Another Boring Weekend Recap

Well, might as well make this blog consistent with yet ANOTHER 'we did *this*, and then we did *this*' update. I make no apologies, I'm feeling this type of straight-forward information sharing with extra pictures. Very old school/full circle or something.

Reasons this time of year is fantastic:

1. Impromptu walks to get FroYo after dinner. Still warm enough to walk outside as a family (without a gazillion layers and additional curse words in the winter). Still warm enough to enjoy frozen yogurt (always). It's not so hot that one wants to die from pushing a double stroller. Of course, Truman and Cecelia both wanted to ride their scooters on the way home and Porter wanted to scream at me while standing up and facing backwards in the BOB.

Truman created this and could not finish it, blasphemy.


Oh boy, we are so in trouble with this fatty.


Heart eyes, three kids, blah blah blah



2. Also, every Fall I want to chop off my hair. I pulled the trigger two years ago and went super short,  last year I was in a newborn baby haze, but this year I'm getting the itch again. I've been growing my hair out ever since that pixie haircut two years ago and it was SUCH a pain and super annoying to constantly feel like I had a mullet in process of getting it longer. And I really do love ponytails, and I know Nate really does not like my hair that short at all. BUT. I'm sort of over my hair at the moment, like woah.

Anyway, I had my stylist cut 'sort of' bangs a few weeks ago. I mostly wore them to the side, but I needed to do something about the weird hair regrowth issue at my hair line and that helped a little. And then the other day I couldn't get them to go to the side correctly, so I brushed them straight down and trimmed them to be a 'real' bang. It's kind of addicting to keep cutting them but I *think* I like them. I don't know yet, jury is still out. If I could wear them straight down and also have the rest of my hair in a real top knot, I'd be happy but the back isn't quite long enough to make that a reality. A lower pony tail is all I've got for now.

Enough hair talk, OMG, but Fall makes me want to CHOP it off again and pray that Nate still finds me attractive;)



3. I love Fall because my baby is not a baby anymore. And he's changed SO much in the past year!! I choose to think about all of the good parts of this change and nothing too sad, okay?



4. This is an awesome time of year because Truman is back in school and learning so much. He is gigantic, so smart, and is learning to read. For instance, part of the 'book' he made at school includes a story about Truman as a baby. It starts with the baby (sometimes spelled 'baby') in a cradle, then a crib, then a bed, and then finally in a highchair. He spelled this all out by ear including the words 'the end'. I have never seen the word 'end' spelled quite this way before!! So adorable.





5. Fall means soccer season right now (for the next several years possibly?). Truman had an 8:00 am game on Saturday which was painfully early, but it was a cool and overcast day and pretty much perfection. Some parents brought everyone coffee, donuts, the kids had snacks, and everyone was pretty excited about the entire ordeal. I'm sure in a few more weeks we'll all be in worse moods but this day was fun.







6. This has nothing to do with fall, but Cecelia didn't nap today for the first time in....ever? Hold me, I'm scared that this means the end of her 2-3 hour naps. She was mostly fine after just playing in her bed for a solid 45 minutes, and was happy to help me clean out the van during the rest of Porter's nap time. BUT, dinner time and bedtime were both horrendous for poor Cecelia. The level of whine was out of this world, meltdowns galore, etc. She sure is cute! Now keep napping, little one!





7. Also nothing about Fall, but this guy is going through some separation anxiety with me. As in, if I leave the kitchen and go into the basement he will scream 'mama mama mama'. When I left him with Nate to take the big kids to the dentist, Porter freaked out and was banging on the back door while yelling my name. Drop offs at Lori's have not been good, he won't leave my arms to go into anyone else's willing arms, and he is really just kind of obsessed with me. Very flattering but also not possible for us to be together 24/7 buddy. Thanks for saying 'cheese' for my phone when I snap your picture, though.



8. Fall = fire pit and s'more season! We had a few neighbors over for s'mores and drinks last night. Amazing, despite the numerous mosquito bites Truman, Cecelia, and myself endured. I thought it was too cold for those buggers but I guess not.



9. Sunday school, and then the playground after! Truman can now do a full set of monkey bars and Cecelia is rocking her pink cowboy boots with tights and a top knot non-stop.





10. I'm getting a sister-in-law (finally!!). Nate's brother officially proposed to Brittany and we are all SO stinking excited! The wedding will be next summer and Oregon and I teared up when I saw how happy they are in this picture. Weddings! I still love the crap out of them, and can't wait to have Brittany as another Mrs. Goolia ;)



11. And finally, I love this time of year because of the stereotypical Fall Family Fun activities such as apple picking. We didn't even attempt to go last year with itty bitty Porter, and the year before that I remember getting all ready to go and then T and C were melting down so we just skipped it. It might have been three years since we went to our favorite little low key place then, and we managed to go today! Highlights include Truman using my big camera almost the entire time, Cecelia freaking out over bees on the stomped apples on the ground, and Porter rubbing his eye so hard I thought it was going to swell shut. We also picked five pumpkins, a whole bag of gourds, and a boat load of apples so overall it was a big win. Just one of those things that is 'fun' with kids but also really a lot of work and kind of stressful and complete with a lot of whining. It was a short visit but just the right amount of time for us all!

The much-anticipated family shot I demanded. Nobody is ultra happy here but Truman's tourist status makes it all better.


'Really juicy' apples


She wasn't too enthused about being an apple picker


This guy was, for a bit! Also looking mighty old, right?


Another apple. I love those curls so much.




These two in all of their glory.


Then Truman took over the picture-taking, and surprisingly nailed it!


'I want to take a picture of all of our apples.'


'Smile for me, Porter!'


Porter feeding me without being asked.


I got the camera back just briefly.


Such a pretty time of year.


Found a rock in the gourd field.


Then Truman took over again and this is when Porter's eye was bugging him, plus the look on Cecelia's face is classic.


'I need at least one picture of the three kids before everyone is melting down even more.'


The big guys.


Pumpkins!


Sitting on pumpkins and eating apples.


My crew, real life smiles right there. I love these guys more than words.


Fall is great, life is good, pictures are fun. THE END (the uind).

A Big Weekend

Just a little recap of a jam-packed weekend over here...with one big motor milestone for my Porter-P;)

Friday:

Fridays are strange mornings because Nate leaves for work at 6:15 and I also go to work (much later!). Nate also leaves this early on Tuesdays and Thursdays but I don't have the added task of seeing my own patients on top of getting the kids ready, like I do on Fridays. Meaning on Fridays I have to shower and look presentable and mentally prepare for my PT job but I also have to do the morning kid routine alone. I feel like I might need to take off some Fridays in the near future;)

So this day I got out of bed before Nate left, then I somehow successfully got myself ready even though Porter was awake and 'helping' me. Getting all three fed, dressed, lunches prepped, and all of us out the door to school is no small task. It's amazing that we all get to where we need to go with minimal tears from all involved.

Porter found an old pacifier and thought it was hilarious to put it in his mouth. He wasn't actually used a nuk since he was maybe four months old, so it was pretty hilarious to see him pretending to use one. Also, Henry is growing out of Porter's head.


Truman's class at school earned a special treat because of their good behavior. They were allowed to wear their favorite hat to school all day, which Truman loved because he could wear his Rickie Fowler hat with pride (he's a golfer, Nate is super proud).


I then dropped Cecelia and Porter off at Lori's and came back to Truman's school to help with an obstacle course/fundraiser. It was hilarious and awesome and I'm glad my schedule is flexible enough to make volunteering in the classroom possible.


Friday was also the annual family movie night at Truman's school, but it was was moved indoors into the sweltering cafeteria. I much prefer the projector screen outside but Mother Nature did not allow. Truman and Cecelia stayed for the entire movie, meaning they returned home with Nate around 8:45pm. Porter and I lasted about an hour and I put him to bed around 7:45. Late all around! Highlight of the night was when Cecelia ate most of her 'special treat' of a Kit Kat but the rest melted all inside of the wrapper. So she of course hunted me down and made me deal with it. Which meant Porter spotted the chocolate and had to take it down, even though I had already given him a bath and he was in his pajamas. Also, did I mention it was hotter than Hades in the cafeteria? Still fun, would actually like to see the movie Home for real sometime, it looked cute.

Saturday:

Our family of five plus Tony and Lois drove to Madison to see Tony's mom, Grandma H. Yes, my kids actually have TWO great-grandmas in their lives, and it's getting harder for Grandma to come down and see us. I'm not sure she's ever met Porter before and now that life is feeling more settled, and an hour car ride does not seem like an impossible feat for us, I started feeling strongly that we needed to get up there and see Grandma more often. So we went for it on Saturday and it was well worth the trip, missed naps, and wonky schedule.

Grandma is doing well and she loved playing Go Fish with Truman and Nate. We brought donuts, chatted non-stop, and the kids especially enjoyed nearly breaking every delicate decoration in her house. There was one point when Porter was lunging for Nate's late Grandpa's (glass) memorial candle and I nearly screamed in return, and that is when I knew we needed to wrap things up. But all three kids loved playing with the motorized lift chairs, where enthralled with Grandma's canary, her old school puzzles, and those little solar powered dancing knick knack things. Grandma even let us take two of the plastic toys home and of course Cecelia broke hers within 2 minutes of entering our house. But all in all a great trip, and we were even brave enough to stop at Culvers on the way home, while fending off naps from the littles and pushing the limits of sanity.



Grandma loves the Ninja Turtle cards, and I love Truman's grin here.






Lift chairs rule.


Cecelia getting tired on the way home, being weird.


That night, Nate took Truman to a Brewers game so I was at home with CC and Porter. We ate a very elaborate dinner of 'stackers' (Ritz crackers, turkey and cheese) since the big guys were eating at the ballpark. And then, right after dinner, the three of us were headed back into the family room, just hanging out before early bedtime struck. Because both Porter and Cecelia napped horribly this day, CC falling asleep for just 15 minutes on the ride home from Madison. Porter sleeping 30 minutes on the way there. Both protesting 'real' naps once we got back home around 2pm.

So after all of that, I was looking forward to bedtime for everyone. But as we headed back into the family room for some play time, Porter stood up and took a freaking step. I screamed, grabbed my phone, and flipped on the video. I caught him taking 2 more steps and seriously sound like a lunatic, but I was shocked and genuinely thrilled to see Porter walking. WALKING you guys, my baby is walking. He wasn't crawling, was barely rolling, and wasn't standing two months ago. This is inanity and I love it so much!!

I was basically crying at the end of it. I texted Nate and my mom immediately and just could not get over how proud Porter was over this feat. Cecelia, too, she was giggling up a storm and we were all so pumped. Seeing your third child walk is every bit as exciting as seeing the first born take his steps, FYI. For sure one of my favorite milestones ever.

Sunday:

We missed the first day of Sunday School last weekend with me and CC being in Chicago for a wedding shower. I knew if we didn't go this week we'd never go and I SO want to make Sunday School a part of our routine, a part of my kids' childhood. It's important to me even though Sunday mornings feel like they need to be low key and NOT involve hustling out the door for yet another activity. Our Sunday School is situated between the two church services, which I suppose encourages kids to learn how to sit through a service. But it also means two full hours of church for the kids if we do 'big church 'first and then Sunday School. Today, since Truman did sleep in a little bit after being out so late, we just went for Sunday School as a starter to this routine to see how it went. I was worried that Cecelia would cling to me and cry when I left, since she is hit or miss with new situations that involve me leaving. Truman was the one who was whiny in the morning before Sunday School, but I knew he was super tired, too.

When we got there, we dropped Truman in his room first and he was not sad at all, seemed serious but excited. Then I took CC to her room and she has the same teacher that Truman had at age 3, and he LOVED her. It was good to chat with her a bit ('weren't you guys not around a lot last year?' Yes, I had a baby last year and life was nuts, but we are back to a more settled routine now). Cecelia was excited to put her sticker on her name and sat right down at the table to color. She gave me a kiss and didn't bat an eye, so I booked it out of there. I fully expected to sit with CC the entire time but I was able to go home and fold some laundry before I went back to get the kids after their hour class was up;)


Both reported that they had fun, Cecelia had a snack AND a drink, but Truman's class doesn't do snacks anymore. I guess that is what you get when you are half grown: no more fun snacks in Sunday School. CC made me a hot pad with her name on it, and both kids had the same lesson about serving others and being helpful. YES. We played on the nearby school playground for just a bit and I felt really proud of both kids for rocking Sunday School so well.







We hustled home and got ready for Truman's first soccer game. He has shin guards (his favorite part), a real uniform, and kleets this year for a new program. Nate is the assistant coach and there are no practices during the week, just a game each weekend with a 20 minute teaching session right before the games. Our team is made up of most of Truman's closest friends from his school, and they play 3 on 3 for the games which means everyone plays for at least half of the games if not more.


Awesome cloud day!




Coach Nate pumping them up, big time.




The game started at noon and we risked it by taking one car, bring Cecelia and Porter with us. I wasn't sure if they would both melt down and need naps, although Porter did sleep for about an hour in the morning while I was doing Sunday School drop off/pick up. BUT, what do you know, both of the littles did great for the game. Plus, having Tony and Lois help out sure was wonderful. Truman scored a goal and his entire team listened to the coaches really well, I was shocked at how good they were. I pictured a bunch of five year olds messing around and picking boogers but they were actually really awesome and super entertaining. Perfect weather, too, and I don't hate chatting with a bunch of my mom friends the whole time.



The little sister cheerleaders taking a break from their shenanigans.


(he was taking steps and seriously trying to kick the soccer ball, that bugger)


I went for a run with Cecelia later, got paperwork prepped for Monday, and Nate went to Target/Trader Joes with Truman during naps. I hung with Porter outside while Nate took the bigs to our block party for a bit. Porter was being extra squeezable at this time of the day. New favorite video, he is just too much.




I also cleaned the house and we did groceries/meal planning on Saturday which are always big To Do List check marks. Tonight Tony and Lois came for dinner and Lois makes the best freaking desserts (and main dishes) ever. She never disappoints my taste buds, that is for sure.


Truman took a shower, then Porter and Cecelia each had their own baths alone---we do triple baths so often that helping each kid bathe without the sibling chaos was really nice.

Buns and belly.


Silly girl.


It was just a lovely, big weekend and one that needed recapping. I think with the pleasant surprises of having the kids tolerate LOTS of activities really well, combined with Porter's treat of taking his first steps, it has me feeling sentimental. And grateful. And like motherhood is messy and nuts and really challenging at times, but it's also such a gift. And we have to be doing something right if Truman and Cecelia give each other random, genuine hugs, right?



Sure, they pester each other and love to be bratty-tattle-tail-siblings at times. But they really do love each other, and Porter, too. These kids, man. They are pretty awesome.


Bring on the week!