Easter

Functioning with three

When Sam was born, the boys were 4.5, 21 months and 0. In order to load all three in our car parked far away, I would: 1) carry newborn Sam with one arm, 2) grab Max's hand with my other hand to walk to the car with the diaper bag slung off this shoulder, 3) use my Max hand to open the car door, let Noah climb in, drop my bag on the car floor, and lift/shove Max in, 4) shut the door and walk to the other side to buckle Sam in, and then 5) walk back to the first side to buckle Max in. 

It's funny how you get used to doing something forever, until you realize one day that you're not! Here are a few things I am doing right now to help me survive the needs, demands, moods, opinions and drama of my kids...

Bathroom water. They refill their water at the bathroom sink because they can reach without my help.

Share underwear. At this point, I just divide.  

Someone will always go hungry. Inevitably someone is not going to be happy with what I feed them. I rotate through who's going hungry that day. 

Craft box. We store some of our trash/recyclables in a big bin and when they complain of boredom, I direct them to their "craft box". 

 

How fast they are growing up!

Ski week, broken wrist, and a sweet song

A few weeks ago we took our annual winter trip to Tahoe with the Chern grandparents during the kids' February break, dubbed ski week around here.

Hesitant Max was not a huge fan of all this but I'm proud of him for keeping at it. 

Grandpa Chern and his new skiing buddy...

Noah and I at the top. As his mother I kept yelling from behind for him to slow down, which largely fell on deaf ears. 

It was freezing this year, but we had a good time skiing until I slipped on ice (walking) the last day and fractured my wrist.  So I am now stuck at home with one working hand for six weeks!

In other news, Max made this sweet song for his big bro the other day...

Maxwell is Five

Happy birthday to Maxwell! He has been counting down the days to his birthday since December, and we are delighted to celebrate this sweet boy of ours.

This year he told his teachers his name was Maxwell, not Max, he learned his letters and numbers pretty much by osmosis, and can now keep up with his older brother on his balance bike.

He is still the sweet, content, deliberate and stubborn little boy that we love. This child literally stops and smells every flower that we pass. He runs into our room every morning with a sweet half smile and his favorite stuffed harbor seal. Like his dad, he functions best with order, routine, and alone time. He gives daily hugs and kisses just because, and loves drawing, singing and gymnastics. Oh Max we love you!

Exploring Mill Valley

I know blogs are somewhat a thing of the past, but if it doesn't get recorded, I don't remember it. So I am going to try my best to keep posting! Back in November due to a busy season at work, we had to opt out of our annual trip to visit family in LA for Thanksgiving. We made the most of it and went north to Mill Valley. 

First, a stop at the SF MOMA

What it's really like to bring three kids to a museum... 

I had been wanting to visit since the MOMA reopened, and I am glad we went. We had a pep talk beforehand that this was our opportunity to "rise to the occasion" and act like proper humans. The boys did fairly well (and we kept our visit short). 

Although Mill Valley is just north of SF, this was our first extended time in Marin County. Such a gorgeous area.

Muir Woods morning hike before the crowds arrived

Beautiful bike stroll along Tiburon's coast at sunset

 

Finally, our neighbors were staying for the week up at Stinson Beach and invited us for a visit. It was a special treat to visit this quiet community at the northern end with their own private lagoon. 

Noah and Gracie. The kids refer to our neighbors as "Gracie's family". 

 

Bedtime push ups at our Airbnb

These trips have made me a big fan of renting a vacation home and exploring local places, especially while our kids are young. The pace is unhurried, the kids travel so much better, and we get a deep dive into local spots. I think we may be ready soon to venture farther!