Author Archives: natalieking10414

And just like that, we’re a family of 5. Our foreign exchange student arrived on Sunday night. His mother has requested that I not use his name or face online, so I will be referring to him as KT and if there are photos of him, I will blur his face. Obviously I am going to still take one million photos for my annual scrapbooks (which allow 1000 photos and I always max out), but I want to make sure that I am partnering with his mom to co-parent across the world. He traveled roughly 25 hours from the time he left his home in Japan until he arrived at our house. He was very friendly and chatty, but also thrown off- no appetite, tired, and of course, a little unsure. He was BEWILDERED by the puppies and they were only a little bit obnoxious. The boys said hi and then mostly ignored him. I anxiously showed him around our house, showed him his room and desperately tried to feed him. Night one- just 3 years to go…

On Monday, the boys were with Grandma Debbie and KT was home. Jet lag kicked in hardcore and he napped for a chunk of the day. It was mostly a quiet day as I tried to catch up on work after a week out of the office. .

On Tuesday, Shyanna was with the boys (her last week with us) and they were busy playing. KT was still pretty tired and out of it. He and I made a trip to the Asian grocery store and found some familiar items to have on hand. We spent a few hours at school because it was his laptop orientation where we learned about policies, etc. and then he got his brand new imac (which he is very excited about and Xander is VERY excited to get someday). In the evening, the boys were on their own because Christine and I went to see Wicked. This was the third time seeing it together (we’ve seen it in NYC and Iowa). We went out to a fancy dinner and then spent the entire musical on the edge of our seats, trying not to sing out loud, or burst into tears of joy. It was AMAZING.

On Wednesday, Shyanna took the boys and KT mini golfing. I worked. Nate worked. It was feeling more and more normal after being on vacation and welcoming a new family member.

On Thursday, it was Shyanna’s last day with the boys. The boys really enjoyed having her come and I LOVE her. She goes to school near our house, so she will still dogsit this year and babysit if we need a backup. So it wasn’t goodbye, but I was still so sad she won’t be here every week anymore!

KT’s jet lag seemed to be gone towards the end of the week and his appetite was good. He and the boys finally had a breakthrough when he asked if he could play one of the video games and I told him yes, but I don’t know how to work any of them, so Xander had to help him. Since then, they’ve been playing and talking more and it’s feeling more and more natural. Nate and I had “host family orientation” where we learned about culture shock and talked logistics of hosting. The 3 boys went to Grandma Debbie’s house for pizza. After our orientation, we picked everyone up and headed to a nearby park for the 10th grade back to school party. Every class has their own party and I was excited to go to an upper school event. I found myself feeling very maternal and very nervous- the same way I felt when Xander started kindergarten- silently begging someone to be nice to KT and be friends. Luckily there were lots of friendly kids who crowded around him to introduce themselves. I introduced Augustus to a few cool looking boys, saying, “this is Augustus, he will be in pre-K and he wanted to meet some new friends”. The first boy gave him a fist bump. The second boy offered high five, but when Gussie went to high five him, he pulled his hand away and said, “too slow” which Augustus thought was HILARIOUS (and then did to me about 5 more times through the night). I was grateful for the big kids being so sweet to my boys as well as to KT.

On Friday, KT spent the day at school for exchange student orientation day. He walked though the schedule and learned about the school. Xander and Augustus had their last swim lesson. Xander wants to try out for the swim team and his teacher was complimentary about his swim skills! Augustus has been riding a balance bike for 2 years (even though he has a pedal bike) but on Friday, he finally decided to make the switch and he basically hopped on and started riding! KT started getting used to our routine of going outside after dinner every night. The first night we did it, he was very hesitant, explaining that he isn’t really an outside guy, but even a few nights into it, I can see that he was enjoying himself.

Saturday was a busy day! Augustus got his hair cut. Xander went to a birthday party for a friend from his class. KT and I went school supply shopping. After all of that, Sean and Rachel organized a neighborhood (plus a lot of other people) party. There was a lot of pizza, a lot of snacks, drinks, hanging out, ping pong, and more. The kids came up with a very clever game of real-life Mario Kart. They designed and built their own carts completely on their own and then raced around. I was very proud of them for being so creative and independent. We ate pizza and snacks. At some point, the kids turned to me and said, “will there be cocktails” because when you grow up happy-houring every week, apparently you grow accustomed to kiddie cocktails. It just so happens that I keep 7up, grenadine, and cherries on hand. Another super fun, way too late night of summer fun.

Another busy day today as we headed to my uncle’s cabin for a summer-fun day. KT was very unsure and he’s not a fan of water. I told him that in the next 3 years, I would eventually get him in the lake, but for now, I was happy he was willing to come along on a pontoon ride and just hang out for the day. The boys LOVED being pulled on a tube behind the boat, jet skiing and wrestling Uncle Danny on the water mat. We paddle boarded, and there happened to be a parade just around the corner and Grandma and the boys collected a GIANT bag of candy while watching the parade. My win for the day was when KT asked if he could drive the pontoon! Nate taught him how and he was a natural! We’re going to make him “outdoorsy” eventually.

It has been a very busy week (our last full week of the summer!). We are adjusting to life as a family of 5. We are learning a lot about Japan, about KT, about ourselves as a family. KT is very talkative, asks great questions, offers to help often, is very polite, and seems to be getting used to us (and all of our loud chaos of puppies and little boys). I am looking forward to school starting and giving us back a stricter routine and a little less nonstop fun (this summer has been awesome but I am EXHAUSTED!).

Whoa buddy, this is going to be a long post. We just got back from family camp and I have so much to share!

The YMCA family camp Du Nord has been so popular that in 2018, the Y bought and opened a second family camp- Camp Northern Lights, which is where we spent the last week. I had high hopes and high expectations and it exceeded every one of my greatest hopes! Camp NL is also one of the camps I fundraise for, so it was fun to see it in action, spend some time with the Executive Director and gain some personal experiences to use in my future calls.

We checked in last Sunday night. Our cabin was very centrally located right on the edge of the beach- a prime spot! The first thing we saw when we pulled up was the giant water trampoline and the boys (especially Augustus) were VERY excited to get onto the lake and try it out. There were 2 bedrooms in the cabin, a bathroom, kitchen and living room. We unpacked, explored camp a bit, ate dinner and then went to the opening ceremony where we met the staff, sang some songs, got an overview of the week and signed up for activities.

Some activities were at your leisure- you could just grab a paddle board or kayak any time you wanted. There was open art time at the art barn every afternoon. There were 2 playgrounds and the beach. But some activities (certain art projects, etc) had to be reserved, so we did that on Sunday night.

One of the activities Xander was VERY excited about was Big and Little Dippers. This activity happened at 7:45am and involved jumping into the ice cold lake first thing. In 13 years of running camp, I managed to avoid Polar Plunge (same thing, different name) every single year, but if you dipped every day at family camp, kids got a free tee shirt and Xander was ALL IN. And I decided if I was going to walk down there every day, I might as well also jump in (grown ups could earn the right to purchase a shirt).

Monday morning, Xander and I were up bright and early. Gussie and Nate were snuggled in their warm beds and didn’t flutter an eyelid as we left. It was chilly and Nate said he and Gussie woke up when they heard everyone screaming. Xander and I made it to Big and Little Dippers every morning and at the closing ceremony, were awarded our shirts! We are both very proud of those shirts!! Gussie made it down on Tuesday and was NOT a fan. It was chilly and he is not a morning person.

After our morning dips, we ate breakfast and then from 9:30-12 each day was age group time. Xander and Augustus were in the 5/6 group (there were groups 0-4, up to 15-18). Counselors took the kids and did a variety of activities. There were adult activities during that time as well, or you could just relax. I spent some time working on my shutterfly books and Nate and I played a lot of Scrabble. We both wished age group time could be about 8 hours a day! The boys loved it and both of them made friends that we played with all week outside of age group time.

Augustus typically makes friends within 5 minutes of being anywhere we go and camp was no different. Xander tends to hang back and it takes him a while to connect, but this week he made a good buddy named Shiloh and outside of age group time, we would walk to Shiloh’s cabin and the boys would coordinate schedules. I was SO happy to see Xander make a friend and Shiloh’s mom was equally happy to have kids to entertain each other.

After age groups, there were afternoon announcements and then the adults would pick up their kids. We returned to our cabin each day for lunch and then most days, we headed right for the beach! We spent hours and hours swimming, playing in the sand, reading my book on the beach, and mixed in, taking out paddle boards and kayaks every now and then. It was a glorious week of weather and we all loved soaking in the sun!

Xander and Nate went fishing one afternoon and one of the afternoons, Xander and I painted ceramic gnomes. There was so much to do every day that we could have been busy every second from morning until night. But you could also go at your own pace and skip everything to just relax if that was what you wanted to do. It was a really nice balance.

Shyanna did a super wonderful job taking care of the puppies and sending me regular updates. We are so lucky to have her!

On Wednesday, Augustus celebrated his 5th birthday at camp! I made a cake and he was sung to at both the morning and afternoon all camp gatherings. During age group time, they made campfire brownies. After a full day of fun, we headed into Ely to a special candy store and out to birthday dinner. We weren’t away from camp for that long though as the boys didn’t want to miss anything!

It was a nearly perfect week at camp, but there was one incident… On Thursday evening, we were scheduled for a sunset cruise on the pontoon. Gussie and I ran ahead to the dock (we were racing). We were waiting for a few minutes, when Xander and 2 counselors ran up. Xander said, “something bad happened to Daddy!” and the same time the counselor said “Isaac (program director) is with him now.” Ultra calm, super focused, camp director emergency mode kicked in. Xander told me Nate was on the ground and his head was shaking, which made me think he was having a seizure (even though there is no history) and started running towards our cabin. But that wasn’t it (thank goodness!). I saw the program director and executive director on the beach and Nate was in the water! It turns out, that as they were walking, Nate stepped on a nest of ground bees and when the first sting hit the back of his head, he dropped to his knees and Xander ran screaming, not knowing what was wrong. As this happened, the director walked up and saw that Nate was covered in bees and told him to go jump in the lake.

Nate ended up with about 8 bee stings. After we first aided him and he changed into dry clothes, we were off on our cruise.

Shortly after embarking, the counselor who was leading us hit a rock and when we after inspecting the motor (it was fine), it wouldn’t turn back on. The counselor called another staff member for advice while I told the boys all of my pontoon horror stories (turns out, I have a lot). The counselor was apologetic, but I don’t think it’s a complete camp experience without a sketchy pontoon. He got the motor going again and we drank root beers and ate snacks and it was a lovely cruise (not doomed as I was starting to think).

The boys loved visiting the snack bar (conveniently located near the beach) to get ice cream cones every day (sometimes twice a day). We ate so many s’mores and so much ice cream and so many snacks. We swam nonstop. Xander and I earned our dipper tee shirts. We sang camp songs and played camp games and stayed up too late every night. Nate and I played endless games of Scrabble and Yahzee. We relaxed. We laughed a lot. We had the best week! I loved every second of it (except the bees). I can’t wait until next year!

We got home on Saturday afternoon and spent some time snuggling the bulldogs. I loved camp, but it’s always good to be home too.

Sunday is here and today we will welcome our foreign exchange student! The boys have been hanging with Grandma Debbie today and Nate and I have been doing some last minute projects around the house. Stay tuned for more details on his arrival (we are expecting him around 5pm tonight!).

August has arrived. I didn’t take many photos this week, but the boys were busy! Shyanna brought them to the splash pad, the park and the Tamarack Nature Center. Tuesday night was National Night Out. A great night and I didn’t take any photos! It was so hot that all of the kids ended up in our pool and ditching the NNO party. We went out for ice cream on Thursday night. Swimming, playing, relaxing. It was another super fun summer week.

Me and my trainer were featured on the Y social media sites- at least this photo was a little less unflattering.

On Friday, the boys had swim lessons (Xander is almost able to do a flip kick!) and then all 4 of us headed to my uncle’s cabin for a family fun day. My cousin Jason and his family were in town from Texas for the weekend. We had the best day! We spent a lot of time on the pontoon- the boys (and I) jumped off about 1 million times. The boys got to wrestle with their Uncle Danny on the water mat. Nate took both kids jet skiing (Augustus was ok with it, Xander LOVED it!). Xander and Grandma Debbie caught some fish. It was sunny and breezy and we ate great food and hung out with family and it was wonderful!

Today was Augustus’s birthday party! It has been a historically hot and dry summer but today was rainy and supposed to rain all day. Our plan to meet at a splash pad/playground was not going to work. Camp Director mode engaged.

I texted the parents and moved the party to our house. When I said we would be having 10 little kids in our house, Nate reacted as if I’d suggested releasing a swarm of killer bees. “In our house?!?” But I was ready.

I started the day at Dollar Tree- I actually had most of the supplies I needed, but there were still a few things I needed. Then I hit up Starbucks, because my super easy day of just showing up to a playground and letting kids play was gone and I needed a large shaken oatmilk espresso to get me through. I called Nate to ask his drink order and in the background, Augustus yelled that he needed a hot chocolate. Yep. It was just that kind of day. When I got home with drinks, Xander said, “nothing like a hot chocolate on a rainy day.” That kid could not possibly be more precocious.

Earlier in the week, one of our neighbors told me she told her husband, “Natalie and Nate operate within a level of chaos that I just can’t imagine”. Cue my actual laughing out loud and yes! Amen! I felt so very seen. I kept thinking about that as I welcomed a house full of very excited kids.

We started with oreo on the face (you have to move the cookie from your forehead to your mouth without using your hands). Next up was cone smash- 2 ice cream cones had special stars inside and that meant those kids got a prize. The other cones had silly things like, “bark like a puppy” inside. The cones EXPLODED and it was VERY fun.

Most of the parents dropped their kids off, but one dad stayed. I don’t think he was prepared for birthday games camp style, and his eyes were wide and he laughed (maybe in horror) nonstop.

The next game was to get the gummy worm out of the pudding (no hands). Then it was donut on a string (eat the donut off the string without using your hands). We did a blindfolded car drop (dropping cars into a bucket while blindfolded). Next up was a musical chairs style game where they stepped on different pictures and when the music stopped, I drew a card and whoever was standing on that picture got a prize (spoiler alert, everyone ended up getting a prize). The final game had Gussie wearing a shaving cream shower cap and all of his friends throwing cheeseballs at his head.

Everyone ended up with piles of prizes (the key to a good kid birthday party!). The games were messy (but easy to clean up since we were inside). We had cupcakes with hot wheels cars on them. And then the kids played in the basement until their parents arrived. It was pretty much the perfect party.

When everyone left, Gussie opened presents and then we ordered pizza. Xander has already started planning his party (he wants the same kind of party!), so I’d say it was a wild success.

This week, we replaced our dining room table. Our old dining room table was a custom piece (table build by Danny King Sr. and mosaic-ed by a 20 something me), and I was ready for an upgrade. However, in a complete reversal, Nate said, “we can’t get rid of our table!” and then both boys said the same thing. I am the sentimental one, so I wasn’t prepared for their reactions. But we need a table that seats 6 for when our student arrives (my mom comes to dinner regularly). I found a free table (that has leafs that extend!) and Nate fixed the legs and we moved it in on Friday. The new table worked well at the party and I like it. Our spare room is ready and he moves in a week from tomorrow!

On Sunday night, my neighbor Rachel and I met up with Danny, Heather and several of Danny’s friends for the Alanis Morissette concert. Danny bought tickets months ago and while I’m not normally a concert person, scream- singing songs from high school was pretty magical.

On Monday night, we went to Kelly and Silas’s yard for an ice cream party! Our new friends Harvey and Lola (and their parents) were there too- Harvey was on Xander and Sam’s soccer and tee ball teams this summer, so it was a very fun crew to hang with. Since soccer is over, we all decided to celebrate. Like nearly every night this summer, Nate and I looked at each other at 7ish and said, “we should give them a 5 minute warning until we have to go” and then the sprinkler came out and it was too fun and so we ended up staying way later than planned. That sums up the whole summer, but it’s just been SO FUN!!!

We had so much fun on Monday night, we decided to repeat it on Tuesday. This time, we were in our yard- adults relaxing with drinks while the kiddos played in the pool. Swimming, snacks, freezies, and late nights. SUMMER!!

Wednesday was Augustus’s last golf lesson and he was thrilled to get a dilly bar at the end. I have been working out with a personal trainer at the YMCA and our photo is now gracing the walls of the Midway Y. I laughed out loud when I saw it. I am not sure why the camera had to be at the angle to highlight my midsection and chins, but I’m definitely the “before” model. I am enjoying personal training though, so don’t mind inspiring anyone intimidated to try it.

On Thursday, Shyanna took the boys to Snapology and it was a very fun afternoon.

Friday was swim lessons at the YMCA, hanging out at home, and swimming in the afternoon with Emmet and Olive.

Saturday we went to the MN United soccer game and had a blast! We took the bus to the stadium (a highlight for Augustus!). We arrived early to take part in the pre-game lawn games. We won so many prizes! Sunglasses, frisbees, scarves, balls, pens, bags, and so much more. We didn’t need any of it, but it was fun to win. We were very fortunate to have club level seats, which includes unlimited food and drinks. We ate so so many nachos and Xander LOVED the wild rice meatballs. The boys drank more sprite than I would like to admit. We alternated between our seats on the balcony and sitting inside where it was air conditioned. It was a very very fun afternoon. When we got home, we were all pretty hot and tired, so we had a family movie night and early bedtime for the boys.

Sunday has been a BUSY day for all of us. Nate went golfing with Jake. Xander and Augustus spent the day with Grandma Debbie- they went to see “Super Pets” at the theater and they are spending the night at Grandma’s tonight. I spent the day in an organizing frenzy! We welcome our foreign exchange student in 2 weeks and I’m going through a nesting phase. Our spare room is mostly used for storage- the closet is packed! I spent the day emptying the closet and everything else stored in that room. Which also meant I spent time organizing the basement and my office (where all the junk was being relocated). I was on a roll, so I also re-organized the bathroom cabinets, the pantry, and my office. I worked without pause for 7 hours. I was so tired and dirty and sweaty, but I am so happy with the result. I think our house is the most organized it’s ever been!

Nate and I went out to dinner, stopped at Kowalski’s for fancy dessert and are relaxing after a very busy day. I miss our babies, but I know they are having a fun night and will have a great day tomorrow.

After dinner, the boys like to turn the Alexa on loudly and dance/jump on the couches, which usually turns into wrestling, with some yelling mixed in. When their energy goes high, the puppies feel it and they get excited, running around, also jumping on the couches, also wrestling with some barking mixed in.

In the midst of this chaos, Nate and I will lock eyes and whisper to each other, “what do you think Danny is doing right now?” Because my brother and Heather don’t have kids, so I always imagine, regardless of the day or time, that they are sitting down to a relaxing, casual brunch.

We usually take Danny’s name in vain and then SNAP OUT OF IT, because we are outnumbered and need to keep our wits about us. 4 small bodies threaten to overwhelm us at any moment.

Recently, it was in the midst of one of these moments that we looked at each other and said, “ya know what would really round this out?! A teenager!” We’re already living a brunch-free life, so why not add one more?! And so we are getting one!

Ok, ok, that’s not exactly how the whole conversation went down, but come mid-August, we are growing by one as we welcome a 16 year old Japanese boy into our home. Our family is getting a foreign exchange student! MPA needed host families and we thought, “if not us, then who?” We are about as average American family as you can get. And we have a spare room. So, why not?

I am incredibly nervous, but all of the things I’m nervous about have to do with us, not him. Will he like us? Will he be disappointed in our house? Will he be disgusted by the slobbering shedding beasts that lumber around our house regularly making messes?! Will he like my food (has he ever even heard of a meatloaf?!)? Will he be disappointed that our kids aren’t his age? So many MPA families live in mansions, which is very much NOT the case for us. Will he be sad he got stuck with us?

The exchange student coordinator was encouraging and re-assuring and he spent a very long time with Nate and I, providing information, answering our questions and walking us through the process. When he finished our home visit and left, we had several conversations and it finally came down to, yes, this is outside our comfort zone, and yes, this is a huge change, and yes, there are a lot of unknowns, and yes, there will be some challenges… basically the exact same things that we said before we had each baby. BUT- there’s also a lot of potential for learning, fun, growth, joy, and this is something we want to do, so let’s take the leap and do it. And we’ll figure it out along the way.

We had a zoom call with him and his mother Tuesday morning. They were both incredibly sweet and had great questions. It was so nice to “meet” them and I think all of us felt a little less nervous after talking. I am excited for him to arrive.

And I look forward to introducing all of you to him as well. More to come…

We have had nonstop fun this summer. We’ve stayed up late way too many nights, spent so much time with friends, swam almost daily, eaten approximately 1 million freezie pops, gone lots of fun places, played soccer, tee ball, golf, and spent time in swim lessons, and so much more… and it’s only July!

This week was the last week of soccer- the boys enjoyed it a lot, and I ended up enjoying it more than I’d expected, but I am happy to have our Tuesday nights back!

Nate was busy on Wednesday morning, so I got to go to golf lessons with Augustus and it was very fun to see him in action.

Xander did a half day soccer camp at school this week and really enjoyed it! His coaches were very complimentary of his playing and on the last day he got a medal, which he was very excited about.

Nate got to take the boys to swim lessons this week and was super impressed with their progress. We are loving the private lessons and it’s amazing to see how good the boys are doing with the individual attention. I think Xander will be done with lessons after this session, and Augustus is way ahead for a 4 year old.

On Friday we found out that we’d been exposed to covid earlier in the week, so I sent Nanny Shyanna home early and we have had a very low key weekend. Originally we were supposed to be up north with the whole neighborhood, but Sam and Abby’s family ended up quarantining before us, so the cabin weekend got cancelled. It was a huge bummer that the cabin got cancelled, but we got lucky that our quarantine weekend came when our calendar was empty.

So far, none of us has any symptoms and I’ve tested negative twice. But I have been more tired than usual (am I a 40 year old mom or do I have covid?!) and the boys just seem “off”- kind of tired, kind of blah, no symptoms, but my mom-radar is alerting me that they seem weird… I don’t know if our incredibly busy summer has finally caught up to all of us and we’re all just tired and needing a weekend of family snuggling on the couch, or if we are about to get walloped with covid. As a hypochondriac, I keep expecting the worst, but I think it’s probable that we are all just needing a weekend of rest.

Sunday has been a day for chocolate chip pancakes, wearing pjs all day, unlimited screen time, more freezie pops, and lots of puppy snuggles. I’m hopeful for a healthy week ahead!

I have been VERY fortunate to work with an amazing event planner who refers clients to me and then sends me GORGEOUS photos of my cookies at events. I absolutely love seeing how they look at the events.

This week, the boys went to day camp! My first distinct memory of attending day camp when I was a kid was standing off to the side of field games, arms crossed, staring at the counselors thinking, “I’m not playing that dumb game, but I would like to get my hands on one of those clipboards.” And then years later (2000!), my first ever job was as a YMCA day camp counselor and I finally got to be in charge. After working in camping for 21 years, one might think I would have been super chill about dropping the boys off at camp, but I was a nervous wreck!

One might also think I would have been a prepared camp parent, buying white tee shirts long before camp began (knowing full well that they would be tie dying). But I didn’t. And so on Monday night, Xander was adamant that he didn’t want a pillow case (which you could purchase at camp for $10), rather, he would like a bandana. I said, “but Xan, I don’t have a white bandana”, to which he replied, “can’t you go to the store before you go swimming tomorrow?” I swim at 6:45am on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so, actually I could go. Tuesday morning, I was in the Walmart parking lot at 5:57am, waiting for the doors to open so I could get white bandanas for my special snowflakes. But here’s the thing- I got 2 tee shirts and 2 bandanas for $7, which is a far better deal than 2 pillow cases for $20. Plus, it felt like penance for being a camp parent slacker.

Tuesday-Thursday, Shyanna came to our house (even though the boys were at camp) to be my assistant. I wanted to make sure she still got paid, even though the boys were gone, and she happens to be INCREDIBLY organized and good at a million things. She transformed our house! She was like a fairy godmother, swirling through my basement. I actually screamed when I went down there to see her work! She transformed the playroom. She helped me with a bunch of little tasks. She took so much weight off my shoulders that I didn’t even realize was weighing me down. I was SO grateful!

Tuesday night was soccer and even though the boys were tired from being at camp all day, they made it through their games. Wednesday night was tee ball and again- tired boys, but Xander made it through. The boys went to bed as soon as they showered and put on pjs. Nate and I went to the new Wednesday happy hour and stayed up until midnight again! SO late, but it was so so fun!

Thursday night, Sean’s band was playing at 8pm. We had 2 tired boys, but after dinner and early showers (and blow drying their hair), we decided to try it. They hung in pretty well- getting super dirty, running around, enjoying ice cream and we even saw Xander’s kindergarten teacher! They were EXHAUSTED by the time we got home, but it was such a fun night.

On Friday, we had 2 VERY tired boys, but they headed off for their last day of camp. Xander ended up winning an award, which he was VERY excited about! It was a great first week and hopefully there will be many more camp experiences for them in the future.

Nate dropped them off because I left at the same time, headed for a different camp. It was YMCA Camp Menogyn’s 100th anniversary weekend and 380 of Menogyn’s most passionate alumni headed to the woods to celebrate. Menogyn is a 5 hour drive away, and on an island. So once I parked, I was shuttled to a dock, where I got on a pontoon. Quite a journey! But oh my gosh, what an amazing weekend. It was my first time there and I was so grateful to be able to experience it. I heard (not exaggerating) 100 or more amazing stories from the 1950s-present day. It was a joyful weekend of listening to memories and being moved by the spirit of camp. The food was amazing. The event was incredibly well run. The camp director of that camp is a bit of a legend and it was fun to watch her in action. It was such a pleasure to be able to be part of it. I am very lucky to have such a cool job that lets me do things like this.

On Saturday, while I was busy meeting camp alumni and soaking in the sun, Augustus was at the spa! He was invited to a spa themed birthday party and he loved it. Luckily, I was getting a play by play from another mom, because I was really sad to miss out! His fingers and toes look beautiful!

While Gussie was being pampered, Nate and Xander hit up legoland. Later in the day, Augustus built his first lego set all by himself, while Xander also built a big set. Nate and the boys met up with neighbors for dinner out.

Today was a full morning of camp celebrating for me, and then 5 hours in the car! The boys were at Grandma Debbie’s house, including a trip to McDonalds. I got home right before dinner and then it was back outside for the boys. I didn’t get any photos, but there was a very fun water fight with Sam, Abby, Emmet and Olive and our boys. Everyone was completely soaked! I had an incredible weekend but was happy to be home! I missed my men, my puppies and my bed (although the bunk bed I spent the weekend in was surprisingly comfortable!).

2 super crazy weeks and 2 very full weekends away, as of Tuesday, we were back to normal. Have I mentioned once or one million times how much I love a routine and a schedule?! It bears repeating.

On Tuesday, I packed a picnic lunch and Shyanna took the boys to Matthew’s Park for some playground time, a picnic lunch and wading pool. They had such a blast and I got a TON of work done that day.

At soccer that night, a lot of kids were still on vacation from July 4 so Xander’s team was short a handful of players. They asked if Augustus wanted to move up and he was thrilled! At one point, he said, “best night ever!” Brothers on defense! Their team got walloped, but we were excited because the only goal of the night was scored by Augustus!

Wednesday was the day that our busy schedule hit the boys like a freight train. When Shyanna arrived, they were a mess of melt downs and crabbiness. When they were finally dressed and ready to go (she was going to take them to the park), they both threw their shoes and refused to move. I sent them both back to bed. Luckily, our 20 year old nanny is unflappable, kindly saying, “they seem really tired. I am going to set up a craft for when they come back downstairs.” They eventually turned it around, but we ended up skipping tee ball that night and going to bed early.

We’ve still been swimming a lot. “Let’s play that game where you beat us up” is a direct quote from my sweet 4 year old. They like to wrestle and get tossed around.

Thursday was another normal day- the boys and Shyanna went to the park, I got tons of work done again, and everything was just very regular and uneventful (you know it’s quiet when I have no pictures to show for the day!).

Friday was a PTO day for me and the boys. We started the day at the YMCA (I had a training appointment and the boys got to play at the childcare). At the last minute, swim lessons got cancelled, so we headed off for our adventure of the day. At the beginning of the summer I made a long list of fun things I wanted to do. We haven’t done very many yet, so today was the day. Fawn-Doe-Rosa is an animal sanctuary about an hour away. We petted and fed deer, goats, llamas, and so many more animals. It is such a magical place. Afterwards, we got some ice cream in Taylor’s Falls and then headed to Franconia Sculpture Park for some exploring. The boys were very hot and tired by the time we got home! We jumped right into the pool to cool off and play.

After dinner, the neighborhood gathered in front of our house for happy hour. The kids decided they wanted to be bartenders, so they created their own drink (water, lemon, and a floating strawberry… also probably some kid sneezes). They mixed it at Sam and Abby’s house and then carried it down in a water bottle and served it to everyone. It was pretty cute and probably to be expected since they’ve all been attending weekly happy hour for as long as they can remember.

On Saturday, the boys went to Grandma Debbie’s house for an overnight stay. They went to the movie theater to see Thor, they ordered pizza, made lots of crafts. They were so happy! Nate and I went out for Thai food and then had fancy drinks on the patio of the Lexington. Afterwards, we came home and had some drinks on our patio. And after that, we went to our neighbor’s house for a few more drinks until midnight. It was a very relaxing, fabulous night and I am so grateful to my mom for giving us these nights off. I am convinced it makes me a better mom, a more relaxed human overall, and obviously the boys are thrilled, so everyone’s lives are improved by these special nights.

Nate and I slept in this morning and drank our morning coffee outside while relaxing. Then we got some projects done and groceries bought and put away. I picked the boys up around 2 and they spent the entire afternoon with Sam and Abby, running back and forth between the 2 houses until I dragged them in for dinner, and then back outside until I dragged them in for bathtime. Nate met some friends for evening golf and the boys went to bed early! We are loving summer so much.

This week, the boys head to day camp… I’m excited and also a little nervous. They seem to just be excited.

What a crazy 2 weeks. After returning from Grandview last weekend, we had a pretty normal week- Grandma Debbie’s house for the boys on Monday, Shyanna at our house with them Tuesday-Thursday. Tuesday was soccer and the boys were both pretty tired. They were dragging, but Augustus scored a goal, despite not really being into it.

On Wednesday night, Xander had tee ball, but the highlight was after the game when him, Sam and Harvey (X’s buddies who are on both soccer and tee ball teams with him) got to trade pokemon cards. I think we could have skipped tee ball altogether and just let them focus on Pokemon (we’re planning a pokemon play date soon). After tee ball and getting the boys to bed, Nate and I went down to Kelly and Silas’s porch for a special Wednesday happy hour. I haven’t laughed so hard in a long time- it was so fun! We stayed out there until midnight (for reference, I like to be in bed by 9pm!). We have the best best neighbors.

Monday-Thursday this week, Xander went to half day art classes at his school. He made some clay sculptures, painted, and made a diorama of his room- he really enjoyed it and I love to see the things he creates. Thursday afternoon, we went to a nearby park for a going away party for one of the teachers at Kinderberry. Maggie was both Xander and Augustus’s teacher when they were 2&3 years old. We all LOVED her- she is so wonderful and one of my favorite teachers of all time. It was nice to be able to honor her as she moves onto her next adventure. Augustus was thrilled because ALL of his buddies were there. He is such an extrovert and I think he’s really missed being in a big group of friends. We were there for over 2 hours and could have stayed all night if it was up to Gussie. Friday morning was playtime at the Y childcare while I worked out and then swim lessons. Swim lessons are intense and she’s working them really hard. But they are making a lot of progress and I’m proud of them!

After swim lessons, we loaded up the car and drove 5 hours to Denison, Iowa for the Jones Family reunion. This was Nate’s mom’s family’s side. I always get nervous about long car rides because both Xander and I get carsick quickly. Also, as an introvert, these intense 4 day visits are super overwhelming to me, so my anxiety is always high going into visits. But Nate’s family is truly the best and we had such a wonderful time. We got into town and went over to his aunt and uncle’s house to see everyone. The boys were so excited to see Grandma and Grandpa, and SO happy to see their baby cousin.

Saturday was the reunion, which was over 40 people- all of Nate’s aunts and uncles, cousins, cousins’ kids, as well as other relatives as well. There was SO much good food (a true midwest potluck with all sorts of whipped cream based “salads”), kids for the boys to run around with, and the weather was amazing. Our sister-in-law Angela is a photographer and so we had planned a red, white and blue themed photo shoot. She did an AMAZING job and got so many great pictures!

On Sunday, we headed to the Denison aquatic center, which, despite being such a small town, was a fabulous waterpark! We swam for hours, racing down the waterslides a million times. The boys jumped off the diving board about 100 times. Xander practiced diving (with some guidance from Grandma Renee). It was SO fun!! We went to a few different parks. Grandma Renee had some craft projects for the boys. We hung out, relaxed. It was such a wonderful weekend!

Our drive home flew by and we got home around 2. I like to unpack immediately and get the laundry done before anything else. I ran to get groceries and 45 minutes after getting home, the boys and I were in the pool. I am convinced that they could be in the water 24/7 and it wouldn’t be enough. Shyanna took good care of the puppies, but after 2 weekends away, they were very needy for some snuggles. We have a normal week and weekend ahead, so it will be good for everyone to get back on schedule (as much as we can call it that this summer!).

Some of the awesome family photos-

Last week and weekend were so busy! We were gone Thursday-Sunday, and our internet has been down since we left on Thursday, until today. So I’m catching up.

Our week started like usual- Monday with Grandma- the boys were busy with some birthday card crafting and swimming. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday our nanny Shyanna came to play with the boys. She is fabulous with both the boys and the dogs and I am so happy we have her! The boys continue to swim every day (sometimes twice a day), craft, play games, go to the library, and play with Sam and Abby. It is an ideal summer! It was super hot this week and so on Wednesday afternoon, she took them to an indoor play place.

Tuesday night was soccer. Wednesday morning was Gussie’s golf lesson. Wednesday night was Xander’s tee ball.

Thursday morning, Shyanna came to hang out with the boys while I worked and Nate ran some errands. I had a meeting with my boss that got interrupted by our internet turning off without warning. Luckily we have amazing neighbors, so I was able to finish the meeting at Kelly and Silas’s dining room table. After that, we loaded the van and headed up north.

Regional Training is an annual event for Edward Jones that has been cancelled the last 2 years because of covid. We were super excited it was back! Nate spent mornings in meetings, while the boys and I got to swim and play. Afternoons were mostly family time. It is such a great event and it’s just one reason why EJ is such an awesome company.

Big news to kick off our trip- about halfway through our drive, Augustus’s tooth fell out! It’s been getting looser and looser and he finally yanked it right out! Unfortunately the tooth fairy isn’t allowed at places like Grandview Lodge, so we had to hang onto it until we got home.

Thursday afternoon was a welcome meeting for me and Nate and the boys got to hang out with a bunch of other kids in the childcare area. They got to play games and make crafts and eat snacks. Then it was dinner, followed by the kid olympics.

Friday morning, Nate was busy with meetings and so the boys and I ate breakfast and then went right to the pool. Over the course of 4 days, I think they went down the water slide about 5 million times. They LOVED it.

On Friday afternoon, we headed out for EJ planned fun- we signed up for mini golf and go karts. We had afternoon ice cream and then we went back to the pool until dinner.

Saturday I had a spouse meeting, so the boys got to play in the childcare area for a bit. We had lunch and then, BACK TO THE POOL! We love the pool and Grandview has 3 very nice ones! We utilized all 3!!

Saturday night was the awards dinner, so Nate and I got to get dressed up and enjoy drinks and dinner. The boys got to have a pizza and movie night in the childcare area. Everyone was happy with the night!

On Sunday morning, Nate and the boys went to the pool while I packed and loaded the van. We headed home- all of us exhausted! It was such an awesome weekend! Shyanna stayed at our house and took good care of the puppies while we were gone. We are so lucky to have her.

Internet was still out on Sunday, Monday, and this morning. Text updates kept moving the restoration time out and I was ready to lose my mind. It’s hard to work from home with no internet! So this morning, I called Xfinity and asked if I switched today, could I have internet TODAY? Yes. Easy set up. I picked up the equipment and it was supposed to be just a few easy steps… except that step one was to plug in the coax cord and we don’t have that outlet in our wall. LUCKILY, we have THE BEST NEIGHBORS and Aaron was able to figure it out for me, and after that, it really was a very easy set up. Whew. Internet is restored and life is back to normal.

Summer is so packed with fun things, and this week is just as busy as last week! Sunshine, sports, swimming, lots of freezie pops and ice cream, playing with neighbors and staying up late.