// At A Glance + Happy Birthday, Toby!

We've been so busy lately, I can't tell which way is up. It's definitely the time of year where things get chaotic and crazy, but I'm trying to remember to always enjoy the little things. Here's what we've been up to lately.


First off, a very big Happy Birthday to our big brother bear today! He's a whopping SIX years old! Heaven help me. It's so hard to believe he came to live with us full time almost 3 years ago now. 3 year old Toby was so shy and timid. Now he's truly the life of the party. Our lives wouldn't nearly be the same without him. I wish y'all could see just how much he loves Linden and how amazing of a big brother he is. I really worried that having a baby in the house would cause some friction and make him jealous, but it couldn't be further from the truth. He's really the bee's knees. I snapped this photo on the back deck the other day when he came home from school. I didn't see him before he left that morning so when he walked into the house I exclaimed "Wow Toby! You look so handsome!" He snarled back and said "Mom, everybody thinks I's the principal" HAHA! He thought he was the big man on campus. But I guess that's what happens when you wear a blazer and oxford in kindergarten. Gosh I love him!

Linden has been my little co-worker this week. The only way I can get any design work done is to plop him in his Bumbo on my desk or sit him in my lap while I work away. I think he likes the big, bright computer screen.

I think I finally got the hang of my Sakura Bloom ring sling that my sweet friend Jen sent my way! Ring slings have intimidated me since day one, but now I realize just how comfortable and convenient they are!
Our big guy also lost his second tooth this week! He already has an adult tooth popping up.

Linden has hit that awful 4 month sleep regression as of late, so I'm relying on a lot of black coffee and a lot of hot baths in the morning. Bringing Linden's rockaRoo into the bathroom is the perfect answer haha
I took the boys to a Christmas event at the elementary school last night and to see Santa so that Mike and my stepdad could put together Toby's new bunk beds. He had been begging for some so it was the perfect surprise when he got home. -- I also have no shame in the fact that I dressed the kiddos in matching outfits. Chambray shirts, The Wishing Elephant letterman cardigans, and chinos. I can't wait to get the photo when they send it home with Toby.
This kid's entire face was BLUE afterward. And oh my goodness, please remind me to never let him have this much sugar after 4pm.. or well, ever haha!

How sweet are these two guys?!?! My heart!


I participated in the Candelles Holiday Swap this year and was paired up with Jen of Little Wife Power House. Her gift was SPOT ON! So many amazing things. She made this gorgeous mini quilt, and hit the nail on the head with this constellation mug (!!! It's been on my wishlist for AGES!) Seriously, she's so rad.
Of course Linden decides to sleep when he's on my lap. And the only way he'll sleep at night is on my chest. We've regressed back to full time cosleeping/bedsharing. It's not the worst thing in the world, of course. But our bed is only so big! haha

And these last few photos are snaps from Toby's birthday party on Sunday. It was a very small, no frills party and it was perfect. A huge gym to run around in, 10 kids all hopped up on sugar, and loads of fun. We did a "drive in theater" theme and we let the kids decorate their own cardboard "cars". Grampa (Mike's dad) was kind enough to cut out the leg holes for all the kids. They drove them over to the "drive in" (projector screen) and watched an Ice Age movie. They ate pizza, had boxes of candy and bags of popcorn, and took out all their energy on a Spongebob pinata. It wasn't a Pinterest perfect party, but we loved every minute of it. 

Grateful for these crazy, overly busy days. The best part is seeing just how much love these two boys are surrounded by. It feels so crazy to now be able to say "I have a six year old son." Whoa. I'm the luckiest gal, that's for sure. xo

12 comments:

  1. beautiful pictures! :)
    love your little family ♥

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  2. Aww I love that drive in theater idea! How simple and fun for the kids! Kids don't know if a party is or isn't "Pinterest" worthy so don't worry! ;)

    SaraLily
    In a Nutshell...

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  3. Happy birthday Toby! I LOVE the drive-in theme for the party, that's so cute! Usually the no-frills parties are the most fun as kids anyway - I remember the best birthday parties as a kid were when my mum put up large paper to cover all the walls in the room so we just ran around drawing 'murals' the whole time!

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  4. Linden and Toby are seriously the cutest! I know whenever I'm ready for baby #2, my son will be the best big brother. I LOVE the picture of Toby at your work desk, so cute and way to go mama for getting shit done!

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  5. I get a little burst of joy and excitement every time you post of pic of Linden in his Bumbo! :) I am NOT trying to toot my own horn by saying this at all or fishing for a compliment, I just REALLY get pure joy out of seeing him using it!!!

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  6. Happy Birthday Toby! Such style and creativity! at such a young age :)

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  7. ohmygosh!!! all these photos are perfection!!!! toby is getting so big (& handsome!)!!! (happy birthday to him!!) and linden is so precious!

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  8. The little cardboard cars are so cool! That is wonderful that you have had Toby living with you guys for three years now and that he is already 6!!! My little one is nearly 6 too. Time for a third. :: sigh ::

    Anyway, happy birthday to Toby!!!!
    +Victoria+
    justicepirate.com

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  9. What a handsome little man Toby is. Love his outfit. And Lindens outfit too. Great photos of the entire family. I think it is like a fashion show, every time you guys leave the house.! Glad to see you shopping at one of the very few retailers I shop at..Target. The best birthday parties can be the ones that are not Pinterest or Instagram perfect..IMHO.

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  10. Kaelah,

    I'm a long-time reader, first time commenter. You and your beautiful family are so very sweet. You and Mike have always been "old souls" with your priorities in the right place. I say this from the perspective of being a 57 year old woman. Toby's birthday party is the best! Making your own cardboard car for a drive-in movie? Perfection! That's the kind of party a kid talks about for weeks. Toby's transformation is all about you and Mike loving him and helping him to develop the self-confidence to truly shine. Your sincerity has always shone brightly through your writing. You make the world a better, kinder place. Thank you.

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  11. Jaxon loves the screen too our desk isn't big enough to fit a bumbo on it but I'm inheriting a new wrap on Wednesday and a second should be arriving in the post this week so I'm super excited for both of them. I seem to go through stages with the baby wearing thing but it's handy at the moment as Jaxon is teething. We didn't do much go through a regression but Jaxon started waking more in the night (i guess maybe that is a regression...)

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  12. Coolest birthday party. Ever.

    I love your blog. Your posts. You. You just always make me smile and I am so thankful that you have as much love and joy in your life as you do. Thank you for sharing little snippets of your life. :)

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HEY! Thanks for dropping by. xo KB