This new restaurant + arcade opened last week and we’re pretty excited about it. We played some classic arcade games, some pinball, and even a new board game. I hope the new business is super successful and look forward to a return trip.
Thanks to the new domino competition show (new to us, anyway), we’re real into dominoes at the moment. It’s a mess, but they are fun. If we end up getting an epic topple, I’ll be sure to post a video.
I hope they’re always this close.
It was a beautiful Labor Day weekend. Lots of time outside. Lots of sunshine. And lots of family time. There was also a pretty epic pillow fort.
Things are getting serious over here. We now have a 3rd and 5th grader in the house. Both boys were beyond excited to be back in school and both had fantastic first days. They’re exhausted. But happy.
School supplies have been dropped off and the annual photo with your teacher has been captured. This is our fifth year having Ms. Jenny as a teacher and our second with Ms. Maddy. It sure it nice to have multiple years in the same classroom! Tomorrow is the big first day. These boys are ready to go back and are about as excited as they can be.
The next 100-day blog post landing on the last day of summer? What are the chances?!? To celebrate, we’re going to answer a couple of end of summer/school-related questions during our team update. It’s been a busy few weeks for us (can you tell by the lack of posts…sheesh!), but I’m hoping that along with school starting, a simpler routine will follow. I’ll let you know how that turns out. Ha!
FAVORITES: Reading all the books, school starting back up, dried mango (always), lazy mornings at the lake, making chocolate chip pancakes, soaking in all the warmth of a fading summer
BIGGEST HURDLE TO OVERCOME: Balancing design work, subbing, volunteer work, housework, and, oh yeah, being a mom (that little gig)
DREAMS FOR THE FUTURE: Getting the *hidden spots* in the house organized–some of these closets haven’t been touched in six years.
MOST EXCITING THING ABOUT SCHOOL STARTING: Not having to think about childcare!
WHAT SHE’LL MISS MOST AOBUT SUMMER: Weekday adventuring with two of my favorite humans
FAVORITES: Friday evening lake swims with the boys, scoring flight + hotel deals, any potato chips, preparing for his Fantasy Football season, yard games, perfectly cooked french fries, bunny interactions, family walks around the neighborhood
BIGGEST HURDLE TO OVERCOME: Coming to terms with the sunset arriving earlier and earlier
DREAMS FOR THE FUTURE: Getting back into top ultimate frisbee shape
MOST EXCITING THING ABOUT SCHOOL STARTING: Listing to all the great stories related to friends and recess
WHAT HE’LL MISS MOST ABOUT SUMMER: All the epic family badminton matches.
AGE: 10.5
FAVORITES: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel series, chocolate chip pancakes, chai tea lattes, playing video games (currently LEGO Star Wars), reading anything, setting up LEGO Mini-fig scenes, going for walks, debating his opinion, collecting pens, Banana the banana stuffed animal, chatting with grown-ups, Smarties candies
BIGGEST HURDLE TO OVERCOME: Waiting (patiently) for the Eau Claire library to reopen. The whole family is *very* excited but I think Chase might be the MOST excited. We'll be able to walk to get books again SO SOON!
DREAMS FOR THE FUTURE: Getting *slightly* taller to make riding his new bike a little easier.
MOST EXCITING THING ABOUT SCHOOL STARTING: Being with friends and getting out of the house
WHAT HE’LL MISS MOST AOBUT SUMMER: Being able to be lazy and read a lot
AGE: 8.5
FAVORITES: Breakfast cereal, Star Wars LEGOs, Star Wars movies, playing pickleball, Tootsie Pops, changing up his ice cream order, creating elaborate LEGO battles, doing swimming flip turns, stuffies (stuffed animals), chai tea lattes, playing video games, homemade mac + cheese, picking apples, Perry the Platypus (a stuffed animal), playing tag with Flopsy
BIGGEST HURDLE TO OVERCOME: Moderating his body temperature. This kid gets super hot or super cold very quickly. Maybe fall is the season for him!
DREAMS FOR THE FUTURE: Welcoming another foster cat into our family (we just don't know if Flopsy is ready for it).
MOST EXCITING THING ABOUT SCHOOL STARTING: Recess. And friends.
WHAT HE’LL MISS MOST AOBUT SUMMER: The chance to go on fun vacations
The last few days of summer vacation have flown by (like the rest of summer, I guess). Here are some moments captured along the way.
Since the weather wasn’t cooperating at the lake this weekend, we figured it was the perfect opportunity to try out a local mini golf establishment. The course wrapped around a wooded lot and provided just the entertainment we needed as we waited for some sunnier weather. I even beat Chris by one stroke! And I’m pretty sure I wasn’t cheating—he can back me up. :)
Sweet corn is definitely one of my favorite foods to harvest. After this year, I think the boys get it, too. It’s so easy to pick, the ears accumulate quickly, and it’s simple to know whether it’s ripe. Also, it’s delicious. Obviously.
The boys hit the babysitter jackpot this summer when our sweet neighbor agreed to hang out with them a couple of days a week. They went on all sorts of adventures, played a ton of board games, taught her a lot about LEGOs, and just enjoyed having hours of undivided attention. She’ll definitely be missed around here as she heads off to college, but we’re so excited for this next chapter in her life.
We were back at our favorite hike today. Some of us (me) thought it would be fun to try some place new. But some of us (the boys) decided that rock scampering outweighed a desire for adventure. I guess I can see their perspective.
We had such a fun weekend exploring parts of Chris’s hometown that we never have time for on quicker trips. Hanging out with the cousins was invaluable, the crafting with Chris’s mom was really fun, and the weather even cooperated. Maybe we need to take all of our vacations here from now on!
Check out this sweet water obstacle course. We ended up with a couple of [minor] injuries, but otherwise had a lovely time. To be clear, I didn’t go in, but the boys sure had a great morning of maneuvering the slippery obstacles.
We had such a great day yesterday. The boys and I went on a bit of a road trip to visit some friends. We ate breakfast for lunch, we visited a zoo in a mall, and we rolled some homemade ice cream. With summer coming to an end, it’s important to stuff as much into these days as possible.
The boys got these sweet wheel attachments in NYC and we just recently remembered they exist. Funny how that happens! They’re wheels that clip onto your heels, over your shoes. Our boys haven’t really attempted much roller or inline skating (not that it probably would have helped much here), so this was a completely new adventure. It took some hard work (and a couple of scrapped knees and elbows), but I’ve been impressed with their progress! I’ll try to catch a video at some point, too.
It was an oddly cool day (and slightly drizzly), but we opted for a hike at Perrot State Park and it was pretty great. We stopped at a toy store on the way home and the hike was still Chase’s favorite part is the day. That’s when you know it was a successful outing.
It’s a good day when you can hang out with two adorable puppies and four good friends.
I’ve been fighting our refrigerator for about 18 months. Today, we gave up the fight and welcomed a new model. Hopefully this means no more defrosting in our future. Fancy, right?
The boys and I enjoyed a lovely downtown stroll today while running a couple of errands. And then we stumbled upon this garbage bee. Pretty awesome, right?
small city | BIG DAYS
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