Although spring must be right around the corner, I mean it’s March and I’m smelling flowers on walks and some trees are blooming, we are still consistently in the 40s for a high and rain on and off every day.  It makes you feel like spring is still out of reach but I know better than that.  It’s got to be nearly here.  Enter March, where I question if it’s ever going to be spring, and yet know it must be.  March is also, for whatever reason, birthday party month and the last month before my exam doom again.  Easter is also in March this year, which seems absurd.

So since we came back from Florida we have been trying to beat sicknesses, get back into a school routine, and keep up with all of the activities.  This is Reese’s second week back following the mid-winter break holiday and her teacher was out all week last week so it’s been a full three weeks since she has seen her.  Reese was really proud that she did her full workbook that was sent home with her for our trip.  She was also very ecstatic to get her bag of Valentine’s cards from her classmates at the beginning of last week.  And to top it off, last Thursday they celebrated the 100^th day of school with a celebration.  Apparently this is a thing because my mom even remembers how big of a deal that was back when I was in school.  We used her heart shaped hole punch to punch out 100 pink hearts for her to take in to school for the day.  Reese’s week at Kids Club over the midwinter break was a lot of fun for her as she had Lottie there to play with as well as they had two field trips; one to the Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI) and then they went to the sledding hill, about a 45 minute bus ride away.

Work continues to be especially busy for Bryan and my work has had periods of business too.  On top of that I am still chugging away at the studying.  I felt a sense of relief when Reese was back in school so that also provided me with a glimpse of how chaotic this summer will be with various camps we have Reese signed up for.  We were able to reunite with a bunch of friends at a brunch a few weekends ago which was great. Bryan was able to get in a night out with the guys to bowl a few weeks ago and also had his time at Guest Chef Night last Thursday night for a particularly late night of food running.  While Bryan was at FareStart I took the girls to Reese’s first Girl Scouts meeting and then a Black History month celebration featuring a drum circle that Brooke dug and some sweet potato pie and jerk chicken wings that were especially good.  It was a nice performance presented by Reese’s Kids Club but Reese herself started to not feel particularly well. 

Reese was not herself all last weekend and this week was still struggling to feel 100%.  No severe fever, stomach ache, cough or runny noise last weekend but her temp was running high, she was low energy and irritable.  Despite all that we had three birthday parties last weekend and dance class!  I thought Reese was finally starting to feel better but at swim class she ended the class in tears because she was cold and saying her belly hurt (very not like her) and then on Thursday of this week I got a call less than an hour before the end of her school day that Reese had a temperature of 103, was very lethargic, and that I needed to come pick her up.  I biked to her school to get her and come back to cuddle up on the couch and get her to relax, which she did all Thursday night and Friday as she wasn’t allowed to go back to school for 24 hours.  Reese is back to dance class today and we have another party tomorrow at the climbing gym so hopefully she starts to gradually start picking up energy.    

Brooke hasn’t seem to come down with anything thankfully and she has had fun at each birthday party.  She was excited that she got to play with the big kids, enjoyed the Seattle Children’s Play Garden, a bounce house with especially rowdy kids, and getting to take turns riding Reese’s scooter.  She also had a fair amount of pizza and cake last weekend.  Her bestie has been out of town on vacation but has been back for two days and seems thrilled about that.

An exciting item in our household for the past month and a half has been our hydroponic garden which keeps producing.  We have officially harvested enough leafy greens for four salads and used a bunch of dill for a homemade tzatziki.  We had a bump and run with the basil that unfortunately killed it but have since replanted it and I think that and the chives, finally, have taken root.  We are definitely going through the water quicker than before, but nothing crazy, about 1L I replenish every 2^nd or 3^rd day.  It continues to be a fun experiment and I really think that I’ll keep the salad greens going and may try to use it for a start to herbs before moving them to pots or outdoors this spring.

As I tend to do when getting close to my exam, my head wants to move elsewhere.  I feel like I have been very wanderlust lately and looking at various places to travel, not that we have any major, or at least international, travel plans on the horizon.  We did book a place for Chelan at the end of the summer so that’s somewhere.  I also have a running list in my head of things I want to declutter or go through around the house.  I’ve been rounding up all of the baby items to sell or donate and keeping toys in order I feel is a constant challenge and work in progress.  I had a happy hour at the top of the Columbia Tower that Marika has been hosting for women in our industry and I’ve gone twice now it is fun catching up with old coworkers and acquaintances and hearing about their jobs and lives.  It’s also just so fun to feel high class in the member’s only lounge and having a grown up conversation over a glass of wine or an old fashioned.  I’ve also missed seeing Marika so being able to see her for sure once a month is great.

But I’m progressing with my studying and now that I am about three weeks out for the first portion I am just down to practice exams to take.  I am definitely feeling mixed emotions with my level of preparedness.  On one hand I remember a lot from previous rounds of studying, thankfully, but on the other hand I feel like the entire exam has been changed on me.  Learning to use electronic pdfs of codes and rely solely on code material instead of study notes and my own personal references is a whole new thing.  And taking an actual exam on the computer, well, I have never done that before and I am nervous about navigating all of the material and exam packet on one screen.  Who knows?  I so desperately want to be done with the exam, celebrate and move on with my life.  I have a lot of things I’m looking forward to:

• Cottage for 4^th of July
• We’d love to go to Great Wolf Lodge for a night
• Chelan in the summer
• Just summer concert picnic nights
• Coaching Reese’s soccer team again
• Having just work (not studying too) during the day
• Trying to hit more Mariners games this year
• Maybe a few weekend camping trips, bike adventures, or the like this summer
• Planning a family Olympics this summer

A girl can dream about the future…but I need to get through the next few weeks!

— 
Chelsea

Siesta Key 2024 is in the books and I already want to go back!  We had a wonderful week soaking up all of the warm sunshine, sand between our toys, soaking in the pool, being active, eating good food and celebrating my dad’s 70^thbirthday and the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl win.  The girls got some great time in with their grandparents and Uncle Chad who is “so funny” according to Brooke.  All around wonderful trip that I have both photos and memories to outlast it.

We all arrived at the Tampa Airport within about 20 minutes of each other and our baggage claim was located next to each other so we were off and running as a group at about 5:30 PM EST.  We had to get our giant vehicle for the week and at the request of Reese this had to be the red Jeep Wagoneer.  We were on the road and headed for Siesta Key for the week where we had rented a house sandwiched between some condos we’ve stayed before, steps from the beach, and with our own private pool.  The house had three bedrooms and four bathrooms and Reese was thrilled with her trundle bed located off the living room and this didn’t end up being a problem at all since she is such a deep sleeper and was crashing hard later in the week.  After dropping our bags we decided to stretch our legs on a walk into town, nearly 2 miles each way, to hit the always-hopping Siesta Key Oyster Bar (SKOB).  Bryan and Chad had to help a fallen old lady (a whole other story) and met us at the restaurant.  At first Reese found the live music a little too loud but by the time the virgin pina colada came out for the girls she was dancing to the beat.  We all had great food and then stopped by Olaf’s for ice cream before walking back to the house for the night.

Our first full day there was also Super Bowl Sunday.  My parents found time to walk the beach first thing in the morning many days while a lot of us were still sleeping.  We had preordered groceries for the house so that we would have things to make for breakfast, lunch and snacks and the 2^nd order arrived Sunday morning.  After breakfast, Reese wanted to hit the pool immediately.  We were pleasantly surprised by the warmth of the pool and on this first day in particular, Reese spent several hours swimming.  We were able to coerce her to leave the pool to head to the beach in the afternoon and there both girls enjoyed playing in the sand, throwing the Frisbee and playing piggy in the middle, which Reese could have played all afternoon.  We headed back to the house to get ready for the big game.  We made double decker nachos and buffalo and BBQ wings for the game and had some rum cocktails and beer to round it all out.  Kansas City managed to seal the victory against the 49ers and all in our house were happy with the outcome.  My dad definitely celebrated with a bourbon before heading to bed and the rest of us were toast by the end of the game.

Monday was my dad’s 70^th birthday and a slightly windy day.  Mom brought back mini donuts from the village for us all to try in the morning.  I managed a short 3.5 mile run while Bryan and Reese started in the pool and then joined them upon my return.  We had plans to take family photos on this night but with the wind it was postponed to Thursday.  We had reservations for my dad’s birthday at the Italian restaurant Café Gabbiano in the village so we took the girls via the beach a little early to play at the beach park playground before finishing the walk into town.  We had a wonderful meal of seafoods, veal and pastas.  Reese loved her pasta while Brooke just loved hugging on and sitting on Grandad’s lap.  We sang “happy birthday” and blew out a candle on the dessert platter.  When we were ready to leave rain started to come down so we called the free Froghop trolley to come get us and had a fun ride on the trolley home.  

Tuesday was the one rather cool day of the trip and although it was especially windy the weather wasn’t bad and the sun came out.  However, the major bummer came when Reese got sick to her stomach starting at about 6 am.  She got sick a few times over the course of the morning and I felt so bad for her and she had no energy until after she slept all morning and seemed to change course around 1 pm.   While Chad and my dad played basketball, Grammy played with Brooke at the park while her sister slept on my lap.  Bryan got in a long run down to the south end of Siesta Key and back.  I took a very windy walk in the early afternoon and then since Reese was feeling better we took her back down to the playground for a play session with Bryan and I while Brooke finished her nap.  We had a little happy hour sesh at home before we left on foot towards the south for dinner at Spearfish Grille.  This place was rustic and delicious and had a great acoustic guitar playing and we had a great time here.  Two in the party tried the hogback fish dinners and my mom and I each tried the hogback tacos.  The girls shared some grouper bites and they were delicious.  All of the fish and the flavors were delicious and the poke nachos we started with were massive and amazing as well.  I was so relieved that Reese was feeling better and even managing to eat some food. And Reese got very lovey dovey with Uncle Chad which was the funniest.

Wednesday was Valentine’s Day and the day that my parents had planned to take the girls to Busch Gardens (their main Christmas gift).  I thought it was very ambitious of my parents to do this but also knew the girls were going to have so much fun.  Reese woke up excited and with renewed energy and none of the rest of us ended up getting whatever Reese had.  We got the girls dressed, fed, and in the car around 9 am where they had a little over an hour drive to Busch Garden’s.  Meanwhile, Bryan and I had the day to ourselves to do something fun for V Day.  We decided to pick up rental bikes near the bridge and set out for the 18 mile trip south to Venice, FL.  Per recommendations of the bike rental company we were given direction to get on the well-known Legacy Trail (a Rails to Trails path), 5 miles from Siesta Key, that led us straight into Venice.  We locked up our bikes to explore Venice but didn’t find any place noteworthy to stop out so walked down to the beach along the Esplanade and back to get our bikes and continued our ride about 1.5 miles north to Nokomo’s Sunset Hut for lunch.  This place was hoping and the double-decker hut only had room at the bar but being sans-kids we gladly took those seats.  There was a live band outside and downstairs that we could hear and we each had a great meal which we needed to fuel our ride back.  

We set back out on our bikes, this time to ride through Casey Key.  We didn’t know anything about Casey Key but after biking on it for all of five minutes we made the resounding conclusion that this is where the money is.  It was a scenic, peaceful, and easy ride through Casey Key.  We tried to connect to Siesta Key via the manmade land bridge called Midnight Pass but private property signs deterred us so we rerouted around via the Tamiami Trail (highway) that was the worst part of the trip but we made quick speed for the last 8 miles to the house.  We got back in time for Bryan to cool off in the pool, get showers in, and prep a salad while we waited for the girls, my parents, and the collection of Sarah from the Tampa airport to arrive back home with pizza’s from a place called Lucille in downtown Sarasota.  The car arrived just before 7 pm and Reese caught us all up on the day, we chowed down on pizzas, sipped wine, and gave the girls their Valentine’s candy.  This was a really wonderful day and treat to be able to spend as a couple.

Our last two days were wonderful days, mostly filled with swimming in the pool, playing on the beach, breaking out the paddleboard, finishing the beverages we bought, taking walks on the beach, and soaking up the last of the sunshine.  Reese made so much progress in her swimming ability while we were staying at the house.  Bryan enjoyed a few long paddles, one on the gulf coast and one through the canal on the south end of Casey Key.  We got the bikes loaded up in the car so that my parents could enjoy the 7 mile bike road through Casey Key while I played with the girls at the playground on the Key and Bryan paddled.  Chad and Sarah did some workouts, laid out, walked on the beach, and generally R&Red as best they could.  We took family photos on Thursday night which was the most beautiful sunset of the whole trip. 

We had another dinner out at the Island House Taproom where I had some really unique but delicious calamari and Bryan lobster tacos.  Reese fell asleep throughout the entire dinner and Bryan and I got to walk back to the house via the beach, amidst the protest of a sleepy, confused Reese.  We finally got to play pickleball on Friday afternoon and I can see why people enjoy it so much.  After this we threw the LED light up football we got for my dad on the beach as the sun was setting and the girls were really into this as well.  And then we made our last dinner at the house of grilled steak and veggies before playing some games about 1954 and the birthday boy.

Saturday was checkout day and none of us were thrilled about it.  We spent the morning packing up, returning bikes, chucking the little remaining food we had, and were packed up and out of the house by 10 am.  We drove into the village to shop at some of the stores and get brunch at the Another Broken Egg.  We had a good brunch, though not what we remember about the original Broken Egg restaurant we used to come to all of the time decades ago.  Reese was really into the shopping and by the time we were ready to head to Tampa and the airport a fog had rolled in and it started raining on our way to Tampa.  We had no issues returning the car and checking in for our flight.  We dropped Chad and Sarah off on the way as they were staying one more night in Tampa.  We said our goodbyes to my parents in the main terminal before we went through security, got a couple of pizzas and candies to fuel us for the 6 hour flight home.  Flight was smooth, Reese played games the entire time and Brooke was awake for the first half and then slept for the second half.  We made it home around 10 pm, the girls needed a snack before we settled into our own beds again.

And this week is an unusual week with Reese off of school but we are finally settling into routine again but really will next week when school is back in session.  It was such a wonderful trip and I do feel renewed and recharged to get through the last bit of winter!

— 
Chelsea

January!!! What a long month. I don’t know if it is just me or if January is oftentimes a very painful month to get through. It’s a dark month, a long month, a generally cold month. You come off of all of the winter holidays and the buildup to the winter holidays and finally get a moment, which is then when you usually get sick. Especially when you are factoring in how many people are traveling and gathering over the holidays. So yeah, our January has been mostly about getting through the month. We’ve had a lot of sickness around here, a few activities starting up or ending, and a rare break in the rain. Let’s take a look by person:

Reese:

• Reese trialed a ballet/tap combo class with Lottie and really liked it so we are officially starting the spring season of dance once we are back from Florida.
• As we were signing up for dance we found out gymnastics on Saturday was going to be cancelled due to lack of coaches. Initially I was bummed but two activities is my max per kid so taking a break from gymnastics to try out dance for a while.
• Reese’s second activity right now is swim lessons which we are doing Tuesday nights. After having two classes Reese was moved up in level and now she loves class because she is getting to do so much more in the water and isn’t bored and has a cool, friendly coach.
• We had a science showcase at Reese’s school last week which was cute with all of the kids creating animal habitats with Reese’s group doing the tropical rainforest and doing a really good job with their construction.
• It’s been a flurry of summer camp registrations and planning (already in January!). I think we mostly have Reese set up for the summer with friends joining her for the various camps each week. I’m hopeful that we have her set up for a fun, and not overwhelming, summer.
• Reese is a Picasso Tiles mastermind right now. She’s been loving building elaborate buildings, houses, and whole villages out of her magnet tiles lately and it’s really fun seeing what she can come up with. The difficulty is keeping Brooke from smashing them until it is okay to do so.
• Reese has been coloring up a storm as well.
• This week marks the first week of Reese’s new after school schedule, where she will now be coming home four days a week on the bus instead of two, to work with me on her letters and reading. Hopefully this all goes okay.
• Reese is really into Bluey right now. We also started the Harry Potter movies and this is maybe the first movie I’ve ever known Reese to be scared of.
• Reese has discovered Nutella….

Brooke:

• Brooke has battled two different sick spells this month, each time taking a day off of school. The first sickness was just a fever and lethargy followed by runny nose and cough. The second sickness at the end of last week included her first ever vomiting experience. The poor girl threw up 10 times in 12 hours and still took about a day to eat anything solid. It was a fun night and day for all of us!
• Brooke got reunited with her friend Maya over dinner at their house. This reunion included lots of play with everything except each other and Brooke kept calling her Madison, which is her friend at her current school, so maybe their friendship is over?!?
• Brooke is really into coloring with the big dot markers and likes to sit at the table coloring while Reese does her coloring. She’s learned to be a bit gentler with her markers these days.
• She’s currently obsessed with the kid’s nail polish. Every single day she asks me to do her nails and it doesn’t involve one coat but four. Four coats of paint on each nail.
• Brooke is really into Frozen right now…and Bluey. But anytime a strong female singer is heard she exclaims, “Elsa!”.
• Brooke has a “wiggle” dance right which is very cute and funny. In general she can be a big goofball and loves to make her sister laugh. This is especially true at bedtime.
• Speaking of bedtime, Brooke is in the phase of taking forever to fall asleep. Both girls are going to bed at the same time these days but Reese falls asleep in about five minutes once the lights are out and Brooke takes an hour.
• I feel like every other sentence Brooke uses the word “cool”. Cracks me up.

Chelsea:

• I’ve also battled a few sicknesses leftover from the girls. After Brooke got the stomach bag last week I managed to get it although it only lasted 24 hours it was zero fun. I can’t remember the last time I felt like that. I had zip zap zero energy.
• I’ve really had a fun time cheering on the Lion’s through their playoff run. Unfortunately it ended the other night (to a team I really don’t like) but still a good run.
• I’ve had two baby showers in the past two weeks. The first was a massive baby shower that I was just an attendee for but last Wednesday I hosted Polly’s baby sprinkle. We did a paint and sip as a group and it was a lot of fun. I brought along a taco bar and chips and dips and made some baby rattle cake pops. We had a good turnout and it was fun to tune into my artistic side for a few hours.
• I got back into volunteering for the first Guest Chef Night back at FareStart last Thursday. They have plans to continue them once a month but the first one was dusting off the cob webs but fun and successful nonetheless. We couldn’t get a babysitter for the night so Bryan let me be the one to volunteer but we are going to try to nail down a babysitter for future events.
• I’m trying my best to study again but with the various sicknesses, planning parties, days off of school for MLK day and the like it’s been a struggle bus but going nonetheless.
• This month I’ve also had appointments to get my hair highlighted, a facial as a treat, a much needed dental appointment and a dermatology appointment for the first time ever (no issues just scalp irritation).
• And maybe it’s me being eager for spring or maybe it’s a study distraction technique but we are trying our hand at indoor gardening through hydroponics…and so far it’s been a fun experiment. We got a good but not very big or very expensive 12 pod system off amazon and seeds for growing a variety of lettuces and herbs. I had both girls help me plant them on the 20th. Everyday we get to watch the growth and it’s remarkable. Lettuces sprouted first and I was worried our herbs weren’t going to germinate but I think our last stragglers (mint and chives) just finally started showing roots!

Bryan:

• Bryan’s had a month. There was a family health scare, there’s been the Boeing drama over the Alaska incident, and just never enough time for our own R&R. He’s hanging in there though and doing surprisingly well despite everything.
• Bryan has been very good about keeping up his exercise routine and even just got a new kettlebell. I don’t know how he finds the time!
• Bryan has started monthly nights out with his buddy Philipp. They share so much in common when it comes to work and interests so I’m happy he is reuniting with Philipp on a regular basis.
• Bryan’s been a great dad and helping out with the few events I’ve had the past few weeks. The girls have had a really good time with Daddy dates. He also had to be a major player this weekend when I had zero energy. Somehow Bryan seems to have avoided all of the sicknesses this month. It’s a first!
• Bryan replaced our kitchen sink and it looks and works so much better!
• Bryan got his first Stitch Fix box and it all looked so good on him her kept everything! It’s been fun for me too getting him setup with it.

So that’s a summary of all things new over here. We have just over a week until we are heading to sunny Florida and we cannot wait!

—
Chelsea

With a bang is how we started it.  I don’t think we really hit pause in the entire last month.  As soon as we were back from New York, finished unwrapping our presents in Seattle, and did what seemed like a years supply of laundry, we were here, there and everywhere.  We’ve spent a significant portion of the end of the year and new year spending time with friends and though it’s been a lot, we wouldn’t want it any other way.  We’ve also spent a significant portion of it sick.  I’m still battling a lingering cough and sore throat, Bryan is mostly fine now, but Reese got another bug this past weekend which was only probably made worse by doctors office vaccines and then Brooke was home sick with me yesterday and back today but still not herself.  Another side effect of seeing lots of people I guess.

To start, Reese had her playdate with Clara and then had a playdate at the park with Lottie and her grandma before we had Sarah and Lottie over for dinner the night after, once Lottie’s grandma was headed back home.  Then we met up with Lily and her mom at Volunteer Park on NYE day to enjoy the rain-free weather and scoot around a bit too.  For NYE night we headed over to friends Luis and Carina’s house for a NYE bash, complete with a bunch of potluck foods, confetti shooters, bazookas, party hats and glow bracelets, necklaces and glasses for a glow-in-the-dark dance party before toasting to the East Coast New Year’s Eve.  Girls had zero problem staying awake for this and even continued to stay awake the entire drive home.  

For New Years Day, we had big plans that included watching the two football games in the National Championship tournament.  Michigan was up first at 2pm our time and Sarah asked if Reese wanted to come over to play so with Reese over with Lottie for a few hours and Brooke taking a super long nap, I got to watch a good majority of my game in focus mode, a rarity these days.  Michigan led the whole game until the end, then scored at the end to send the game into overtime, scored right away and held off Alabama to take themselves to the National Championship.  Our Texas friends Anne and Phillip and kids came over at the end of that game to cheer on Texas against Washington.  We had carnitas tacos, chips, guac and salsa, plus Shiners and margaritas to try to fuel a victory.  Of course all four kids spent the majority playing in their room where they still need to be somewhat supervised (at least the little ones) so we put in our second TV in their room so we didn’t miss anything.  Although the game was close all the way through and Texas got a chance at scoring at the very end, Washington held them off in the last seconds to meet Michigan in Houston for the National Championship.  Bryan was logically bummed and then we had two wired girls that were up way past their usual bedtime to put to bed with their first early wakeup call the next morning for school.

So, yeah, Tuesday was a fun one!  We got both girls up and ready for school and made the bus no problem but I was a zombie the majority of the day and when Reese got home from school I could tell she was equally tired.  We spent Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday night trying to get back into our routine.  The girls are going to bed at the same time these days, Reese falling asleep at least 20 minutes before Brooke, however.  We needed some social detox I think during these days but started feeling ourselves by the weekend, especially after Bryan got an early row in Friday morning and I got a run in Friday afternoon.  On Friday, we were invited over to Georgie’s house for a delicious dinner with them and this was a nice, easy and relaxing night of being hosted.  When we got home, Reese immediately started not feeling well though and the poor girl fell fast asleep.

We were back at gymnastics on Saturday and Reese still wanted to go.  She seemed to be feeling better after breakfast so we enjoyed gymnastics, picked up McDonald’s afterwards on our way to the girl’s doctor appointments.  They were both due, Reese now going annually and Brooke every 6 months.  And both girls needed shots.  Appointment was fine and then Brooke had to get her finger poked to draw blood, her flu and COVID vaccine and last Hep B shot.  Three shots total and a finger poke that led it off and didn’t lead it off peacefully.  Reese, now a big girl, had her flu and COVID shot for the first time in her arm.  She was scared but she did so well.  After a traumatic two hours at the doctor’s office we headed home where Brooke definitely needed a nap and Reese needed rest.  The rest of the day was for relaxing and I needed it as much as they did.

Doctor’s office stats:

• Reese: 
  • 37 lb 4 oz (22%)
  • 42.6″ (35%)
• Brooke:
  • 24 lb 4 oz (15%)
  • 33″ (28%)

And we spent Sunday with a nice, easy family day.  Reese was still not feeling herself but was up for going on a walk so long as it promised donuts so we loaded up the two-seater and went for a nice long walk to Mt. Baker and back to get donuts before heading home.  We are starting a weekly kid-friendly family yoga session and Reese was all about it.  Brooke was also fairly engaged throughout it but also enjoyed climbing on us too.  

And Monday was the 2023 season National Championship game with Michigan facing off against Washington. We watched from the comfort of our own home and with both girls feeling meh, I really got to sit on the couch and watch the game. Bryan also manned dinner, making us burgers and fries. The game started off in Michigan’s favor and they proceeded to dominate Washington the whole game through. Washington is a strong team with a talented quarterback but it seemed like Michigan came out better prepared and with more energy. I think Texas tuckered Washington out pretty good for us. Michigan pulled off the victory, winning for the first time in over 20 years. It was a great feeling and we toasted at the end of the game.

Now I’m focusing on goal setting and planning for the rest of the year and the first step is getting everyone back to full health…please!

Chelsea

What a magical, wonderful, exhausting Christmas 2023 has been.  I feel like the girls made out like bandits, we got to experience a Christmas unlike any other that we have done, and the girls were able to bond and enjoy time with their cousins and grandparents in New York.  It was a lot to do, it always is but especially when we travel for the holidays, and as much as we are glad to be back home for the remainder of the year we are also reveling in the memories that we made in New York.

Last Tuesday, 12/19, we woke up at the literal crack of dawn to get ourselves to the airport in time for our 6 am flight. We were there with plenty of time and even managed to get up to the Alaska Lounge adjacent to our gate at 5 am when they opened to get Reese pancakes out of the legendary pancake printing machine. Brooke and I had spacious premium seats for Brooke’s first time with her own seat and her own chair on the airplane. Both Brooke and Reese managed to get in about a 90 minute nap and then another hour nap in the car between Newark and the Konecni household while Bryan and I were running off of about 3 hours of sleep. Our flight was smooth, we got our bags and were at the house to see the family by around 5 pm.

The kids hit it off right away. Reese initially gravitated to Gianna, and they had a great bond and friendship certainly, but I think both Reese and Brooke found James both hilarious and ever-present. What I was surprised about what how relaxed they were almost immediately around the family’s dog Abby. That was a relief. We settled into our room downstairs and the kids immediately introduced Reese to the Nintendo Switch and then we had a nice family dinner of salmon at their table.

Reese was starting to not feel well as the first night was coming to an end but still wanted to sleep in Gianna’s room almost every night. She ended up in our bed in the basement at some point during night also every night, except for the last one. And Brooke generally took such late of naps that she was little miss party animal until we were falling asleep ourselves, usually around midnight. It all worked out though and with the girls never really changing to east coast time, this means that they haven’t had to adjust back to their normal schedule now back at home.

Our first full day in New York was an adventure day in a way. Joshua had one last half day at school and so the plan was to pick him up from school, grab lunch and then head to the Ninja Warrior gym to play. This did happen but what I was surprised about was on how many projects I had for work. I had to stay home to work, which was the right call certainly, but that meant that Bryan and Lori were on their own with five kids. Despite Reese definitely not feeling herself she loved the ninja gym, climbed all of the way to the top a few times, and even was brave enough to jump off the ledge. Once they were back home I got to play with the kids until we picked up Chinese food for dinner.

The next day I took off of work as we had plans to go into the city. What we weren’t planning on was the power to be turned off though because of construction in the neighborhood. The power was out for long enough that we had to hook up the generator to the fridge to ensure that all of the food for the party didn’t go bad. We spent the morning playing outside and hanging out until finally around 2 pm we left for the train to head into the city. We drove to the train station and then took the 35 minute train into Grand Central. From there we walked to Bryant Park and the holiday market there for a hot cocoa and then to see the tree at Rockefeller Center. By this point Reese was not feeling well. She was cold and lethargic and was falling asleep in the stroller. We said we needed to go see the doctor and take her back and the rest of the group said they were ready to head back as well. I felt bad for cutting this visit short and not seeing more of NYC but we worried about Reese. We got to Urgent Care for a 6:45 appointment and they did diagnose her with an ear infection and prescribed her antiobiotics but also said it could still be viral so we held onto them for a day to wait and see if she got better. She didn’t so fortunately we already had them with us to start giving her so that she would feel better by Christmas Eve. Brooke slept in the car while we were at the appointment and Bryan picked us up Chipotle for dinner. We didn’t get back to the house until after 8 pm and at this point it was too late to see Lon and Trish who had arrived that day.

Friday and Saturday were days spent mostly at the house. Gianna did think it would be fun to take the girls to Sparkle Up to get their hair and nails done and that was a hit! Brooke had only gotten her nails painted at home for the first time ever a week prior so she knew exactly what to do. Reese’s braids with rainbow extensions were amazing and lasted for a solid two days and would have lasted longer if we hadn’t taken them out.

We did all get out as a family on Friday to see Gianna play basketball which was fun and Reese was so cute waiting for her at the end of the game to give her a hug. We all headed back home after the game for pizza and a movie. On Saturday we spent the morning frosting cookies at home and then Lon and Trish went to Gianna’s soccer tournament and the four of us went to James basketball game at another school. Brooke fell asleep in the car after we played at the playground for a bit since it was her nap time so Bryan remained in the car with her while Reese and I got to see him play. We went back home and had some time to ourselves while the others went to Saturday night mass. We prepped some beef for nachos that Lori made once back home. It was a nice casual meal with the whole family at home.

Sunday was preparation day for the Christmas Eve party at the Konecni household. We started the day off trying to clean up as much as we could help and then took the girls to swim at Grandma and Papa’s hotel pool. We spent an hour there swimming and then showered in their room before I drove back with the girls and Bryan drove back with his parents. The rest of the party guests were coming over at 5:30 and very quickly we had a full house and a ton of food. They do the traditional Seven Fishes and there was a lot of dishes to try, which I did not get to try all of it, but what I did was excellent. The dessert course was really extensive as Lori had been baking literally all week for it, plus others brought over more things. It was crazy and I was so full by the end of the night. The kids were cute and had a hot cocoa bar with a menu and would make the adults hot cocoa to order. As quickly as the guests came they left around 8:30. We had a fair amount to clean up and then once the kids were in bed we also had a few last minute Christmas preparations to do. We stayed up late talking in the living room and did not go to sleep until nearly 2 am.

Christmas Day was much more relaxed and I’m thankful for that. We were up much later than the rest who had already opened their presents. The girls got to open the stockings we brought and had enough to entertain them for some time and a few very thoughtful gifts from the Konecni kids. Lon and Trish were over not much later and we opened their gifts, had leftover desserts for breakfast and then got ready for mass at noon(we don’t really wake up until 10 am EST so this still seems early). We attended mass which was a nice service and the girls did reasonably well, we got a few family photos in outside the church, and then we headed back home for some to change into more casual clothes for the family get together.

Christmas dinner at Josh’s sister Jenna’s house was casual and fun. All of the other kids were again there and there a lot of new toys indoors but also a little playground and trampoline outside and Bryan and I played football with James too. The temperature was very mild and it felt great to be outside. Dinner was delicious, a blend of Italian and Puerto Rican, football was on, and it just felt relaxed. We all hit a wall around 5 pmthough and it was nice getting back to the house for a low key evening. I finally got to talk to my family and Reese and Gianna used one of the new bath bombs to have a soak in the big tub in Lori’s room. This was very cute and they were in there for at least an hour just soaking.

The 26th was our last day in New York. We had another breakfast of Christmas desserts and started the heavy task of packing our bags. We managed to fit everything and get all of our new presents packed up as well. We all headed over to Grandma and Papa’s hotel to swim. I swam with Brooke for awhile before she got cold but the other kids swam and were having a great time, with Trish joining them as well. Bryan picked up subs and chicken nuggets and french fries from Wendy’s for lunch which we had back in Lon and Trish’s room for our last little bit before heading to the airport. We said our goodbyes and then Josh drove us back to Newark where we got a slice of pizza while we waited for our plane.

Brooke and I were upgraded (thanks to Bryan) to first class so I was lucky enough to get a meal and drink during the long six hour flight back to Seattle. Brooke was up for about the first 2 hours but then fell asleep, on me, and remained that way for the last three hours. Reese also got a nap in and Bryan had to wake her when we landed. Reese had requested getting the pancakes from the lounge again which actually worked out because while I took the girls and the stroller to the lounge Bryan got our bags and took the shuttle to reinstall Brooke’s carseat and come back to pick us up. The girls were in a better mood and we still got home around 10 pm. They were up until midnight before falling asleep, I think just enjoying a bit being back at the house. Bryan and I once again had a few last “Christmas” preparations to leave for the girls for the next morning so we were again up very late and then somehow Brooke wouldn’t stay asleep in her bed and ended up with Bryan and I in ours.

The girls finally got to open their Christmas presents and Santa presents at home the next morning and had lots of fun toys to play with the past few days. We have a new Barbie, dollhouse, cash register, construction set, gymnastics bar, beaded necklace set, Caboodle for Reese’s treasures, bubble machine, water bottles, umbrella, and so much more. They have really been enjoying everything, especially the dollhouse and cash register, and that’s a great thing and a big help while

Bryan and I have a ton of laundry, things to pick up around the house, and still decompressing from the trip. Reese did already get in a playdate at her friend Clara’s though and we took advantage of that to take Brooke to Harvest Vine and sat at the chef’s counter with her and then today I’ve been in Renton servicing the car while Bryan took the girls to Garfield Park on this very warm day to play with Lottie and her grandma.

It’s been a very busy holiday season and we have several more events this weekend but the end to 2023 has been great so far and I’m hoping the start to 2024 is even better!

Chelsea

Is to pass the SE exam. Results are in and one day I passed and one day I nearly missed, again, so in the words of my dad, “Close, but no cigar”. Not wanting to be a scrooge because that exam is not what this season is all about but the timing definitely brings with it some frustration and wishing that the results were different and not still hanging over my head. This exam has been a very humbling experience. I feel like this is the first time in my lifetime that setting my mind on something isn’t enough to just achieve that something. For all other tests, degrees, projects, etc, my will and stamina is enough that once I decide I’m going to do something that pretty much determines it will be successful. I’ve been bound and determined to pass this test, studied my arse off, but this test is a different beast and is truly making me give it my very best, and then some. But half the exam is passed and will never have to take that portion again. Now that the exam has moved to computer based testing they have split the second portion into two, lengthening each by a bit but also making what was the morning and afternoon sessions now independent of one another. I will have to pass each portion to finally garner this S.E. to my name but in due time I will.

So moving on to more joyous thoughts…we’ve kick started the holiday season off well. Although we leave for New York tomorrow and our Christmas celebrations will be there, we’ve been able to do a bunch of festive things here in Seattle this month already. We got our Christmas tree this year through the Steven’s Elementary PTA Tree Sale and it couldn’t have been an easier process, with the nicest parent volunteers helping us, and to support a good cause: Seattle Public Schools. On top of that, although we got it back on December 1^st, the tree is looking just as good as the day that we got it. Bryan is an avid tree waterer and takes great care of the tree but it is looking great still. I helped Reese with the lights and ribbon but she did pretty much all of the ornaments and loved every minute of the tree decorating. She also got to top the tree with the star.

We had several lights fail us this year so we scrounged around for lights and got some new lights to really make our place festive. We have tree garland running up the stairs (somehow these lights that Bryan had way back when still work), we replaced our icicle lights above our fireplace with a single strand of white lights. We have colorful lights bordered around the girl’s bedroom door and we got new lights both for our backyard deck and for our front columns. A friend of ours made the comment at Halloween about going all out with decorations because “it’s all for the kids” and I think that hit Bryan and I on the head in preparations for Christmas. I do remember feeling very nostalgic for seasonal decorations each year and I can already see that in Reese too.

We had two holiday celebrations that we attended this week, back to back on Thursday and Friday. On Thursday we set out to Bellevue (me and the girls by bus and Bryan met us by car from work) to attend the Snowflake Lane parade. This has become an annual tradition and we’ve had a good time each year. This year we got happy hour at the usually very pricey STK but they have a very reasonably priced happy hour. I don’t quite understand the pricing because their usual $22 cocktails (!!!) are $9 at happy hour. Same pricing scheme for the food. Wouldn’t come here any other time in my opinion. Bryan and I each got great cocktails and for food we shared their mini burger and truffle fries, popcorn chicken, massive tater tots, steak quesadilla, and wagyu meatballs. After “dinner” we claimed our spot along Snowflake Lane and purchased one of the giant light up balloons for the girls to play with. The parade was enjoyable and the weather was really mild and pleasant for the night we went.

Friday night we had friends ask if we wanted to attend the Christmas Ships that were stopping at Madrona Beach, just a short five minutes away from us. After picking up Brooke from school we got a spot and stayed warm by the blazing bonfire set up by Seattle Parks and Rec and waited for the arrival of the decked out Christmas ships. For 20 minutes the ships stayed some distance off shore and blasted the projectors of a choir singing Christmas music to us. It was a fun time and Reese had a good time running around with her friends on the beach. Brooke wasn’t feeling her best and once back home seemed in dire spirits but perked up after some time.

And Saturday after gymnastics Reese and I got all fancy to head to the Pacific Northwest Ballets performance of the Nutcracker with four of Reese’s friends and their moms. Reese even got her nails and face done, at home. The ballet was so good and the girls had a good time with one another but I still don’t think the ballet is really Reese’s thing, although I can’t say it’s mine either but I do love the nutcracker. After the performance we played a bit at the playground there before coming home to the other two and delicious filet mignons that Bryan made for us from our gracious United Rentals Omaha steak package.

I hosted my annual girl’s cocktails and cookie night a little over a week ago at the pop up Christmas bar called Tinsel Town at the Shelter Lounge in Greenlake. Five of us got together to swap cookies and fudge while staying out late drinking festive drinks out of fun Christmas mugs. I didn’t get home until after midnight which is quite late for me, especially when we started at 7! Bryan had a guy’s day out the day following my night out and got brunch and played golf at the Top Golf in Renton with some friends while I took the girls to gymnastics and then a birthday party at the Inflatable Zone. And Bryan and I got out just the two of us together as well this past week for the extreme Christmas decorations and light show that the Bait Shop in Capitol Hill puts on. We had so much fun; great drinks, delicious food, good conversation, and lots of laugh and enjoyment of the light show.

Both girls are now on break for two weeks, as is Bryan, while I have a few days off here and there. We are all ready for Christmas and mostly packed for New York. I truly can’t believe Christmas is a week away but I’m ready for it all…just not the 3 am wake up call to get to the airport tomorrow!

Chelsea

Brooke is two!  How this has happened I don’t have any clue but it’s true and boy is she ever two.

We’ve had just a great time celebrating Brooke’s 2nd birthday over the past week and I think Brooke has had a wonderful time herself.  I wasn’t sure if she would understand this year that it was her birthday or what was going on but I think when her buddy at school celebrated hers just the week prior, she understood the deal.  We started talking about her upcoming birthday all last week and finally on Sunday we had her party and got to celebrate with a whole lot of friends.

Bryan and I had the idea to do a tropical themed birthday party at the McMenamin’s 90 degree saltwater pool and tiki bar up in Edmonds, WA but weren’t entirely sure if our friends would be down for this excursion in the middle of winter, with a drive outside of Seattle, and having to get in your swimming pool for a kid’s birthday party.  But we were wrong!  Of the 38 people we invited 33 RSVP’ed yes.  I then started to wait for the messages of people bailing on us but of the 33 RSVP’ed yes, 30 actually came.  We had 15 adults and 15 children and we definitely helped to fill that pool for our hour of swim from 11-12.  Everyone had a good time swimming, adults included.  Reese had a whole group of buddies to swim with and I actually was quite impressed with her taking off her floaties and practicing getting her face in the water, using the swim goggles, and floating.  It’s nice that this pool is shallow throughout, only going to a depth of 4′-10″ at the very end.  Brooke had a good time too and got more comfortable in the water as the time progressed but still clinging to me throughout.  She did have a big smile on her face when I tossed her up a few times and was delighted when the rain started coming through the opening in the roof.  

We had gotten there early, at 10:30 am to buy wristbands, and the staff made no protest of us jumping in the water early so there was actually a group of us that started swimming as early as a quarter to.  Because of this I think Brooke was ready to get out at about 11:45 which worked great because I could get her and I showered and dressed before there was a mad rush for the changing room and could help get the party goods set up upstairs in the tiki lounge.  We brought a few balloons and some goody bags for all of the kids with just a few simple items including leis, flamingo straws, and a couple suckers (a Brooke favorite).  I had also printed out some mermaid and sea life coloring sheets and brought our markers for kids to color.  

The tiki lounge Nui Nui didn’t open until noon and as I suspected we had the whole place basically to ourselves which worked great.  We had half of the restaurant but were able to freely roam and socialize over a bunch of various seating options and there was even a cool corner nook that the kids hung out at coloring that overlooked the pool.  I had pre ordered a bunch of food and I think I ordered correctly.  I kept it to all simple finger foods and got the kids a bunch of chicken tenders, fries and tots while the adults had a few variations of sliders, kahlua pork tacos, and chips and salsa.   Our group managed to consume all of the food but I don’t think anyone was really left wanting more either.  

Just before 1 pm we knew we had to get the cake part going as guests with littles, like ourselves, would need to be heading home for naptime.  We had gotten two cookie cakes from Safeway, decorated with all sorts of tropical sea creatures and really cute I have to say.  Brooke was already to go and our group sang happy birthday and Brooke was all about it, sandwiched between her sister and dad.  We hurriedly cut the cake as the kids were bidding on what pieces they wanted and soon everyone was sugared up and started to leave.  We stayed until the end, spent all of about 5 minutes cleaning up before heading out ourselves.  We didn’t leave until close to 2 and Brooke managed to keep her eyes open until about the last ten minutes home and from there she didn’t want to continue napping.  She had napped on the way to the party, which was great, so she was set for the day.  

On her actual birthday it was rainy, rainy, rainy.  I had put together cake pops for Brooke to take to school Sunday night.  Bryan graciously took her to school with the cake pops since it was raining so hard.  Brooke came home with an empty container and her Birthday crown that she proceeded to wear most of the night.  We spent the evening facetiming family and gradually opening her gifts.  The real hit was this car track toy that is super cool.  It’s a toy that Reese can help Brooke do and that gives Brooke as much excitement as doing it herself, although she will get there with time.  We had a lowkey dinner and I sang Happy Birthday to her when I was putting her to bed.

We’ve continued to have so much rain, which I think has really hit hard because our fall has really been so clear and sunny.  We’ve tried to keep ourselves busy and active.  We had gymnastics on Saturday and went to the climbing gym mainly for Reese last night.  Reese had such a good time and literally worked up a sweat climbing.  We’ve also started our chocolate advent calendars and do that after dinner each night and that is a hit with all of us!

Christmas is approaching and we are all very excited for it but I think we also did a good job celebrating Brooke’s birthday.  I don’t want her to ever get overshadowed by Christmas.  She’s a great little girl who we all love so much.  She definitely is turning two, becoming very opinionated and having big feelings a lot but I also think I’m better at knowing how to handle these feelings, let her feel them and then work through them.  She’s been super chatty lately and really starting to form words into meaningful sentences, although I will say at her birthday party she was super observational, watching and enjoying the group more than talking.  But she loved it!

Chelsea

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