I wanted to entitle this post "Two Months In One", because the pictures and stories included below are a little casserole of December and January. The final moments of 2018 and the earliest moments of 2019. It is, to my relief, two months in one!!
But I also thought about calling it "Two Months To The Day." My last post was March 20th. And today, quite ironically, is May 20th. Since my blogging adventure started in 2012, never have I had such a dry spell. Two months is a record!
And so I've compromised. Finding middle ground. Settling for what these titles have in common.
"Two Months"
So shall we begin?
Follow me down Memory Lane.
Take your first left - at the year 2018.
And then it's a quick right - at the month of December.
Bath Nursery is our official Christmas tree provider. 9 times out of 10, we get our tree from here. And while the tree selection alone is nice enough to justify our vendor of choice - - - it is the hot apple cider, free popcorn, occasional reindeer sighting, and whimsical ornament selection that make it more than just a purchase. It's an experience.
We've earned a fine reputation here at Bath. We stay the longest because we are the most indecisive. But every year - after much debate - we find Our Tree. A beautiful specimen that balances price with size and quality. You need space for your ornaments, sturdy branches, enough height that decorating calls for a step stool, freshness, and symmetry. We also like to keep it under $100.
This year was unique, in that we only took one kiddo along. Sometimes it pays to be the oldest. This was a special field trip for just Sage and us.
In November, we discovered that Kale and Sage BOTH had cavities. This was Sage's first experience getting the "cavity" diagnosis. But for Kale it was his second. And this was such a bummer. Because the last time he had a cavity (which had been a full year prior), it was our wake up call. A warning to step up the brushing game.
So discovering that both kids had cavities, even after supposedly "learning my lesson" was pretty devastating. In our house, "mom and dad" do all the brushing. We don't let the kids do their own teeth. So this was OUR big fail, not theirs. Parenting shame!
But out of that storm, came the most beautiful rainbow. 1) We have now gotten into the habit of flossing the kids teeth every single day. For some reason this always seemed like an insurmountable challenge. But with the right flossing gear, it's not bad at all. The kids can even do this task on their own. And 2) Both kids - Kale in particular - have completely overcome their fear of the dentist. Kale even got a crown - all by himself - while I sat in the waiting room surfing Instagram. Not one single tear. Such bravery! This is in stark contrast to his first cavity experience when I had to physically restrain him while he cried so hard he could hardly breath. Hallelujah, we've come so far!!
Dr. Greg's office has to be the coolest dental facility in Colorado. (Maybe even the world!) It's like a Chuck E Cheese. With slides, video games, and a rock climbing wall. The kids like to go early... and stay late.
Just like Kale, I overcame some fears of my own in 2018.
I attended....The Office Christmas Party!
I don't normally go to these. But free food and free liquor and free babysitting is hard to pass up.
And yet another fear-busting adventure. I overcame my phobia of indoor public places at the peak of flu season.
We took a very rare trip to the real Chuck E Cheese. (Not the dental one.) And had a great time.
These days when you go, you purchase "play time" on a wrist band. You pick how long. Unlimited play for an hour was pretty perfect for us. And you can pause your play countdown during "pizza time," so no one feels rushed to eat. It's a very nice system.
Christmas was just around the corner.
We consulted our Christmas Traditions list and made sure to cross off all the big important stuff as the holiday quickly approached.
Gingerbread House. Check!
Eat Fanny May till you feel sick.
(Delivered direct from Morton to Fort Collins. Thank you Gary and Sheryl!)
Check!
The daily visit from our very silly, sometimes naughty, Elf on the Shelf.
Check!
The daily advent calendar.
Check!
This year, many doors contained Christmas-themed Lego figures.
And here's a little something new....
Rowan had his VERY FIRST haircut in December.
(Just a trim, of course.)
As of late, he's been rocking out fantastically-blonde shoulder-length locks.
We attended a friend's holiday party.
We took a stroll up to Walgreens for Christmas-themed stamps.
For the annual Christmas card, of course.
I had a a bowling retreat with the work team.
Kale, always chillin' like a villain.
Sharing a special "3 brothers" moment in the bath.
Me and Sage, we have our special moments too!
One cold Saturday night, I partook in a delightful winter adventure up the Poudre Canyon to Mishawaka, where we practically had the whole place to ourselves. We enjoyed dinner, smores, outdoor decor, and even a festive frozen mountain river.
Ok - so here we are - with 48 hours left to the BIG DAY!
On Christmas eve eve, we finally went to see Santa at the Foothills Mall. (It seems we weren't the only people who waited to the end of the season to chat with Santa. There was quite the line to meet the man with the big red bag. And finding the patience to make it through the line was challenging. But so worth the wait!)
The Foothills Santa does magic. He's so awesome!
And just like last year, we followed up our Santa meet-and-greet with a visit to the delicious Auntie Anne's pretzel shop.
On Christmas Eve, we made cookies. A little traditional. A little psychedelic. Honestly, there was so much sugar consumption happening, that most of us were experiencing a full-on hallucination by the end of it all.
The very last door on the advent calendar. I don't quite remember what was in there. But clearly...it was good!
The first glimpse of the tree, untouched by children, on the dawn of Christmas.
Quiet, beautiful, and one of my very favorite moments of the entire season. The calm before the chaos.
Now, let's get the party started!
Stockings first. Always!
And now for the grand finale!
The B-I-G gift from S-A-N-T-A!
Then it was off to grandma and grandpa's house for Christmas dinner and games.
Bingo was a lot of fun.
And we discovered, Sage is a pretty lucky guy.
He got 5 in a row far more than anyone else at the table.
The day after Christmas....
Time to break in those new scooters.
On New Years Eve we started a new tradition.
Family puzzle time.
If my memory serves me correctly, Rowan swiped his hands across our beautiful finished puzzle masterpiece, and knocked it to the ground, breaking into a hundred pieces.
It was a short lived victory for us hard-working puzzle-masters.
On this day, we learned that hot glue is indeed HOT.
Rowan's favorite food.
Whipped cream.
Kale likes whipped cream too.
On top of coffee.... of course.
A couple fun school dress up days.
Family portrait day (wear flannel).
1960's day.
Wild west day.
And some others....
Waiting for dad to come home with donuts.
Ha ha!!
And now for a little food update.
Even with all the chaos that a house full of children brings, we still try to cook every once in awhile. Sometimes the dishes are appreciated by the children. Sometimes they turn their noses up.
But we always keep on trying....
Spinach ricotta mixed with homemade tomato sauce makes for an incredible lasagna!
I know I cook less than I used to. And I do miss it. But for now, I'm opting for for more play time and relaxation time, and less mess in the kitchen. (Trust me - it's messy enough!)
So we'll enjoy our hot tasty take-out.
And we'll have some fun with it too.
(This pizza was so big I had to transport it in the trunk of my car. It's 24 inches. A big boy!
And that's a wrap!!
(P.S. We created a website for our new flower farm!
