Day 524 | Car Trip Success

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The deck was stacked against us: one sick baby (poor, goopey-eyed Robbe) and two babies that are not good car passengers. But...after five hours in the car, there were practically no meltdowns, at one point there were two sleeping babies (that's never happens!), and Chase only asked twice "how long 'til we get to vacation" (and that was when were only 20 minutes in).

The only bad news? We arrived after the sun went down so we couldn't take in our amazing (from what we can tell) ocean view. Stay tuned for a photo of that tomorrow. 

Hurry up and get here, Grandma and Grandpa M. We've got two very excited boys waiting to start this wonderful vacation. 

Day 523 | Another Journal

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Remember how I started this journal after Robbe was born? And remember that pesky little blog-thing I'm doing? Well apparently that wasn't enough to capture our daily lives around here. For the last couple months we've also been filling out this planner every day that Chris works. Chase and I go over Chase's day and write down everything that he wants to tell his daddy about when he gets home. It's very sweet and a wonderful glimpse into the life of our little guy-plus it guarantees I don't forget to mention any important details based solely on memory.

Almost all of the line items are directly from Chase's mouth (and they mostly make sense). I can't completely speak for both Chris and Chase, but I'm pretty sure it's one of their favorite parts of the day. Chase will tell me frequently to "make sure to remember to add that to the checklist." And he requests to review the list immediately when Chris walks through the door. I've had to remind him to ask his daddy how his day was first.

I think we're in the running to be the most-documented family ever--at least in the non-famous category.

Day 522 | About Right

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For the record, this is an amazing floor mat in our kitchen, not the condition of our actual floor. It is, however, the actual condition of the two broken wine glasses. :)
You know when you have those days where everything is just about perfect? Nope, this wasn't one of those at my house. After a tear-filled doctor appointment for Robbe (he's healthy and growing, though!), the afternoon was filled with more meltdowns. Not sure what's in the air lately but I'm hoping we move on quickly.

To top it off, amidst some of the crying, I managed to drop two wine glasses and shatter glass all over the kitchen counter and floor. Right before dinnertime (when everyone is about their least patient versions of themselves). 

We all survived (except the wine glasses, I guess) and managed to enjoy the remainder of the evening, however. Fingers crossed for an improved day tomorrow. 

Day 519 | Sick Day

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Chase is fighting some swollen, gooey eyes so I treated him to the cucumber eye treatment. He thought it was pretty funny.

Chase's first sick day. Sniffle, sniffle.

In reality, it was a pretty sad excuse for a sick day since there was no fever or projectile vomiting but I decided it wasn't worth subjecting any of his classmates or teachers to extra sick germs in order to send him. I was hoping for a restful, recooperative day for the little man. That goal was halfway successful. Here's hoping for a good night's sleep to aid the recovery and make me feel better about sending him tomorrow. 

Day 518 | Chili Time

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Another long, low key recovery day here. Unlike yesterday, though, we had a lovely evening spent with good friends and delicious chili. 

Interested in the yummy recipe that Chris has been honing over the last several years? You're in luck! He is willing to share it:

Chris's Chili

  • 1 lb ground turkey

  • 1 large red onion, diced

  • 3-4 garlic cloves, minced

  • 1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

  • 1 15 oz can light kidney beans, drained and rinsed

  • 1 15 oz can dark kidney beans, drained and rinsed

  • 4 15 oz cans of tomato sauce (or two big cans)

  • 2 10 oz cans of diced tomatoes with green chilies

  • 1-2 cups of frozen corn

  • Chili powder, ground cumin, paprika to taste

Directions

  • Saute the onion in olive oil.

  • Add the turkey and minced garlic, sprinkle with chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper, and cook until browned.

  • Add the remaining ingredients and additional seasoning to taste. Simmer on low until you are ready to eat (we usually cook for about two hours).

Serve with some shredded cheddar, noodles (Chris's preference), and cornbread (everyone's preference) and you've got the perfect fall meal. Enjoy!

Day 517 | Black and White Cookies

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The no-plans, rainy day has dragged on and on (and on and on) today. Seriously, it's 5pm as I type this and I wouldn't be surprised if you told me it was 7pm. One of those days.

To add a little excitement to our afternoon, I offered to make cookies for Chase. I made the mistake of asking what kind I should make and after looking at several recipes/photos online, of course he settled on the slightly-too-complicated Black and White Cookies. They do look delicious, don't they? And they are one of my favorite cookies, but not when I have to muster up the motivation to make them. Instead, I opted for the much-simpler Cracked Sugar Cookie recipe and then added "black" (more like brown) and white frosting in hopes of tricking Chase into thinking they were the real cookie he requested. It worked! Maybe not the most honest version of myself but no one was complaining during snack time.

For the record, these are a very quick and delicious sugar cookie variation. Definitely recommended.