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!
