Seattle.

To recap the weekend in one word? Bittersweet. There were highs and lows, lots of family time and in the end, 3 exhausted kids and 2 worn out parents. 

Saturday was spent checking things off our to do list so the rest of the weekend we could have fun. 

Sunday was football day. The Seahawks had another playoff game and we were ready. Matt went to a friends house to watch the game which left me at home with the kids. They know the drill by now though. They can watch the game, cheer them on and eat snacks on the floor (the ONLY time they get to eat away from the table) and if/when they get bored they can go do sometime else. But, I'll still keep watching the game. Usually it surprisingly holds their interest for almost all 4 quarters so we have fun cheering and watching our favorite players.

Carter wanted to snuggle with Simon before we got our Hawks gear on. And Lucy? Well, I really have no idea why she was grumpy. Silly girl.

 And then....we were ready!

 It was all smiles before the game. We had snacks, blankets out, jerseys on and it was time. And then......it went downhill fast (this is where the bitter part of our weekend comes in). The first half of that game just left us speechless, confused, frustrated and hoping it was all a bad dream.

 Even Simon was upset! Thank goodness they rallied back in the 2nd half to give it their best effort. We are all bummed the season is over but Carter is already thinking about the preseason game he'll get to attend next season!

 On Monday we took the kids to the Science Center for the first time. It was crowded, being it was a holiday but we all still had a good time exploring each exhibit. We even ended up coming home with a membership so we can go back anytime and spend more time there.
There was lots of waiting when we first arrived. The kids were troopers.

 Matt took the big kids to an IMax 3D movie so Simon and I wandered around outside for a bit. It was his first big trip into the city to see the sights! He did so good all day. In and out of the ergo and stroller, feeds in random places, loud sounds, so many people and he just smiled right along. Love this boy.

 One of our favorite rooms was the Dinosaur Exhibit. So fun to see them moving around and check out the footprints!

 Lucy and I went to the butterfly room together for a while. She was in heaven! So many butterflies all over the place and so incredibly beautiful.

 We ended the day by wandering around Seattle Center, playing at the new playground, snacking in the armory and then visiting the fountain. Of course, Carter couldn't help but get as close to the water as possible.

Thanks Seattle....we love you!

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this week.

January is usually the gloomy month. Post Christmas excitement, cold and wet weather, germs invading every home and families returning to routine and structure. We've definitely had parts of that but I'm determined to throw in a little fun too!

Part of the grown-up fun is this new beauty. A brand new dishwasher! When we bought the house the bank put in new appliances but the dishwasher just didn't seem to be working properly. Mildew grew around the interior, dishes weren't dried all the way and it started making this super annoying buzzing sound that seemed to intensify with each passing week. So, it was time for a new one! After 2 weeks of hand washing dishes while we waited for the installation I couldn't be happier. Definitely not how I wanted to spend a big chunk of money when there are so many other house projects on hold but it was needed.

 While Carter is at school in the mornings Lucy, Simon and I try to be creative each day. Some mornings we have play dates, swim lessons, library time, shopping at Target or playtime at home but this particular morning Lucy begged me to bake cookies. I made her do all of it on her own (except read the recipe) and she was amazing! To be honest, they may have turned out better than my own cookies.

 And then this happened. January germs. Ugh. Lucy woke up one night vomiting and couldn't stop for 7 straight hours. Poor girl was just miserable and Matt and I spent all night cleaning up her room, her bedding, and her floor. I was determined to keep it contained and not have this nasty stomach bug get to the rest of us. So I deep cleaned the entire house over and over again. And we were safe.......for a week. And then Carter got it. Now this house has been disinfected about a dozen times in the past 3 days. I think I've wiped every single surface, followed the kids around with disinfecting wipes as they've played and washed my hands more times than I can count. Praying we are done with this virus and can move on with our lives!

 Simon has just been the greatest baby. He is so chill, just goes with the flow and is willing to be put down wherever is convenient so we can get things done sometimes. Lately it's been the kitchen floor so I can prep meals or clean. Good job buddy!

 He turned 7 months old this past week (what?!?), has 4 new teeth and is starting to enjoy eating a variety of solids. Each first bite is taken with a very confused, unsure look of disgust but then he claps his hands and grunts for another bite. I'd say it's a success! He also has grown accustomed to napping anywhere he can. Third child syndrome has played a large role in his little life. Between school pick up and drop off, preschool pick up and drop off, babysitting friends kids, playdates, swim lessons, grocery store trips and walks to the park he gets woken up quite a bit to be taken on the next adventure. Thank goodness he doesn't seem to mind and will cat nap throughout the day in the car, my arms, the ergo and stroller. Love this sweet sleeping boy!

 And Lucy is back into her weekly swim lessons! This girl is just loving the water and learning so much.

The rest of our week? Cheering on the Seahawks for a playoff victory and a trip to the Pacific Science Center! Stay tuned...

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happy new year 2016.

With Christmas behind us we had a few more days during the break before school started to have a little more fun. I didn't really want to schedule much so I could have time to just relax (yeah, right), put away all the Christmas decorations and enjoy the family time before our routines started up again. The kids loved just having time to play at home, usually being extra silly.

After Christmas we decided to transition Simon to his crib in his room. I wasn't loving this idea since he's our last baby and I didn't want to admit it was already time. But, he just wasn't sleeping great in the pack n'play and his room is literally 3 feet away from ours so it wasn't too bad of a transition. And, he's sleeping much better and for longer stretches, so I guess that's a huge bonus!

 For New Years Eve we actually had plans for the first time in 8 years! Matt could really care less about this holiday and to be honest, I don't really ever want to stay up until midnight since the kids don't sleep in any later the next day. I'm already sleep deprived enough! But, some great friends of ours from college hosted a kid-friendly party at their house including a East Coast New Years celebration for the kids. It was so fun! About 6 families, 14 kids between the ages of 3 months and 7 years and delicious food. We just chatted, let the kids play and headed home around 9:30 after ringing in the new year. Of course, Simon decided he didn't want to go to bed until after midnight, thanks to the nap he had in the car on the way home so we ended up watching the fireworks on tv anyways, but at least I was in my pj's.

 Simon is just growing like crazy and such a happy baby. He now has 3 teeth (2 on bottom, 1 on top), eating a variety of purees, barely naps during the day and doing his best to learn to scoot across the floor (luckily he's taking his time figuring this out allowing me a few more weeks of having a non-mobile baby!). But most of all he's discovered his voice and will scream with glee every chance he gets, earning him the nickname: Screamin' Simon!

 For the past 3 years we've had the tradition of taking a family walk through Bothell Landing on New Years Day. Not really sure why it started but it always happens to be a nice, crisp day and we love getting some fresh air and exploring the trail.

 The day before school started we got a teeny tiny bit of snowfall. Of course the kids were beyond excited, bundled up in ALL their snow gear and were determined to build a giant snowman. After 10 minutes of small flakes falling from the sky it stopped and I had two super bummed out kids with a happy baby sitting on the cold, wet ground. Ha!

 This past weekend I took a walk down to the park next to our house to let Carter fly his new mini-drone he got for Christmas. You can't really see it in the picture but he loved watching it fly high into the air and then fall back down. Luckily it 's really tiny and won't go too far. While we were there we let Simon swing for the first time. He loved it!

 Sadly, the first week back to school also included a round of the stomach flu. I was convinced we were spared after not getting sick over Christmas break, as many of our friends did but poor Lucy woke up one night vomiting and just couldn't stop. I sanitized the entire house, kept her in her room all day with the iPad and after about 24 hours she was back to her normal happy self again. Thank goodness. And, praying the rest of us continue to stay healthy!

 Poor Simon. He's been busy teething and letting us know how painful it really is.  Lots of drool, any toy/stuff animal shoved in his mouth and lots of teething toys. Saddest picture ever until I could find his new vibrating teething toy to help him out a little.

 And that wraps up week one of 2016, we're off to a busy start!

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