We actually made it out of the house with a couple of minutes to spare this morning (shocking, I know). I forced the boys to stop on the bridge for this bike-ride commute selfie. I’m not sure how many more mornings we’ll have with this beautiful weather. I wanted to make sure to capture it.
We finally got the warm snap we were hoping for. I was worried that we were going to miss this last jolt of summer—fall seemed to be knocking at the door way too early.
But the temps are warm this week and that means one last trip to the pool. Now I’m ok welcoming fall with open arms (and my favorite scarves).
Just a lazy Sunday morning around here. Comics in one had a mug in the other. Pretty standard.
Grandma Bibi is here this weekend so we had to show her a good time. Enter the exotic animal petting zoo at a local garden store. There weren’t a ton of animals but the boys were happy. They’re favorites? The kangaroo, baby alligators, and turtles. Also, Robbe painted a pumpkin.
It was a good day.
About one year ago, I took the photo on the left because Chase had the beginnings of a wiggly tooth and I knew I needed a really good picture of his perfect little kid smile. Today, he lost the last of his eight front teeth and boys does he look different. I love the age he’s at—he’s so smart and witty and fun to be around—but I do miss that sweet innocent smile. It’s not just his smile, he’s much different than he was a year ago, too. That’s good in so many ways, but also a little sad.
It’s a good thing I took the picture. :)
Robbe had the choice of any comforter and this was the perfect one. It’s an ombré teal design with two teal ribbons running the length of it. His unpredictability is one of my favorite things about him.
Both of these kiddos are in school full time. That’s seven hours a day without children. This type of schedule hasn’t existed for me in seven and a half years. That’s a lot of years.
I was hoping I’d have time for a thorough and thoughtful post about how all of this is sinking in—and it’ll come eventually—but for now I’m playing catch up. On everything, it feels like.
Someday (hopefully soon) I’ll process what this new chapter means for me. I’ll feel caught up on life for the first time in a long long time (again, hopefully). I’ll be able to put away my computer at night and do things like craft, and puzzle, and read.
I’m not quite there yet—but I can see it on the horizon and it’s close enough to touch.
I realized that I never showcased my final pottery products after my mom and I finished up our five-week course.
I made a smattering of bowls, a sweet little thumbprint mug, and some bird feeders (not pictured). My collection isn’t perfect but it does make me smile. If only I had access to a pottery wheel and kiln a little closer to home, I’d say this could be a real hobby for me! Maybe someday.
How did you spend your Saturday night? I bet it wasn’t nearly as fun as playing electrician and replacing all of the almond and brown outlets with white ones in our basement. Sixteen in total. We’re pretty much experts.
Not too bad if you like rivers and what not.
We’re two for two with biking to school so far. Fingers crossed the weather cooperates tomorrow morning to make it three for three.
Look at these two adorable back-to-school. They happily disappeared into a sea of their friends without looking back. I actually had to stop both of them to request a goodbye hug. I’m not complaining. I’m in credibly proud of our boys.
Back to School 2018
Back to School 2017: Robbe
Back to School 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017: Chase
School officially starts for these two tomorrow but we had “signing day” today where we stopped by school, dropped off classroom supplies, and hung out with the teachers a bit. It was good to be back.
It’s been a great summer. I worked more than I expected so the balancing act was a bit trickier than I had hoped for, but it all worked out ok and the boys didn’t seem to mind/notice my preoccupation. I’m thankful that we had our Summer Bucket List to keep us on track. Unfortunately, we didn’t cross everything off the list, but I’d say we did pretty good! Plus there were a couple of add-ons (Madison weekend + _______) that we didn’t even plan for.
Summer is the best, isn’t it? And it feels more special because it’s so fleeting. But the boys are ready…and after the last couple of days, I’m ready, too. I’m ready for routine. I’m ready for [slightly] cooler temps. I’m ready to see my boys grow and blossom in ways I can’t imagine (and could never bring out in them). I’m ready to have some kid-free time to find myself again—it’s been seven and a half years, after all (more on that to come).
Happy school year, everyone!
Catch frogs — done!
Playdate with Malcolm — done!
Go bowling — done!
Make a movie
Lots of playdates with Edwin — done!
Go camping
Attend Chalkfest — done!
Sleepover at Grandma and Grandpa’s — done!
Attend Harry Potter’s Birthday at the public library — done!
Go tubing down the river by our house
Practice stand up paddle boarding — done!
Visit the Upper Peninsula
Chris and I met in Madison. I’m sure you know that. This city will always hold a special place in my heart. It was so fun to take a quick trip to introduce the boys to the fun that is Madison. They were great sports. They let us reminisce and schlep them all around campus. They had enjoyed experiencing the farmers market and the State Capital. We met up with old friends and met their new baby. Also we saw penguins and polar bears. It was really great. See below for the far-too-many photos that I took.
What do you do with your last day of summer vacation? Whatever you want, of course! We had a play date with a friends (and brought donuts). We had pasta pillows (ravioli) for lunch. We watched a movie AND played video games (Minecraft…our newest obsession). We played outside and ate dinner al fresco (including a surprise visit from grandma and grandpa). We stayed up past bedtime (for the boys, not us) to make a run for ice cream.
It was a good end to a really great summer. I’m happy to say that I’m sad to see the season come to an end. I’d rather be in this situation than waiting to kick them out the door. I just love these little nuggets so much. They’re fun to be around and make me laugh every single day. I’ll definitely miss my favorite buddies during the day—even if they end up with weird mustache/goatees after eating ice cream.
The boys and I spent the morning creating this sweet house for their Hatchimals. I may have gotten *as much* into the activity as them. It’s pretty sweet. I’ve included a video for the full tour.
As the days of summer slip away, we continue to check things off our bucket list (I promise I’ll post an updated one soon!).
Todays line item was “looking for new animals”. We headed to Beaver Creek Reaerve for this adventure. I managed to convince the boys to go on a ~2 mile hike and everything. The trail wasn’t well groomed, the mosquitoes were fierce, and the only animal we spotted was a butterfly (seriously…no birds or squirrels even), but we had a really good time. It was fun to see the boys in that environment without complaining or whining. Spontaneous adventures are fun—today was a good reminder of that.
Also, Robbe discovered that animals like to poop on stairs so it wasn’t a totally wasted trip.
It’s one of my favorite days of the year: back to school shopping with my mom and my brother’s girls. Thanks for treating us to a fun day, mom!
With another beautiful day and no plans, we got motivated and headed down to Alma to take in a view of the mighty Mississippi. We were hoping for a bit more of a hike, but the view was stunning. And the boys didn’t complain about an extra stop for ice cream afterward.
Man, it was a great day. Beautiful weather, a bike ride to get donuts and across my favorite bridge, a long-awaited movie, lots of time outside, and dinner with friends.
Summer is pretty wonderful.
We’re officially in countdown mode before school starts. Seven days. That’s crazy.
The beautiful weather combined with the urgency of the waning summer motivated us to bike down to an outdoor concert. It’s been on our list all season and has somehow escaped us.
It might have been a short excursion for us, but it counts! I’ll update our summer bucket list soon.
small city | BIG DAYS
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