Hey friends! How are you doing? Today is a big day over here because we have Meet the Teacher Day at Chase’s preschool this morning. We’ve been working with him so he knows his teachers’ names but he always seems to forget the “Miss” before Debbie and I’m having visions of my two-year-old strolling in, waving a casual hello and saying, “Hey Deb!” to his teacher this morning. Hopefully the “Miss” will come with a little work!
But before I get too ahead of myself, I wanted to share a recap of our day yesterday!
Morning + Breakfast
Tuesday morning kicked off bright and early with coffee!
On Monday evening, I got together with my small group and realized we’re on our very last lesson from our current study! I figured I’d read the lesson while our small group was on the top of my mind on Tuesday morning, so I swapped my current devotional for our final study lesson to kick off the day.
Before Chase was up for the morning, I put the finishing touches on yesterday’s cold brew protein smoothie blog post while I ate an egg white oatmeal protein pancake with cacao nibs, slivered almonds, spirulina (hence the green) and MCT oil for breakfast.
My father-in-law joined me for a cup of coffee once he was up for the day and shortly after he was awake, Chase started making noises and joined the two of us for some Paleo blender muffins and morning playtime at home.
And just to keep it real, here’s the picture I snapped less than 2.5 seconds after the sweet smiley one:
Oh the rollercoaster of toddler emotions!
Ryan’s dad had plans to hit the road and head back to Florida in the late morning on Tuesday, so when Chase and I left for boot camp, we said our goodbyes and thanked Granddad for such a fun visit! Chase had the best time blowing feathers, racing cars, drawing pictures and going for walks with his grandpa and it was really wonderful for us to see their relationship continue to grow. Thank you so much for visiting, Greg!
Workout + Play Date
The weekly workout protocol at Burn Boot Camp called for a core conditioning circuit on Tuesday which is basically code for core and cardio city.
We got into groups of five and cycled through the following exercises:
- Medicine ball around-the-world slams
- Weighted toe touches
- BOSU slider mountain climbers (75)
- Ab wheel
- Donkey kicks
Everyone rotated to the next exercise when the person completing the BOSU slider mountain climbers completed 75 reps. (Ugh those were the WORST. Picture these mountain climbers but with your forearms balancing on a BOSU ball.) Despite the fact that I hated some of the exercises while I was doing them, it was a good workout!
After boot camp, I scooped Chase up from childcare and we headed off to my friend Danielle’s house for a play date with friends.
We had a great time and I loved chatting with my girlfriends while the kids played away! (Sometimes I think the moms like the play dates just as much – if not more than – the kids!)
Lunch + Afternoon
We made it home a little before 1 p.m. and I fed Chase a quick lunch before we read a book (this LONG one – 6 short books in one – that he currently loves) and he went down for his nap. Once he was settled, I grabbed a quick shower, threw a load of laundry in the washing machine and reheated leftovers from last night’s dinner (with a side of yogurt) for lunch.
While I ate, I worked on the computer, responded to a couple of time-sensitive emails about upcoming partnerships, scanned two contracts and began working on this blog post. About an hour into working, I snacked on a Pure Organics cocoa brownie bar.
Once Chase was up from his nap, I gave him a snack and then we read some more books and drew pictures on his easel before making a quick trip to the store to grab some of the required items on Chase’s preschool list to bring to his Meet the Teacher event today.
We made it home with enough time to quickly throw together the chopped veggies and chicken I had on the menu for dinner. Of course Chase loved assisting from his little helper stand and his favorite jobs of the moment include stirring (a risky gamble from a kitchen cleanliness standpoint) and sprinkling food with seasonings.
While the chicken and veggies roasted, we played at home (indoor golf is a current fav) and had even more fun together once Ryan arrived and joined in on the action! Everything took a little longer to cook than I anticipated but eventually dinner was ready and we all sat down at the table and dug in.
I can definitely dive into this a little bit more in a future blog post if it’s of interest, but I recently read Child of Mine: Feeding with Love and Good Sense and there were so many great takeaways from the book, especially as a parent of a small child with what, at times, can feel like a non-existent appetite and preference for a small selection of the same foods.
One key takeaway from the book was to sit down as a family at mealtimes and give your child the same foods you give yourselves. I know this seems very obvious to many but Ryan and I were in the habit of feeding Chase and then eating ourselves so this is a relatively new change for us and one we’re loving, even if dinner feels a little more crazed and less relaxed. (Oh! And it was not an instant success. We’re still working with Chase on sitting still and waiting until everyone is done eating before dinner is over. Easier said than done since he would always rather play than eat.)
With dinner done, it was time for Chase’s bedtime routine and once he was settled, Ryan and I hung out on the couch for a bit before climbing into bed early. I am still making my way through Yes Please and read for about an hour before flipping off the light and calling it a night.
I hope you all have a good Wednesday! I’m already on my second cup of coffee this morning so I’m ready to tackle the day ahead! (This also may explain the rambling nature of this blog post. Haha!)
***
I’ve been thinking of everyone impacted by Hurricane Harvey and following the devastation from Hurricane Harvey is so heartbreaking. Here’s an article from the New York Times about where you can donate to help victims. You may also text HARVEY to 90999 to donate $10 to the American Red Cross to help with relief efforts. And just FYI, it make take a while for the Red Cross to confirm your donation. I received a message yesterday about 24 hours after I texted to donate saying that processing is delayed due to the volume of donations.
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Love the two-second transformation of Chase’s facial expressions! The kids I teach are the exact same way. And as a teacher, I think I would CRACK up if a kid walked in and said, “hey Maddie!” on the first day lol
Aw meet the teacher day! Thats so exciting! Looks like a great day of eats. I want that big roasted chicken!
Oh my gosh I’m dying laughing at his faces and the image of him walkin’ in saying “Sup Deb?” hahah He is too precious and that chicken looks delicous!!! Did you use any particular recipe?
Good luck with meet the teacher day! Love the difference in Chase’s facial expressions 🙂
That chicken and veggies meal looks delicious – we have a whole chicken in the fridge that I need to cook sometime soon – this looks right up my husband’s alley!
Mountain climbers are one of my most hated exercises too – we have that in common 😉 They are just SO HARD!
I’m with you on the 2nd cup of coffee this morning – I need to wake up!
Have a great day!
Your chicken/vegetable dinner looks delicious! And that burn boot camp workout sounds killer, but awesome. Good luck at Chase’s meet the teacher day! I hope if he does walk in there and say Hey Deb you get it on video….. 😉 haha
Family dinners is one of our favorite family traditions. As kids get older it is so important to have that family time to sit down together and share about everyone’s day! Our youngest is starting her senior year in high school, it definitely gets harder to gather everyone around the table as the kids get older and have after school activities, but make it a priority for as many nights a week as you can for as long as you can! Good for you for starting early!
Aw, that sounds like such a fun day for Chase to meet his teachers! Hope all goes well!
We’ve been eating dinner with our toddler for a long time now, pretty much as soon as she started eating solid food. Knock on wood, but I *think* it has helped us avoid the toddler pickiness issue I’ve heard so many people go through. She’s almost two so there’s still time to be picky so we’ll see! She eats the same food we eat with a few modifications (ie if it’s a spicy food and she hates spicy food we give her something else) so she doesn’t get chicken nuggets, etc. so she doesn’t know to ask for them! We don’t make her sit at the table when she’s done though. We let her get down to run around and play, picking our battles!
Picking my battles is key over here! I said that just the other day as Chase was emptying every pot and pan out of the cabinet… Not worth interrupting a happy toddler! 🙂
Those faces are precious!!! Such a fun age. That chicken looks so yummy!!
If you haven’t read it, I highly recommend reading Raising your spirited child by Mary Sheedy Kurcinka. There is a section on mealtime in there which is great. The rest of the book is awesome, too.
Awesome!! I’ll look for this! Thank you.
My son calls all of his teachers “Miss” and it is about the cutest thing. I hope all went well at preschool!
So sweet!
I love that second photo of Chase after the happy one! I hope Chase has fun at meet the teacher day.
My nephew had meet the teacher day this morning too at his preschool!! So exciting! Makes me miss teaching so very much. Chase is just too cute, I love that he helps you in the kitchen! I hope you have a fantastic day! Xoxo
The difference in Chase’s facial expressions are so cute and funny! I’m sure he’ll get the Miss part of his teacher’s name down soon. Good luck with meet the teachers day! I can’t wait to see how Chase does with preschool. It’s an exciting time for you guys!
Have a great day Julie 🙂
I’m impressed you cooked a whole chicken, I”m always to scurred to do that! ha ha I don’t know what I’m afriad of but it seems intimidating (and I’m a food blogger) ha ha share the recipe if you get a chance!
Ha! I was too at first but it’s honestly so easy! I just rub the outside of the skin with olive oil or melted butter/ghee and sprinkle with whatever seasonings I’m feeling and roast it in the oven on top of a bunch of seasoned veggies for at least an hour+ … I usually cover it with foil while it roasts but then remove the foil for the last 20 min. or so to make sure the skin gets a little crispy!
Toddlers and eating can be so tough! I actually just dedicated a blog post to how we pushed through that picky eating stage with our kids (ages 6 and 4 currently). The main thing is to stay consistent and know that every stage does eventually end (but can be super painful when you are going through it!)
http://www.healthyfamilydefined.com/tips-pushing-picky-food-stage-kids/
Thanks for sharing this Taryn!
Chase’s mean/mad face is too cute!! HA!!! 😀
Thank you for sharing resources on how to give back to Texas residents in the wake of Hurricane Harvey. It’s heartbreaking, but I’m pleased to see so many people stepping up and helping where they can!
Also, that roasted chicken looks amazing. I’ve actually never roasted one whole before!
Looks like you guys had such a fun day! Hope your meet the teacher event goes well today!
I am so tempted by that helper stand for my 20 month old. Is it easy enough to fold that I could open it up and fold it multiple times a day? Thanks for sharing!!
To be honest, I never fold ours up (we just pull it into the dining room and out of the way when he’s done using it) but it IS really easy to fold up as long as you don’t secure the platform to the legs with a screw. We didn’t do this and it’s still very, very stable, so I wouldn’t worry about leaving that part out to make it more folding-friendly. Chase seriously LOVES it and we use it multiple times a day. “Help cook” is something he asks to do all the time which is kind of awesome because it gives me a chance to get ahead on some dinner prep that also serves as a fun activity for him earlier in the day!
Thank you for that input!
I lover Satter’s division of responsibility when it comes to eating. It was very freeing not to freak out about what she was or wasn’t eating and we don’t really have meal time battles. She eats what we eat + fruit (which she is allowed to choose). I also try to offer at least one thing I know she likes so it’s not a plate of foreign (to her) foods. And if you’re cool with it, you could let Chase eat and then do an activity at the table like coloring or a puzzle so the expectation becomes “we would like you to finish the meal with us, but you don’t have to just sit and do nothing.” We offer to let our toddler get down and play but she’s usually busy trying to jump from lap to lap to steal our food ;). I put the book in my Amazon cart and hope to order it one of these days! Thanks for the recommendation.
Your chicken looks delicious! Is chase going to preschool everyday? My son also just turned 2 but I haven’t been able to find a preschool that takes kids under 2.5 and/or if they are not potty trained. Have you started that yet?! We are going to be doing a mom and me type preschool that I’ll attend with him for a few months. Part of me also just wants him to be home with me always! It makes me sad to think he’s just about ready for SCHOOL!
Do you find that Chase eats better when you sit down? We sit down with our toddler some nights and we’ll try to serve him our food and he’s still not always super into it. We usually end up giving him a little something he definitely likes once he refuses what we’re eating.
What brand Mct oil do you use?
Hi Julie,
I’ve been reading your blog for years and it is so fun following along with all your adventures with Chase, as my little one is just about the same age! I would LOVE to know some tips for how you get Chase engaged and interested in his little helper stand – like what sort of things do you have him do specifically? I have one for my daughter but usually can’t keep her in there too long and/or run out of ways for her to “help” lol. Would really love some insight on this as it’s such an amazing tool and I would love for it to be something we can do together! Thanks you so much!!
Yum 🙂
How many rounds of the team workout did you cycle through?