Day 333 | Picture Day

Chase has his first-ever school picture today. He was well prepped in striking a cheesy smile (see photo above) and claimed that he listened to the photographer to capture the perfect photo. Only time will tell. :)

On a side note, I cannot believe how expensive these photos are. This is my first go-round with this type of of thing. Is this the pricing for all school photos or is Chase's little preschool opting for high-end photographers? Seriously, $35 for 2 5x7s? Crazy! And $135 for the "Best Value"? Haha, yeah right.

I'll post his professional shots as soon as I have them in my possession!

Day 332 | Baby Teeth

I know it's not the best photo of his new teeth, but it's hard to capture teeth buds. Just take my word for it, they're there.

I don't remember teething being this bad with Chase. Maybe I blocked it out.

Robbe has not been the most enjoyable little guy to be around for the past week or so. He's waking up early (and no one, including him, is happy about it). He's generally cranky (except when we're with other people...ie he's distracted). He needs to be held constantly. And he's just not comfortable. You can tell. 

I'm pleased to announce that his top two middle teeth finally broke through this past week and another bottom tooth popped out today. Current total teeth count: 5. Number of baby teeth still needed to accumulate in the next year or so: 15. 

Let's hope they aren't all this painful. 

Day 331 | Losing the [School] Lottery

I've let the news of the school lottery set in for a few days. The initial shock of our terrible pick (see above) has turned into two emotions that seem to have stuck: disappointment and rejection.

1. Disappointment: I had managed to stay pretty optimistic (this rarely happens) through the lottery waiting game. This is what I get for trying to be optimistic. We had faith in the process and we were hopeful that we would at least get a somewhat decent waitlist number at our number one pick. Not so much.

2. Rejection: After about a day, I realized that this was the emotion that was sneaking in. Even though we had no control over the process (none!), it still hurts when someone tells you you didn't make the cut. Ouch. 

Where do we go from here? We're working that out currently. There's a small chance we will make it into one of these schools eventually (think: late next school year) but that's questionable. And we could enter the second round of the lottery (they'll post schools that still have openings), but we're pretty sure that's out of the question. We don't want to expand our search too much, mostly because expanding our search means lengthening our commute. Not something I'm willing to deal with five days a week. So, our plan remains what it was (as a back up) from the beginning: Chase will stay put at his preschool for another year, two days a week. We'll remain on the waitlists and hope there's a ton of movement. If there's not (which we're not exactly holding our breath about), we'll reenter the lottery for the 4 year old class a year from now. 

I continue to remind myself that "whatever happens is meant to be" and am working on letting go (a constant struggle for my control freak tendencies). We'll find the perfect school home for Chase (and eventually Robbe), I know that to be true. 

Side note: have no fear, I'll keep you posted as our waitlist numbers change (and they will!). Who knows? Maybe I'm wrong and we'll have better luck than I currently think possible.

Day 330 | Making Strides

Look at this guy! He's been walking (taking 7+ steps, repeatedly) all morning. Still using crawling as his main mode of transportation but I think a light switch has flipped. 

I'll keep you posted about the continued progress. 

Day 329 | Mommy and Me Morning

Chase and I busted out of the house this morning without Robbe. Woohoo!

What did we choose to do with this super special quality time? We took the train (request #1) to hang out with his buddy John (request #2). And we dyed Easter eggs. 

Chase had a blast and kept repeating, "I like riding choo choos," while we were on the metro.

Side note: The DC school lottery results came in late last night. Let's just say I'm pretty disappointed (ie Chase is wait-listed everywhere). I'll provide a full-debriefing on the topic when I've figured out exactly how I feel about all this madness. Stay tuned.

Day 328 | Healthy as a Cat

What did we do to fully take advantage of today's high 70s temperature? Head to the vet with Miga, of course.  I need to start checking the long range forecast before making these appointments.

You'll be glad to hear Miga is purrfectly healthy. Chase was concerned about the amount of meowing in the car so he kept reminding her that "everything will be ok." So sweet. 

Day 327 | Talk About Pressure

I'm sure you recall from previous posts that I cut Chase's hair. Until this point, it's been pretty low stress. If I screw up (which I haven't really, shocking!), I know I can always go a bit shorter or just wait a few days and it'll be fine.

Not this haircut. Chase has his first-ever school photo on Tuesday. As humorous as it would be to have him look like a misfit child, that's just not an option. So I took to the clipper and scissors very mindfully today. Not too short. Not too noticeable as a "I-got-my-haircut-for-school-pictures" cut, no straight across bangs (lesson learned). 

And here's the outcome. I'm pretty satisfied with it, all things considered. There might be some minor tweaks but it's a definite sigh of relief. 

Day 326 | The Price You Pay For Crafting

This is Robbe's hand this morning after yesterday's (that's right, yesterday's) handprint craft. Needless to say, the ink was not "washable" or "kid-friendly" but I really didn't think it would turn my baby into a hulk look-alike.

The saddest part? The ink is only gone on his thumb...where he he has been sucking it. Mother of the year award for allowing my one year old to ingest green ink (it's non-toxic, though!). The pigmentation continued to fade all day, thank goodness, and disappeared after tonight's bath. 

Sometimes you end up with green hands after a good craft. Just the price you pay. 

Side note: Chase's blue ink wiped right off. Thank goodness. The toddler in our house would not have been able to ignore his new skin tone quite as well. 

Day 325 | How to Raise a Snuggler

One word: thumb-sucker.

In my vast experience (two babies), the way to make your baby a snuggler is to get him to suck his thumb. Robbe is possibly the sweetest, snuggliest boy around and I'm convinced it's because his favorite soothing devise is right there when he's being held. It's probably also because he loves me so much (I'll keep telling myself that). 

I know thumb-sucking is not ideal for a lot of reasons. But it is one of the cutest things ever. 

So there you go, now go tell your baby to start sucking his thumb. Haha, good one, right?

Day 324 | Sunday at its Best

We did something crazy this morning: we went out for breakfast. Crazy, right?

Robbe slept a bit late so we had enough time to eat out and get home before nap. Breakfast was delicious, the kiddos were super well-behaved, and we made it home with time to spare before nap. Woohoo! 

We've spent the rest of the day playing as a family, planting spring flowers (I'm hopeful warm weather is actually on the way), and just hanging out. It's been lovely. 

Day 323 | Noyes Library for Young Children

I've been trying to visit the Noyes Library for Young Children for months now. They're closed on Fridays and Sundays and the timing just never seemed right. Until today.

We ventured over to Kensington, MD, to visit this one-room library. It's full of children's books and there are lots of toys to entertain the wee ones with as well. I'm uncertain if we could have loaned books from this library since we're not Maryland residents. A question for next time, I guess. Just so everyone's expectations were in line (ahem, Chase), we built the destination up as a "library museum" so there wasn't a breakdown about walking out without a Thomas book. 

I'm sure you can see that Chase found the train table and spent most of his time there. Surprise, surprise. He did get into several books as well, though. 

Robbe was more into working the crowd (and it was super busy) and checking out every nook and cranny of the place. Again, surprise, surprise. 

I'd say we'll definitely be back...but probably on a week day so we can have a calmer visit. Yay for new places to play!

Day 322 | Safe Travels

It seems that most of our family is traveling to fun and exciting places today. Wish we were on our way out of this snowy city, but we'll live vicariously through everyone else for the time being.

Safe travels, family!

Day 321 | Playtime Break

Playtime with John turned into a group reading session. Everyone was interested. And that's a double lap-sit, in case you can't tell.

*Photo courtesy of Miss Caia. Thanks for sharing.

Day 320 | Spring for a Day

Yesterday was such a beautiful day that I've decided to focus on that instead of dwelling on the downer of a 30 degree day today.

After nap, the boys and I ventured out to enjoy our snack near the train tracks (remember this post?). Chase was super excited to be up close and personal with the trains, of course. But what was an actual surprise was how much Robbe seemed to enjoy it. He kept pointing to the trains as they went by and squealing with delight. As they ate their snacks, Chase kept one hand on Robbe's leg to make sure he felt safe (can you tell in the photo?). 

I think it's safe to say we might be spending lots of time near the tracks this summer. 

Day 319 | Chase's Breakfast

Chase has been eating green oatmeal practically since he started eating solids. He still eats his oatmeal every other day but, as of late, he's been opting for a *slightly* more complex breakfast option on the off days. This morning's meal was particularly excessive.

The snack (usually eaten before he sits down at the table): two prunes, a scatter of raisins, a full banana, a handful of cheerios

The main course: four mini blueberry waffles and yogurt with raspberries, blueberries, and strawberry granola

He asked for orange juice to go along with his water and I said no way. Seriously, where does he store all that food? I guess I shouldn't complain. After all, breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

Day 318 | Library Antics

Have you figured out that the library is one of our favorite outings? Chase loves (loves!) reading new books (although most only last a day or two before we are back to our standard rotation) and he likes playing on the little kid-friendly computers. It's also the perfect outing between morning nap and lunch.

All this sounds like the ideal activity until you add the I-need-to-explore-everything one year old to the mix. I think he's taking it as his personal challenge to get us kicked out of the library. If his squeals of delight as he crawls full-speed away from me don't turn heads, his ability to find every open electrical outlet and get into countless other types of mischief whenever I attempt to browse a book will get the librarians' attention. Hopefully we do a little better at flying under the radar next time.

Day 317 | Lottery Picks

I totally forgot to report back about our DC school lottery picks that we submitted on March 2. Have you been waiting anxiously since this post? No more!

Here's what we ended up with:

1. Capital City Public Charter School: Our obvious first choice. It's five minutes from our house and it was super-impressive during the open house. Fingers crossed!
2. Creative Minds International Public Charter School: Kind of a dark-horse that piqued our interest late in the game. It's moving locations so it wasn't on our radar until too late for a tour. We've heard great things, though, and it has some unique program offerings.
3. E.L. Haynes Public Charter School: I was pleasantly surprised with this one during its open house. It's a bit further away (six minute drive) and the facility leaves something to be desired but it's still a solid choice. And one we would be very excited about.
4. Takoma Education Campus: Beautiful campus but I had a few reservations after a tour. Nothing that would make me hesitate to send Chase there, but just enough to knock it down a few pegs.
5. Shepherd Elementary School: I didn't tour this one but, again, we've heard good things. The commute isn't ideal (probably around ten minute drive) but it has a great reputation.
6. Bridges Public Charter School: Our back up school. I didn't tour it (it's moving locations after next year anyway), I don't know much about it, but it's close-ish and has a decent reputation.

Oh, and we applied to one other school outside the lottery system. LAMB Public Charter School holds their own lottery (this Friday!) and manages their own waitlist. [Here's an article on some of the waitlists from last year, if you're interested.]

So, that's it. One lottery. Endless internet research. Four school tours. Six finalists. Hopefully a school my little sweet pea can call home next year. 

Check back with me on March 27. There will be news (and hopefully it's good!).

Day 316 | Stamping Inspiration

I got a bit of stamping motivation after Robbe's birthday. It's his silhouette. Can you tell?

Honestly the hardest part of the project was getting a photo of him looking away from the camera. He kept turning towards me and smiling. I've trained him well. 

It's not perfect, but close enough. Sweet baby silhouettes. 

Day 315 | Teeny Booties

These sweet baby booties have become a favorite knitting project of mine. They are relatively quick (now that I've got the hang of them) and very straightforward. Here's the pattern.

I made my first pair for newborn Robbe and since then have knitted three more pairs for friends. Now, if I was smart, I'd knit up an extra pair to have in reserve. We'll see. 

Day 314 | It's a Miracle

Ok, miracle might be a little strong, but it's pretty unbelievable, nonetheless: Robbe slept in the car.

For most babies, this is not a story worth sharing, or celebrating. But my babies just don't sleep in the car. Period. It's usually a good thing: I don't have to worry about them ruining a nap because of a quick shut-eye in the car. On days like today, though, I was dreading what my I-won't-nap-in-the-car one year old would be like after 1.5 hours in the car as we dropped off uncle Matt at the airport. 

He did it, though. He fell asleep!! And he was out for 30+ minutes. I honestly still can't believe it. 

Ha! Funny what things are worth celebrating in the life of a stay at home mom. 

Day 313 | A New Rec Center

We finally found the replacement for our beloved Sherwood Recreation Center that we visited weekly on the Hill: the Gwendolyn E. Coffield Community Recreation Center.

This place is perfect. A no frills open gym for wee ones with tons of room to run and lots of toys to keep everyone occupied and entertained. My only complaint? Why did it take me all winter to find it?!? I definitely recommend this place to any parents/nannies in the area looking for indoor activities. Although Chase spent most of the time just sitting in his car, he still had a blast and Robbe enjoyed honing his pushing-while-walking skills. There's even a playground right outside with, that's right, a choo choo. Ah, yes, we'll be back.

Want the details?
What: Toddler open gym
When: Mondays/Wednesdays/Fridays from 9:30-noon
Where:2450 Lyttonsville Road, Silver Spring
Note: It only runs during the school year so no open gyms during the summer.

Day 312 | Quick Visit

Check out these fun scarves Uncle Matt brought for Robbe's birthday. I swear he likes them, too.

Uncle Matt came for a visit! Woohoo! He's only here as a stop over on his way to a much more exciting location, but we'll take it.

So far Chase has expressed an interest in playing choo choos with him and reading a Thomas book. I think we'll be able to make those dreams come true. 

Day 311 | A Line a Day

I've never been a journal-er. For some reason, I could never get in the habit of jotting down my thoughts/experiences/life commentary on a frequent basis.

I'm so proud to report, though, that I've managed to stick to this journal for over a  year now: Mom's One Line a Day. It's such an interesting concept for a journal that I had to give it a try. What is the concept? Write one line (or more appropriately a quick few lines) a day for five years. Each day of the calendar has a space for five different entries (one for each year) so you can look back on what you did that day every year. Pretty cool, right? 

I started the journal on Robbe's birth day so I recently began adding another year to the pages. It wasn't always easy to motivate myself to stay up an extra two minutes (I'm so tired!) and there have definitely been catch-up days where I fill in multiple dates (thanks for the help, blog!), but it's so rewarding now that I can see what our world looked like a year ago. And cooler yet will be looking back four years, when the time comes. 

If pink and mom-my isn't your style, they have a regular version of the journal as well. 

Day 310 | Round Two

Urgh. That's how I feel right now. Urgh.

The dishwasher broke. Again. It only lasted a week. I know it's petty, but in the moment there's nothing worse than surveying an over-flowing dishwasher blinking an error code at you instead of making your life easier. 

I don't even mind the dishes that accumulate as long as I can do them after every meal instead of a 45 minute washing session after days of filling the dishwasher up. 

Let's hope the repair man can come a little quicker this time. And let's hope the repair actually sticks. 

Urgh. 

Day 309 | Mail Museum

It's a gorgeous, albeit slightly chilly, day in the District. We took advantage of the sunshine by busting out of the house to pop down for another visit to our favorite museum for toddlers: the Postal Museum (or "mail museum", as Chase called it today).

The place was pretty empty (it always is) and Chase was all over the place practically sprinting from one attraction to the next: mail sorting, truck driving, spooky trail walking, mail scanning, stamp making. We covered a lot in a short period of time. 

And we used the trains at Union Station to lure him to lunch and eat it quickly. Perfect! 

Once our sweet one year old drops his morning nap, I think we'll be frequent visitors to this place. I can see it now: Metro ride to the museum, lots of mail sorting, then lunch with daddy. Only time will tell if I can actually make it happen. You'll hear about it if I do!

Day 308 | We Love Matching Shirts

See how happy they are? I'm positive those smiles are because of the matching shirts and not because of the food they were about to eat. :)

Day 307 | Snow Day

Why yes, Robbe is wearing plastic bags over his mittens and "boots." And yes, we're sledding on a cardboard box. When you don't know if DC is going to get snow, there's no need to invest in heavy snow gear. :)

What a lovely snow day. We ended up with about six inches of the fluffy white stuff (according to my eyeball estimation).

The day started out with yummy muffins, a latte, a fun play date, and some outdoor playtime. After lunch, the boys took nice naps (ahhh, peace and quiet) and I made some delicious black bean burgers for dinner while watching my three boys giggle and play. See? Lovely. 

Day 306 | The Perfect Storm...

of neglected nails.

Few things represent the toll of being a stay at home mom better than having to clip four sets of nails (including Miga) in one day. That's too many nails for one person to be responsible for. 

Good thing this perfect storm only hits once every few months. 

Day 305 | Tootsie Roll Flare

I'm happy to report that this will be the last birthday related post for at least a couple weeks (Chase's birthday is right around the corner, after all). I think we're all suffering from a case of, as the Berenstain Bears put it, " Too Much Birthday."

I couldn't help but share one last tidbit from Robbe's bday celebration: Tootsie Rolls! Did you notice the fun paw print on Robbe's cupcake? That was a Tootsie Roll melted and molded to make that shape. I did the same thing to make sheep heads for Chase's first birthday. It's so much more delicious and accessible than using fondant (the popular cake-decorating material). 

Just throw three or four Tootsies in the microwave for ten seconds and they become super pliable. I will offer one lesson I learned from experience, though: don't put the Tootsies on the cupcakes too far in advance and also leave them in the open air (not in an airtight container) once they're decorated. The Tootsies will melt and start to run if enclosed. 

Fun, right? Now back to our normal life around here. For a few days anyway. 

Day 304 | Today's the Day

Today our sweet, smiley, perfectly-fiesty, gentle, outgoing, care-free baby turned one. I can't wrap my head around how March 2, 2014, is both just yesterday and a lifetime ago at the same time.

An ice storm threw our plans to go swimming out the window but our new one-year-old seemed to enjoy the library just as much. And he had his first restaurant meal (after all Chris and I deserve to be celebrated, too) at a new neighborhood restaurant. 

Thanks for thinking of Robbe today. He's one special little guy. We look forward to watching his personality continue to develop and are grateful for the hole he fills in our little family. 

Day 303 | Kitty Cat Tee

As part of Robbe's birthday festivities, I used the same kitty cat graphic from the garland for a spunky tee for my favorite soon-to-be one year old (tomorrow!). This is the same process that I used for the favorite thing shirts at Christmas.

The kitty design was my most complicated to date. After tracing the design on the freezer paper and cutting it out, I ironed on the cat head outline first (just long enough to make it stick) and then added the interior facial features before a second round of ironing. It worked perfectly.

Here are the step by step directions, in case you missed it the first time.