- We visited Charlotte and the rest of my family over the new year. The kids played so hard! So many toys were scattered all over the house, and they had a great time. Jesper and Gavin slept in the loft, while Oscar preferred to be in his own air mattress in Mom and Dad's room.
- I had gotten a Fitbit for Christmas, and Jodi encouraged me to put it to use when she and I went for a couple 3 mile runs while in Charlotte. It was perfect running weather - 40 and crisp, and it was a great way to knock the rust off. That really kicked my motivation into
- Jesper had a rough patch at school. We heard from his teacher that he was having some attention and behavior issues, and it all came to a head one day in February. We had noticed that his behavior seemed to get better when he spent more time away from digital devices, so we went on a "device cleanse" for a month. We did away with the iPads and TV for the kids for a full month. They moped for a couple days, but then rediscovered their toys. Their attitudes improved, and it proved to Josh and I that we could parent without devices as a crutch. The boys got the iPads back in March, but we all learned that moderation was key.
- Oscar turned 3. It was a good time to be reminded about how our difficult baby had gradually developed into a caring, thoughtful, and loving preschooler. Three had been a tough year with Jesper, but Oscar reminded us of how amazing that stage can be - big emotions of both love and frustration, and unfiltered thoughts and new independence.
- We participated in our first Polar Plunge event. My exact words that morning were, "I would rather be in labor and have another baby than jump in a lake today." The ice out was early and we had to run around a loop in the lake rather than jump in off an ice block. It actually wasn't that bad! Grandma and Grandpa had brought the boys to watch, and Jesper thought it looked like fun. "I want to do it next year, Mom!"
- Jesper turned 6. The week of his birthday, he also learned to ride a two-wheeled bike for the first time. In typical Jesper style, he was cautious and reluctant to try it at first (far longer than he likely needed to be), but was racing down the street at full speed within another couple days.
- Jesper did spring soccer through CC United, and had a blast! He was very engaged and was able to score several goals. He was hooked, and couldn't wait to play again the next year.
- We made a point to have our staycation align with the end of Jesper's school year. We made a point of filling the week with truly fun activities - dinner at Lago Taco with ice cream from Licks Unlimited afterwards, a Twins game, lunch at Matt's bar for the Jucy Lucy (which quickly became Jesper's new favorite food), coffee on the deck, plenty of outside time playing with bikes and in the pool, and generally a lot of relaxing together as a family. I am so grateful that we have the chance to pause and enjoy our kids for more hours in the day. We left the week feeling truly relaxed, happy, and rejuvenated.
- Jesper went to summer club care at his school and Oscar transitioned to the Goddard School at Chanhassen. The drive to his old daycare in Edina had just become too much, and he was becoming older and better-adjusted, so the timing felt right. It took about the first 8-10 weeks, but Oscar (and Josh and me) acclimated to his new school. Academically, he took off and was able to do things after the first summer at Goddard that he hadn't been anywhere close to doing earlier that year. However, he took a bit more time to make new friends. He told us frequently that he missed his old teacher, but by the fall we were hearing that he had found some new buddies.
- Jesper started a new school year as a first-grader. As a testament to how many kids were in our neighborhood, his first grade class was nearly filled with kids from our street (about 15 of the 20-some kids were from our neighborhood).
- Fall was filled with our traditions - getting pumpkins at the neighborhood pumpkin patch, neighborhood fire pits, and celebrating Halloween with our friends.
- My parents came to visit in late September, and my mom and I visited a flea market and they made slime with the boys.
- As a new tradition, I also ran the 10-mile with Julie Vasatka, one of our neighbors. She had talked me into it one night while we were sitting on our deck with a few glasses of wine. I couldn't believe I was going to do it! But I had been running 3-4 miles on a regular basis since January, and thought the challenge would be fun. It took some time and discipline, but the rush after finishing the race was fantastic! I couldn't wait to do it again the next year. I also ran the Turkey Trot with Don and Julie that Thanksgiving. The weather was crisp and it turned out to be a great way to kick off the holiday season.
- My parents visited again right before Thanksgiving because my Uncle Dennis passed away. We went to Mountain Lake for the funeral, but my dad and Josh were able to hang the Christmas lights on our house before they left. First time ever with holiday lights! Josh also swore it would be his last. It was a cold, blustery day, and it took hours to figure out....but they made it work, and it was beautiful!
- Christmas was full of fun activities. As usual, Black Friday was one of my favorite days of the year with getting our tree and decorating the house. Oscar participated in the Goddard School's holiday program. Our neighbors, Peter and Ali, threw a fantastic holiday party (Christmas movie character themed).
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