Thanksgiving week has come and gone and we are now pushing ahead into Christmastime preparations.  It was great having the family together and we got in a lot of family time thanks to Reese’s school being closed all week and all of us having a four day weekend.  We tried to make the most of it and we’ve had really beautiful, extremely consistent weather for a while now.  I am not complaining because sunny days and mild temperatures have been on the forecast for a while and will soon end and they are just wonderful with the still changing and falling leaves and afternoon sun to get in some walks and park play in what otherwise is a very short and dark time of year. 

This week we were also caught up with Reese’s teachers on her progress and personality at school.  I think it went just as we expected; Reese listens well and follows directions and keeps herself composed at school, is right in the middle of the pack with her numbers and math but catching up a bit on her reading and writing skills which should come as no surprise since she is still adjusting to her glasses.  What I am really happy about though, aside from her behavior at school, is how Reese is really enjoying school these days, actually volunteering information about her days spent at school and telling us what she is learning, and I think that is the best indication and sign for her continued interest in learning.

Although Reese was off of school all last week we did have Kids Club camp for her on Monday and Tuesday which fortunately still provided us with full day care.  I let Reese hang out at home on Wednesday with me which was actually a rather relaxing day.  We walked up the hill to get a donut, because that is what she wanted to do, and then she colored next to me for a little while so that I could get a few things done for work but it was really a slow week for work so we had lunch and then set out to get Brooke since she had early dismissal at 2 pm.  Brooke was still napping, as were all of the kids, and I have never seen this time at daycare before but it was precious.  I think Brooke woke up super confused and upset but quickly collected herself and was having a ball once in the stroller with her sister.  We headed to Georgie’s house as Reese was going to have a playdate there for a few hours before their family came over for dinner at our house that night.  Brooke and I made our way back up the hill and played at Madrona Playground for a while before heading home to make dinner.  We enjoyed our friends company that night and were happy to host them since we were not hosting for the big turkey dinner the next day.

For Thanksgiving, we were lucky enough to be invited to our FareStart friend’s Friendsgiving so a lot of the stress and tasks associated with the meal were not on me this year, pros and cons, but I was very happy to go over to someone else’s house.  My only contribution to the meal was wine, sparkling juice for the kids, and my grandma’s glazed sweet potatoes.  We spent the morning playing, I took Reese with me to an outdoor very fun workout class that Georgie and her mom and Mira and her mom attended as well so Reese got some play time in with friends, the girls had a much needed and overdue bath, Bryan went for a run in the sunshine, Brooke took an excellent nap, and then we packed up a variety of toys for the girls to play at our friends since they were going to be the only kids at the party.  I think the girls would have been just fine…had there been no dog.  But there was a dog, a very good dog, but that didn’t matter and Brooke was glued to my shoulder the whole night.  She is also entering this very turbulent 2 year old stage that is causing her to get easily upset.  The meal was delicious and there was just so much food…and so much dessert…and a whole lot of wine.  I enjoyed everything but was so stuffed at the end of the meal, and I don’t even know how that happened since I felt like I was caring and holding Brooke the entire time.  But our friends were great with the girls and by the time people were done with their dinner Brooke started getting passed around the table like a hot potato and she LOVED it.  We left around 7:30, both girls were tired and I was spent and that allowed our kid-less friends to enjoy more drink and more adult time.  Brooke fell asleep on the way home and went straight to bed.  Reese a little later.

The rest of the weekend really didn’t have any events scheduled or planned.  No gymnastics, no school, no anything really.  We had said that we would watch Lottie for a bit on Friday because Sarah had an appointment so we picked her up from Miller Park so all of the girls could get some fresh air and play for a while before lunch.  We even managed to get Brooke a play date in as well with her friend Maya meeting us there too but Maya immediately busted her lip and nose before we even got there and so they ended up having to go home instead.  Thankfully Reese and Lottie played really well on this day.  They spent about 2 hours it seemed coloring pictures and we had the night to ourselves which allowed us to fully watch the Tech vs. Texas game.

Saturday was another big football game day, starting the day off with the Michigan vs. Ohio State game and I was nervous about it.  Fortunately, Michigan was able to pull off one more victory against them and are still undefeated.  While watching the game there was also a lot of play and we started to get our holiday decorations out and set up around the house.  We needed to get some fresh air in the afternoon so after Brooke’s nap we set out towards the Arboretum, Reese had her scooter for a majority of the walk, the girls played on the playground there, and then continued our usual loop to see some more of the fall foliage. 

And our last day of the long weekend was a lovely Sunday.  We enjoyed the sunshine on another walk/bike ride for Reese towards Peppi’s Playground and spent some time there on the monkey bars before playing a family game of freeze tag!  We stopped at Golden Wheat Bakery on the walk back for a sweet treat and got three massive cookies to share, which we enjoyed inside their bakery.  Once back home and after having lunch Brooke napped and Reese and I did more coloring.  I took the girls with me to Trader Joe’s to get some holiday goods and then Sunday night we had our new favorite sitter Sonja come over so that Bryan and I could get a very much needed night out just the two of us.  We walked down the street to our favorite Harvest Vine for a lovely meal, some great glasses of wine, and a nice night spent out without the kids.  We desperately needed this night out!

We only have a short time really before we head out for the holidays. Can’t believe this season is already upon us but our house is already looking festive!

Chelsea

Well, the three of us survived Bryan’s seven nights away, and the girls have survived our nearly two weeks of one or the other parent being gone.  Phew!  In reality, my time with the girls was really not that bad.  The hardest day for sure was the first day, coming straight off my time away, Brooke waking up ultra-early, being that it was a very rainy day and that we tried to sign up for the gymnastics free play only to find out that we were waitlisted for it upon arrival.  But we made the most of the day by “playing” some arcade games at the neighboring Full Tilt, then driving and getting pizza and groceries at Amazon Fresh before getting bingsu (which is like Korean shaved ice) thanks to a Yelp Elite perk that we all loved before heading back home.

The rest of the week was more or less the usual with school and work making up the bulk of our days.  While a parent is gone we have the now tradition of the girls coming into bed to watch a movie in our room and after a time the parent goes to put Brooke down while Reese should be falling asleep to said movie.  50% of the time Reese has fallen asleep where she gets to remain as while one parent is gone we let Reese sleep in our bed.  This time around I was smart and had both girls brush teeth and then we read books in bed before starting movie so we still covered all of our basics.

Speaking of basics, I do very little (meaning none) cooking while Bryan is away.  On Monday night we used one of my birthday rewards to get dinner at Cutter’s Crabhouse after a quick visit to the library to get new books.  The girls greatly enjoyed their kids meals, particularly the fries, apple juice, and the miniature ice cream sundaes that they both got.  I did have one table that congratulated me on how well behaved they were?!?  Tuesday and Wednesday were just nights at home.  We did hit the playground before dark on Tuesday but otherwise played at home and honestly can’t remember what was for dinner but I’m guessing it was chicken nuggets or leftover pizza.

On Thursday, my friend Polly came over to keep us company and brought us more pizza!  It was great getting to catch up with her but the girls were in rambunctious mode, one they often get into with visitors to the house.  They were cute though and it was just nice having another adult around.  Friday I let Reese have her friend Clara ride the bus home with her so I picked up Brooke ahead of their arrival and then we met them at their bus stop to walk them home.  They got over four hours in of play, dinner at our house, and ended with a movie and ice cream cones before Clara’s parents came to pick her up.  I apparently was most exhausted this night, probably from the week leading up to it, but this was the one night that I managed to fall asleep while laying down with Reese.  I woke up at 11:30 pm in my clothes in bed with her completely disoriented.

Our last full day without Dada was Saturday and it was actually a beautiful day out.  We had gymnastics that morning after I made the girls waffles and then Sarah and Lottie came over to play at the house and have lunch with us afterwards.  The girls played well together, thank goodness, and I did my best to keep them entertained.  It was also the first meal I made all week really that wasn’t just heating up leftovers so I greatly enjoyed the chicken tortilla soup and salad we had.  My girls were apparently so tired on this night that they were both asleep by 8 pm!  Brooke had had only a 10 minute nap in the car earlier so it made sense and it was a nice treat to have an extended night to myself, especially after not having one at all the night prior.

Sunday morning meant Bryan’s return home and we were all ready for it.  The girls wanted to color him cards and also “dressed up” for him and we got in the car to go get him from the airport around 9 am.  It was so great to see him and have him back.  He’s been fighting jet lag since getting home but I think he’ll be good in another day.  And I have started adding all of the holiday events and Brooke’s birthday festivities to our calendar as we gear up for the last busy month of the year.  No more solo trips for us this year.  Just our travels to New York await us. And I finally did get to take the girls to the indoor gymnastics free play yesterday and they had a lot of fun and were able to burn off some energy.

Really for me it was nice having my FIRST full normal week at home since the exam. I was able to catch up on laundry, finish reading a book, tackle some items on my To-Do list, we kept up with our Thankful Turkeys and the girls and I made stained glass out of pressed leaves. I even got to Reese’s school for what I hope to be a near weekly volunteer session for Wednesday’s Wacky Math. I got to help her teacher set up and run their stations, Reese was thrilled to have me there, I got to meet more of her classmates and know them by name, got to see some of my soccer girlies, and helped some kids finish artwork for the upcoming parent teacher conferences. I don’t know how teachers do it since my energy felt completely zapped after only 90 minutes but I’m thankful for them and glad I could help out and be more involved.

Feeling good and grateful as we enter this week.

Chelsea

It’s been such a busy past few weeks. It’s rare that I miss one night of the girl’s evenings and bedtimes yet these past three weeks have had something that has required me to be away for some portion of it and I’m glad to have a week purely at home with nothing much to do to be honest. First I was gone for two nights to take my exam. The week after, following Halloween, I had a two and a half day conference for the Deep Foundations Institute which was right here in Seattle but they were long days that didn’t require me to miss bedtime (semi-unfortunately) but did require my presence at dinner. And then at the end of last week I was in Alexandria, VA (outside of D.C.) for three nights for my Engineering Team’s annual meetup. They’ve all been good things but it’s good to not be packing a bag, making a list, and being away.

But let’s backup a moment, to Halloween! Reese had a great time. She was a girl on a mission and reminded me of so many of my own Halloween’s. She meant business and literally ran from one house to the next, didn’t eat a piece of candy until we were back home and had dinner, and we started early, just before 5 pm and didn’t stop until almost 7:30 pm. She was tired by the end but had a great time trick or treating with us, with her old preschool group who we just happened to meet up with when we were setting out for the night, and for most of the night with her friend Georgie. Reese made out with quite the haul, and her bag has been emptied out on our living room floor several times but is nearly finished.

Brooke, on the other hand, wasn’t feeling Halloween and I’m not sure she is yet recovered from it. I thought she was going to be really into it but I think she was 1) not feeling her best and 2) is currently in a scared-of-everything clingy phase. She dressed like her baby to school and that was super adorable and she seemed in good spirits but had a cough when I picked her up early from daycare. When we were just setting out for the night Brooke laid eyes on an adult dinosaur costume that moved fairly realistic and she just could not shake her fears. This “dinosaur” also was in eyesight for a good three blocks before we could finally lose him. Then you had dogs on leashes, adults wearing scary costumes, really decked out houses that were fairly spooky, fog machines, cackles, the list goes on. While the neighborhood we venture out in for the past three Halloween’s is noteworthy and simply put amazing, it was not for Brooke this year. Once home she did deeply enjoy her candy stash and continued to enjoy her candy stash (forget about dinner) for several nights.

Like mentioned previously, immediately following Halloween I had a conference in town which was a good relevant one to my work, I got to catch up with two old coworkers, spent a lot of time with my supervisor, met two other employees from my company whom I had never met before, was actually surprised by the quality of the catering department at the convention center, and was still home before bedtime to help put the two girls to bed.  Bryan did a great job amusing them and feeding them before I got home.  

On Friday night Reese rode the bus home with her friend Georgie and had a good time playing with her but by the time we picked her up before dinner she was coming down with another fever and lethargy. Poor girl! Saturday morning she was feeling better and requested to go to gymnastics so we did. We came home to rest and then later dropped her off at her friend Lily’s house for her 5th birthday. I stayed for the first hour, where Brooke was ultra-clingy and Reese seemed to be feeling well enough and having a good time. Bryan then met up with us and we decided to go get dinner the three of us at Din Tai Fung for some delicious dumplings. We had a great meal and walk through U Village but then were told that Reese wasn’t feeling her best and it was nearly the party end time anyways so we headed back to pick Reese up.

The following day we had another birthday party in the morning, one for Brooke’s buddy Maja’s 2nd birthday where we got to catch up with Maja’s family and our old nanny Katie over Rubenstein Bagel’s, Top Pot doughnuts and a strawberry cream cake. We had a good time for a few hours and walked there and back which was a nice treat this time of year and relatively nice weather.

Sunday night Reese and I had a mother daughter date to go see Disney on Ice: Frozen and Encanto up in Everett at the Angel of the Winds Arena. I actually got to do this for free, thanks to mystery shopping, and it even required us to buy several food items, novelty items, and a photo booth picture, all reimbursable. The show was so good! I think I enjoyed it as much as Reese as the music was of course good but the ice skating was really fantastic. We drove our way home through some very heavy rain I wasn’t a fan of and somehow Reese managed to stay awake the whole drive home, amazing being that it was the night of daylight savings time and way past her normal bedtime.

And the last event that disrupted our usual routine was my company’s engineering team’s annual meet up that took place in Alexandria, VA (Washington D.C. area) last week. I packed my bag and set out on my cross country flight early morning on Wednesday, with a nice and relaxing hour spent in the Alaska Lounge thanks to Bryan’s dwindling perks. Flight was easy and smooth and met up with my supervisor and two juniors on the same flight and we grabbed an Uber to the Westin in Alexandria. Wednesday night was my one free night and upon landing I discovered that Chad was ironically in neighboring Baltimore for work and he had a rental car to drive to meet up with me for dinner. We had a wonderful me at Ada’s on the River and got to catch up. It was so wonderful getting to do this since I haven’t seen him since the 4th of July and won’t see him until February.

Thursday and Friday were both full days of working meetings, meals, and conversations.  I was up by 7 am both days, which is 4 am my time, and we were in the conference room of the hotel for the majority of those two days.  On Thursday we were just working like normal, but all together, covering for the other half of the team that was driving up from Greensboro.  My supervisor and I walked to go get the team coffee carafes from Starbucks and then our group also took a long lunch at a mediocre Irish pub.  It was just nice getting out and getting fresh air since it was a high of 75 on Thursday!  The rest of the team arrived and we broke for a short 30 minutes before walking to a nearby restaurant called Theisman’s for dinner of a full rack of ribs!

Friday was the organized meeting day. From 7:30 am until noon we had meeting updates on the goals and sights set forth for the next five years for our team and the Trench Safety branch as a whole. We then were shown the plans and site photos of the River Renew project that our team has been working on and that DC is using our equipment on. This was interesting to me as I know and remember MJA working on the bid documents for this project several years ago (which they didn’t win but came in 2ndon). We got some box lunches provided by the hotel and then we all donned our PPE for the site visit. The 75 degree and sunny weather was no more and we were presented with a high of 48 and rain for our site visit. We all made our way to the riverfront for the first of two site visits. It was interesting, albeit cold, and I think all the southern folk were ready to get back to the hotel as quick as can be. We again had all but about an hour to change, and we all needed to after the site visit.

Friday’s dinner we had to make our way to the riverfront, take the water taxi to the wharf in DC, and then walk the 10 minutes to Hell’s Kitchen where our group of about 32 had a private room with a 3-course menu for us. It was a cook experience and a good meal of a delicious beet salad, filet mignon perfectly cooked, and a delicious sticky toffee pudding that was amazing. After a lengthy meal, the return walk, water taxi, and shuttle back to the hotel room, it was after 10 pm and I was tuckered from the day.

Saturday morning some of the group was going on a walking tour of the US Capitol building, Library of Congress, and Supreme Court but I would have had to check out of the hotel prior to this tour at 7:45 am so I opted out of it. Instead, I got to ride the peloton in the hotel, got some coffee, took a nice long shower, slowly packed up, walked the streets to the riverside to have another delicious meal at Ada’s while watching Michigan football, walked back in the sunshine, before heading back to the hotel for a very long but peaceful flight back to Seattle.

Reese was up waiting for me when I got back home a littler after 9 pm. It was good to see her and Bryan and get some hugs in before bedtime. I only got to spend a little time with Bryan as he was now busy packing for his trip to Japan and we were both tired. I miss him! Bryan is gone for the week and will return Sunday and I want him to write a post on his experiences in Japan because I am so curious. Meanwhile, us girls are trying to have a good time while he is away.

Chelsea