Life Lately

   Even though life lately kind of feels like groundhog day and there's nothing super new and exciting to report, I did want to document what life has been like during these unusual times. Sometimes I still wake up and think "is this really happening?" but overall life in quarantine has been overwhelmingly positive and I really think we will remember it as such.

We saw this on our walk one morning and it's an excellent reminder; Staying positive is so important

   It has been soo nice not having to rush everyone out the door in the morning every day; we really are appreciating the slower pace of life and the extra time together as a family. The break from the daily grind has been such a nice reset. Tim still spends his weekdays working from his basement "office" but I have had so much extra time with the kiddos during the day that has really been special.

Sissy snuggled up with her favorite book; it is such a blessing having this extra down time

   If you didn't already know this about us, we walk A LOT. We take multiple walks a day and I now truly have a thorough appreciation for how walkable our neighborhood is. Sometimes Charlie takes a scooter or bike, sometimes both kiddos ride in the stroller, and sometimes they ride in the wagon. We walk as much as we possibly can and I can honestly say it's a critical component of my sanity now more than ever.

Big kid on his bike! He really does so well riding his bike now

...And the scooter! He really moves on this

They love taking the wagon together

And Mama enjoys getting out in the sunshine!

Little besties being silly

   We also bake a lot! We used up some extra Easter candy in our cookie-baking recently. Both kiddos love to bake so this is a go-to activity for us, especially on rainy days when we can't get out and walk as much.

These were delish! (Also: I dont know how I ever baked without parchment paper)

My little helpers in the kitchen

   Tim celebrated a birthday last week and the kiddos enjoyed it as much (maybe even more?) than he did! Charlie baked cupcakes and both kids helped him open gifts. We got curbside takeout for dinner and it was a really nice day.

Happy Birthday, Tim!

This little peanut thought it was *her* special day

Homemade cupcakes for our birthday boy!

   There was a neat flyover close to the city last week, too, and the boys went to see the Thunderbirds. Charlie was enamored with the fighter jets and is still talking about how awesome it was. Dad was careful to practice safe social distancing with our precious boy and both wore their masks. (Thanks, Nani Akita! Best masks EVER!)

A view of the flyover from the art museum

Sweet boy in his awesome Batman mask

   Char has also been doing Zoom with his preschool class three times a week. He really looks forward to this and his awesome teachers do an incredible job making their virtual class-time special. Sis even joins in (ahem, butts in) occasionally to see all of the "big kids."

Zoom preschool is fun!

Sis loves to check out what they are doing, too

   We are spending as much time as possible outside in our yard every day. Tim started a garden full of fruits and veggies for this summer and the kiddos have been having fun playing out in the fresh air. The outdoor play really helps and they sleep so much better after a good day outside. I found this cute little playset on super sale in the middle of the winter and we just put it together. I am thanking my lucky stars for this little thing right now. They love it!

Swinging and bouncing!

This has been endless fun (and a huge help for parents' sanity)

   Speaking of outdoor fun, last week the kiddos were able to chase around our neighbors' chickens for a bit. Our little animal lovers had a blast playing with their chicken friends.

Charlie and the chickens

They really are SO cute

Maddie liked the baby ones

   Being home 24/7 has also made us more aware of all of the little things we want to get done around the house, so us grownups have been doing lots of house projects, both inside and outside. I have been obsessively planning the addition of another bathroom, so stay tuned for that project.

Home sweet home (with a sweet little pup at the front door)

I hope you ALL are doing well and finding peace during this crazy time. Sending you love wherever you are ♥

From the Homefront...

   Greetings from the SneeFam homefront. We are on our second full week of quarantine and while I'd say we're doing a pretty good job of embracing our new normal overall, yesterday was probably the toughest day we've had yet. Maybe it was the weather; it was rainy and cold so we couldn't do our usual walk around the neighborhood. It was also a Monday and we both had work to juggle from home so that adds a little bit more to the equation. Either way, we got through it, ended with a nice family dinner, and woke up well-rested and full of hope for a better day today.

   It helped a bit to shift gears and focus on gratitude. I keep coming back to how grateful I am for our sweet little home. When we purchased this house almost 6 years ago, Tim was in grad school and we were newlyweds with no kids yet. I don't think in our wildest dreams we could have pictured being quarantined in this home with two kids and a dog, but here we are. It's such a safe place and such a happy place for our fam and I have never been so grateful for these four walls as I am right now. The backyard has been Charlie's lacrosse field and the kitchen has been my sanctuary where I can go bake some stress off. We even set up our treadmill last night in the laundry room because a little workout does wonders for the soul right now (Tim and I are really missing our local gym that we each normally escape to a couple nights a week...)

   From talking to friends and fam, it seems like everyone is dealing with this whole situation in waves. Sometimes it kind of comes out of nowhere and hits. Some days are easier than others. Some days the gravity of it all just feels so heavy. Each day is a new opportunity to seek out joy and gratitude in the midst of all of this upheaval.

   Some ways we have sparked joy over the past couple of days include, of course, baking...

Banana muffins hit the spot

...and painting...

Charlie did a great job painting Simba...

...and so did sweet sister 

...and planting some fruits and veggies...

Dad is in charge of this project; these will go in the ground in a few weeks

...and setting up a little gym in the laundry room...

A little treadmill sesh does wonders for mama's sanity right now...

   I also had fun shopping (online) for Easter basket stuff for the kiddos. Since the quarantine will likely last through Easter, I wanted to order a few little treats for their baskets and leave plenty of time for possible shipping delays. Stay tuned for how those come together! This was a nice, happy focal point on a stressful day :)

   What are you guys doing that brings you joy during this time? It isn't always easy to see it, but there is always SO much to be grateful for. Sending you all love and so many good vibes right now ♥

Life Lately

   Like most of our pals, we spent last week fighting the sickies in our house. Both kids had colds while Mom randomly had a bad case of pink eye (ugh).  Despite it all, we've still managed to have some fun moments.

Sis went with me to the Dr. for my pink eye- She was well-accessorized but held captive in a stroller so she could not touch anything ;)

   Charlie, Daddy, and Ellie have been hiking at Valley Forge National Park a lot recently. There are two main trails there - Mt. Joy and Mt. Misery- and they love hiking one or sometimes even both. Ellie is loving getting outside of her typical backyard/neighborhood area and everyone comes home happy, hungry, and tired from these hikes.

A sweet boy and his beloved pup enjoying a hike

Charlie is an awesome hiker- they did four miles on Saturday!

The landscape right now is not very pretty- come on Spring!

   The kiddos are playing together more and more lately as they get a bit older and it's just the sweetest. That's not to say they don't have their little tiffs and fights over toys here and there, but in general they are really becoming best buds that play really well together. They both love crafty-type activities so some crayons, markers, and stickers have been making for hours of sibling fun during these chillier "indoor" months.

BFF! (Note: The Elsa dress phase is still going strong)

Sorting pom poms- teamwork for the win!

Being creative and doing crafts- nevermind that there are stickers all over and stuck to the floor

They made beautiful masterpieces; peaceful play like this feels like heaven and allows their parents to drink (hot!) coffee in peace for a few minutes. A whole new world for us!

   The kids have been doing swimming lessons every Saturday morning and they're both loving it. It's so funny to watch them because they spend half the class waving to one another and chatting / cheering one another on. That sibling bond really is special. They're doing well and making progress; we are really hoping to have Charlie swimming this summer (he's so close!) and little sis is not far behind because she is always trying to catch up to the 'big kids.'

Maddie is in pink and Charlie is in green - working hard!

Learning to swim is so so so important

Working on their skills and cheering each other on along the way

   The boys went for haircuts over the weekend; Why does a fresh cut always make Charlie look like a teenager?!

Big kid with a fresh haircut and a cookie

     Sis helped get the groceries - in a full length kitty cat tutu dress, of course!

Miss Independent likes her OWN cart, thankyouverymuch

And, OF COURSE, we are always baking up a storm. This week we baked our usual banana muffins, chocolate chip cookies, and even made some popovers. I used this recipe and they were DELISH!

Nothing better than hot popovers fresh out of the oven

Banana muffins- filling one of the empty cups with water helps to add a little moisture to the oven air as they bake

Sending love and warm, happy, healthy vibes to our friends and fam near and far ♥ XO

 

Family Photos

We recently took some family photos with the amazing Robin Papera from LMM Photography. Initially, we were just doing to get the kids pictures' done and just keep Mom and Dad out of it. It's so easy to say "I'd love to lose a little more weight before I do photos" or any other excuse to stay out of the shot.

However, I remembered a few years back that my bestie had a family friend pass away suddenly in his 30s, leaving behind two young children. While this is horrific to think about, I remember her specifically telling me they had family pictures done a few weeks prior to his passing and that those photos are so meaningful and special to his children.

While no one wants to face their mortality in that way, she had a point and it's something that has really stuck with me. Someday, we'll be gone. While that is so uncomfortable to even think about, it's reality. The time to get in the picture is now. Kids grow so fast and while I never miss an opportunity to snap their precious pictures, it's also so important to be present in some photos so that they have them to cherish someday.

My kids love looking at pictures of my parents and Tim's parents, both current ones and older pictures. They love seeing pictures of my grandparents, Tim's grandparents, and learning about their family and where they came from. Recently we were even showing Charlie pictures of our great grandfathers from their college sports days and he was SO excited and had so many questions. It was so special to be able to share that with him.

So, while most of the recent photo shoot focused on our two little cuties, Tim and I jumped into a few shots. I could not be happier with how they turned out- they really captured what our family looks like at this moment in time and really are so special. I am truly grateful we had the opportunity to do it.

With that, I encourage you to be in the picture this holiday season. Don't put off being photographed because of this reason or that reason. Don't exit the shot because you don't like how you look or what you're wearing. Years from now, your family won't care. They just want to see YOU.

I'm posting some of my favorites from our photo shoot with a HUGE thanks to Robin Papera for capturing these beautiful moments for us- we will look forward to another shoot with her in the near future!

XOXO ♥