ten thoughts on a wednesday |39|

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one.
happy fourth of july! it's always a bit weird for us to have this day be a regular old work day ... but we are planning to celebrate a little together tonight. and we are getting sooooo excited to go to the states in a couple of days!!! seriously so pumped. there probably won't be much happening on this blog over the next three weeks while we are traveling and with family, but you can follow our adventures on my instagram if you want!

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^^ this morning we had an independence day picnic with bunch of mum & baby friends! here's mo wearing my sunnies and his patriotic swimsuit on our way to the park! ^^

two.
we've had just over ten weeks with our angel gabriel. time definitely is flying. having two kids (and being their primary caretaker full time) has been more wonderful and less chaotic than i had expected.
i definitely do a lot more grocery delivery and have to be a bit more thoughtful about the logistics of outings than i used to, but almost every single day i take the boys out around the city for an adventure. several friends and people i've spent time around have expressed amazement that i've gotten out and about with both boys on my own so much. but the truth is that my days are much easier when we have at least one planned excursion. getting out the door is sometimes quite the feat and we're kind of a traveling circus with moses in the buggy and gabriel strapped on me on the tube and the bus, but staying at home most of the day makes all three of us crazy. gabriel sleeps so well in the wrap/carrier and moses is a much easier toddler over the course of several hours when we are on an outing compared to when we are at home.
i am trying to really cherish this specific season of my life. it's wild and beautiful.

three.
i am grateful for this blog. i am so glad that i am in the habit of using it to organize pictures and record life, and i have learned a lot as i've shared parts of my life online publicly. i love the opportunities my blog has given me to connect with all kinds of different people. so if you're reading this, thanks for being here!
i answered some questions (those that only required a quick response!) in the comment section of the q&a post i published last week, and i plan to publish a few more q&a posts in the near future. i am always open to being asked pretty much any question by blog readers.

four.
ian is a big time planner-aheader. sometimes we will laugh together when i tell him i'll only discuss plans with him if they are happening before 2020 :) as of now, we have mapped out what we are going to do with every one of ian's vacation and paternity days through the next 12 months. you can see what travels we are planning on my world travel page! we definitely have a spreadsheet that outlines everything we want to do while we are living in europe and ian has organized it with all kinds of different categories, etc. the great thing about my husband is that his planning ahead often really pays off (literally and otherwise) and he is simultaneously really spontaneous, excited to embrace serendipity, and flexible around changes of plans. i love sharing life with him.

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^^ some random photos from a play date we had one morning. these two boys were totally cracking me up with their silly antics. i love seeing moses develop friendships! ^^

five.
lately i have felt like my marriage is in the best place it has ever been. it's weird, because i think for many couples the opposite is true, but both times ian and i have had a baby the quality of our marriage has sharply increased. working together to care for a baby (and now a baby and a toddler) is just really beautifully bonding for us, and parenting together reminds us to cherish each other and work harder to support each other in the most effective ways. sometimes when i am with ian i just stop dead in my tracks and think, "wow, i really really love this person."

six.
i happened upon this old blog post the other day. i was glad to be reminded of the "life commandments" i had decided on - and i have rededicated myself to them. i think i'll come up with some "life commandments 2.0" soon.

seven.
i heard this the other day (on the stories of this instagram account): "for us to judge a child based on our [adult] standards of behavior - it's not fair." that really rung true to me and i have been thinking about this concept a lot lately. i really like ralphie's approach to "positive parenting" and have enjoyed watching/listening to her stories.

eight.
i love london summer nights so much. i love that it stays light until past 10pm and that the weather feels so perfectly kind. last night i took a different route on my walk home from yoga and my journey ended up taking almost twice as long as normal because i was just wrapped up in the dreaminess of the evening - the sunsetty sky, the beautiful leafy streets, the huddled fans watching england play in the world cup through pub windows. i am so glad this city is my home.

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nine.
i just think my kids are impossibly, out of this world, to die for cute. lately i have been trying to relish their cuteness in my heart of hearts rather than capture it in a photo or video. it's crazy sometimes, but i love getting to enjoy the unique sweetness of a newborn and the unique sweetness of a toddler all at once. and seeing my sons together is just the best. moses races to gabe when he's crying and puts his binkie in, he loves to try to make his baby brother smile by talking to him in baby talk, and he he is always eager to help gabriel give a high five. i feel really really lucky to be mom to these boys. i am so grateful!

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ten.
wish us luck with the four flights (two of which are transatlantic), ~20 hours in a car, and 8 different places to sleep that we will experience with a newborn and a toddler over the next three weeks! ... not to mention -- jetlag!! eeeek. it's going to be a wild adventure, absolutely worth any pain because we get to see every single family member on both sides (minus one niece on my side but including ian's four grandparents)!

happy wednesday! life is beautiful!

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Comments

  1. Soo Happy you are finally going to dland paris! We have had a few conversations via comments about it and I am so excited you are doing it!

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  2. If I counted correctly, you'll be adding five new countries to the yellow section of the map next year?!

    Best wishes for smooth travels in July. May both boys sleep well :)

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  3. enjoy your trip to the US. I'm guessing this will be your favorite family reunion ever. There's nothing like seeing your kids enjoy, play with, and love with your siblings' kids. It warms my heart every time and gives me a wonderful, additional bond with my brothers. We take a million photos when the kids are together.

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  4. P.s. And I hope you're able to avoid the illness that often comes with so much travel and moving around with little ones. 8 places to sleep in three weeks will be a lot for them.

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  5. Oh Charity! I'm Dutch with parents living in Oman, so I might be able to provide you with some tips :) the Omani are very friendly and welcoming people! We will be visiting Oman ourselves in January as well, with our (then) 13-month-old, so I know of some child friendly things to do around the Muscat area, as well as of nice restaurants, good (camping) spots for spotting sea turtles, and (Wadi) hikes you could maybe do with the two boys. Let me know if you're interested!
    As for the tulips, I've never been to the Keukenhof myself, despite living in Leiden, but I might be able to help you if you want to do some other things in the surrounding area. And, I must make it a goal to visit tulips myself soon, too!
    So good to see Oman getting more tourism action lately :) it's a truly amazing country!

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  6. Happy 2nd Birthday to Moses.

    I hope he has a lovely day & a great year. x

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  7. We just did Disney Paris in April and Tulip Festival/Amsterdam in May this year with our three kids in tow. My kids love DLP, but man it is crazy expensive haha. And that's coming from Germany where it's not exactly cheap. I will say something Moses will most likely love is Clara Mara Clog & Cheese Farm right on the outskirts of the city. Also, I love Portugal so much. Excited the Algarve is on your list.

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    Replies
    1. we are doing disneyland paris just before moses’s third birthday because you start paying for kids at age three, haha. thanks for the tips!

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