Dat 514 | Bird Feeder

Robbe and I were back at Whole Foods again today for one of the Half Pint Kids Club (his first solo class!). Although we had a lot of fun decorating wooden birdhouses and covering the roof with peanut butter and birdseed (Robbe was so so proud of his creation), we got sad news. The director of the program got laid off in the Whole Foods downsizing and the classes will only continue through October. I'm so bummed about this! I even emailed a complaint to the store...that'll teach them, I'm sure.

So, we'll try to take a couple more classes before we say farewell forever to such a fun activity. Sniffle, sniffle.

Day 513 | My Little Shadow

Robbe has been *extra* into being close to me lately. Sometimes this is a sweet sentiment but often it's a little exhausting to be the sole object of his affection.

It's gotten to the point where he is very vocal about expressing his displeasure when I'm not able to focus all my energy on him (the thought of having to cook or clean, the horror!). And he doesn't talk yet so expressing himself means crying, loudly and frequently. 

I had a breakthrough tonight, though: while washing dishes and listening to Chris try to calm him down (unsuccessfully), I told him he could stand next to me quietly while finished the dishes. If he did that, I would pick him up as soon as I finished. And he did it! I bet it was a good five minutes of him patiently waiting a foot away from me while I cleaned up dinner. I don't think he's stood still for that long ever. 

Although there was a bit of success involved in tonight's experiment, I'm hoping this phase passes quickly. 

Day 512 | A Weekly Schedule

As we were settling into our new routine after school starting, it became apparent that our sweet 3.5 year old was a bit confused about what was going to happen on a daily basis. Enter this simple and fun weekly schedule chart.

Chase thoroughly enjoys moving the clothespin every morning and seems to be excited about whatever the chart tells him he's doing. It's been a big success.

Day 511 | We're Back

And couldn't be happier to be spending our days with this guy again.

Day 510 | Thanks MI

Aside from two sick babies, Michigan couldn't have treated us better. Thanks to Grace, David, and family for being such welcoming hosts. Chase just keeps saying, "I'm still sad we're not in Michigan."

That means it was a good trip. 

Note: that teeny tiny car was our "compact" rental car. Compared to the minivan, I felt like we were driving around in a matchbox car. 

Day 509 | Feeling Friendly

These folks are just the best. Our whirlwind tour of Ann Arbor continued today as we ventured out for more entertaining outings this morning: an impressive library, a cute cafe, and a tour of sweet Rose's preschool.

This afternoon consisted of lots of quality playtime, singing time, and snuggles. Sounds pretty amazing, right? It was. 

We'll hang out for a bit tomorrow morning and then we're off to the airport. In time for a recovery day on Sunday before jumping back into our everyday life. Happy thoughts for a easy and uneventful travel day, please! 

Day 508 | Four Kids

I have to say entertaining, feeding, soothing, bathing, and parenting four kids (under five) in one house has been so much better than I would have guessed. It helps that the kids are all angels, obviously. And it helps that there are two moms, double obviously.

The kids are having a total blast together. It's very sweet to see Chase and Robbe interact with children closer to their own ages-their peers-for the extended period of time. And I can't complain about actually getting to catch up with Grace. We haven't touched on everything yet but we still have time!

Oh, and the photos above? Most are from the amazing Ann Arbor Hands On Museumhttps://www.aahom.org/ here in Ann Arbor. I feel like kind of an expert when it comes to childrens' museums and I can give my five star recommendation to this one. So much to see and do. We were there for 1.5 hours and saw maybe a tenth of the exhibits. What a perfect outing!