10 Months

Ten months has been one of the most exciting months so far! Ronnie is officially walking, clapping, and open mouth kissing. Mobility means trying to knock over the dogs' water bowl, trying to splash in the toilet, and pulling every single thing off every single surface. This month we have been loving our water table, swing set, and playing in the sprinkler. 

RT had his fourth birthday and his first sleepover and officially has finished his online schooling. We continue to try and find new places to explore while keeping our distance from everyone. Watching so many things reopen is a little scary, but also exciting. Summer is our favorite season for going places, so I've been extra bummed to not be able to be out and about. 

With Ronnie walking, it's even more of a push to want to be outside. Summer is just so much more laid back than all of the other seasons. I'm particularly excited to be able to watch the boys play and grow together though the next few months! 

Summer Essentials

1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10  11  12  13  14

The official start of summer isn't until June 21st, but... pretty much once we pass Memorial Day it's summer time. I've compiled a list of some of our summertime essentials for beating the heat. This summer in particular we will be spending a good amount of time outside so it's even more important to keep everybody cool. Check these out!


1. Love these for hot summer days. Add whatever you've got at home and freeze it up!
2. Every cool kid needs a pair but they also make life a lost more pleasant.
3. For keeping the car cool and the sun out of their eyes.
4. I like that these have the flap in the back to keep the sun off their little necks.
5. Pop these on the top of a water bottle and it becomes a giant sippy cup.
6. This stroller fan recharges using a USB, so pop one in each car and keep your babe cool.
7. One of the downfalls of keeping your kid rear facing is that they don't get the AC blowing on them. This fixes that by connecting to your vent and carrying the air to the back.
8. Keep your stroller cool with this pad.
9.  I like this brand for sunscreen. Keep one in the cars, the diaper bag, at home, everywhere!
10.  Car seat coolers for when your car heats up.
11.  Pop this guy into the freezer (or microwave) when your little one needs someone cool to snuggle.
12. Block the UV rays with this shirt.
13. We have one of these for each of us and take them everywhere. Get it wet and it is cold!
14. Grab this insulated sippy cup to keep their water cold.

9 Months

Last month social isolation continued. We have taken lots of walks and bike rides. We installed a swing set. We went exploring on some new trails. I've also done more gardening and work on my yard than I've ever done. While I'm so happy to get to spend this time together, I'm so bummed that we can't use it going more places.

This month also brought full on speed crawling- mostly toward the dogs' water bowl to dump it out, standing, and cruising. Staying at home is certainly a lesson in multitasking and it's made working from home a lot more interesting. I will say, my watch is pleased with all of my movement! 

A Letter Before Your 4th Birthday

RT,
Another birthday is coming, and this year has been particularly insane. Between becoming a big brother to sheltering in place at home, this year has been one that we will remember! This year we dug for dinosaurs, found new splash pads, went to Howl-o-scream, and Christmastown for the first time, ran around like crazy, and took another road trip to Pittsburgh where we saw Thomas Town, but also discovered that you get car sick. You called throwing up in the car 12 times a "big spit".

Watching you grow into a kid who celebrates his brother's victories has been the highlight of my year. You're attentive, loving, and responsive to your brother. Last school year you were quiet, shy, and reserved, but this year you've found your voice and really grown into your own person. You still are obsessed with trains and all things Thomas, but you also really like Mickey Mouse, Ninja Turtles, and most recently Chico Bon-Bon. 

We spend our mornings working on your online schooling and the afternoons running through sprinklers, working in the garden, doing arts and crafts, riding bikes, building with legos or on the train table. You love the beach, fireworks, the jump park, playgrounds, and ice skating. You don't love taking your afternoon rest and all of a sudden you don't like grilled cheese. You're an expert at the claw machine and love getting little prizes which you almost always give your brother. 

Since this birthday will be a little different, we are camping in the back yard for your first ever sleepover with your two best friends. Being four means that next year you'll need a real backpack, to go into real preschool. It might seem like such a small thing, a new backpack, but in a way it shows the transition into the new changes to come. Happiest of birthday wishes to my first born, my number one, and my favorite dance partner. Here's to another year of laughs, snuggles, and all the joy in the world. 

-Mama

 

A letter before your second birthday, A letter before your third birthday. 

Brock Center

We are so lucky in our area to have so many pockets of escapes into nature. The Brock Center, built by the Chesapeake bay Foundation is one of them. The center is located at Pleasure House Point in Virginia beach and is as amazing on the inside as the view is on the outside. The building produces 83% more energy than it uses and is the first building in the Untied States to capture and turn rainwater into drinking water. It has solar panels, wind turbines, wells, rain cisterns, waterless toilets, and natural landscaping.

Outside, the land is an underdeveloped waterfront home to beach, marsh, and maritime forest overlooking the Lynnhaven River. There are walking trails which go across shallow waters to allow anyone to splash in and lots of little critters to see. We saw baby turtles, snails, and some small fish. Maybe it was the weather, the fact that we have been stuck inside, or that no one had a tantrum, but we had an absolute perfect afternoon here!