It was Robbe's turn for a summer camp today! He's so pumped to be doing this little mini camp with the Eau Claire Parks and Rec. It's 4 days this week but only for 45 minutes/day. It's the perfect introduction to life away from Chase and me. And Robbe couldn't be happier about it. Yay for independent kiddos!
Today was about the perfect combination of fun and productivity. We went for a morning jaunt to the park and then spent the afternoon getting our bikes fixed, doing a bit of house cleaning, working on our house's curb appeal, updating our window seat fabric, and giving our dining room light fixture a facelift (photos of these last three to come). I'll take it.
*Special shout out to my parents for all their help on the house projects! We couldn't have managed it without you.
A surprisingly busy day included some swimming time, a family fun day, and a quick peek at a snake. It was a good day.
The boys have been asking to experiencen water balloons lately so tonight was the night. It wasn't quite warm enough for a full-fledged water fight but the boys had a blast chucking the little balloons about two feet in front of themselves.
And, in case you're wondering, Chris gave his approval to the new bulk water balloon filling system. 33 balloons in 30 seconds! He said our boys have thrown more balloons in one night than he has his whole life. Ha!
The heat kept us inside this afternoon (before we had to brave it for tball tonight) . With the need to do something to entertain ourselves, we got out our trusty science crafts book and decided to give the Oozing Slime a shot.
We mixed 1/2 of a cup (any size cup as long as the ratio is right) of cornstarch with 1/4 of that cup of cold water and a few drops of food coloring. Mix with a metal spoon and then finish mixing with your hands. The consistency ends up being both a solid and liquid. It's magic!
I'd like to say that the boys were fascinated by the magic--and Chase kind of was--but mostly they were just fixated on how dirty their hands got. Yep. They're my sons, no doubt.
It was still a fun activity and one I'm sure we'll try again.
Eau Claire is hot right now. And, although the temperature is the toastiest it has been this year, that's not what I'm talking about. After the Eaux Claires festival last month, the city has been getting some really fantastic press. Here are the two articles I've read in just the last couple of days (along with a little excerpt from each):
A hipster scene booms in Wisconsin
The city of 67,545 is a little Madison and a little Milwaukee, with plenty of outdoor activities, from biking to kayaking, thanks to its location at the confluence of two rivers; a college-town youthfulness that manifests in bars, breweries, and cafes; a growing dining scene with a focus on local foods; and a booming arts scene, thanks to locals like Justin Vernon, of the Grammy Award-winning band Bon Iver, and Nick Meyer, founder of the arts and culture magazine Volume One and a force behind some of the area's music events and festivals.
How Eau Claire became a magnet for artsy millennials in Wisconsin
...the bigger story is how deftly this former factory town has pivoted to embrace the arts, technology and innovation — boosting tourism and attracting new, young transplants in the process.
Read the articles. I promise they're interesting. If you don't already live here, you *might* just get the itch to visit. We've got two empty bedrooms waiting for guests! In case you need a bit more convincing, I've made this list of reasons to come.
Oh, there's one more Visit EC tie in: I had my first article posted on the Visit Eau Claire tourism site today. Check it out. Hopefully there will be lots more to share in the future. I had fun writing it.
It seems like only yesterday our house in DC was getting pelted with fireworks. And yet, somehow it seems like a lifetime ago, as well. Hopefully we don't wake up to the same damaged siding tomorrow as we did last year (thank goodness our new house is brick).
We had a really lovely holiday weekend. It was filled with all the main reasons for moving back: tons of family time-both planned visits and spontaneous gatherings. We enjoyed our quiet moments with the boys as well as the chaos of being surrounded by grandparents and extended cousins and aunts + uncles. We'll sleep well tonight after a busy and very satisfying weekend.
Two items off the summer list today. Whoop whoop!
Most of my family (we missed you Matt!) met up at the local baseball field for an Express Game. It was the perfect weather and the perfect introduction to a night at the ballpark for the boys. Aside from both of them falling down the bleachers, it was a huge success.
And, because we were up late already, we decided to light some tiny fireworks when we got home. Chase has been asking to see the real deal this year and they just start so late! We decided this would be a good introduction. Thank goodness we did it this way. Chase was scared out of his skin with just the little pops from the small boxes. I think it'll be another year or two until we're out for the big show.
Grandma and Grandpa are here so that means more puzzling! It's just so satisfying, you know? The boys even got the perfect challenging, but not too challenging, puzzles for them to hone their skills (100 pieces for Robbe and 200 for Chase). It's serious business around here.
small city | BIG DAYS
home | about | meet the team | work with me | contact
