Day 545 | Happy Halloween!

Sweet Robbe was the perfect puppy (a dalmatian, to be exact) and Chase was a friendly firefighter (after deciding he wanted to be a person, instead of an animal, this year).

I wouldn't say everyone was feeling 100% today, but that didn't keep us down. Two short Halloween outings to take advantage of a beautiful fall day was just what we needed. We're hoping tomorrow greets us with an extra bit of sleep and everyone healthy.

Day 544 | Flowers Make it Better

My mom sent me these beautiful flowers to brighten my day and boy did they! Thank you, mom. 

Moms always know just what to do, don't they? Maybe I'll play that role for my boys some day. Maybe. 

Day 543 | Snuggles

Man, kids need a lot of snuggles when they're sick. Normally, I'm on board with this, but, as it turns out, I'm not much of a snuggler when I'm sick (yep, I caught the bug), so it's quite a tricky situation. Not surprisingly, the sweet requests for snuggles usually wins out. Maybe we'll manage a few snuggle-free moments tomorrow.

Day 542 | Just a Photo

I'm taking a sick day today so I'll just post this adorable photo with no witty banter. Here's hoping for a better day tomorrow.

Day 541 | The Never Ending Sick Days

Yep. Another sick day today. Man, this is getting old. This time fever struck both boys and left them nearly energy-less all day. It's a bizarre scene to go from two never-stop-moving toddlers to today's listlessness.

In case anyone is listening, we're ready to be healthy again at our house. Thanks in advance. 

Day 540 | Pumpkin Craft

I was feeling inspired last week and got out some clay for the boys to make these sweet pumpkins. We went on a scavenger hunt for the "stems" and then rolled the clay into balls, smooshed them into a flatter circle, and used a paintbrush to make the ridges around each pumpkin. It was the perfect length craft for these two busy-bodies to stay interested in. 

And, four days later, we painted our new friends orange. Both boys really got into the painting. It makes me think I should suck it up and let them make the mess more often. Maybe that'll be my resolution for the New Year!

Day 539 | Three Year Old Pumpkin Dreams

It was pumpkin madness around here today! Pumpkin carving, pumpkin bars, pumpkin cookies. Halloween here we come!

You might be curious about our pumpkin designs. Chase requested "a snowman" and "Paw Patrol". This is what we came up with. I usually do a cat pumpkin (do you remember?) so the paw print wasn't too much of a stretch for me but the snowman was definitely out of Chris's normal carving subjects. We feel pretty happy about how they both turned out.

Day 538 | Pumpkins

Any guesses about what fun fall activity we have in store for us tomorrow?

Day 537 | Lattes

I think I'm slightly obsessed with lattes. It all started when we bought our own latte maker and it only kicks up a notch when the weather gets cooler.

I was lucky enough to enjoy this gem when I was out (alone!) for lunch today. And it was glorious. 

Day 536 | Cute Boy

I've been doing several posts without any cute shots of my boys lately. I'm sure you've been missing them, so here you go. Sweet Robbe at the park on this glorious fall day.  Doesn't he look so grown up here?

Day 535 | Halloween Sneak Peek

To stick with District Day Dreams tradition, here's this year's Halloween costume sneak peek. Can you guess what the boys will be? One clue: they're not matching this year. Coordinating? Yes! But not matching (Uncle Matt should be relieved).

Day 534 | Baby Gifts

Check out my latest gifts for two sets of dear friends who just added little ones to their families.

In case you're new to the blog, this is the same technique for faux-screen printing I've used many times before. Here's the first time I did it with a tutorial included.

I have to say, now that my boys have worn their own shirts that I've created over and over, I'm beyond pleased with how well these designs survive the wash and wear (*repeat*) of a toddler's lifestyle. The fabric paint undoubtedly outlives the amount of time the boys fit into the clothes!

Day 533 | Culture Queen

As promised, I gave the Busboys and Poets music class another chance. I went assuming it would probably be the same scene of chaos and uninvolved caregivers but was quickly proven wrong. Today's performer really wrangled in the crowd and forced participation...my kind of scene!

The Culture Queen was great. She was exuberant and stayed in character throughout the 1.5 hour show. An impressive feat to be sure. Robbe (and I) enjoyed the dancing, reading, exercising, singing, tambourine-playing, learning, and everything else. Thank you, Culture Queen, for a worthwhile morning outing.

It turns out the Busboys and Poets events have hope after all. I'm happy to say, I'll be back.

Day 532 | Takoma Street Festival

We made it back to the Takoma Street Festival for the second year in a row: we're regulars!

We sampled some farmers' market produce (and even found some Cortlands to buy...the best!), crafted a bit, bounced in the jumpy castle (Robbe's first time...and he loved it!), did some Christmas shopping (yep, I'm a planner), listened to a kids concert, and just enjoyed the overall atmosphere. It's good to be home. 

Chase concluded the morning stroll with, "I liked that festival." Me too, buddy. 

Day 531 | It All Comes to an End

We made it home safe and sound after another wonderful vacation. I'm not signing up for another car trip anytime soon but it was all worth it.

Thank you just doesn't begin to cover it, Grandma and Grandpa M. We had a blast. 

Day 530 | A Little Slice of Paradise

Seriously, can you imagine anything more beautiful? An inspiring sunrise led into another enjoyable (albeit, more low key) day.

It's going to be rough to say goodbye tomorrow...

Day 529 | Fishies

We saw lot (and lots!) of fishies today at the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center. Oh, and there were some sting rays (we got to pet them!), sharks (no petting, sorry), seals, an alligator named Gloria, and some robot dinosaurs (not sure how they fit into the aquatic theme but they were pretty cool). Good times had by all.

Day 528 | Petting Farm Fun

Look what we did this afternoon! We got up close and personal with some farm friends. I wouldn't say the boys were overly excited to be petting these guys, but they did it. And that definitely counts for something.

Thanks, Hunt Club Farm, for a wonderful fall afternoon.

Day 527 | Beach Day

The only time 80 degrees in October is ok? When you're headed to the beach! And that's just what we did this morning. It. Was. Glorious.

Perfect temperature, quiet beach, great company. Glorious. It's possible the experience could have been a *bit* more enjoyable if Robbe wasn't terrified of the sand, but that's our fault for not exposing the poor kid to it more often. Note to self: more beach days needed.

Oh, and I captured my headstand on film. Well, Chris actually captured it, but I did it! And in the sand, no less. I'm back!

Day 526 | Highs and Lows

Unlike yesterday's morning of highs, today's morning ended with us making a trip to urgent care for poor Robbe. His nasty cold just keeps getting worse and we all needed the peace of mind knowing there wasn't a deeper problem. The verdict? No deeper problem. Just a nasty cold backing up into his eyes. Good and bad news since we were hoping to help him feel better and it turns out he just needs to fight it off on his own. Fingers crossed for a better night's sleep tonight to aid that process.

To recover from the less-than-ideal vacation morning, Chris took his parents to walk the Virginia Beach Boardwalk and then all of us played on "our beach" after nap. We even saw a rainbow!

Oh, the other highlight? I did yoga on our balcony overlooking the ocean. To say it was amazing just doesn't cut it. I even managed to get into headstand unassisted for the first time since the babies. Woohoo!

Day 525 | Vacation!

Aside from some sickly family members, it was a lovely day. The view from our condo is absolutely perfect and Grandma and Grandpa made it without problem. After that start to the day, how could you find anything to complain about?

Day 524 | Car Trip Success

The deck was stacked against us: one sick baby (poor, goopey-eyed Robbe) and two babies that are not good car passengers. But...after five hours in the car, there were practically no meltdowns, at one point there were two sleeping babies (that's never happens!), and Chase only asked twice "how long 'til we get to vacation" (and that was when were only 20 minutes in).

The only bad news? We arrived after the sun went down so we couldn't take in our amazing (from what we can tell) ocean view. Stay tuned for a photo of that tomorrow. 

Hurry up and get here, Grandma and Grandpa M. We've got two very excited boys waiting to start this wonderful vacation. 

Day 523 | Another Journal

Remember how I started this journal after Robbe was born? And remember that pesky little blog-thing I'm doing? Well apparently that wasn't enough to capture our daily lives around here. For the last couple months we've also been filling out this planner every day that Chris works. Chase and I go over Chase's day and write down everything that he wants to tell his daddy about when he gets home. It's very sweet and a wonderful glimpse into the life of our little guy-plus it guarantees I don't forget to mention any important details based solely on memory.

Almost all of the line items are directly from Chase's mouth (and they mostly make sense). I can't completely speak for both Chris and Chase, but I'm pretty sure it's one of their favorite parts of the day. Chase will tell me frequently to "make sure to remember to add that to the checklist." And he requests to review the list immediately when Chris walks through the door. I've had to remind him to ask his daddy how his day was first.

I think we're in the running to be the most-documented family ever--at least in the non-famous category.

Day 522 | About Right

For the record, this is an amazing floor mat in our kitchen, not the condition of our actual floor. It is, however, the actual condition of the two broken wine glasses. :)

You know when you have those days where everything is just about perfect? Nope, this wasn't one of those at my house. After a tear-filled doctor appointment for Robbe (he's healthy and growing, though!), the afternoon was filled with more meltdowns. Not sure what's in the air lately but I'm hoping we move on quickly.

To top it off, amidst some of the crying, I managed to drop two wine glasses and shatter glass all over the kitchen counter and floor. Right before dinnertime (when everyone is about their least patient versions of themselves). 

We all survived (except the wine glasses, I guess) and managed to enjoy the remainder of the evening, however. Fingers crossed for an improved day tomorrow. 

Day 521 | Who Are You

Another enjoyable Whole Foods class. We got to learn a little someone about our little guy.

His list of likes was solely based on what was surrounding him when I asked the questions. Classic.

Day 520 | Fall has Arrived

Finally! The constant rain brought some cooler temps along with it. I was worried we were going to skip fall altogether but today was glorious.

Robbe and I spent the majority of the morning soaking in the sunshine (welcome back!) and playing at the playground in comfortable temperatures. It's everything I've been waiting for. 

Day 519 | Sick Day

Chase is fighting some swollen, gooey eyes so I treated him to the cucumber eye treatment. He thought it was pretty funny.

Chase's first sick day. Sniffle, sniffle.

In reality, it was a pretty sad excuse for a sick day since there was no fever or projectile vomiting but I decided it wasn't worth subjecting any of his classmates or teachers to extra sick germs in order to send him. I was hoping for a restful, recooperative day for the little man. That goal was halfway successful. Here's hoping for a good night's sleep to aid the recovery and make me feel better about sending him tomorrow. 

Day 518 | Chili Time

Another long, low key recovery day here. Unlike yesterday, though, we had a lovely evening spent with good friends and delicious chili. 

Interested in the yummy recipe that Chris has been honing over the last several years? You're in luck! He is willing to share it:

Chris's Chili

• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1 large red onion, diced
• 3-4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 15 oz can light kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 15 oz can dark kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 4 15 oz cans of tomato sauce (or two big cans)
• 2 10 oz cans of diced tomatoes with green chilies
• 1-2 cups of frozen corn   
• Chili powder, ground cumin, paprika to taste 

Directions

• Saute the onion in olive oil.  
• Add the turkey and minced garlic, sprinkle with chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper, and cook until browned. 
• Add the remaining ingredients and additional seasoning to taste.  Simmer on low until you are ready to eat (we usually cook for about two hours).

Serve with some shredded cheddar, noodles (Chris's preference), and cornbread (everyone's preference) and you've got the perfect fall meal. Enjoy!

Day 517 | Black and White Cookies

The no-plans, rainy day has dragged on and on (and on and on) today. Seriously, it's 5pm as I type this and I wouldn't be surprised if you told me it was 7pm. One of those days.

To add a little excitement to our afternoon, I offered to make cookies for Chase. I made the mistake of asking what kind I should make and after looking at several recipes/photos online, of course he settled on the slightly-too-complicated Black and White Cookies. They do look delicious, don't they? And they are one of my favorite cookies, but not when I have to muster up the motivation to make them. Instead, I opted for the much-simpler Cracked Sugar Cookie recipe and then added "black" (more like brown) and white frosting in hopes of tricking Chase into thinking they were the real cookie he requested. It worked! Maybe not the most honest version of myself but no one was complaining during snack time.

For the record, these are a very quick and delicious sugar cookie variation. Definitely recommended.

Day 516 | Rain

It's raining here in DC. Like, a lot. And we have a leak in our ceiling to prove it. I really like rain but this isn't my favorite.

More of the same in the forecast for tomorrow but luckily we have nowhere to be and my favorite people are all cooped up with me. :)

Day 515 | Cheese!

This is the "smile" Robbe offers up when you ask him to say cheese. Not terribly genuine but a 10 on the cuteness scale.