Like the entire summer before it, we’ve been busy for these last 2 weeks. I’ve been so busy I have not had a moment to update our blog. I know my faithful readers (hi mom) are waiting anxiously… Buckle up, because I have so many photos, I don’t know what to do with myself.
We’ve had a lot of planned activity, but we’ve also spent a lot of time having no schedule and letting the boys be creative, play outside, go to the park, and just run around. I LOVE programming but I could also talk for hours about the importance of free-play and letting kids be unstructured. I actually think we’ve done a pretty great job this summer of balancing both.
The boys took golf lessons with Sam and Harvey for a few days last week. These were a little more casual than the ones in the beginning of the summer, but they enjoyed themselves a lot.
Last week, Gussie turned 6! I cannot believe my baby is 6!! He spent the day at Grandma’s house and then we all went out to dinner. His party isn’t until next week, so that’s tough for a 6 year old to understand. We all tried to make the day as special as we could. He is being very patient waiting for the party! Nanny Shyanna helped him (by that I mean she did the whole project) make a paper chain countdown.
Xander is obsessed with having abs and being “strong like Uncle Danny”. My trainer suggested I bring him in for a special mother/son session so last Saturday, we spent some time lifting weighs, and then afterwards, went out to sushi for lunch. After that, we went shopping for dress clothes for our upcoming theater outing. He was adamant that he wanted a vest. We managed to find a whole outfit (including shoes). He was thrilled with the whole day and so was I. He is such a funny, cool kid and I love hanging out with him.
For grandma Debbie’s birthday, Xander and I took her to the Chanhassen Dinner Theater to see Jersey Boys. Xander was so excited. About a week before, he asked Grandma to see what she was wearing. He had a very specific vision of what he wanted to wear and luckily we were able to put together the outfit he had imagined. He was very excited to stay up late and do something special. He loved the play and we’ve been listening to Frankie Valli on repeat ever since.
On Monday of last week, I drove 4 hours to spend the night in Ely. One of the stories I wrote for the upcoming alumni magazine (#projectofthesummer) is about a group of women who went on a Camp Widjiwagan 30 day trip in 1973 and this summer, are going on their 50th reunion trip. When you go on a big trip, your names get put on a paddle and hung on the wall. My boss had the idea to have the paddle recreated to give to each of the ladies. When I called camp to find out where the paddles come from, they told me they make them. In true Natalie fashion, I decided I should just make them (it literally never crossed my mind to have them made). I figured it would be an easy project- I found 20 inch wood paddles online, painted them green and then planned to use my cricut to add the lettering (a cricut is a machine that cuts out patterns on paper or vinyl). Easy. No. The lettering was so small that the vinyl was peeling before I could transfer it. I ended up using a needle to hand-place several of the letters. But eventually I got it done… and then, in the most out of character move of all time, I didn’t take a decent photo of them! I made 5 paddles. I randomly snapped one picture, but that was it! In the end, the ladies were thrilled and it was worth the work. The trip was a whirlwind 24 hours, but really great. This part of my job is so fun and exciting.
I got home on Tuesday morning and then Tuesday afternoon, the boys and I met up with the Nelson family to swim at the Lake Elmo Swim Pond. The kids play so nicely together and I love hanging out with my bestie. Why don’t we get together more often?! Somehow the summer has flown by, but at least we squeezed in one fun day with them!
On Thursday, the boys spent the night with Grandma Debbie and Nate and I went to a celebration for our friend Orville who is leaving the YMCA. Orville has run the Youth in Government program (where Nate and I met) for 32 years. He is an amazing person, my professional role model and someone I consider a dear friend. I am so sad he is leaving, but I was happy to celebrate him. Did I take a photo with the man of honor?! NO! I got home and realized it and was very crabby with myself. Other than that, it was a fun night with good food, friends and lots of laughs.
On Friday, Danny, the boys and I competed in the YMCA Splash and Dash. Teams of kid+adult did a 100 yard swim, followed by a 1 mile run (including obstacles). Xander was VERY excited to have Uncle Danny as a partner and was pretty sure they were going to win the whole thing. The event was fantastic- super well run and very fun. The boys were both excellent swimmers and cruised through the swim quickly! Then you run to the transition area and put on your shoes. Nate and Heather were our photographers and were very skilled at following us!
The very first part of the run was going down a hill on a slip and slide. Did I gently slide down on my butt like a reasonable 41 year old? Absolutely not. Face first, 1 million miles and hour down the hill, realizing at the bottom that I was not going to stop, and then ROLLING through the grass and mud at the end.
There were a series of fun obstacles and then at the end, you run through a foamy, bubble mess. The boys loved it. I loved it. It was a blast. Gussie wanted to do it again once we finished. Afterwards, we all celebrated with pizza and beer/root beer at a nearby brewery.
The Splash and Dash was just the first fitness fun for the weekend. On Saturday morning, Danny, Heather and I did a practice session for our triathlon next week. We swam the 500 yards, biked 5 miles, and then ran (not quite the full 3 miles but enough to practice). It was really good to practice transitioning between events and I learned a lot! I am very excited to compete next weekend.
While we swam, biked, ran, the boys played on the beach, paddle boarded and hunted for pokemon. When we were finished, Xander gave paddleboard rides to everyone.
On Sunday, we attended the first annual neighborhood corn boil event. Steph and Blake hosted and it was FANTASTIC! Steph’s parents own a farm and so they had ALL THE CORN. We ate brats and hot dogs and all the side dishes and SO.MUCH.CORN. Xander said it was the best corn he had ever had. I thought he was being a little enthusiastic until I ate some and it was the best corn I had ever had! It was sweet and the perfect texture. Steph’s mom said something about the particular variety of corn it was- I’m not sure but it was literally the best corn of all time. I didn’t have to cook dinner and the kids ate really well- amazing! We ate and hung out and the kids ran through the neighborhood and the weather cooperated and was GORGEOUS. Blake and Steph’s backyard looks like you’re at a patio of a fancy restaurant. It was the ideal neighborhood night.
The week ahead is pretty low key- we have a 6 year old birthday party and a triathlon, but otherwise, just your average week. We’ve only got 2 weeks of summer left, so we are savoring every moment!