Day 1606 | A Final Line

On March 1, 2019, I wrote the last entry in my one-line-a-day journal. For five years, I have struggled and fretted over this journal. One sentence every day for five years. That’s no joke. I didn’t do it every day (that was probably my problem). I would forget or be too tired and there would be days (even weeks sometimes—eek!) that I would have to use my blog to catch up on the entries. I did it, though. The journal is complete and I’m happy to have the record of the somewhat mundane but also memorable moments of our life. 

I’m not going to lie, though. It feels really good to check this little journal off my to-do list forever.  

 *Side note: the journal is pictured above with the amaryllis plant that my mom gifted me and I’ve managed to rear successfully for the past few weeks. It’s huge and beautiful and a sign that maybe spring will come eventually.  

Day 1605 | Drop Off

This is what drop off looks like at 830ish every morning: the boys pushing each other out of the way to be the first to give me a smooch before jumping out of the van. 

These are the moments you want to hold onto forever. And ever. 

Day 1604 | Little Faith

I don’t read nearly as much as I’d like, but somehow when my favorite author drops a new book, I can make the time.

Little Faith is officially on bookstore shelves and I’m betting it’s going to be pretty great—I’m only two chapters in so I can’t offer much additional insight. Nick is not only an amazing writer, he’s a dear friend, and also family. If you’re in the market for a new read, consider this one, will you?

Day 1603 | Happy 5th Birthday!

Our little nugget is five today. FIVE. I love birthdays. I love thinking back to that day of their births and how our whole world changed in one minute. I love showering them with gifts + special treats + attention. I love coming up with a day filled with whatever makes them happy. I just love it all.

Robbe’s activities of choice on his big day? Present-opening immediately upon waking up, French toast for breakfast, watching Bolt (in the morning!), mac + cheese lunch at Panera bread, attending a community theater production, serious playtime + Lego assembly, pizza for dinner (with pineapple and pickles on the side), a mystery game (created by Chris), a bingo game (created by me), and this yummy Oreo ice cream cake for desert. Add in some family to the mix and the day was pretty much perfect.

UPDATES ON 5 YEAR OLD ROBBE

• He's still rocking speech therapy. At this point, Robbe is seeing the speech therapist at his school just once a week and he's surpassing all of his developmental milestones. We've got his annual IEP check-in in about a month and rumor has it he might graduate out of his IEP altogether!

• Potty humor gets him every time.

• Favorite meals: yogurt + berries with granola (breakfast), anything on pretzel bread (lunch), french toast with berries on top (dinner)

• Robbe is almost exactly the same height at 5 as Chase was when he turned 6.

• He loves Legos (like, really LOVES Legos), but rarely puts them together. He prefers to play with them, not assemble. It's a good thing there are other friends in the house that really enjoy the assembly part!

• Chase is his best friend and favorite playmate. There is nothing that brings me more joy.

• He can’t wait to eat lunch at school (next year). I’m worried the idea of this is not going to live up to the reality of it come next year.

• Robbe’s answers to a few questions:

  • What is your biggest fear? Tarantulas, snakes, and scorpions

  • Favorite person? Chase (without hesitation)

  • What makes you laugh? Funny jokes (obviously)

Day 1602 | Snowbanks

Snowbanks taller than a four (almost five) year old. Taller than a minivan. This is getting ridiculous.  

Day 1601 | Pilates

Another delayed start meant that I couldn’t make it to my Pilates session today—until my [super-sweet and overly-accommodating] teacher was willing to reschedule so the boys could come with. Now they love Pilates as much as I do! There version is a bit different than mine, but I’m pretty sure it still counts. 

Day 1600 | 1600!

Sara

FAVORITES: Pilates sessions, oat milk + decaf lattes (still going strong despite an oat milk shortage earlier this winter), sunshine on winter days, listening to the boys play happily together again (after the rough patch in the fall), puzzling with my #1 guy (we’re just more picky about the selections these days), wearing vests inside (they really do keep you warm even if your arms aren’t covered!), my Yeti mugs (I had no idea how often I was drinking cold beverages)
BIGGEST HURDLE TO OVERCOME: Coming to terms with not hosting birthday parties for the boys this year. They opted to celebrate at the waterpark last weekend instead. I’m relieved and saddened to not be dealing with all that stress + excitement right now.
DREAMS FOR THE FUTURE: One week of a normal schedule without sick or snow days. It’s been at least five weeks since that has happened.

Chris

FAVORITES: Drinking water (lots of water), playing the Nintendo Switch, puzzling with his #1 gal (he’s recovered from the great Eagle Puzzle Incident), Salted Nut Rolls, not having to shovel, playing board games (Catan is the current favorite)
BIGGEST HURDLE TO OVERCOME: Having to drive home in 6+ inches of snow on a regular basis
DREAMS FOR THE FUTURE: Soaking in the sun on the beach in Mexico (we’re going again over spring break)

Chase

AGE: Almost 7 (just over a month to go)
FAVORITES: Playing the Nintendo Switch with his Dad, anything on the iPad, Lego Ninjago (still going strong), his new winter boots, everything about school, reading chapter books (currently we’re very into Peter and the Star Catchers), his cousin Eli, equality with everything related to his brother
BIGGEST HURDLE TO OVERCOME: Making time for practicing piano (he’s just too busy playing to fit it in)
DREAMS FOR THE FUTURE: Losing more teeth. He’s down four already and only two have started growing back in. Even still, he’s ready for additional visits from the Tooth Fairy—I can’t imagine why.

Robbe

AGE: Almost 5 (four days to go!)
FAVORITES: Snow days (he’s by far the biggest proponent in the house), Ty Beanie Boo characters, planning his birthday festivities, his Pokemon blanket, playing Legos, visiting the library, honey wheat pretzels, his sandwich recipe (pretzel bread, peanut butter, and flat pretzels), drinking tea, vitamin C drops, constantly requesting things to eat, his new sloth stuffed animals
BIGGEST HURDLE TO OVERCOME: Keeping his undies un-bundled. This kid does not have time to slowly pull up his pants so that his undies lay flat and are comfortable. Instead, he pulls everything up together in a wad and then spends most of his day with bunched undies. How does that not drive him crazy?!?
DREAMS FOR THE FUTURE: To be as old as (or older than) his brother. I *don’t think* this one is going to come true for the little man, but that doesn’t stop him from requesting it.

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• Original posts: Chase, Robbe, Chris & Me

Day 1599 | Squinty

He might be squinty but he’s still cute!

We made it home safe and sound today. This is definitely a winter to remember. 

Day 1598 | A Bonus Day

Mother Nature decided to extend our stay in Wisconsin Dells by another day so we were forced to make the most of it. We went to see the new Lego movie, stuffed our own Build-a-Bears, spent some time at the arcade, watched the Oscars, and enjoyed some family board games. Definitely better than driving in terrible weather and spending the rest of the day unpacking and doing laundry!

Think happy thoughts for our trip home tomorrow.  

Day 1597 | Water Parkin’

We jumped right into the water park weekend. *Pun intended. Although water parks aren’t really my thing (are you surprised?), I couldn’t be happier to be spending the quality time with some of our favorite people. I guess I can handle some pool time for that. 

Day 1596 | Fun with Friends

Are you ok with photos of photos? Cool. I appreciate that. 

Day 1595 | Custom Hats

The boys are in need of some new sun shade for our upcoming trip to Mexico. I found these cheap trucker hats online and then let the boys pick out their own graphic for them. Chase selected Shadow Lugia (a Pokemon character), obviously. Robbe’s is a Lego kit that he’s interested in. Random and humorous selections, but I like them.

I printed them out on iron-on transfer paper and then added them to the hats. I’m shocked at how well they turned out. And the boys are pretty pumped, too. You can tell in this photo.

Day 1594 | The Birthday Boy

I might as well offer a quick update on Chris for his big day. Now it’s a thing.  

UPDATES ON MY 36 YEAR OLD HUSBAND

• He only wears white or light blue dress shirts to work. No other colors or patterns are acceptable.  
• He worries the boys have missed their window to be great video gamers. They are 6 and 4. Let that sink in.  
• He really likes birds of prey. He’s got some sort of radar that goes off when they are within eyeshot. It’s a pretty impressive super power.
• He’s terrified of pink eye. He has been since I met him.  
• He eats peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch everyday.
• He’s really good at board games. Like, so good I get frustrated because I never win. Luckily, he’s terrible at Speed (the card game) so that’s my confidence booster.  
• He gets funnier with age. No one can make me laugh the way he does. He just gets me.  
• He’s probably the best dad ever. And I’m not biased at all. The amount of energy and attention he can offer the boys after working non-stop for 11 hours is truly inspiring. I know he might not be able to offer the quantity of time he’d like to the boys, but he sure makes up for it in quality. The boys have no idea how lucky they are to have such a dedicated, caring, motivated, and funny (they think he’s hysterical, too) role model in their lives. Luckily I tell them all the time.  

Happy birthday to my best friend.  

Day 1593 | A Birthday Update

The whole family pretending to blow out candles.  

I know you know a lot about what’s going on in our lives, but I realized that there are some pretty big updates about myself that I haven’t shared on here—mostly because I don’t have a photo to go with them, not because I’m withholding information.

A FEW LIFE UPDATES FROM A 35 YEAR OLD

• I’ve started taking private pilates sessions. It’s pretty amazing. And expensive. But amazing nonetheless.
• I’ve learned how to successfully soften butter in the microwave. It comes up more than you would think.
• I can see. I had Lasik eye surgery about three months ago. Waking up in the morning and being able to see is crazy. Real crazy. 
• I still really like cats. We don’t own one, but I think that only fuels my fire.  
• My parallel parking skills remain intact. After honing this skill in DC, I’m happy to report that I’ve still got it. I have to work harder to seek out tough parallel parking challenges, but that makes it even sweeter. 
• Back pain? Still there. I continue to have hope, though.  
• I really like oat milk lattes. Specifically, oat milk lattes from the coffee shop a block from our house. Handy, right? 
• I still hate making bunkbeds. It’s been two years and it’s not any easier/less of an acrobatic feat. There has to be an easier option.  

My birthday involved a lot of time inside and more sick snuggles than I would have hoped for, but it’s been a good day. I got to craft a bit, I spent a lot of time with family, and enjoyed a yummy bday dinner and desert with some lovely gifts. In reality, this was a pretty good representation of what life is like these days. I’m present enough to appreciate that. 

Day 1592 | Valentine’s Day

Today was filled with lots of love—and still a sick little one. Luckily, the presents helped to brighten spirits. 

Thanks to everyone who showed us some love today. We love you, too.  

Day 1591 | Instant Pics

Chris and I bought ourselves an early birthday gift. This fun new instant camera. I’ve secretly always wanted one of these and now I own one. Woohoo! 

We are currently in the process of teaching the boys about what is “photo-worthy” because the film is not cheap. They’re used to taking 100 photos of whatever book they’re currently interested in because they’ve only ever known digital cameras. It’ll be a fun challenge, that’s for sure. Tonight we let them take one photo of whatever they wanted. Chase’s is on the left. Robbe’s is on the right. You can decide if they were, in fact, photo-worthy. 

Day 1590 | Sickly Snow Day

Welp, another snow day. Yep. That’s right. If you’re keeping track, we’re up to seven days for Chase and eight days for Robbe in the last 2.5 weeks. The amount of snow out our windows these days is really shocking. I’ll try to snap a few more photos when everyone is healthy enough to be outside.  

Unfortunately, our snow day was overshadowed by Robbe getting sick. The poor little guy was miserable fighting a stomach bug all day. And Chase was pretty bummed to be without his favorite playmate. I’m hopeful he rounded a corner this evening. Fingers crossed. 

Day 1589 | Chapter Books

We have been reading chapter books like they are picture books in this house lately. I’ve got to start putting parameters around “do you guys want to pick out a book to read?” Somehow, I end up getting sucked into a chapter book that we then finish in one sitting. It’s intense.

Don’t get me wrong, not all of these chapter books are terribly long. Some don’t take much longer to read than the long picture books we’ve got. But those are pretty scarce around here. Instead, we’re reading full Magic Treehouse books or entire A to Z Mystery.

In case you’re looking for recommendations, here are a few of our favorites.

MY FAVORITE CHAPTER BOOKS

• The Boxcar Children — These books have gotten us through more car rides than I can remember. Thank goodness for audio books. But we’ve read just as many on our couch at home, too.

• Dog Man — I have to admit that these aren’t my favorite, but Chase loves them. They are the first book he has willingly sat by himself and read cover to cover. It helps that they are graphic novels with short sentences and lots of pictures. Robbe likes that, too.

• A to Z Mysteries — We love mysteries at our house. This is a good series with young kids as the main characters. I always appreciate the clean language and kind messages attached to the stories.

• The Owl Diaries — These are quick reads, but very cute. Robbe really likes these. There are lots of pictures and there is a lot to look at on every page.

• Narwhal and Jelly — Pretty quick read with lots of silliness. The boys giggled and giggled during these.

• Ricky Ricotta’s Mighty Robot — This was one of the first series we read. I wouldn’t say there’s a lot of educational value with these but they keep the boys’ attention and got them excited about the idea of reading all the books in order.

• The Magic Treehouse — This is our newest series and we’re all pretty excited about them. I think we’ve made it through around 8-10 of them so far. Each book takes you on an adventure that involves learning some real facts along the way. Win! Chase tends to prefer graphic novels when he’s reading on his own but he’s started reading these solo now, too. It’s hard to say who is more excited about that: me or him.

• Ivy + Bean, Bad Kitty, Flat Stanley, and The Bad Guys are all new series that we found at the library recently. We’ve just read the first book of all three series, but they were all well received by the experts. We’ll be getting the #2 books when we go back

So those are all books that I would recommend, both as a parent and as a reader (who would also like to enjoy what I’m reading every now and then). On the flip side of the coin, here’s a list of a few chapter books I really can’t stand.

NOT MY FAVORITE CHAPTER BOOKS

• Geronimo Stilton — The story lines, the language, the way female characters are portrayed…I just don’t like these. The boys were big fans and will still ask to pick them out at the library but I cannot stomach reading them when there are so many other great options out there.

• DC Super Heroes — The super hero chapter books are terrible. I just don’t understand why there can’t be some decent storylines or takeaway messages. With that said, we still read these quite frequently. The boys love them and they aren’t offensive, so I do my best to let my strong dislike go.

• Super Pets — These are better than the regular super hero books, but not much. I feel like there’s a bit less violence and the animals are the main characters so there are less scantily clad women and bulky men prancing around.

• Scooby Doo — Again, this series is a crowd pleaser at our house and we oftentimes come home with one or two Scooby Doos from the library but the chapter books are not written particularly well and the storylines tend to be very similar from one book to the next.

• Pokemon — Not only are the books are crazy intense to look at and the storylines very complicated to follow (because of unfamiliar names, concepts, and locations) but the books are read right to left (basically from back to front). There’s a cultural lesson to be learned here about how not everyone reads left to right, but not for my emerging readers! This seems unnecessarily confusing for their young minds.

Day 1588 | Dragons Love Tacos

The boys got the Dragons Love Tacos book as a gift from a neighbor awhile back. And today we got to see a play based on the book. The local theater group did a great job and the boys loved it. Yay for supporting the local art scene! 

Day 1587 | Snow Day #6/#7

Here we are. Another snow day. That’s #6 for Chase and #7 for Robbe (he had a day off when Chase just had a delayed start yesterday). This is the craziest stretch of snow days ever (they’ve all been in the last two weeks). Even for Wisconsin. At least the temperatures were decent enough to play outside, though. That’s something!