Cleaning rocks
The boys were tasked with cleaning the rocks in the garden where we planted the new popsicle tree. It was heavy, dirty work but the final result looks beautiful!
Tag: brothers
Shecklet #2 is teenager #2
Back when when they were born 22 months apart, it was hard to imagine my boys would one day both be teenagers.
And yet, today is the day the second Shecklet makes that a reality for me.
Shecklet #2 had a very specific list of things he wanted for his birthday dinner: homemade mac-n-cheese, jellied cranberries, Lay’s BBQ chips, garlic knots, and San Pellegrino Blood Orange sparkling water. (He shared this list with us via a Google Keep note that he started weeks ago. š)
And for dessert, he requested a strawberry rhubarb pie. This flavor isn’t easy to find in March, but I found a local baker, Heather’s Pies, who makes them fresh and picked it up this afternoon while it was still warm. Heather did not disappoint – it was delicious!
Even though he was part of the new ski gear selection, he didn’t know the items had arrived last weekend. So we were able to surprise him a little bit. The 8 cans of jellied cranberries were also appreciated.
This kid has been a source of wit, humor, and love from day one. I can’t wait to see what the coming year has in store for him.
You’re becoming an amazing young man, Shecklet #2! Bring on the teen years!
Love you so much! XOXO
The many faces of Shecklet #2 the throughout the past 13 years.
Buried at the lake
We met friends at a local lake today. There is shade to sit in and watch the kids play on the beach or in the water. It was a great place to be on a hot day.
Shecklet #2 let Shecklet #1 bury him in the sand.
Christmas Eve 2019
Over the hills and through St. Paul, to Grandma Patti and Grandpa Dave’s house we go!
This photo of Jake & Jason sums up the personalities of these two, perfectly.
Fun at Target
Two recent trips to Target were not complete without a stop in the Christmas section.
Shecklet #4 took a few calls from Santa and the elves. (I had to tell her which way to hold the phone – she wasn’t sure why it had a cord!)
The boys found themselves heading the wrong way down the chimney.
Light reading
Shecklet #3 planted herself out on the deck this morningĀ and paged through her brother’s new books.
Body Art
This afternoon I was sitting in the living room with Little Miss and talking on the phone with my friend, Sarah.Ā Meanwhile, the boys were sitting at the dining room table coloring “hidden pictures” pages with markers.Ā Sounds innocent enough, right?Ā I mean, I was in the adjoining room and could see their heads over the back of the love seat.Ā Unfortunately, it blocked my full view of them.Ā If only I had known they were not only coloring hidden pictures, but were using their own bodies as canvases.
Check out the detail on Nolan’s feet!
For the record, I waited to take photos of them because I couldn’t let on that what they had done was absolutely hilarious!Ā While they were technically using markers labeled “washable,” this particular set is hardly that.Ā I ended up Googling “remove marker from skin” and found a suggestion for rubbing alcohol.Ā That, combined with a super bubbly bath, seems to have done the trick.Ā Of course all of this happened while I was single-parenting tonight.Ā Jake missed out on all of the fun!
Sweet, sweet singing
I’m listening to my two little chatter bugs talk to each other in their room – they’re supposed to be sleeping.Ā Nolan’s saying the ABC’s and Lincoln is singing along with him.Ā The sweet sounds of their little voices melt my heart.Ā The two of them have become such good pals.Ā Even when they bicker or get upset or frustrated with one another, they are quick to forgive, forget, and move on.
As we were having an ice cream treat tonight after dinner, I realized how many of the pictures I take are of the boys eating something in their respective places at the table.Ā As an outsider looking in, one would think the world revolves around our dining space.Ā With two growing boys, that’s probably not too far from the truth.Ā š
Today was PJ day at preschool, so Nolan wore his Batman pajamas proudly all day.
OTW ā Long post, busy weekend
I gave myself more than 5 minutes on this one because of all I attempted to cover.
Friday night we had a Rody rodeo at the house. Jake gave Rody a little extra bounce and the boys loved it!
Our 7th anniversary was yesterday (10/18.) Itās hard to believe how fast the years have passed. I recently realized how close Jake and I are to having been together for 10 years ā we started dating in 2000 when we were at the U. I canāt think of anyone else Iād rather be spending this crazy, fantastic life of marriage & kids with than my husband. For all of the ups and downs that life brings our way, he has been (and continues to be) a source of calm, strength, and consistency for me.
Saturday morning we were planning on bringing the boys to Jakeās parentsā house for the day so we could go on our anniversary date ā a day early. Jason, (Jakeās brother) called and offered us his Ford Mustang for the day, so we altered our plans a bit and exchanged cars and transferred kids at his house instead. I didnāt know where we were going until we left our house. All I knew was the attire for our date. It was great to be surprised!
Short side story. My mom and I had the most successful 10 minute shopping trip on Friday night. I didnāt have anything fall-ish to wear on Saturday, so my mom agreed to meet me to do a little shopping. On my way to Maple Grove, she called and suggested we try Nordstrom Rack. When we arrived, it was 10 minutes until they closed. We hustled in, found a couple of dresses to try on, found one, scooted over to the shoes, and successfully found a great pair of red heels. Love them! Not too bad for a āletās just see what they haveā stop.
Back to Saturday. Once we picked up the Mustang, we headed east on 94 and traveled various small highways up through Wisconsin to St. Croix Falls. We had lunch at a fantastic restaurant called Greccoās on the St. Croix. The place is quaint and has an intimate feel. We sat near the fireplace, which was great because if you know me, Iām always a bit cold. We ordered an appetizer and each chose the herb crusted walleye for our main dish. To our surprise, the host came over a short time later with a different appetizer, Ahi Tuna, ācompliments of the chef.ā I had never eaten pan seared tuna until Saturday. It was delicious! In fact, every part of our dining experience was amazing. We plan on returning and would highly recommend Greccoās ā itās worth the drive to St. Croix Falls!
We drove back to Jakeās parentsā place through Minnesota. It was such a beautiful day and the leaves still had some color. We stopped in Afton and got an ice cream cone (my 2nd dessert of the day) and then finally arrived back in Hastings. We spent the rest of the afternoon watching football (poor Gophers :(), letting the boys and dogs run off energy (and ride) outside, and finally having dinner with Grandma, Grandpa, the boys, Larissa, Jason & his girlfriend B. It was a nice way to end the fun day Jake and I shared together.
Our actual anniversary was pretty laid back, which was ok with us. We went to mass in the morning, came home and had donuts ā Nolanās favorite š and then watched the Vikings game. Jake also worked on a few things around the outside of the house since the weather was so beautiful! Later in the evening, my mom came over and watched the boys so we could go to a movie. Neither of us would recommend seeing Where the Wild Things Are. Unfortunately, it was a depressing movie with no real plot. Iām glad I know the book is good because had I not read it before, I donāt think Iād even pick it up. It seems weāre 0 for 2 lately with picking movies to watch at the theater. We seem to do better with our picks from RedBox. Plus, in my opinion, itās way more comfortable to watch a movie at home. Iām guessing we wonāt be hitting the theater again for a while ā unless someone can recommend a really good flick for us to see.
Today was business as usual. Nolan went to school and Lincoln and I headed to the gym. I feel so much better when I get a workout in in the morning. After school, we came home for lunch and then everyone took a much needed nap. We spent the afternoon outside ā took a walk, played with chalk, and took ācheesyā pictures with the bale of hay we received from the local volleyball boosters we supported.
