Day 98 | Goey Gak at Whole Foods

Chase, Robbe and I spent the morning at Whole Foods for one of their Half Pint Kids Club classes. We made goey gak out of glue, water and Borax laundry detergent. Chase doesn't really enjoy getting dirty (I can't imagine where he gets that from...) so he wasn't overly excited about the final product but the process was lots of fun.

They also offered yummy snacks along with the project, all for free!  Can't beat that.  Yes, sir, we'll be back.

Day 97 | If Chase had a Twin...

Ever since we became friends with Susan and sweet Caroline (when the babies weren't even crawling!), there's always been an eerie similarity between these babies. Size, demeanor, voice volume (there used to be some loud "conversations" between the two of them), hair color, etc., they are two peas in a pod. Do you see it?

We're so lucky to call them friends.

*Photo credit to Caroline's mom, Susan.  I wasn't quick enough to get the good shots this time around.

Day 96 | A Snapshot of Our Life

Can one photo capture this time in the boys' lives any better? Chase running around like a crazy toddler and Robbe loving every second of the chaos.

Full disclosure: this moment happened yesterday but it was just too perfect not to share (and the boys are still in bed so I'll share early!).

So sweet.

Day 95 | National Postal Museum

The National Postal Museum is hands-down one of the best kept secrets in the District for entertaining kiddos.  Seems like it might be a bit dull for them, right?  Think again!  They did a great job of making the exhibits kid-friendly and yet interesting for adults.  You can even make your own e-stamp (see above).

Other highlights from Chase's perspective?

• Driving in the semi-truck cab
• Sorting packages
• Scanning mail
• Looking at historical stamps (they made it fun, I swear!)

Every time we've gone, it's been really quiet, even in the heat of tourist season.  It's also steps from the Metro (Union Station) unlike most of the other Smithsonian museums.

Have I sold you yet?  Go check it out.  You'll be happy you did...and so will your toddler!

Day 94 | Whole Wheat Pancakes

Our delicious family tradition recently has been enjoying whole wheat pancakes on the weekends. 

I've been honing my pancake recipe for awhile now and finally stopped tweaking. My goal? Yummy whole wheat + sugar free pancakes. We serve with fruit instead of syrup. You won't miss the sugar at all!

Whole Wheat Pancakes

• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup oatmeal
• 4 tsp baking powder
• Pinch of cinnamon 
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1 TBSP applesauce

Directions 

• Sift together flour, oats, baking powder, and cinnamon. 
• Beat together eggs, milk, orange juice, and honey in a separate bowl. (I've successfully used only one bowl by mixing these wet ingredients first and then just adding the dry ingredients one at a time. Both options work.)
• Preheat skillet over medium heat and spray with cooking spray. 
• Serve with mixed berries. 

Day 93 | Turkey Thicket Playground

Another beautiful day in the District and another super fun new park to visit. Life is good for our little toddler.

Today we drove down to Brookland (about 10 minutes away) to experience Turkey Thicket Recreation Center (Chase thinks the name "turkey thicket" is hysterical, by the way). I've heard great things about this playground and it totally lived up to the hype. A big train to climb on/through, tons of slide options, a rock climbing wall, cars to play in, and even a splash park (but we opted out of that activity). 

A quick stop at &pizza for lunch and then home in time for naps. Pretty close to a perfect morning if you ask me. 

Day 92 | One of My Greatest Accomplishments

 

I finished my dresser DIY project!  I'm borderline obsessed with the finished product.  My dream for a storage piece for the living room was 1. drawers, 2. yellow.  I realized after far too much online research that this perfect piece didn't exist.  I kept an eye out for moving sales and found this gem (in a very different state) for $50.  

Multiple sandings, three coats of paint, two coats of varnish, and a super-fun contact paper for the drawers...and this is what I ended up with.  It was a labor of love but well worth the naptime and post-bedtime free time.

If you're interested in taking on a similar project of your own, I found this website really helpful through the process.