Life Lately {January}

{these photos perfectly capture the girls’ personalities! this is the tiny sledding hill we made in front of the house when we had SO much snow on the ground after Christmastime // Fitz can climb basically anything at this point}

{since a theater isn’t really an option but we all wanted to see SING 2, we bought the most expensive movie rental ever – it was worth it! // Aaron + Fitz reading together // who is this little boy + where did Baby Fitz go?}

{these two have the most special relationship + play so well together // Fitz can pull himself up enough to see what’s on the counter + then hold on with one hand while swiping at whatever is in his reach with the other hand… it’s super fun! // watching Daph play outside + get some of her wiggles out}

{all three kids sitting + reading at the same time! // Eloise does a lot of art at school + this last month her class discussed and created the Northern Lights  – this is one of my favorite art pieces she’s ever done at school, it’s SO beautiful! // sometimes Fitz likes to wake up at 5 am + then he’s tired and falls asleep in the middle of the floor}

{selfies with the tiny guy // cuddles with Papa // gosh, he’s so cute!}

While there were moments of joy and fun times (as pictured above) January was rough, if I’m being honest. Truly the longest month of my life. Coming off of the merriest time of the year is always a little tough, but adding in scrambling to get KN95 masks in kid-size, rain and rain and rain, the daily worry that school (for either girl) would suddenly be cancelled, a week of no preschool + a Covid exposure at school. It was just a lot. We survived. But really, still just surviving over here.

BUT, looking forward to February (the BEST month, biased or not) that will bring making Valentines with the girls, Valentine’s Day parties, a birthday celebration (albeit at home + just our small family) plus a short trip over mid-winter break.

Happy February!

M

Life Lately {December}

{Fitz is still transitioning out of his morning nap, so sometimes he cat naps just before lunch + I can’t say I don’t love these cuddles // Mimi reading with the kids // Daph being Daph!}

{Fitz + the Christmas tree please note the ornament placement this year! // Eloise reading, always // the girls found a dress-up box}

{often Fitz will do a long stretch of independent playtime which is life-changing! // Aaron set up a “Merry Christmas” lighting scheme // “HAT!” Is one of Fitz’s favorite words and things to wear}

{one morning Aaron + I took Fitz to the Zoo – his first trip! It was freezing cold, but we bundled up + enjoyed a very quiet Zoo as there was hardly anyone else there. And then Fitz took a nap.}

{our dishwasher – which was ordered in March, 2021 -was finally delivered! // Daphne: “Just call me Woody!” // we were able to tackle this last kitchen project – tile inside a cabinet – and I promise I will share more of the kitchen this year}

{a pretty normal December sighting around here was Fitz in a Santa hat // Aaron + the kids watching a video of their cousins // trying on KN95 masks as we prepare for life with Omicron}

{frosting sugar cookies for Santa // the whole fam in matching Christmas jammies which is my favorite part of the season! // a plate left for Santa – Daphne wrote a note that the apple was for the reindeer + Eloise wrote one that the milk was oat milk!}

{the chocolate cake from my favorite bakery for Christmas dinner did not disappoint! // rapid testing for all of us (except for Fitz) so we could hang out with Ben + Sarah for a late Christmas get-together // we had SO much SNOW the past week, so Aaron + the girls have been out every day to play}

{the girls making snowballs for their snowman // Daphne was so proud of the costume she made with new toys // Fitz pre-haircut. I attempted his second cut which went better than the first but perhaps still looks like a “home haircut” so I am thankful no one will see him. Ha!}

We were so, so lucky to be able to have Aaron home (and on vacation) for nearly the entire month of December and a quick visit from Mimi! The snow made post-Christmas fun for the girls, especially since I finally have the right snow gear (in the right sizes!) for everyone. We would have loved to spend time with friends + family over the holidays, but the time at home with the kids was well spent too.

We will be kicking this first week of the New Year off with a bang as Aaron transitions into a new job (at a new company) and Eloise’s first day back from break (tomorrow) has already been cancelled to allow students + staff in the district to test. Plus, there’s still inches of snow on the ground which in Seattle means: mostly unplowed roads full of snow + ice and no garbage service or mail service since before Christmas with the occasional package delivery.

I am debating on whether to do my large (and very favorite) annual highlights post this year as it’s so time-consuming… maybe I could get it done in this first quarter!

Much love and Happy New Year!

M

Life Lately {September + October}

Ages ago, I used to do a “My Weekend in Pictures post to share more about (weekend) daily life. But then we added a few more kids + chaos, and those posts just couldn’t happen anymore. But, those were actually some of my favorite posts to write + to look back on. So I thought maybe I could do something similar that wasn’t quite so time consuming: Life Lately. Photos from the past month (or months, in this case). A little more like Instagram Stories where these aren’t big milestones or events, but snippets of the every day at the Lower house.

So here’s September.

{Fitz loves the fireplace // Eloise + Daph chalk “painted” their playhouse // not one, but two beautiful flower arrangements in our new kitchen!}

Continue reading “Life Lately {September + October}”