This big guy started his first-ever solo swimming lessons today. No hesitation and he declared it was "awesome" afterward. His favorite part was when he did the front float. I'd call that a success.
Now if only Robbe could join him in the pool. He missed the cut off by one (1!) month! Oh well, there's always the next session.
My back has been particularly bad lately (you didn't think I had miraculously healed, did you?). My attempt at getting to yoga more often didn't help (and my wrist wasn't really feeling that, either). My 2+ miles of walking every day hasn't helped. The boys getting bigger and not needing as much lifting (no more crib!) hasn't helped.
Urgh. I was really hoping the yoga+walking+limited lifting would be the right equation to give me some relief. Not so much.
Today started my new game plan: strengthening. I signed up for this Momma Strong program. It's fifteen-ish minutes a day and focuses on some of the serious problem areas for moms. I'm still not convinced I can find the extra time or reallocate my time to fit this work out in on a daily basis--crazy right, since it's only 15 minutes! I already feel like things are falling through the cracks, but it's time to start really focussing on this back problem and I'm hopeful that finding this extra 15 minutes (ok, more like 30 when you consider set-up, clothes-change, work out, + clean-up) in my day to make me feel better. The slogan for Momma Strong is "Begin Again" and that's what I'm signing up for.
My goal is that by posting it here, I'll be motivated to find the time. Seems like a good plan, right? Want to join me in this crazy experiment? It's just $2/month. I know...I can't believe it either.
Jump over here to sign up. And then let me know you did so we can start chatting about it + motivating each other.
I delegated the task of dinner prep to my two small children recently. Well, that's how they perceived it anyway. In reality, I heavily supervised every second of the mini pizza prep (obviously), but man were they proud of themselves for "making dinner." It was adorable.
How do you rope your kids into making such a healthy (not really) + delicious (totally!) meal? It's all super fun stuff: squishing out biscuit dough into flat circles, spreading the sauce, applying pepperoni, sprinkling the cheese. I was *almost* sad to delegate.
The boys did have a ton of fun, though, and are excited about making us dinner again soon. Yippee!
*Special note: I recommend using parchment paper to line your baking pan so you don't have to worry about all the periphery cheese that didn't quite make it onto the pizzas.
Dear DC Friends,
I miss you. Terribly.
You know who you are and you know how important you are to me (and not just those pictured above, for the record). I lived in a city for close to ten years with no family. That's not true. You turned into my family. When my back went out, you helped rear my children. When I was sick, you dropped off a meal. When I couldn't shoulder the weight of motherhood on my own anymore, you offered distraction + laughter. When I was deliberating the countless child-focused decisions along the way (when to wean, how to select a doctor, when to stop swaddling, which school to attend, etc), you offered an ear, guidance, and suggestions.
Thank you. Thank you SO much. I am beyond grateful to have crossed paths with you at the park or at school drop off or at a playgroup and I'm saddened every day to not see your smiling faces anymore. I hope you know how much you meant to me at the time and now I hope you know that you are not forgotten. The opposite, actually. I find my thoughts wandering to all of you every single day.
There are big things happening in DC right now (and not just politically). I mean, each one of you is going through a pretty substantial life event right now and I'm devastated that I can't be there to be walking side-by-side with you through these moments. I would do just about anything to spend two hours (or more...I'd take so much more!) with each of you just to let you talk and tell me what your life is like right now. So much has changed in six months. I want to help with childcare. I want to deliver a meal. I want to give hugs and offer a supportive ear. I want to be with you.
I'll be back to DC for a visit soon (I promise!), but until then, I'm here. I want to stay connected with you in a real way even though lives with little ones are crazy and it seems like we don't have time for anything. Ever. I'll make time for you. Your friendship is important to me.
I miss you, dear friends.
Love,
Sara
Check out this AMAZING eucalyptus wreath I made at a workshop last night. I'm completely *obsessed* with it. A wire circle form, a couple varieties of eucalyptus, some sprigs of lavender, and a few billy buttons (the adorable yellow flower)...and there you go. Did I mention how the smell is to die for as well? It is.
The workshop was held at this sweet local boutique: Red's Merchantile. I'm hoping you'll see future crafts from me coming out of the workshops here. So fun!
It has been 10 days since we made the big switch to having the boys share a room. In case you're wondering how the transition has been going, I wanted to provide an update. In four words, here's how I would describe our current bunkbed buddy situation:
The boys have had no adverse reaction to the new sleeping arrangement...at all. They love falling asleep together and, even more, they love waking up to seeing their best friend immediately in their face.
Kids and transitions can surprise you sometimes, can't they? I wasn't worried about moving Robbe out of his crib (he's been napping in the bunkbed for months now, after all), but I wasn't sure how the boys would handle the noises and close proximity of a sleeping friend. I just love that they love it so much.
I made these delicious muffins for my friend's blog and they're too good not to share (and archive) here as well. Seriously. So good.
Here's the link to Mary Catherine's blog with more of an intro + extra photos. For mine, I'll just post the recipe. Enjoy!
Prep time: 20 minutes | Cook time: 20 minutes | Total time: 40 minutes
Yield: 11 muffins
Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup white whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
zest of ½ lemon, finely chopped
*1/2 cup virgin coconut oil, melted
1 cup mashed ripe banana (approximately 3 bananas)
1/4 cup honey
1 large egg, preferably at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
3/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, divided
*A bit of advice as you melt the coconut butter: scoop slightly more than the desired liquid amount into a microwave-safe bowl or glass measuring cup. Melt in 15 second increments in the microwave, stirring after every 15 seconds. Continue until all solid chucks are dissolved. Mine took about 45 seconds to melt.
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a muffin tin or line the tin with muffin liners.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and lemon zest. Stir in ½ cup shredded coconut.
In a separate, medium bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, mashed banana, honey, egg and extracts.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
Divide batter among prepared muffin cups (feel free to fill pretty high, they don’t rise very much), then sprinkle the muffin tops with the remaining ¼ cup coconut (about 1 to 2 teaspoons each).
Bake for about 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer muffins to a cooling rack and let them cool.
I checked the first of the 10 Actions / 100 Days off my list today. Two postcards. One to each of my senators. Check!
If you're interested in having your voice heard, click here to get all the information.
Nothing terribly exciting about today's post. Sorry.
I am writing this mostly in a selfish attempt to remember how to deep clean my own sink. Every time I do it, I have to hunt for the website I've used in the past. If I include it here, then I can find it next time. Yes!
I know good old Comet would clean my sink really well, but somehow the chemicals in that cleaner cleaning the surface where my food spends a lot of time, just isn't my favorite. I do my best to use natural cleaners wherever I can. No judgement to anything anyone else does, just my preference.
Anyway, these simple + natural ingredients do the job really well. Give it a try, I bet you won't be disappointed.
Here's the website with the tutorial I followed. All you need is baking soda, vinegar, a lemon (or orange), and olive oil. I actually had all of these on hand--it was a miracle!
The basic steps are as follows:
It's been a busy few days so I didn't get to report Friday's big news: Robbe got his first real (non-mom) haircut! Both boys went to the salon and they're looking pretty stylish, I have to say.
Robbe was a champ! He smiled at himself in the mirror the whole time. It. Was. Adorable.
On a side note, check out the 10 Actions / 100 Days movement that encourages the passion + electricity of the Women's March from yesterday to continue. I signed up. Want to join?
Although my heart was in DC today, we did our part by supporting the Women's March here in EC. Hundreds of folks showed up on this gloomy day to support each other and our community. I'm making slow progress on the "do something" goal I've set for myself. One step at a time, right?
I'm not going to make this into another novel (like yesterday's post), but I will add one note about today's march. As we were rounding a corner with our ending point in site, a bald eagle flew very low directly above our heads. The spirit of America in it's purest form! I got goosebumps. No joke.
Also, we're famous. If you look closely at either of these two local newscasts, you can spot the burley (the giant blue + yellow stroller) and my white coat. Yeah, we're happy to sign autographs the next time you see us.
Inauguration Day 2009. Photo credit: Jason.
The scene is gloomy around here. Not only outside the window where the sun hasn't shined all day and a constant drizzle fills the air, but inside, too. That's how I feel: gloomy. I'm trying hard not to dwell in the things I can't change and instead focus on what I can do. That's hard, though, when just eight years ago on this exact day I was filled with more excitement + enthusiasm + hope than I remember ever feeling.
Back in 2009, Chris and I headed down to the Mall in Washington, DC (we used to live there, remember?) to welcome + celebrate the inauguration of our 44th President: Barack Obama. I have a terrible memory, Chris can testify to this fact, but I can remember the emotion and butterflies I felt that day like it was yesterday. It dawned on me this morning that I have a written report of that day that I sent to some close family members on January 19, 2009. I've shared it below, in case anyone is desperately in need of reading material. I remember that girl. I remember those moments. I remember the hush that went over the massive crowd.
A lot has changed over these past eight years, no doubt. But as I look forward, I am thankful to live in a country where even a contentious election results in a peaceful exchange of power. And I think of all of those folks that are feeling that deep sense of hope in our 45th President. Maybe he'll surprise us (in a good way). I hope so.
Upon further reflection, I also realize that I'm missing my DC home + friends dearly. It feels strange to be watching the events of today unfold here, in Wisconsin, after being there, in DC, for the last two inaugurations. Although I rarely felt connected to the political scene there, just living there and walking those streets and being surrounded by the importance + history of it all was enough. Today I'm feeling disconnected. Disconnected with my friends who are still there (and who I miss constantly, for the record) and are going about their day-to-day tasks while a monumental event occurs just miles away (because that's what you do when you live there). And disconnected with my country as this democratically-elected official takes the oath of office.
Maybe the sun will shine tomorrow. Ok, maybe not tomorrow...but someday. Some day.
**Note: if you read through this replay of my experience of the 2009 inauguration, you'll see I mention the number of people on the Mall that day. Here's a link to a photo of that day in 2009 vs. today's crowd...in case you're wondering.
Awesome. Just Awesome.
It’s an overused word that still doesn’t seem to express the emotion of the day.
Our trip to the Mall started last night when we drove down to Chris’s brother’s house. They live about 15 minutes from the Capital so we were able to avoid all modes of transportation. We started getting “high traffic” alerts at 5am. The Mall opened up at 4am along with the Metro and the parade viewing area opened up at 7am. We woke up at 6am and planned on leaving at 7-which we did. The swearing in ceremony started at 11:30am, so we weren’t expecting to get an amazing view, but we definitely didn’t expect the mass of people we had to contend with. We packed blankets and food because we thought we’d be able to spread out a little-that definitely didn’t happen. But I’m getting ahead of myself.
Again, we left at 7am. I mentioned that we were about a 15 minute walk to the Mall. Because the parade route was between us and the Mall, we had to walk all the way around the Capital and enter from the opposite side. All the roads were closed downtown so we were walking in the middle of a major lifeline into the city-a six lane road. The site of that was enough to trigger the feeling of “this is something special”. Slowly but surely, we merged with more and more people. By the time we were about 1/2 mile from the Mall we were engulfed in wall to wall people. We just kept moving and finally ended up at our destination around 8:15am. We realized very quickly that there would be no sitting for the next four hours. By the time we found our spot, we were about a 1/2 mile away from the Capital, but managed to get pretty close to a jumbo-tron. Everyone was literally shoulder to shoulder. The parade route that opened up at 7am was closed by 9:15am because it had reached capacity.
Although it was not an ideal situation for anyone, the crowd was in good spirits. People would break into occasional outbursts of Obama chants and the jumbo-trons were replaying the concert from Sunday so there was a little entertainment. We spent most of the time concentrating on staying warm. Oh, and did I mention that our 11 month old niece was with us, too? She was fantastic actually-a real trooper!
It’s hard to express the emotion of the actual ceremony. The wait in the cold all of a sudden didn’t seem so bad when Obama and his family stepped out. The mass of people just erupted.
Obama’s speech was exactly what it needed to be. I think the crowd (including us) would have listened to him for hours. Who knows if it will be quoted for years to come, but it’ll definitely be a speech that goes down in history. The pure jubilation in the crowd of millions (the latest estimate is 2.2 million), was utterly breathtaking. It was an extremely diverse group of people which reflects the variety of people that Obama has touched. What an amazing day in history—all of a sudden the “American Dream” that we all hear about seems possible once again, even if the world we’re currently in is struggling a little. The theme of the Obama campaign was realized-the crowd was filled with the hope that Obama often spoke of.
Since the parade route was filled, that was the end of our Inauguration experience. We patiently filed out of the Mall along with the millions of others. We happily walked by the blocks and blocks of lines for the Metro and buses. Our walk back took about an hour and a half and was filled with some reflection, but mostly just enthusiasm for the moment.
Looking back, it won’t be the long walks or the standing for hours or the massive number of people that stick out in my mind. I’ll always remember being one of the 2.2 million people standing speechless and practically breathless as Obama spoke his first words as our 44th President.
Here are some great photos that my brother in-law took that day.
-The journey begins
-Waiting
-What the crowd has been waiting for
-Heading home
I've been dreaming of this project since we painted Chase's room back in August. He said he wanted a space theme. Then, I saw this framed string art rocket for sale at Target. I thought to myself, "that's really cute". That turned into..."I want to create that...big...on Chase's wall". Ta-da! It finally happened.
I don't have any handy online tutorial to share...I'm sure there is one but I had my image so I just ran with it. In case you're curious, though, I've included a few additional photos so you can see my process.
I took the Target art image and then blew it up to about 45" long. I did this in Photoshop so I could print separate 8.5"x11" pages that I could then puzzle-piece together on the wall. I debated about just winging it and not using a hard-copy template but it was *so much* easier to do the nails this way. No guessing game or over-analyzing positions.
After I printed and cut out the image, I taped it up on Chase's wall in the exact position I wanted the string art.
With my template in place, I copied the nail holes from the Target art. I used cedar shingle nails because they had a little larger head (definitely needed for some of the more "popular" nails). I did have one little glitch (of course!) and chipped away some paint around one of the nail holes. That's a problem for future Sara to fix.
I didn't really know what my strategy for the yarn wrapping was going to be so I just played around a bit until I found a system that would work. I ended up tripling each line of the image (that's just how my wrapping technique played out). I could have gotten away with just double strands (in fact, some of the orange is), but I like the thicker blue outlines.
I'm pretty pleased with the final product. The boys were more excited about the random wall art than I expected, too, which was nice.
Now...what to tackle next?
It was 40° and sunny today. That might not seem like much to those of you in warmer climates, but that's HUGE here. It felt like a teeny glimmer of spring in the dead of winter and it was very welcomed.
Oh, except from a walking perspective. Our walk to school today was the toughest yet (and that includes the -17° days). Between the slush (both frozen + melted) and the 5 to 10-inch-deep pools of water at the end of every driveway and sidewalk intersection, it was not an easy walk for me and the Burley. Hard to say if tomorrow's forecast of the same "high" temps will result in an easier trek or more of the ice + slush obstacle course from today.
I know I've been posting some pretty beautiful snapshots of winter over the last month (like this one and this one). It's hard to believe, but it's not always as pristine and picturesque. Here's a shot of our house today after rain + snow turned into a mess of slush and ice as it froze and then melted. In case you can't tell, that's about five inches of pooled water at the end of our driveway. Winter is not always the cutest, it turns out.
I did force the boys outside for a bit of fresh air (it was a snow day from school due the ice) and they managed to last about 30 minutes before getting completely soaked. Shout out to Lands End snow pants for keeping Chase completely dry after sledding repeatedly into the slush. Robbe's off-brand snow pants didn't *quite* do the job. Poor little guy. He recovered quickly, though.
I know I sometimes brag about our big days around here but today (TODAY!) was a really BIG one. My baby is officially not a baby anymore. Remember this post about saying goodbye to *one of* the last ties to babyhood? Today's accomplishment may have actually severed the last tie.
Robbe graduated from his crib. Yep. Big...right?!? He and Chase slept happily (and all night) as bunkbed buddies and couldn't have been in better spirits when they woke up (talking in monkey-talk, for the record). So proud of my little peanuts.
We are lucky enough to see these crazy cats at least one or two times a week, in some combination. Super lucky, right? Well get this...tonight all three of the girls could be here so we got the whole family for several hours (even though Ann isn't pictured above)! Whoop whoop!
Have I mentioned how much we love the chairs we bought for the family room? They spin! Talk about fun for the whole family. It shouldn't surprise you to hear that our kids (and our friends' kids) have gotten hours of enjoyment out of quickening + perfecting their spin technique.
Are you jealous of my coffee dates this morning? You should be! We had the best time. They even shared their snacky-snacks with me. That's true love.
I thought my days of attending open houses was over when we moved across country. Nope. Turns out I'm just as frantic trying to find educational homes for my little guys here, too. Urgh.
Two preschool open houses this week. One elementary school open house today and one more next week. Sheesh. It's a lot of pressure to find the right school. Luckily, there's much less at stake this year. Chase has an inbounds school for kindergarten that I'm sure is just lovely (that's the tour next week) and there are lots of options for Robbe (he'll be going too next year!), I just need relax about it and have faith that something will work out. Easier said than done.
Think happy thoughts!
small city | BIG DAYS
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