erica danielle

In the last 2 weeks I’ve had 2 yr olds over and I love them. I love the way they are trying desperately for you to understand their speech. I love how they cautiously approach stairs, I love how they giggle at most things, I love how they are interested in everything and how it works and I love how little they are.  I wonder. Am I ever going to not miss having more kids? It’s like you have to stop somewhere so do you just stop having kids and then feel content? I don’t feel content in this arena. I feel thrilled about our life right now. The ease of getting out the door, the fun games we get to play, the fact that everyone can go to the bathroom on their own, but I still wonder. And I wish I knew if moms of 7 kids wonder too???  Here’s the good stuff at age 4, 8, 10 FOUR: saying phrases and sentences completely wrong without thinking twice. Such as “Praying Mancy” instead of praying mantis while playing puppets at the library.  EIGHT: free writing is almost 100% about our...

Sigge has just learned how to jump off the swings.   And he wiggles his little butt up on that swing, gets his hands set on the chains juuuuuust so, and then proclaims: “ready for action!” Every. Single. Time.  He’s kind of a one trick pony. It’s one big pull back, release, and then he jumps. But he jumps. Like a big kid. He times it right and he lands without breaking any bones.  My spot where I stand is now a rut in the grass, the spot where he jumps is also worn. There are so many times I don’t want to be out there pushing him, but I also love his excitement. His tenacity. His big-ness. His readiness! What is it about these kids? I told him in the car yesterday that he annoys me, to which he promptly replied: “well, I guess no one likes me”. And I said: “ya, probably not, because people don’t like whiny, mean people.” He is constantly pushing every parenting button I own. But also- he’s ready for action! And he’s just so great.  Hoping tomorrow he’ll ask me i...

 When you spend 90% of the weekend outside your children ask to go to bed at 7:25, and you promptly fall into bed not much later.  Twas a good weekend. Spent Thursday sleeping (mostly) out under the stars,  Had many fires,  Ate scorched wieners,  split logs,  made leaf piles,  played catch,  carved sticks Garage clean out Back deck happy hour Fancy Saturday dinner at home doing all the things a fall day calls us to. These are the days.  We decided last minute to go camping on Thursday night, and what a dream it was! “Hiding in the woods” as Sigge called it, was great— until 2:30am when it got too cold and uncomfortable for the kids and we came home to sleep. We returned to the campsite at 8am with fresh coffee in tow and a resolve to finish out our camping trip despite the 39* weather :) I was proud of the kids. We explored the lake, found the playground, packed up camp and then went home. A successful 2023 Willow River camping trip!  We...

Sten and I got out for a date. I feel like this hasn’t happened as much recently and this just kick started my excitement for making this happen on the regular.  Grandma turned 95! Mom brought chocolate cake and Sigge and I helped her celebrate ❤️ Lincoln and Sigge got some dude time together Audie came over and we played kinetic sand forever. It’s so funny to watch your “baby” not be the baby and interact with younger kids. He turns into this clown that thinks hitting himself and falling off chairs is his best bet for winning the attention of a younger child. And to his credit it works. But it is the strangest thing to see.  Soooooooo intense while building legos.  Olive and Lucy celebrate 1️⃣0️⃣!!!!!!!! Saturday morning half marathon. The sun coming up over downtown is one of my favorite scenes.  It’s been a week. Although this is a place for my highlight reel I would be lying if I said everything is happy all the time. I’m in a bit of a valley and having to trust ...

I’m still counting this as marathon number 10 because, in a way, completing 26.2 on your own when a race gets cancelled is harder than being on the course with all the support!  What a bummer, but I had so much fun running with Haley. We made light of it even though we were both very sad.  On Sunday we ran to Afton and back. She stopped at mile 20 so the real mental strength started then. It was a flood of emotions as it was hot, I still had 6 miles to go and I had to go up the Coulee hill! But these are the moments you remember in the marathon. When you really have to decide how you are going to show up.  Not even close to a PR or what I was hoping to run, but still feel accomplished and happy to have had the opportunity to train all summer with such a good friend. Some moments from the last week: Homecoming!  AAAAANNNNNDDDDD, he’s out! Pancakes.  Sunday! I stopped my watch and literally said to myself in my yard: “Good job Erica! You did it!” Ha! Very differen...