Monthly Archives: May 2022

It was a busy week with a hectic schedule. My work team headed up north Monday-Wednesday to tour 4 of the camps. It was nice to see the camps, but it was hard for me to be away. Everyone knows I love a good solid routine, and interrupting everything isn’t my favorite. Luckily, I was actually able to come home on Tuesday night instead, which I was grateful for. I missed out on soccer but Nate said both boys were awesome. Augustus scored a goal!

Wednesday night was the Survivor finale. For MANY years, my mom has hosted a Survivor pool- you put in $5, choose 3 of the players and then if you pick one of the winners, you get the pool (or a portion of it, depending on how many people have also chosen the winner). This season, Xander joined in the fun. He pretty much talked through every episode, but he was excited, and for the finale, he had 2 of his 3 picks left. First he requested a “survivor themed snack” and then when he won, he had a full blown “Miss America” moment, clutching his heart and saying, “I can’t believe I won!” He ended up winning $30!

For my 40th birthday, I wanted to do 4 special things and the next one was glamping! Glamping is really just fancy camping- you still have to pee outside. I only took one photo (the other 2 are from the website to show where we were). It was a really nice night- we hung out in Taylor’s Falls, finding some cool little shops and a brewery. We had dinner and then headed to the winery. We stopped in the bottle shop for firewood and wine, and ended up staying and hanging out with the owners who were keeping my glass full of free wine. We had a campfire and relaxed. The tent was cute and looked like instagram exploded. We were a little chilly when we woke up the next morning, but it was very comfortable. I would definitely do it again! I highly recommend it too- https://www.getintents.com/glamping-wild-mountian.

It was so nice to have a night away and of course, the boys had a great time with Grandma Debbie who came to stay with them. It was also nice to get home to our boys. We got ice cream and snuggled our sweet boys.

On Saturday, we did some yard work, which consisted of Nate digging holes that 2 bulldogs immediately would sit in. Bulldogs taking the shovel, little boys who alternated between wanting to help and whining. I’d call it a success.

Later in the day, Sean and Rachel hosted a ping pong tournament. Xander was VERY into it and quite crabby he couldn’t join in the actual tournament. It was fun to watch him play though, and we basically had to drag him home. We will definitely have to play ping pong again soon.

Grandma Debbie was in Houston this weekend, so the boys were stuck with their boring old parents. We went to a park and had a picnic, played on the playground and in the splash pad. It was a very fun day. When we got home, our neighbor was having a lemonade stand, so we headed over to get some drinks and hang out. I am so excited for a summer of fun ahead!

Today was an absolutely perfect day. It was the annual neighborhood bags tournament. It was a little rainy this morning, but it stopped and we all headed to Sean’s for a day of fun. Bloody Mary bar (I love a drink that includes a pile of snacks!), donuts, piles of cheesy bread, root beer floats, champagne, and more. Nate and Eric took home the championship and so for the next year, the trophy will live in our yard (a huge honor). The kids played all day. Between all of the parents, we were all keeping an eye on the kids, but they had a lot of freedom throughout the day. I think they loved it. We ended the day with pizza for all, kids in the sprinkler and everyone tired. After a quick bath and rest time, our boys went to bed at 6:45 and didn’t even make a peep. It was a gorgeous, fabulous day and we live in the best neighborhood of all time.

It was a crazy week and I am exhausted, but also so grateful for our friends and family and all of the fun stuff we constantly do. Summer is going to be the BEST!

It was a very normal week, with several warm nights and lots of family fun. The boys were busy with school. We got a really lovely note from Xander’s teacher-

I just wanted to share a lovely little moment from Xander today. We typically eat snack right before the kids head to Spanish class so we have a hard stop time. Xander ate his snack and was drawing happily when it was time to line up. He approached me and said, “Ms. Santiago, I think we need more snack time when we come back from Spanish.” I replied, “Oh, I thought you had finished your snack already.” And he surprised me by saying, “Yes, I did, but I noticed (classmate) didn’t get to finish eating and I think she could use more time.” 
 I love the way he noticed and advocated for a friend! Thank you for raising such a kind human being.

Gussie and Grandma were busy on Wednesday- at the park, shopping, and lots of playing. A few nights, we joined the neighbors and walked to 2 different parks for some after dinner play time. On Thursday, Xander’s class had an after school crepe party with the french teacher. It was a silent auction item that one of his classmates parents’ bought, and then invited the whole class to join. I was dying to see the crepe party in action, so I arrived a little early to watch and even got to have my own crepe!

Soccer began with a practice week- Xander was very excited and Augustus is super ready to start next week. I think soccer is lame and boring, but it was really fun to watch Xander, so maybe I will become a soccer mom despite my resistance.

I had an order for 12 dozen frog macarons, which was a very fun project for me and an honor to do as it was for a celebration of life for a young man. Baking is just a fun hobby for me, but being able to provide cookies for important parts of people’s lives is such a privilege. I was happy to be able to make as many frogs as I possibly could!

On Saturday, part 2 of my 40th birthday celebration happened when I ran the Women Run the Twin Cities 10 mile race. I wanted to start my 40th year with a physical challenge, proving to myself that I’m strong and capable. The first mile felt awesome. And then the hills came. It was the hilliest course I’ve ever run. I think we ran downhill for a full mile, and as I watched the super fast runners come back up the hill (there was a turn around), I kept thinking, “I am NEVER going to get myself back up this hill!” It was GRUELING, easily the hardest race I’ve ever run. I completed it in 2 hours. Not an impressive time by any means, but I earned every inch of that race. At mile 7, I was DONE. Like, near tears. And then I heard someone cheering my name. First I thought maybe I had a nametag somewhere on me. And then I thought, “what are the odds someone with the same name would be right behind me?!” It took me a VERY long time to recognize my best friend in the whole world but when I did, I burst out laughing (it was that or tears!). What an amazing surprise (and a great sign!) and I was able to drag my body the final 3 miles.

Running races is such a weird hobby. It’s hard to describe the collective energy of so many people running together but it’s so wonderful. And it’s also hard to explain how meaningful it is to have people there to support me- it’s just running, but seeing Christine, and then my 3 men at the end was so amazing and it filled my soul with so much appreciation.

Saturday night was pizza, hoagies, and movie night on the couch. Mama was too tired for anything else. We watched “Bad Guys” the movie and it was SO cute. The boys giggled through the whole movie.

Nate and his friend Jake were busy with a golf tournament today. It had been rescheduled from a few weeks ago when the course was too wet from rain. Late May, but it was still a pretty chilly day for them!

The boys spent the day at Grandma Debbie’s house. They went to the mall play place, McDonald’s and played all day. When they got home, there was an intense kids vs. grow ups soccer game before dinner. Tonight we had our own crepe party, inspired by the kindergarten crepe party earlier in the week. A perfect end to a great week!

The weather has been gorgeous for the last 2 weeks, so we’ve been outside hanging with the neighbors a lot. We’ve been taking the dogs on long walks, going to the park and letting the boys run around the neighborhood. We bought a tee for the boys. Xander hit one ball off of it and then said, “ok, pitch it to me, I’m just going to hit it” and the crazy thing is, he did it! He is pretty consistent and he also switches- hitting from both sides.

Our next door neighbors are not just the nicest couple on the block, but they share Cinco De Mayo as a birthday. We had an impromptu margarita party on Cinco de Mayo to celebrate their birthday.

Other neighborhood news- Sam and Abby got a new trampoline! It’s big enough for all the kids and it is going to be the favorite place all summer long!

Last Saturday was “Cinco de Brooks” the annual dual birthday celebration. They made tacos and had a pinata for the kiddos. It was an all day event and even after several hours of playing outside, we had to DRAG our children inside by the end of the night. It was a fabulous fun day.

It’s May and that means Mother’s Day and my birthday! Last Sunday was Mother’s Day. Sean asked me to run another 5k with him, and it turned out to be the perfect Mother’s Day fun day. The race itself was a disaster. We were 2 miles in (and had just climbed a mountain of a hill) when a kid on a bike let us know that the 4th runner had somehow taken a wrong turn and led the entire group the WRONG WAY. Our 5k race ended up being about a 4 mile race. Luckily the weather was amazing and we managed to laugh about it. But I had run 9 miles the day before, and Sean had never run 4 miles before, so we were not exactly thrilled to have added an extra mile to our race. But we survived! The race was hosted by the St. Paul Saints, so afterwards, there was a bunch of fun stuff for everyone. The boys ran the kids race. There was a playground, a climbing wall and a pitching station. We had lunch and free ice cream for the kids and free beers for Nate and I. The kids played, we watched the baseball game and it was an amazing day. I felt a little bad for ditching my mom on Mother’s Day and not doing the typical brunch, but it was a really awesome day!

This week was kind of unusual because I was on PTO Tuesday afternoon, Wednesday and Thursday so that I could go to Christine’s house for her neighborhood garage sale. I went though every room of my house, collecting the stuff I needed to get rid of. It is such a good chore that I appreciate being forced to do every now and then. And it was so great to hang with my bestie (who made me 2 amazing lunches, and birthday lunch margaritas on Wednesday!).

On Wednesday, I turned 40!! I have been 40 in my soul since I was about 15 years old. Years ago, Oprah said, “life begins at 40” and I’ve been ready to be 40 since then. I’ve had a pretty great life up to this point, so I’m not completely sure I agree with Oprah, but I am excited to be 40.

I am doing several fun things to celebrate over the course of the month. I didn’t want to have a big party- I knew it would turn into a lot of work, would cause me anxiety and I would end up yelling at my family in preparation. Instead, on Saturday, I had a casual BBQ with my mom, Danny and Heather, and Christine, Derek and the kids. I made hot dogs, potato salad, watermelon, kiddie cocktails, and chocolate mousse for dessert. I love fine dining, but that is my FAVORITE meal of all time. The kids played, the adults hung out, and everyone left with goodie bags (which I was SUPER excited about). Every good party has goodie bags- I found mini stuffed bulldogs, tiny macaron containers, wonder woman bandaids, RBG stickers, and running shoe keychains. For the adults, I substituted chip clips for stuffed animals. So fun! I also got some amazing gifts, and even though I don’t need anything, it was very fun! It was relaxing and fun and truly my perfect day. I fell asleep feeling very loved and so very happy.

Today was yet another busy day. Augustus had a birthday party this morning. All 4 of us went and it was a very fun day with PERFECT weather, cupcakes, and a pinata! Afterwards, Nate and I dropped the boys at my mom’s house for an afternoon with her. They swam, the played outside, they played games. Nate golfed with Jake. I baked cookies, organized, and walked the dogs. I think it was the perfect day for all of us!

I haven’t included the weekly updates that Xander’s teacher sends us, but he is loving kindergarten and I absolutely love his teacher. It was not easy to choose a school for Xander but when I see updates like these, I know he is in such a good place. I really like that she is encouraging him to be so creative and he is thriving.

The creative juices were flowing freely today! As a follow-up to our entomologist visit on Monday, we created insects out of loose parts today. The kids were immersed in the task of finding just the right materials, how to arrange and attach them, and describing the three body parts of an insect. I observed a lot of experimentation, design thinking, and problem-solving! 

These tasks are intentionally open-ended. As the kids create, I prompt them with language to get them talking about their process, speaking more in questions than statements. I call upon training I received during my time working at Minnesota Children’s Museum Inventor’s Workshop. This particular task was also inspired by a recent social media post in an educator’s group I follow about process-oriented vs. product-oriented experiences in early childhood. I’ve attached the screenshots below! 

I think I can sum up the last 2 weeks by saying that we have been playing nonstop. Our whole life revolves around playing with the neighbors and I am so incredibly grateful. More than one person has commented to me that we moved into a 1950s neighborhood, which is accurate and also fabulous.

Highlights from last week- I met Christine for lunch and we both ordered (what turned out to be) the most giant desserts ever. Time spent with my bestie AND huge dessert= basically my ideal day.

While spending the night at Grandma’s, they texted to let us know that Xander lost another tooth (his 4th).

The boys were overnight with Grandma Debbie on Friday while Nate and I went to the MPA fundraising gala. It was quite an event with a silent auction, live auction, fund-a-need (my favorite fundraising thing ever), and dinner. It was fun to get dressed up and go out and I actually really enjoy events!

Last Saturday, we picked the boys up from Grandma’s and headed right to a birthday party for our neighbor Sam. He tuned 6 and celebrated at Dodge Nature Center. We got to hold and pet baby farm animals, eat pizza and cake, and then the kids played and built with huge sticks. When we got home from the party, the kids all got back together and played outside in our neighborhood until it was almost dark.

Last Sunday we went to my cousin Deena’s house for a belated Easter gathering. She made an absolutely lovely pot roast lunch and there was SO much amazing food. She and my cousin Laura had hidden eggs around the house for the boys. Inside was monopoly money and the boys got to “buy” prizes they had bought for them. It was SO clever and so fun and I was impressed (and grateful for their effort!).

This week was another busy week of wonderful things. Xander lost ANOTHER tooth (and has another loose one in his mouth!). On Wednesday, it was Grandparent’s Day at Xander’s school. Grandma Debbie got to spend the morning in his class. She had a great time. This spring has been SO cold and rainy, so every time it’s nice, we take advantage, so Wednesday night, after dinner, we went with our neighbor’s to the park. On Friday, Xander had the day off from school. We got a very good recommendation for a restaurant called Sushi Train. There is a conveyor belt that goes all the way around the restaurant with small plates of sushi that you grab as they pass by your table. Nate, Xander and I went and it was SO fun. Xander loved being in charge of grabbing our food as it came by and he ate a LOT of sushi.

Friday night was the first official happy hour of the summer, although it was still quite cold. We are all eager for the warm summer nights ahead!

On Saturday, I met a friend for brunch and Nate stayed home with our kids and the neighbor kids. The 4 kiddos spent the whole day alternating between our house and their house. It was a cold rainy day and I was grateful that we can finally (Safely) play inside without worrying about a global pandemic.

Saturday night was our neighbor Sean’s birthday party. The party didn’t start until 8pm, which is around the time I put my pjs on every night. I have really leaned into being a morning person and I enjoy going to bed early and getting up early. Speaking of early mornings, Nate had a very early golf tournament on Sunday, so he decided to opt out of the party and I went with some other neighbors. The party was at the Minneapolis Cider Company, which is a very cool space, that also has pickle ball courts. I wasn’t actually planning to play, but as soon as we got there, all of us ended up on the court and the time flew by. I was not planning to do a sport at 11pm, but that’s what I was doing!

Today was another cold, rainy day. Nate’s golf tournament was re-scheduled at the last minute. The boys spent the day with Grandma Debbie- they swam, they painted, they went to McDonalds. They came home and we had an after dinner dance party. They are such fun, silly kids.

We have another full week of fun ahead of us. And hopefully the sun will come out soon. It’s May!