Not-So City Mouse: September 2017

And... the first month of school is already over. Every year I'm surprised at how fast the first and last month of the school year fly by and you'd think that after almost 10(!) years of this, I'd expect it by now. September is one of my favorite months... it's the beginning of fall, it's my birthday month, and school is back in session-- I guess I have a love/hate relationship with that one. Because I have an amazing husband, I had these waiting for me at home in our first week back in class.

Noah helped pick them out. Great taste, kiddo!

For some reason, Jordan and I got into watching 90's family movies at the beginning of the month. This is why we're perfect for each other: we both thought this was a fun idea. We watched Heavyweights (1995), Air Bud (1997), The Big Green (1995), and Blank Check (1994). None of them have higher than 3 stars on IMDB and all were mostly terrible and at least partially hilarious. I tried to convince Jordan that we needed to watch all the sequels to Air Bud- there are 4 of them!- but I haven't gotten him to agree... yet.

Tea and Air Bud -- perfect date night.

A couple random things: we got this sweatshirt as a gift for Noah when he was just a little baby. I remember seeing the tag said "3T" and I had no idea what that meant (I now know that T is for Toddler!) but it seemed impossible that he would ever fit into it. It just hung in the back of his closet for the last couple years until the temps started to get cooler a few weeks ago and I was pulling out his fall clothes when I found it, and we tried it on- perfect fit! It features the title of a play that Noah's grandpa Brad was in, and I'm so happy he can finally wear this sweatshirt. It's a little thing, but for me it really shows how big this guy has gotten. Jordan and I regularly ask, "Hey, where did that little baby that used to live in our house go? He was JUST HERE and now he's gone and this nutty toddler is sleeping in his room."

Also- if you like sparkling water (I am one of those people) and alcohol, you should try White Claw. Delicious.

So big!

I am a fan.

One adventure that Noah and I went on in the middle of the month was visiting the local fire station! Our friends Lyz, Andy, Maisie, Coraline, and Desmond were there too and we had lots of fun exploring the fire trucks, scoping out the protective gear that the firefighters wear, and climbing into an ambulance. There were even firemen and local librarians there to read and sing songs with us. It was a perfect Saturday morning activity.

Noah was enthralled. And a little scared...

Luckily, Des was there to hold his hand! <3

Meeting a real fireman!

A new obligation I've taken on is teaching a K-1 Sunday School class at our church. Jordan and I joined the First Unitarian Society when we moved to Madison and were going pretty regularly until we had Noah and pretty much all of our pre-baby routines came to a screeching halt. Now that life has calmed down a bit, we're getting back into it and it's been lots of fun! Noah loves playing in the nursery and playground, and Jordan and I are enjoying the opportunity to expand our community. Plus, my K-1 kiddos are adorable.

Coffee filter flowers (in progress)

Jamming on the playground.

Post-church treats and deep conversation.

Another fun family event this month was going to a pool party with friends from Noah's daycare. The weather has been really warm lately and one of the parents from daycare invited a bunch of families out to swim at their house on a Saturday afternoon. Noah loves to swim and loves his daycare friends so he was thrilled to combine the two!

Pool fun with daddy!

Snack break before heading back in!

Water balloon sneak attack!

And ice cream to end the day. Perfect.

Hey mom, did you know that I love ice cream?

This weekend my parents came to visit and they brought their new dog, Blue. He is one of the chillest dogs I've ever met. He had a pretty rough start in life and I'm happy he's found his forever home and is starting to warm up to all of us. My parents also brought their camper and we had fun visiting them, making s'mores, and exploring the area.

Welcome to the family, Blue!

Concentration while roasting marshmallows.

S'mores success!

Three cheers for the Parkers!

Me and dad exploring the trails

Can you spot the heron?

Noah, offering to share a bone with Blue.

The day before my birthday, I took Noah to the Fall Festival in Verona with my parents where he got to try "bobbing" for apples (which ended up just meaning that you try to eat an apple tied to a string?!), painting a pumpkin, and sampling some of Wisconsin's finest ice cream. Then I went downtown for dinner and drinks with some good friends while Jordan took care of bedtime with Noah at home. The restaurant was on the 10th floor of a newer hotel and the views, wine, and company were all amazing. I'm lucky to have such lovely people in my life.

On my birthday, I mostly just wanted to relax and eat good food, and I got to do plenty of both! We all went out for brunch together in the morning, then Jordan and I had a quiet dinner with just the two of us in the evening. The cards, presents, and well-wishes all made me feel so special. Just five years ago I turned 30 and was living a very different life with Jordan in Columbus, Ohio- you can go back and read my blog post about that day! It's staggering to think about how much has changed in that time: living in a new state/city, starting new careers, making new friends, buying a house, buying a car, having a child... Things are good right now and I'm very fortunate to have the life I do. And if you're reading this, chances are I'm fortunate to have you in my life too.