Story Time | Year 7

Our days are often over taken with playdates, biking, and board games but we still try to prioritize reading!  Here's a batch of my favorite kind of photo! Books from the past year <3

See our favorite titles here. 

- SJW

When Life is Just Playtime | NLW Turns 7

I'm sitting on my couch in the aftermath of hosting NLW's seventh birthday party. We used the same template as last year: six friends for playtime, dinner, and a show at our house on a Friday night — which has served us well! 

I am immensely grateful for the sweet friends he's made this past year and proud of the tremendously kind and earnest friend he is to others <3. "Playdates" seem to be a defining feature of age six, along with a successful launch into our K-5 neighborhood elementary school. Kindergarten was such a fun year and it's been neat to see him start to build some independence from us, including walking to school every day with his best friend and her parents.

This year also held a few new obsessions. Peers certainly influenced his interests, and we found ourselves embracing Pokémon, K-Pop Demon Hunters, and Gabby's Dollhouse. We tried spring soccer and enjoyed cheering on the sidelines, but have landed on swimming as our preferred activity. You also leveled up to a bike with hand gears, experienced your first intro to mountain biking, and switched from baths to six-minute showers. Now that you're seven, you're excited to have an extra minute :)

It’s also lovely to see that so many of your favorites have stayed the same — exploring, reading, listening to audiobooks, building LEGO sets, and learning about animals. And the new additions, like board and card games, feel like the classic family time I’ve always hoped for.

You are such a great older brother and the combination of your easygoing temperament and ability to be lost in your own world has been so beneficial for our family :) You are still the goofiest little boy who says the darndest things and we love you just the way you are!

Favorite Color: green

Favorite Animal: opossum (favorite mammal) chameleon (favorite reptile)

Favorite Show: Creature Cases
Favorite Movie: K-Pop Demon Hunters

Favorite Song: "How It's Done"

Favorite Soundtrack: K-Pop Demon Hunters

Favorite Book: The Great Big Book of Snakes & Reptiles 

Favorite Playground: Holy Rosary

Favorite Activity: playdates
Favorite Thing to Play: Sorry!

Favorite Toy: stuffies and the new camera toy from Mirma
Favorite Food: dino nuggets
Favorite Treat: hot chocolate

Favorite Store: Safeway
What do you want to be when you grow up: Zoologist — and I will definitely get a pet
What my mom thinks I'll be when I grow up: conservationist

Excited to see what this next year holds for us!

- SJW 

Year Six
Year Five
Year Four
Year Three

Twice as Much Cake | Twins Turn 5

EDW and CCW turn five today! I will always think of this as the year we exited toddlerhood and entered the kid stage. We’re now able to do things as a family of five that would have felt near impossible or downright foolish a few years ago – like attend the state fair, go on a family bike ride in the neighborhood, do a 500 piece jigsaw puzzle, go hiking, or see a movie in theaters. They both learned to ride a bike with pedals, made big strides in enjoying pool time, started reading B.O.B books, and entered Pre-K. We still love beaches, playgrounds, coloring, and stuffies :) 

EDW has three favorite things: coloring, dressing up, and playing dollhouse. She likes her yogurt “nice and neat and flat,” is a guaranteed car napper and excellent tree-climber, and can be found in her blue puffy or pink jacket no matter the weather outside. I adore her fashion and fully embraced watching a daily episode of Bluey so I can do her hair – we are committed to the “Elsa” French braid. She’s already lost her first tooth and started rolling her eyes – I’m sure there will be more where that came from (on both counts!) She’s incredibly adorable and sweet, and I love her more every day!

Favorite Color: blue

Favorite Animal: mermaid

Favorite Show: Super Kitties
Favorite Movie: Frozen and KPop Demonhunters

Favorite Song/Soundtrack: Let it Go and Do You Want to Build a Snowman

Favorite Book: Elsa books

Favorite Playground: Hiawatha

Favorite Activity: coloring

Favorite Thing to Play: KPop Demonhunters

Favorite Toy: Skye from Paw Patrol
Favorite Food: mangoes
Favorite Treat: candy

Favorite Store: Pegasus Books
What do you want to be when you grow up: be a ballet dancer
What my mom thinks I'll be when I grow up: nurse

CCW is exuberant, creative, and loud :) We regularly say he “has a curious mind” as he always wants to know “why?” and “what’s that?” and to “do an experiment.” He can’t get enough of crafting and likes when we play “home school.”  His favorite games include Sorry!, Rat-a-Tat-Cat, and Mastermind. He seems to be our most athletic child and enjoys playing in the yard with any kind of ball. He wants to keep up with his older brother, which sometimes works in our favor – learning to add and subtract, and sometimes not – daily wrestling and fighting matches. He’s incredibly charming and sweet, and I love him more every day!

Favorite Color: pink

Favorite Animal: sloths

Favorite Show: Paw Patrol
Favorite Movie: KPop Demonhunters

Favorite Song/Soundtrack: Takedown

Favorite Book: Gabby's Dollhouse

Favorite Playground: Walt Huntley

Favorite Activity: experiments

Favorite Thing to Play: stuffies and at the beach

Favorite Toy: Disney version of Sorry!
Favorite Food: granola
Favorite Treat: cake

Favorite Store: Safeway
What do you want to be when you grow up: person that makes shows
What my mom thinks I'll be when I grow up: designer

It has been so lovely to watch the twins’ world expand and witness them build new relationships with teachers, adults, and friends. It’s a joy to see them grow and change over the course of a year, while remaining very much themselves along the way. Twins bring twice the fun, quadruple the fighting, twice the cake, and so much love.
I will always love that they have each other <3

To celebrate all the October birthdays, we rented a cabin in Carnation, WA along with my parents and enjoyed a cozy weekend with lots of coloring, board games, a campfire, pumpkin pie, and a trip to Remlinger Farms. Picking out pumpkins and riding the kiddie rollercoaster rides was a highlight for all of us! 

Happy birthday to my favorite twins!

- SJW