome pulley that has been waiting to be used for a project (we got it as a gift for Chris awhile ago). I taped it up to the banister, attached by a ruler, and the boys played with it for over an hour. They thought it was the best. And I agreed. It was super fun.

Day 1371 | Bedtime Reading

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I love bedtime. That is, I love it when it's time for the boys to go bed. They're great, but man, by the time 8pm rolls around, I'm ready for a break. I'm sure you understand. 

As much as a love bedtime, I really can't stand our bedtime routine. It's not even that long: just pjs on, teeth brushed, two stories read, potty, into bed. Pretty simple, right? Somehow reading at the end of the night is about the worst thing ever. 

Enter the audio book. The boys got sucked into a Boxcar Children audio book after school today and decided they wanted to try to finish it before bed. They sat like this (photo above) for 15 minutes as I finished folding laundry and putting it away. 

I'm not saying this is going to become a frequent occurrence, but it was a glorious break tonight. 

Day 1369 | Presents!

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Our six year old loves presents. Based on the amount of toys in our house these days, I’m a little less enthusiastic about them, but that detail doesn’t seem to bother Chase. He is in total paradise unpacking, assembling, and playing with all his sweet gifts (thanks, everyone!). 

I’ll admit it..I do really like helping with the assembly process. Even if it does mean adding to our collection. The pure excitement the gifts bring him definitely makes up for my embarrassment over how much he receives. At least he’s very appreciative! That’s something. :)

Day 1368 | Our Six Year Old

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I feel like my life should be divided into two categories: Before Kids (BK) and After Kids (AK). In my BK life, I was more carefree, more spontaneous (ok, still not that much), more selfish. In AK life, I’m definitely more exhausted, more routine-driven, more selfless. But in AK life, I’m also filled with more pure joy and happiness than I ever could have imagined. I have this six year old to thank for that. He made me a mom: the hardest but most rewarding job ever. Today we said happy birthday to our first born. The last six years have flown by and been eternally long at exactly the same time. I just love this guy so much. 

And here you go... 

Ten things you may [or may not] know about about our new six year old:

  1. He loves school. Chase might be the strong silent type when he’s there (a much different version that what we see at home), but he really loves his school and his school friends. We’re thankful that we found this educational home for him. 
  2. He wears holes in the knees of all his pants. This guy is serious about playing and it’s taking a toll on his wardrobe. When he tells me that another pair has worn out, he’s always so proud!
  3. He’s a secret reader. I wouldn’t say he’s “officially” reading yet but he’s getting close. We call him a secret reader because sometimes we catch him reading when he thinks we’re not paying attention.
  4. Legos and Playmobil are his favorite. Especially if these sets involve police, pirates, or knights.  
  5. He’s a sensitive soul. This kid takes after his parents. He feels very strongly all the time. 
  6. He could be read to all day. Every day. Favorites include: Boxcar Children, Geronimo Stilton, Scooby Doo, mysteries, and anything related to super heroes. 
  7. This guy is a rules follower. The trend continues. He still prefers to have clear directions and will happily follow those directions. It’s when the unforeseeable occurs that the problems creep in. 
  8. His birthday treat of choice: brownie with ice cream and hot fudge. Just like his Momma.  
  9. Dream job: NASA Mission Control Specialist. 
  10. He’s basically the best. Seriously, we couldn’t ask for a better role model for his brother and a more empathetic friend in our family.  

There you have it. We’re feeling pretty lucky. 

Day 1367 | Let the Festivities Begin

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I’m back! As promised, I won’t leave you out of all the fun birthday festivities. We knew we were going to be out of town on the big day so the birthday mantle and birthday photo collage (top two photos) went up a day early. Chase didn’t seem to mind.  

Between those going up early and a birthday dinner on Wednesday night, we’re really stretching the celebrations out this year. I guess that must be what happens when you turn six (6!!!). 

Day 1366 | The Weight of the World

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Sometimes it just feels like the weight of the world is too much to shoulder.

It's been a stressful couple of weeks for our family. I'm not going to go into it here out of respect for everyone's privacy (sorry), but I'm sure I'll share at some point. 

With everything going on and a feeling of constant overwhelm, I've decided to take a bit of a break from the blog. Chase's birthday is coming up this weekend, so I'll be back for that, but I'm going to give myself this bit of space in my day. 

You might recognize the photo above. I posted it almost two years ago when we were getting ready to uproot our lives and move to Wisconsin. This little weed was inspirational to me back then and I have found my mind wondering to the image over and over again recently. There is hope. I have hope.

Day 1359 | Mexico By Numbers

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I promised a Mexico recap and here it is! You can't complain that I shared too few photos.

Mexico by Numbers

  • Total family members on the trip: 13
  • Minutes waiting in Mexican customs: 0 (first time ever!)
  • Audio [full-length] chapter books read by the boys: 4
  • Chiclets purchased: 52 (some for gifts)
  • Chiclets eaten: 26
  • Sand castles built: 2 (one with a dragon)
  • Giant jugs of water drank: 7
  • Trips to Victor's restaurant: 2
  • Days successfully detached from social media: 7
  • Cheese quesadillas consumed by the boys: 9
  • Encounters with Maria Consuela (the little girl, named by us, who sold us chiclets): 3
  • Poolside family nap attempts: 1
  • Family members who successfully napped: 1 (Robbe)
  • Towel swans left for us by housekeeping: 3
  • 2 for 1 happy hour fruity cocktails + smoothies: too many to count
  • Little boys with heat rash: 2 (but no sunburns!)
  • Crocodiles spotted: 2
  • Iguanas spotted: ~30

And we're ready to go back. Thanks again, Mom + Dad, for an incredibly memorable trip.

Day 1357 | Spring Break

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We're enjoying fun + sun in Mexico and I'm unplugging. I'll be back on Sunday to share all the details. Until then, I realized I never shared the last podcast that Mary Catherine and I recorded. This can keep you company while I'm gone. :)

New Podcast Episode!

Mary Catherine and I say farewell to Season 4 of Starr Struck radio by sharing some of the things that surprised us most about motherhood. Chances are, we'll be back. But until then...

Click Here to Listen

Day 1355 | Vacation Prep

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We've been counting down to tomorrow for a long LONG time. We're heading out for a week-long tropical vacation and the four of us could not be more excited. I've even managed to shed the dread that usually comes along with traveling with the boys. It's hard to say whether I've grown more flexible with age or if it's just that the boys are getting easier (I'm sure it's the latter, actually), but I'm not fixated on how hard the plane ride is going to be, or where the boys will nap, or what they'll be eating, or how they'll sleep at the condo. It feels very freeing. I haven't felt this way before a trip in about six years (!!). 

We've been talking a lot about what Mexico is going to be like. We've been pumping the boys up for lots of beach + pool time, have been trying to explain to them what it'll be like to be in another country, and have been chatting about expectations. To tie a bow on this topic, we brainstormed a list of "Vacation Rules" last night. I'm sure we'll add to the list, but so far, here it is:

Our Family Vacation Rules

  1. Always stay close to family.
  2. Never go anywhere alone.
  3. Don't eat or drink anything without asking an adult.
  4. Be flexible.
  5. Experience new things.
  6. Make sure to be safe around water.
  7. Don't put anything in your mouth (including your hands!)
  8. Be patient.
  9. Have too much fun! 

We're going to take that last one very seriously. 

**Please note, I'll be checking in tomorrow before we board the airplane but after that I'm signing off for the week. Hopefully we'll have lots of good stories + photos to share upon our return.**

Day 1354 | Cleaning Up

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After staring at these toys in our living room for the past two weeks, I finally gave in and put them all away last night. The boys have been on a serious Lego kick so all other toys have been neglected. 

What’s the first thing Robbe did upon getting home from some errands this morning? He took out all the toys I just  put away and then happily played with them for an hour. It’s like he sensed it somehow. Kids are weird.