Category: family

family

Update In Pictures

This is always a busy time of year.? Here’s a quick update in pictures on what we’ve been up to the last few weeks.

Thing 1 turned 7 years old.? Hard to believe.? He had a fun laser tag birthday party which seems to be the norm for that age group.? I’ve been to three laser tag parties in the last month.? There are worse things.

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We enjoyed some two layer, double chocolate frosted cake.? I was ordered entrusted to make the cake.? Believe it or not, it was the first time I’ve ever made one.? I thought it came out pretty good but there were comments that the frosting maybe wasn’t as smooth as it could have been.

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We celebrated SuburbanGrandpa’s 75th birthday.? Grandpa was thrilled to be with all his grandsons as usual for Thanksgiving.

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And also this year, a first Thanksgiving with a granddaughter, Thing 4.

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He received a really big birthday card from SuburbanNephews who don’t like to pose for pictures.

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But the excitement level picked up for everyone when SuburbanGrandpa opened his present – an iPad!

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Stay-cation Day 4

Today I introduced Thing 1 and Thing 2 to one of my all time favorite activities:? Wiffle Ball! We played in the morning before it got really hot. Then to stay cool we checked out a new “luxury” bowling alley with some SuburbanNeighbors who found themselves also on a stay-cation after cutting their beach vacation short thanks to hurricane Earl. Thing 2 continued his bowling domination over Thing 1 with a nice score of 100. It’s good for the oldest to not win at everything all the time.

We wrapped up the day at the pre-school/kindergarten open house where we met Thing 2 and Thing 3’s new teachers.? A big hit was the petting zoo in the parking lot compliments of Squeals on Wheels.? It was not good to be one of the animals yesterday.? Besides being poked, prodded, pulled, and dumped on with grass and dirt by the likes of Thing 3 and scores of other kids, it was about 97 degrees in the parking lot with no shade for the animals.

Read more to see pictures of the day Continue reading Stay-cation Day 4

Stay-cation Day Three

We slowed down some today and built in sibling separation time so we didn’t have a repeat of yesterday. And since we also needed to get some household chores done in the morning, Thing 1 got to help me fold four loads of laundry, while Thing 2 was SuburbanMommy’s assistant at the grocery store.

Believe it or not, they actually like doing stuff like this. It isn’t often our kids get one on one time with mommy or daddy so it’s fun for them no matter what we’re doing. At least for a short period of time. Plus, SuburbanDaddy watches SportsCenter when he folds laundry so we had plenty of time to discuss the upcoming football season.

The day wasn’t all chores. We went ice skating together, the first time SuburbanMommy or I had been on ice skates in probably 20+ years.? Happily no mishaps to report other than feeling quite old as hoards of tiny kids out maneuvered me.? Then out to lunch, a stop at a toy store, and more split separation time. This time, I did a puzzle and colored with Thing 2 while SuburbanMommy did a project with Thing 1.

Thing 1 enjoys breakfast while reading the sports section. I wonder where he learned that?
Getting ready to skate

Stay-cation Day Two

Day two of our stay-cation was another action packed day. We started with a family round of mini golf, cooled off at Splashdown Water Park, and finished up at Cold Stone Creamery for ice cream (some of us, more on that soon).

One of the byproducts of this stay-cation is that Thing 1 and Thing 2 are spending a LOT of time together. Not a problem as long as they are engaged in some fun, new activity. But in between those fun activities they are sitting in very close proximity in the car in DC traffic where they can’t seem to keep their hands to themselves or the decibels to a bearable level. So today SuburbanDaddy had to get tough and Thing 1 ended up sipping water while his brother and parents enjoyed ice cream and smoothies. Tomorrow I think we will build in some separation time.

Here are the pictures… Continue reading Stay-cation Day Two

Stay-cation Day One

We usually take a family trip to the beach in the summer, which is anything but a vacation for anyone but the kids, but with our new addition this year we weren’t quite ready to go anywhere as a family of six.

Instead, we opted for a stay-cation with just Thing 1 and Thing 2. The younger ones will be in daycare all day so we can do some of the activities we can’t do on the weekends with strollers and toddler tantrums and nap schedules.

We have a full lineup of activities for the week and the oldest Things are very excited. Today we took a boat ride on the Potomac, ate lunch (sitting down!) at a real restaurant – the famous Fish Market in Old Town, Alexandria – and hit balls at the driving range.

It was striking as we were walking, with no diaper bags or strollers, and no particular schedule in mind, that this is what it’s like to go somewhere with no baby gear or worries about turning our head away for even a moment or saying “put that down!” every minute.? This is SO EASY!? It gives us hope that there is light at the end of the tunnel for us in a few years.

But it was also noticeable that we were missing two of our Things and it felt a bit incomplete.? Sad even.? But that feeling lasted for, oh, about a second and quickly went away as we actually relaxed and enjoyed the boat ride without worrying Thing 3 would fall overboard or throw something into the water.

A quick recap of our day in pictures after the jump.? Tomorrow, look for more of the same.

Continue reading Stay-cation Day One

Fathers Day Activities

First, I received a fresh assortment of World’s Best Dad collectibles to display proudly in my office for the next year.

Next up, golf with Thing 1 and Thing 2. They’re not quite ready for a real golf course yet, but we’ll be hitting the driving range then 18 holes of mini-golf. I hope to make this a yearly tradition for us on Fathers Day. Next year Thing 3 can join when he is 4, but that might be the end of the tradition.

Last up, the best gift of all, SuburbanMommy will be taking the boys to McDonalds for dinner. So I can enjoy some peaceful time alone with Thing 4, who will probably fall asleep, and I can watch the US Open.

Happy Fathers Day.

Introducing Thing 4

Thing 4For those of you who have been following SuburbanDaddy for awhile, I’d like to introduce the newest addition, Thing 4! I’m not sure which is bigger news – that there is a Thing 4, or that Thing 4 is a girl.

I’m happy that with three older brothers she will be very well protected in her teenage dating years. Forget about the nerves a teenage boy will feel having to face questions from her dad, SuburbanDaddy, for the first time. How about the gauntlet he will face going through Thing 1, Thing 2, and Thing 3.

Thing 3 already needs to be restrained if you try to take away his milk or Buzz Lightyear toy. Image what he’ll do if you make his little sister upset. Of course, with three older brothers, she will probably be pretty tough herself.

Over the next few months, I look forward to sleepless nights, spit ups, and lugging around baby gear. I also look forward to a whole new set of material that I can write about here. That’s the real reason we added a Thing 4.