Saturday, January 31, 2015

Day 274 | Back At It

I'm back to my regularly scheduled blogging. I hope you enjoyed a glimpse into the random things that bring a smile to my face these days. It's been a big (huge!) week around here while I've been distracting you with My Favorite Things blog posts. I'm going to keep you hanging one more day before divulging details, though, because we went on an outing too fun not to share this morning: to the National Building Museum.

I've talked about it before, but this is really one of my favorite indoor activities to take the kiddos to in the District. Judging by the crowd of people and two sold-out Building Zone sessions, a few other people think the same thing. We had lots of fun looking the Hot to Cold exhibit, playing in the atrium, and visiting the gift shop (Chase is really into picking things out for his birthday lately). The highlight for both boys was the Building Zone (no surprise). Then we packed up the car, braved DC traffic, and made it home in time for naps. Just perfect.

Friday, January 30, 2015

Day 273 | My Favorite Things: #5

Home sweet home.

I'm in love with our house. It's the perfect size for our little family (not too big but room for everyone to spread out). I'm a big fan of the layout (it's very open). The kitchen couldn't be more ideal (yay for cupboard space). And any of the issues we've had since moving in have been quickly remedied by the construction crew that did the renovation (thank goodness for tough negotiations during closing). I feel very lucky and blessed to be living in this house, in this city, with these boys. 

Thursday, January 29, 2015

Day 272 | My Favorite Things: #4

I'm so happy that knitting is back in my life. I tend to do a few projects (love it!) then somehow stray away due to other crafts. 

I'm definitely back in a big way this round. I finished my first Christmas stockinge last week and then quickly transitioned to a project just for me (woop woop!): a stocking hat. A beyond-adorable, perfect-for-me hat that I can't wait to finish and wear it out. It's pushing my knitting capabilities: I've never done two colors before and it called for a different casting on technique. I'm happy to report I'm nailing it so far!

Here's the pattern so you can see what the (hopefully) finished product will look like. 

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Day 271 | My Favorite Things: #3

Lattes. Specifically lattes that I consume during my favorite time of day: naptime (does that make me a bad mom?). It's just the perfect treat to power me through the one million things I try to accomplish in this short (way, way too short) period of time.

Thank you, Chris, for the best Christmas present ever circa 2012. 

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Day 270 | My Favorite Things: #2

Random cat items. I think my love affair with cats (did you know I can speak their language?) has officially transitioned from the real animals to amusing cat things (don't worry, I still love you, Miga). I'm not looking to add on an addition to our house to make room for this growing collection (it's actually the purr-fect small-size at the moment) but for some reason this random cat stuff just makes me smile.

Special note: Thanks to my mom and dad for the adorable cat blanket. And to Mary Catherine Starr for the sweet kitty mug. And to Chris for thinking I stole the tiny cat figurine (I really did pay a quarter for it...I swear!). All pictured above.

Monday, January 26, 2015

Day 269 | My Favorite Things: #1

After a long long week last week full of too much crying and Chase's first full-fledged, limp-body, kicking-and-screaming meltdown (we almost made it to three years without one, that's something to be thankful for, right?), I'm tying to stay positive this week. So, to brighten my own spirits, I will be posting a photo a day of my favorite things. And I really mean "things," material things that is. Otherwise I'd feel obligated to come up with baby-related uppers and I'm trying to steer clear of those. I still have a tiny bit of me that exists outside of being a mom.

Here we go, day one: fresh flowers. And these in particular. I'm not even sure what they are...I picked them up on a whim from Trader Joe's and they're my new favorite. So dainty and feminine. 

Sunday, January 25, 2015

Day 268 | Getting Out

With colder/wet weather looming, we busted out of the house this morning for some fresh air and exercise at tree park.

Boy, am I already itching for spring and more time outdoors. 


Saturday, January 24, 2015

Day 267 | Prepping for Christmas

That's right. It's January and I'm planning [way] ahead for Christmas. That's what you have to do when you're taking about knitting stockings for the whole family.

I've wanted to craft stockings for my family since before we had kids. That's serious. Now that we've settled in as a family of four, it's time. 

My mother in-law crafted some amazing stockings for the boys which we'll continue to use for official Santa business (since they're much fancier). These knitted ones will hang on our mantle, just as festive decor. 

I'm debating about how to add names to these beauties (some sort of tag hanging off of them, probably) but for now I'll just keep on knitting. One down, three to go. 

Oh, and here's the pattern for all you fellow knitters. It's surprisingly easy and quick. You can do it!


Friday, January 23, 2015

Day 266 | Chase Update

It seems only fair to offer an update on our older tyke as well, right?

Here's your Chase fix for the day:
  • He's still very into reading, reading, reading. Favorites right now? Thomas (no surprise), Berenstain Bears (although the obsession has subsided somewhat), anything from the library (new=exciting!), rediscovering old favorites (oh that's what those books on the other end of the bookshelf are).
  • He's been practicing standing on one foot. And he's pretty proud of himself for it, too (for good reason). 
  • He memorized his first (long!) book. To him, he's "reading" it but it's apparent that he's just heard the book (a Thomas one, obviously) a million times and can now recite it word for word. It's pretty text-heavy, too. Quite an impressive feat. Thanks Uncle Brian and Aunt Tera (and the girls!) for getting the book for him. 
  • He can spell all his family members' names. And this is definitely more letter identification than memorized tricks. Chase's real name (remember, we go by middle names around here) is eight letters long so, again, super impressive. 
  • He can identify letters. As noted above, he's getting to be quite the alphabet expert. It's amazing how it's like a light-switch flips and all of a sudden he can do all these awesome things.
  • He knows all the Thomas and Friends characters and can tell you color and number for most of them. This boy loves Thomas. 
  • He's started breaking into song randomly. It's like we're in a fantastic musical where "I've been working on the railroad" and the alphabet song are the leading songs on the soundtrack.
And his status quo list:
  • He's still obsessed with trains: riding in them, reading about them, playing with them, talking about them, giving compliments related to them, etc. And can you guess what he's asking for for his birthday coming up? Yep! More trains/attractions for his wooden set. We're getting to be quite the impressive railroad track engineers around here. 
  • His favorite food? Yes, sir. Still blueberries (and fruit in general). At least he's consistent. 

Thursday, January 22, 2015

Day 265 | Robbe Update

Robbe signing "all done."
It's been awhile since I've given an update on our little guy. Things change quickly in the life of a soon-to-be one year old so I couldn't wait any longer or we'd miss some fun stuff.
  • He's waving at everyone. At the grocery store, at Chase's school, going up to bed, everywhere. 
  • He's signing "all done". That's the photo above. Chase didn't catch on to signs until well after his birthday so I wasn't expecting this so soon. I love it, though!
  • He's eating finger foods. I'd say about 75% of the chucks make it into his mouth at this point. Not too bad, right? Favorites include: bananas, sweet potatoes, green beans, cheese, carrots, Cheerios, strawberries, blueberries, oranges. 
  • He's saying "dada" pretty consistently, although we're not ready to call it his first word yet. Of course, it usually comes after I ask him to say "mama." Ha! Sounds about right. 
  • He can accurately tell you what a camel does. It's kind of a pfugh sound with lots of spitting involved, in case you didn't know. 
  • He really really likes the following: playing on the couch, being up in his brother's business, chasing Miga around (good thing she's fairly tolerant), playing up/down in the crib (stand up, squat down, repeat), pulling a blanket up and down to reveal his face (aka peek-a-boo), and reading books.
  • He enjoys doing somersaults (or a close relative of them anyway) by putting his head down in my lap and having me flip him over. 
  • He's a lover. This kid is constantly giving smooches and snuggles. My favorite is all the kisses he gives to animals and people in books. He does kind of a dive-bomb with his head to give the kisses. With people, we're trying to work on teaching that kisses without teeth are better. After that, we'll start working on less juicy smooches. But one thing at a time!
And a couple of things that have remained status quo:
  • Still not sleeping through the night. He's only done it once (this time) so far. But I'm staying optimistic. It's going to happen...for good...soon!
  • Still just two teeth. I think there are a couple on the horizon, though, so stay tuned.

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Day 264 | So Beautiful

I had another blog post all ready to go for today and then I looked out the window to this scene. Too beautiful not to share.

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Day 263 | Gel Manicure Review

As promised, here's my run down of my experience with my first gel manicure: the good, the bad, and the ugly.

The good: it did last forever! In my life, forever for a manicure means 2+ weeks. A normal manicure lasts about two days so this is huge. And my nails ended up growing out more than chipping. Woohoo!

The bad: taking it off is a pain. I went to a salon to have it removed and can probably manage to do it on my own next time, but it's no joke to remove. Makes sense, right? It stays on so well for a reason. 

The ugly: my nails are not looking fantastic at the moment. I don't think the salon got everything off of them but even the few that are completely clear have seen better days. 

The final verdict? I'll definitely do it again. My nails don't look great on a daily basis anyway so that's not a huge a deterrent for me. I probably won't do one right after another (nor do I have the time/money for that anyway) so that should give my nails a chance to recover a bit. 

Monday, January 19, 2015

Day 262 | Three Friends

After a long weekend of almost complete social isolation, I'm happy to report we got to catch up with three friends today!

1. Our neighbors from the Hill. We so miss them and the old 'hood. Brings back such a sense of home every time we're back. 

2. Our friends from our year-long stint in Iowa. We're so lucky that our paths have continued to cross and we're only ten minutes away from each other now!

3. The metro. One of Chase's best friends (you can have friends that aren't human, right?) and one we haven't spent much time with since we've moved. As we were riding, Chase said, "This is fun. I like trains. I like Thomas." That pretty much sums it up. 

Saturday, January 17, 2015

Day 260 | School Lottery Saga: It Begins

Chase listening carefully during the presentation.
Today we officially started the search for the perfect school for Chase. Seems a bit early? We agree...if we lived anywhere else. In the District, though, most of the public and charter schools offer 3 year old pre-kindergarten programs. Which means next year (!!!) for our little guy. Crazy, I know.

You have to get into one of the schools via a lottery so we'll rank the top 12 (at the max) schools we would want him to end up in and then we'll be randomly assigned come March. Seems easy enough, right? Well, as you might imagine, spots in the good schools are really hard to come by. We're trying to stay optimistic, though, because there are a handful of schools in our direct area that we're really excited about and might not be quite as sought after. 

Today, Chase and I went to an open house for a Montessori school down the street. We decided (Chase and I, that is) that we could find a better fit. On to the next open house!

Tune in for more open houses, application woes, and lottery results as the months tick by. And think happy thoughts for us, would you?

Friday, January 16, 2015

Day 259 | Oh How Times Have Changed

Not too long ago (about three years, actually), the idea of spending the morning at a car dealer service center would have been one of my least favorite ways to spend a few hours. Fast forward: two babies and no free time later and I'm loving the quiet, kid-free morning. It's almost too good.

What kept me busy for three hours?

  • Knitting (Woohoo!)
  • Reading a magazine (What? They still print these?)
  • Getting my nail polish removed (Turns out you have to go somewhere to have that done for gel nails. My full gel manicure review will come soon.)
  • Splurging on a delicious soy latte and muffin

Thanks, Chris, for hanging out with the boys so I could enjoy this luxurious outing. Ha!

Thursday, January 15, 2015

Day 258 | He Can't Wait

This is the scene every time we pick Chase up or drop him off at school. Robbe tries just about everything to sneak into the classroom as soon as the door opens.

One day, little man, one day. Let's stay little for the time being.

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Day 257 | Meet My Friend, The Slow Cooker

Have you discovered the beauty of the slow cooker? I've had a long-term relationship with this small appliance but just recently started fully appreciating how perfectly magical it is to throw everything in a pot and ignore it for a few hours and then, ta-da!, dinner is ready. The best!

Interested in some of my favorite recipes at the moment? Here goes:

Braised Beef and Peppers

Chicken Taco Soup

Quinoa Tex Mex Casserole

French Onion Soup

Teriyaki Chicken

Sausage and Kale Stew with Mashed Potatoes

Vegetable Parmesan Quinoa


Happy slow-cooking!

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Day 256 | The Sweetest Compliment

Do you see the resemblance?
Chase is the sweetest toddler around. His latest compliment?

"Momma, you're beautiful just like Thomas."

Monday, January 12, 2015

Day 255 | Bee-Day Card

Here's my latest birthday card go-to. I use Chase's little thumbprints for the bee bodies and add the embellishment with a black marker. Easy-peasy.

Just don't tell my soon-to-be one year old niece it's coming her way. 

Sunday, January 11, 2015

Day 254 | He Did It!

Call it a fluke. Call it a Christmas miracle. Call it whatever you want, but the important thing is Robbe slept through the night! Whoop, whoop!

7:50pm through to 7:06am. I knew he could do it. 

Don't think there is any part of me that is expecting the same result tonight but at least there's hope. I might sleep again some day after all. 

Saturday, January 10, 2015

Day 253 | A Laundry Tip

Can you believe I have a laundry tip to share? Me neither!

It's been a day of cleaning and laundry so what a perfect occasion to share the one and only laundry epiphany I've had. 

Do you use the bulk container of laundry detergent, the kind with the spout (see above on the left)? We do too, but it always drove me crazy that the cap got gooey immediately. I used to just set it on top of the washer and wipe it out constantly. Not any more!

I saved a small laundry detergent bottle and I put the bulk bottle cap on top of the small bottle so the excess soap drips into the small bottle. The cap stays clean and it's amazing how much detergent drops back into that container to be used on future loads. 

Has everyone already figured this out? Probably...but just let me bask in my awesome problem-solving.

Friday, January 9, 2015

Day 252 | Decisions, Decisions

Chase made his decision. And, yes, that is Thomas driving.
Decision making is not a strong suit of mine (just ask my parents or husband). I'm happy to report Chase might have dodged the inability-to-decide gene if today is any indicator.  

After a heartbreaking morning involving a swollen eye (with a fear it was the pink variety) and a cancelled play date (hard to say who took the change of plans worse...me or Chase), a trip to the grocery store was as exciting as our morning turned out (don't worry, his eye started looking better almost immediately). I thought maybe a special treat would brighten everyone's spirits. 

Without hesitation, Chase selected a box of cookies with Cookie Monster on the front and proceeded to walk the aisles clenching the box and singing a pretty amazing cookie song. Decision made, right? Not so fast: then we hit the toy aisle. 

At first his attempts to convince me to buy a new (and blue!) car went to deaf ears. It was just Christmas, after all. I was going to put my foot down and even convinced him to walk away. But, after seeing the sadness in his little eyes as we turned the corner, I realized how silly I was being. I'd rather spend $3 on a box of cookies than $5 on a [pretty cool] car?

That's when it dawned on me: time to teach one of life's hardest lessons. Let the boy decide what he wants more: cookies or car? There wasn't an easy winner. You could almost see the gears in his little mind working so hard. I did my best to lay out the pros of each option (I think I even favored the side of cookies assuming he would be more interested in instant gratification).

In the end, you can see in the photo above what he chose. He made the decision (and fairly quickly), put the cookies away, and never looked back. That's my boy. Maybe he can teach me a thing or two.

Thursday, January 8, 2015

Day 251 | Miga

She looks like a perfect angel, doesn't she?

Since our return from holiday travels, it has been Miga's purr-ogative (get it?) to drive me completely bonkers. I thought we were doing her a favor by giving her the two weeks off from our chaos. Apparently she didn't see it that way and has decided to make her displeasure in our actions known. 

Just a snippet of her antics over the past week:
  • Meowing: loudly and constantly. In the morning, during naptime, at 2am. Whenever and seemingly for no reason. I hear you, friend, I just don't know what you want from me. 
  • Being needy: Miga has always desired attention but I can't sit down for a second these days or curl up in bed without this furry friend nestling in. On top of that, I can't pet you all the time. It's just not possible. And the static shocks I get every time I touch you aren't helping matters. 
  • "Playing" with the boys: Chase is quite content playing trains without your "help" knocking over the drawbridge every five seconds. And as much as you think you want snuggles from Robbe, trust me, that sweet smile and gentle pet turns into an all-out body slam in the wag of a tail. 
  • Nightime prowling: I've got enough problems sleeping, I don't need to add an attention-deprived cat to the mix. Jumping from dresser to bedside table to bed over and over in the middle of the night is not going to get us to play with you. Especially if one of those escapades ends with you knocking over a full glass of water. Not cool. 
This list could go on...

Usually this craziness lasts a day. Tomorrow will be a week this time around. We're so lucky (she says with more than a hint of sarcasm). 

Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Day 250 | Library Play Time

It's a bit chilly out there today but that didn't stop us from bundling up and checking out a new library. The Petworth Neighborhood Library had a whole floor of books to explore and this super fun seating area that the boys (mostly Robbe) found irresistible. Hey, anything to keep the baby busy while I can browse books makes me extra happy.

Why yes, we will be back.

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Day 249 | Snowfall in the City

Beautiful, just beautiful. 

Not quite as beautiful? Trying to shovel with a 20+ pound baby strapped to your chest. I'm sure the neighbors thought I was crazy but it was too nice not to get out for a minute this afternoon. In case you're curious, Chase opted to watch from the window during this spectacle. Smart boy.

Monday, January 5, 2015

Day 248 | Lentils Get a Bad Rap

When we were back in Wisconsin, just about everyone turned their nose up at the idea of me feeding Robbe lentils. Isn't it common knowledge that lentils are incredibly peppery and delicious? And that the smell of them cooking is nothing short of mouth-watering?

Give 'em a try. If I've sold two babies on the scrumptiousness of these little beans, there's a good chance you'll end up thanking me. 

Need a recipe? This lentil soup is a go-to for our family. Super easy and can be made ahead of time (a definite plus with our current lifestyle). 

Sunday, January 4, 2015

Day 247 | Playing Catch Up

I'm not usually one to brag (at least I hope you feel that way!), but Chris and I pretty much rocked the last two days so I can't help but share our accomplishments:
  1. Unpacked. No small feat when we're talking about two backpacks and three suitcases (all close to 50 pounds).
  2. Laundry done. Six loads. And it's all folded and put away.
  3. Christmas gone. The holiday decorations are no more. Chase was the most disappointed to see them go, but it was time. And by gone, I mean packed very carefully and brought up to the attic for storage (not just sitting in our bedroom for weeks on end, which usually happens when an attic trip is required).
  4. Hair cut. Chase was looking a bit shaggy. Not anymore. See photo above.
  5. Tree removed. We removed and stored the ornaments and lights, took the tree outside, and cleaned up after the dried-out tree. Christmas tree decorating = best. Christmas tree un-decorating = worst.
  6. Grocery trip. There was nothing nothing in the house for food upon our return. Someone (me) should have planned better. Massive stock-up trip to the store? Check.
  7. Photo shoot. Robbe is 10 months old. Double digits...woohoo! The obligatory monthly photo has been captured. See photo above.
  8. Friendly visit. I got to meet my friend's baby today. It was a quick trip to the NICU, but I got to meet that sweet little peanut. Thanks for sharing a slice of your life with me, Dawn.
  9. Clean, clean, clean. It's amazing how dirty a house can get with only a cat living her for two weeks (and would it kill her to vacuum up after herself?). I'm happy to report the house is finally in livable condition again.
  10. Carseat upgrade. Robbe was fitted for his new carseat tonight. He's moving up in the world. Rain inhibited the install, but that's the easy part. See photo above.
  11. Petting, lots of petting. Miga is severely attention-deprived. She is letting us know this by following us around the house, constantly needing pets, meowing in the loudest way possible, demanding to be let outside and back in (it's raining, after all) about 20 times a day, and even accepting affection from the babies. That's when you know she's been neglected.
  12. Serious playtime. Don't think for a minute that all this was possible because our babies are content to play independently and entertain themselves. Quite the contrary thanks to the constant attention over the last two weeks and the attention-withdrawal symptoms that have ensued. Chris did assemble an incredibly impressive train track with Chase's new pieces, though, so it counts as an accomplishment. See photo above.

Saturday, January 3, 2015

Day 246 | Toddler Travel Tips

We made it. Eight hours and 45 minutes from door to door yesterday and we are back in our own house and fighting through the attention withdrawals that always come with the territory when we return from Wisconsin. 

After surviving another two flights yesterday, here are some travel tips that have made my life easier:
  1. Pack light...and heavy. Bring as little as possible on the plane with you (there's enough to juggle without extra bags) but don't skimp on the toys/books/food to help distract the wee ones. 
  2. Board last. Or at least toward the end. Unless you have a baby you're trying to get to sleep prior to take off, pass on the opportunity to board early and enjoy the extra time to roam free before being cooped up. 
  3. Keep 'em confined. Using carriers through security is the way to go. From tiny babies to toddlers, it's the best way to stay hands free to get everything on the belt without having to worry about escapees. 
  4. Plan for delays. It's terrifying to think about but it's better to be prepared then end up at the airport for several hours without enough diapers or baby food.
  5. Entertain, don't soothe. My babies are not great plane sleepers (except when they were teeny). They'll power through naps or bedtime, much to my chagrin. After many flights trying to get crying babies to fall asleep, I've realized that it's easier to try to entertain them through thre exhaustion than attempt to get them to sleep. Exhausting for me? Insanely, but much less stressful.
  6. Bring a stroller. Plan on bringing your most travel-friendly stroller (compact but with decent storage) with you to the gate (they'll check it there for free). It's handy to have a place to strap your little one into (think trips to the bathroom) and it's a necessary pack mule for everything you need to carry (diaper bag, coats, carrier, etc.).
  7. Make peace with germs. Before I had babies, the idea of letting a child roam around the airport on their hands and knees was repulsive to me. I got over that real quick when I realized those little ones need to use up some energy before boarding the plane. Roam free, crawlers!
  8. New is exciting. Save toys to reveal on the plane. Buy new or hide old ones leading up to the trip so that these distractions are new and interesting. Some toddler-approved options for your consideration: Magformers, soft cover books, magnetic play board, stickers/sticker notebook.
  9. Bring a garbage bag. Sounds random but it's amazing how much trash you accumulate on a flight. And if you're not prepared, you end up with junk everywhere. If you forget one, grab one of the TSA bags outside security (most airports have them).
  10. Breathe. It's impossible to internalize at the moment but flights are short and people are generally very sweet about cranky babies. It'll all be over soon no matter how long the crying lasts so breathe through it, friend.
Safe travels!

Friday, January 2, 2015

Day 245 | Think Happy Thoughts


We are at the airport on our way back to the District...and reality. We've had a lovely visit with equal parts quality family time, laughter, full bellies, and holiday festivities. One thing we were short on? Sleep. I guess we needed something to improve upon in the New Year. Thanks again to all our family for putting up with our chaos and spoiling us in more ways than I could mention. 

If you've got some free time this afternoon, think happy thoughts for a smooth trip. Everyone's in good spirits as we wait to board (as you can see in the photos). Hopefully that continues. 

Thursday, January 1, 2015

Day 244 | Go Badgers!

Showing some team spirit as the Badgers took the field for their bowl game. I'd like to think we can take a little credit for the win by representing with all our Buckys.