Day 213 | The Sight of Christmas

Our tree is all decorated. The lights are in place (thanks, Chris), the ornaments are hung (thanks Mom, Chase, Robbe, and Chris), and some of the ornaments have been ripped down again (thanks, Robbe).

And, we added a new train (well, very old train, actually) to our tree set up this year. So excited to add this treasure from Chris's family to our family tradition. 

Day 212 | Festive Artwork

My latest craft...are you getting sick of these posts yet? I'm not!

I found these canvases at Michael's at a three for one price so I couldn't pass up the opportunity to do some holiday art. Here's what I came up with. I might add another layer but you get the idea. I'm pretty pleased about how it turned out. 

Now to find the perfect place to hang them. Challenge accepted. 

Day 211 | Wasting No Time

My mom arrived today (hip, hip hooray!) and, as soon as possible, we packed up the car and headed to pick out a Christmas tree. And we found a pretty great one.

To do tomorrow: decorate. The tree. The mantle. The porch.

Oh, and start on the many crafts I've got planned. Like I said, hip, hip hooray!

Day 210 | Feeling Thankful

Happy, happy Thanksgiving. More than anything else, I have to say I'm most thankful for family: this year and always. 

Day 209 | Let It Snow

It didn't last long and didn't amount to anything but it sure was pretty. And Robbe can check another first off his list.

Day 208 | Handprint Turkeys

Chase has been busy making lots of different versions of the classic handprint turkey.

The two on the left are crafts he did with me (one is going to be part of our Thanksgiving table setting and the other was a Thanksgiving card). The one on the right is from a placemat he made at school. Let's just say he was practically an expert at that point. The prayer he says before snack is included. Hearing him say it is about the cutest thing ever. 

Day 207 | Too Much Red?

I think just enough. 

Day 206 | Fall Isn't Over

The warmer temperatures today (and forecasted for tomorrow!) served as a reminder that Fall isn't over yet. Even though we're definitely in the holiday spirit around this house (Chase is already on his holiday book kick, after all), we broke out of the house today and enjoyed some quality outdoor time.

After playing at the park, we filled two landscape bags full of leaves and it looks like we didn't make a dent. For what it's worth, a toddler using a shovel to "help" rake isn't really that helpful. I was surprised, too. 

Day 205 | The Sound of Christmas

I held off another two weeks, but decided today was the day to break out the Christmas music. Here's our first (but hopefully not last) family Christmas dance party of the season.

Chase selected, Frosty the Snoman for Robbe's first Christmas song. Probably wouldn't have been my first choice, but I let it go. See? I'm flexible.

Day 204 | Favorite Things Tees

One of my craft project Christmas presents I've been dying to cross off my list is this fun faux screen printing project. I made both boys favorite things t-shirts using freezer paper and fabric paint.

Here's the tutorial I followed. It's super easy and a quick craft that leads to a great sense of accomplishment. I made Chase a fish tee with this process last year and he wore it a ton. It actually went through the wash just fine. Shocking, I know.

As you can see, Chase's favorite thing right now? Trains, excuse me, "choo choos." And Robbe? Shoes. It's almost an addiction the way he beelines for them. 

Day 203 | Happy Hunting

As most of my family back in Wisconsin heads out on their annual deer hunting adventure, let me say three things:

1. Be safe. 

2. See lots of deer (notice I just said "see").

3. Have fun. 

I've never been a part of this tradition (I was never the type to enjoy sitting outside in 20 degree weather and using an outhouse), but I love that my dad and brothers take part in it. It makes me happy without even being there. 

Special note: the face of the deer above is my palm, in case you can't figure it out. 

Day 202 | Like a Sponge

It's amazing what a little mind absorbs at this age. Just in the past few weeks Chase is learning so much. And before you think we've been holed up running flash cards, I have to admit that I've done practically nothing to encourage his new spurt of knowledge. Here's what he's caught on to (and the method of/reason for the learning):

1. States: thanks to a lovely placemat, Chase can now identify 19 states and the District of Columbia.  He can also differentiate between Washington, D.C. and Washington state. This is beyond impressive to me since I was *ahem* much older when I grasped this concept. 
2. Spelling: Chase dug out our Bananagrams game the other night, Chris spelled out M-O-M, and all of a sudden he's into spelling. Here's his list so far (pictured above). 
3. Telling time: ok, he's more just identifying numbers on the clock but he started asking about when Chris would be home so I recently began answering with "when the little hand points to 6." Now we eat with the clock at the table and every so often (about every five minutes, you might guess), he shouts, with enthusiasm, "it's [the big hand] touching the 4 [or whatever number]!" 

Yeah, I know what you're thinking: he's probably a genius (she says with a wink).

Day 201 | Staying Warm

The rain and wind came through last night and now it's a bit chilly outside. 30 degrees in November? That's not DC...that's Wisconsin. And we moved from there for a reason.

After quick trips to and from school this morning, we plan on staying put the rest of the day. Maybe more puzzles on the horizon. 

Day 200 | Yep, 200

To continue the tradition, I'll dedicate today's celebratory post to providing an update on the team.

Name: Sara
Favorites: baby snuggles from my boys, hearing my toddler say, "momma, you're beautiful" without prompting, getting into the holiday spirit (I just love everything about this time of year), and end-of-the-day, post-baby-bedtime chatting/relaxing with the husband
Biggest hurdle to overcome: checking all the holiday gift craft projects off my list (and there's a lot).
Dreams for the future: trying to live more in the present with my sweet boys at these sweet ages and not get caught up in the day to day frustrations.

Name: Chris
Favorites: being able to cheer on the Badgers in both football and basketball in the same week, wearing wool socks again, and seeing the look of excitement and pure joy on the faces of his boys when he peers through the door as he unlocks the door after work.
Biggest hurdle to overcome: deciding on the perfect holiday cocktails for a little shindig we're throwing.
Dreams for the future: enjoying a huge, can't-possibly-have-enough-food Thanksgiving dinner (it's his favorite holiday)

Name: Chase
Favorites: singing at the top of his lungs (Down by the Bay and I've Been Working on the Railroad are the two current go-tos), learning the names of states (off his mealtime placemat, obviously), playing anything with his daddy when he gets home from work (he saves special giggles for this specific time)
Biggest hurdle to overcome: dealing with the fact he can't go to tree park when it's cold/dark outside. Sorry, big guy.
Dreams for the future: spending two weeks with his absolute-favorite-people-in-the-whole-world (that's you, family!) at Christmas.

Name: Robbe
Favorites: brother tackles, I mean, hugs, shoes (chewing on, not wearing), Miga sightings (she's an elusive one), honing all his new skills (think: standing, climbing stairs, eating with his hands, big stuff)
Biggest hurdle to overcome: sleeping through the night. We're getting close, people. I can feel it. Chase pulled it off at 9.5 months so maybe we're on a similar trajectory.
Dreams for the future: eating just one piece of cat food. It's not too much to ask, mom, is it?

Day 199 | 'Tis the Season...

For crafting! And I'm ready and feeling inspired. So far, I've got six different crafts in the hopper. Most are pictured here to some extent but not all (some need to be kept under wraps, obviously).

I'll have lots of reveals to show off after the holidays and maybe, just maybe, one or two beforehand. 

Woohoo!

Day 198 | Looking Good

I bought a new hair clipper a few weeks ago and Chase's hair was finally long enough to give it a try today. It's a bit short, but his hair grows so fast that short is necessary so I don't have to cut it every other week. I hope you approve.

He looks so grown up with a new hair cut, right?

Side note: Chase is still working on his thumbs up pose. :)

Day 197 | Oh Yeah, This is DC

Seemed like a pretty easy plan for the day: a trip down to the Mall to meet our friends John and Caia and play at the Museum of the American Indian.

Then one of my least favorite parts about this city got in the way: the traffic. We've had such good luck in that department lately that I almost forgot how much I despise sitting, without moving, in the car. With two babies.

We did make it to the museum after some tense moments, several songs, and a Marshall and Thomas (the train) story. This museum is, unexpectedly, lots of fun for the kiddos. There's a great children's area with a skateboard (pictured above), a kayak (modeled next to Robbe), a teepee, an igloo, and too many additional exhibits to mention. We wish we could have been there for longer, but we'll take what we can get.

In case you think that was the only traffic congestion we got stuck in today, you'd be wrong. The trip to Caia and John's house for lunch took twice as long as it should have and the trip back home was no piece of cake, either.

Thanks for the reminder, DC.

Day 196 | A New Craft

My mom picked up a fun stamping book when she was visiting and now I've been bitten by the carve-your-own stamp bug.

I started by carving bird stamps (one of my favorite subjects at the moment) and I'm really enjoying the new challenge. It's a fairly mindless, inexpensive activity that I can do in small chunks of time (a must with my current lifestyle). 

I'll be posting future designs as I hone this new craft. You might have to wait until after the holidays, though, because I see some great gifts on the horizon. 

Day 195 | Picnic, Please

A picnic in mid-November? Yes, please! The boys and I took full advantage of this amazingly sunny and mild fall day to play a bit longer at Tree Park and eat lunch in the great outdoors (which happens very infrequently now that we have a baby eating "solids" to contend with). The challenge was worth it today, however. And I fully enjoyed the extra time in the sun.

Day 194 | Jump, Jump, Jump

Chris has been dreaming about having a Tuesday or Thursday off since we went to the trampoline park for the first time (the only days toddler time is offered). Today is Veterans Day (thank you, veterans!), so his dream finally came true. Off to Skyzone we went. We were even lucky enough to have Dr. Sean make the trip with us.

The jumping didn't disappoint, yet again. And Chris decided the wait was definitely worth it. 

Day 193 | The Fading Fall

I heard a rumor from my dad today that there's a cold spell coming. Luckily, we had already arrived at the park to take advantage of the sunshine and lovely temperature before winter starts creeping in.

No, I'm not ready for it, in case you're wondering. 

Day 192 | Tooth Time

Robbe popped his first tooth! Can you see it on the bottom? I guess someone has to start gaining teeth to make up for our niece Leila, who keeps losing hers!

He's handled this first round of teething like a champ. Fingers crossed that continues as they keep coming.

Day 191 | Say It Isn't So

We have another set of friends moving away from us...and they're moving to California, too. Why is that state swiping all our friends? Apparently the constantly perfect weather is appealing to some folks.

We're so sad to see Steve, Krissy, Cynthia, and Jeffery go but we plan on spending as much time with them as possible before they pack up and move to the other coast. We'll stay optimistic that they'll return to us someday. 

Day 190 | The Mall

No, not that Mall...a normal mall.

The boys had a blast playing at the mall play area today while Chris made a big purchase (that he has been debating about for about a year, obviously). 

One thing I would like to point out: Robbe got more attention and hugs from the ladies (ok, three year olds) than most gentleman get their whole lives. I've never seen such a charismatic tot draw in the hugs. Ha!

Day 189 | A Little Conflicted

Don't tell my husband but I'm considering changing my mind about one of the strongest beliefs I've had since we met: not listening to Christmas music before Thanksgiving.

It just seems to be cheating the fall to start listening to Christmas music too early. Chris's tradition? Starting to listen to it after the first snow. Luckily, since moving to the District, the first snow doesn't typically come before Thanksgiving so it hasn't caused too many conflicts in our marriage.

This year, I'm torn, though. I want to give Chase a fighting chance at learning some of the holiday classics. I just don't know how realistic that is in only four weeks. I'll continue some heavy contemplation and keep you posted about my final decision. Motherhood is full of reconsidering things you've always known, right?

Note: Please don't judge me on my holiday music collection pictured above. These were the only hard copies I could find. Plus, it's not part of the holiday spirit to judge!

Day 188 | Feeling Sporty

Chase has been asking to play again after our first successful outing. Today was the day. We woke up to a lovely fall day and no plans (the horror!). Both boys had a blast "playing" tennis in their own ways: Chase running after the ball and Robbe playing with the tennis ball container. Once that got old (it took a surprising long time, actually), we headed over to the soccer fields. Chase scored some fancy goals and Robbe frolicked in the grass. 

If you can believe it, I even got to sit down on a bench in the tennis courts for a few minutes and just watched them. That might be the first time...but hopefully not the last!

Day 187 | It All Comes to an End

The best October ever has come to an end. We dropped the last of our visitors off at the airport this morning. I hope the boys and I still like each other now that there aren't constant distractions. Even after everyone has left, I continue to be beyond grateful to these folks for spending their time, money, and vacation time to hang out with us. 

Feeling very lucky.

Day 186 | Playseum

Today we ventured out with Grandma Mary to the Playseum in Bethesda. We've been to the Capitol Hill location a few times when we lived there but this was a first excursion to the Bethesda location.

I've been thinking about my review of this place and I'm still torn as I write. It's a great indoor activity with lots (and lots!) to offer little ones Chase's age. And Chase had a total blast. That's all great but it's pretty expensive (except I got a two for one deal online) and it's in need of some TLC: none of the baby toys worked (batteries, maybe?), the train tracks were practically unusable with only a few actual trains, and items in the grocery store had definitely seen better days. I guess that's par for the course when you're dealing with a ton of little ones wreaking havoc every day, but all this will give me something to think about before heading back.

Day 185 | A Perfect Day

I'm not exactly sure what my perfect day looks like but today was pretty close:

Both boys transitioned to daylight savings pretty successfully so it wasn't a crazy early morning (a very important part of my perfect day). We had an amazing big breakfast (think eggs, sausage, hash browns), we organized the boys' closet (lame, but very satisfying), my mom and I scored some great deals at the outlet mall (shopping sans babies is one of the best things ever), then dinner was waiting for us (credit to Chris and the slow cooker for that one), and finally a pumpkin bar and hot apple cider post-bedtime. 

Ahhhh, perfection.

Special note: Robbe is pulling himself up to standing now (see photo above). He's so proud of himself.

Day 184 | Pumpkin Bars

Just because Halloween has come and gone, it doesn't mean we have to stop eating delicious pumpkin treats, right?

We headed to a friends' house for dinner tonight and pumpkin bars were the perfect house warming gift. These are one of Chris's favorite desserts and are slowly making their way up to the top of Chase's list as well. Everyone got involved in the baking...even Chase and Grandma Mary. It's nice to have so much help.

You'll find the recipe below (and no, I didn't remove the sugar with these). A special thanks to my Aunt Karen for making these a special treat throughout my childhood. They are pretty amazing, but don't take my word for it...

Pumpkin Bars

• 4 eggs
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups pumpkin (one small can)
• 3/4 cup melted butter
• 2 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup nuts (optional)

Frosting:

• 6 Tbsp butter, softened
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 8 ounces cream cheese

Directions

• Beat eggs lightly with a fork and add the sugar, butter, and pumpkin. Mix well. Add dry ingredients to this mixture.
• Pour into greased jelly roll pan. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.
• Beat the frosting ingredients until smooth and put on cooled bars.