Day 545 | Happy Halloween!

Sweet Robbe was the perfect puppy (a dalmatian, to be exact) and Chase was a friendly firefighter (after deciding he wanted to be a person, instead of an animal, this year).

I wouldn't say everyone was feeling 100% today, but that didn't keep us down. Two short Halloween outings to take advantage of a beautiful fall day was just what we needed. We're hoping tomorrow greets us with an extra bit of sleep and everyone healthy.

Day 544 | Flowers Make it Better

My mom sent me these beautiful flowers to brighten my day and boy did they! Thank you, mom. 

Moms always know just what to do, don't they? Maybe I'll play that role for my boys some day. Maybe. 

Day 543 | Snuggles

Man, kids need a lot of snuggles when they're sick. Normally, I'm on board with this, but, as it turns out, I'm not much of a snuggler when I'm sick (yep, I caught the bug), so it's quite a tricky situation. Not surprisingly, the sweet requests for snuggles usually wins out. Maybe we'll manage a few snuggle-free moments tomorrow.

Day 542 | Just a Photo

I'm taking a sick day today so I'll just post this adorable photo with no witty banter. Here's hoping for a better day tomorrow.

Day 541 | The Never Ending Sick Days

Yep. Another sick day today. Man, this is getting old. This time fever struck both boys and left them nearly energy-less all day. It's a bizarre scene to go from two never-stop-moving toddlers to today's listlessness.

In case anyone is listening, we're ready to be healthy again at our house. Thanks in advance. 

Day 540 | Pumpkin Craft

I was feeling inspired last week and got out some clay for the boys to make these sweet pumpkins. We went on a scavenger hunt for the "stems" and then rolled the clay into balls, smooshed them into a flatter circle, and used a paintbrush to make the ridges around each pumpkin. It was the perfect length craft for these two busy-bodies to stay interested in. 

And, four days later, we painted our new friends orange. Both boys really got into the painting. It makes me think I should suck it up and let them make the mess more often. Maybe that'll be my resolution for the New Year!

Day 539 | Three Year Old Pumpkin Dreams

It was pumpkin madness around here today! Pumpkin carving, pumpkin bars, pumpkin cookies. Halloween here we come!

You might be curious about our pumpkin designs. Chase requested "a snowman" and "Paw Patrol". This is what we came up with. I usually do a cat pumpkin (do you remember?) so the paw print wasn't too much of a stretch for me but the snowman was definitely out of Chris's normal carving subjects. We feel pretty happy about how they both turned out.

Day 538 | Pumpkins

Any guesses about what fun fall activity we have in store for us tomorrow?

Day 537 | Lattes

I think I'm slightly obsessed with lattes. It all started when we bought our own latte maker and it only kicks up a notch when the weather gets cooler.

I was lucky enough to enjoy this gem when I was out (alone!) for lunch today. And it was glorious. 

Day 536 | Cute Boy

I've been doing several posts without any cute shots of my boys lately. I'm sure you've been missing them, so here you go. Sweet Robbe at the park on this glorious fall day.  Doesn't he look so grown up here?

Day 535 | Halloween Sneak Peek

To stick with District Day Dreams tradition, here's this year's Halloween costume sneak peek. Can you guess what the boys will be? One clue: they're not matching this year. Coordinating? Yes! But not matching (Uncle Matt should be relieved).

Day 534 | Baby Gifts

Check out my latest gifts for two sets of dear friends who just added little ones to their families.

In case you're new to the blog, this is the same technique for faux-screen printing I've used many times before. Here's the first time I did it with a tutorial included.

I have to say, now that my boys have worn their own shirts that I've created over and over, I'm beyond pleased with how well these designs survive the wash and wear (*repeat*) of a toddler's lifestyle. The fabric paint undoubtedly outlives the amount of time the boys fit into the clothes!

Day 533 | Culture Queen

As promised, I gave the Busboys and Poets music class another chance. I went assuming it would probably be the same scene of chaos and uninvolved caregivers but was quickly proven wrong. Today's performer really wrangled in the crowd and forced participation...my kind of scene!

The Culture Queen was great. She was exuberant and stayed in character throughout the 1.5 hour show. An impressive feat to be sure. Robbe (and I) enjoyed the dancing, reading, exercising, singing, tambourine-playing, learning, and everything else. Thank you, Culture Queen, for a worthwhile morning outing.

It turns out the Busboys and Poets events have hope after all. I'm happy to say, I'll be back.

Day 532 | Takoma Street Festival

We made it back to the Takoma Street Festival for the second year in a row: we're regulars!

We sampled some farmers' market produce (and even found some Cortlands to buy...the best!), crafted a bit, bounced in the jumpy castle (Robbe's first time...and he loved it!), did some Christmas shopping (yep, I'm a planner), listened to a kids concert, and just enjoyed the overall atmosphere. It's good to be home. 

Chase concluded the morning stroll with, "I liked that festival." Me too, buddy. 

Day 531 | It All Comes to an End

We made it home safe and sound after another wonderful vacation. I'm not signing up for another car trip anytime soon but it was all worth it.

Thank you just doesn't begin to cover it, Grandma and Grandpa M. We had a blast. 

Day 530 | A Little Slice of Paradise

Seriously, can you imagine anything more beautiful? An inspiring sunrise led into another enjoyable (albeit, more low key) day.

It's going to be rough to say goodbye tomorrow...

Day 529 | Fishies

We saw lot (and lots!) of fishies today at the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center. Oh, and there were some sting rays (we got to pet them!), sharks (no petting, sorry), seals, an alligator named Gloria, and some robot dinosaurs (not sure how they fit into the aquatic theme but they were pretty cool). Good times had by all.

Day 528 | Petting Farm Fun

Look what we did this afternoon! We got up close and personal with some farm friends. I wouldn't say the boys were overly excited to be petting these guys, but they did it. And that definitely counts for something.

Thanks, Hunt Club Farm, for a wonderful fall afternoon.

Day 527 | Beach Day

The only time 80 degrees in October is ok? When you're headed to the beach! And that's just what we did this morning. It. Was. Glorious.

Perfect temperature, quiet beach, great company. Glorious. It's possible the experience could have been a *bit* more enjoyable if Robbe wasn't terrified of the sand, but that's our fault for not exposing the poor kid to it more often. Note to self: more beach days needed.

Oh, and I captured my headstand on film. Well, Chris actually captured it, but I did it! And in the sand, no less. I'm back!

Day 526 | Highs and Lows

Unlike yesterday's morning of highs, today's morning ended with us making a trip to urgent care for poor Robbe. His nasty cold just keeps getting worse and we all needed the peace of mind knowing there wasn't a deeper problem. The verdict? No deeper problem. Just a nasty cold backing up into his eyes. Good and bad news since we were hoping to help him feel better and it turns out he just needs to fight it off on his own. Fingers crossed for a better night's sleep tonight to aid that process.

To recover from the less-than-ideal vacation morning, Chris took his parents to walk the Virginia Beach Boardwalk and then all of us played on "our beach" after nap. We even saw a rainbow!

Oh, the other highlight? I did yoga on our balcony overlooking the ocean. To say it was amazing just doesn't cut it. I even managed to get into headstand unassisted for the first time since the babies. Woohoo!