We spent our Friday at my friend Lauren’s house, ordering pizza and laughing a little too hard when Chase and his BFF Claire emerged from the playroom with (washable) marker on their arms, legs and faces because they thought coloring on their bodies would make for a rockin’ good time. Clearly Friday night also involved extra long baths for the kiddos and then Ryan and I crawled into bed early and I finished reading The Secrets of Midwives by Sally Hepworth and it was excellent!
Saturday
Saturday morning began with a family trip to Discovery Place Kids!
Camo joggers: Amaryllis via Zulily / Tank top: Madewell (my all-time favorite breezy summer tank — perfect for styling with a bralette since it’s very lightweight) / Comfy slides: Birkenstock
Ryan was bummed he missed Ryder’s birthday trip to DPK while he was at work on Tuesday afternoon. He wanted to see Ryder in his element so we drove over to the Huntersville location and ended up being the first ones to arrive! As my fellow Discovery Place members know, DPK is typically mayhem on the weekends but arriving early almost always translates to a better experience since it’s not nearly as crazy.
We spent a little more than an hour at Discovery Place where the boys had a ball. We left as Ryder started to get a little fussy and immediately put him down for his morning nap. Ryan wanted to pressure wash our patio on Saturday and offered to stay behind with the baby monitor in tow while Ryder napped so I could take Chase to my friend Carrie’s pool. He loved swimming with some of his buddies and I loved splashing along with him and catching up with some of my girlfriends!
We stayed at the pool for nearly three hours, swimming, snacking and soaking up the sunshine. I am so happy to report that the swim lessons we started back up for Chase have really been paying off because he was all about practicing his skills and putting his face in the water which was previously unheard of for him. Progress!
Chase and I swung by Jimmy John’s on our way back home and grabbed subs for a late lunch for our crew before spending the rest of our Saturday at the house. Ryan and I replaced the fan in our living room (no small feat — ooph!) and declared Saturday night movie night for the Fagan fam!
We watched the third How to Train Your Dragon movie (yes, Chase’s obsession with Toothless continues) and had to laugh because Ryder took our movie night as his cue to play with his noisiest toys so there were a lot of random bursts of squeaks, jingles and baby music sprinkled into what was supposed to be a relaxing movie night. Oh life with two kiddos!
Sunday
Both boys were up before 7 a.m. on Sunday so we figured we’d make the most of our early morning and headed out on a family walk with Sadie. We made it back home with enough time to eat breakfast before it was time for MyGym!
The boys are seriously loving the MyGym classes in our area and Ryan and I appreciate the ability to take both boys to the same class during their Sunday morning siblings class. They had a blast running around and practicing their gymnastics skills before it was time to go. We made a quick pit-stop for doughnuts on our way home (breakfast 2.0!) and then Chase helped me with my first attempt at homemade ice cream!
Spoiler alert: It did not turn out well. I used this pint-size ice cream maker and the texture was all wrong. Anyone out there have an ice cream maker they love? I’m in the market for a good one but don’t want a HUGE one that will take up tons of space in our kitchen cabinets.
While the ice cream base chilled in the freezer, Ryan and I spent some time organizing things around the house as the boys napped. Ryan’s workout buddy recently moved to a different part of Charlotte so he’s back to utilizing our garage gym on a daily basis rather than just a few times a week. This inspired Ryan to clear out a bunch of things from our garage and we ended up driving a load of stuff to Play It Again Sports once the boys were up. Oh and apparently Play It Again Sports is a kid paradise. Who knew!? They let Chase test out lots of different sporting equipment, a bike with training wheels, a skateboard and more. When we left, Chase asked if we could go back there again sometime. Ha!
On our way back home, we made a stop at Hope Park in Mooresville so the boys could run around and splash in the splash pad.
(And yes, Ryan is sporting the Daddy Shark tee Chase gave him for Father’s Day. To say Chase is on the Baby Shark song obsession bandwagon is a serious understatement.)
Ryan and I are curious to see if Chase will be a runner one day because there’s not much he loves more than running and racing. He will truly just run laps around our our house and LOVES it.
Ryder and I stuck to chillin’ in the shade while he made car and truck noises with his lips — his new favorite skill — over and over again.
The splash pad was a major hit and just as Ryan was looking on Yelp for an ice cream spot to hit up on our way home, an ice cream truck pulled in and we ordered ice cream treats for our whole crew to enjoy in the sunshine.
The rest of our Sunday was spent making dinner at home and playing with the boys as we wrapped up some random household chores before bedtime. I also began reading a new book, The Tattooist of Auschwitz, and it very quickly roped me in.
And now I’m hearing both boys on the monitor so I better sign off and get our Monday morning moving! I hope you all have a wonderful week!
![\"Quantcast\"/](\"//pixel.quantserve.com/pixel/p-1e3-7hOJ_U8Bg.gif\")
Reading posts like this make me so excited for my little boy to arrive. I am almost 30 weeks. Being a boy mom sounds chaotic and fun!
it’s my fav thing in the world!! <3 very excited for you!!!
We have this cuisinart ice cream maker and love it! My son has peanut and tree nut allergies so finding safe ice cream is difficult. I make almost all of our ice cream and it’s so easy! This one is a little big, but I’ve seen other types that are much larger. It makes great ice cream too! I don’t even refrigerate the base, I just whisk it for a few min and pour it all in the machine for 20 min. Yum!
https://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-ICE-21R-Frozen-Yogurt-Sorbet/dp/B0041A3KPC/ref=sr_1_3?crid=14JIVVNI4XLIQ&keywords=ice+cream+maker&qid=1561377684&s=gateway&sprefix=I’ve+cr%2Caps%2C175&sr=8-3
thank you!!!
So its definitely not a substitute for an actual ice cream maker, but if you take the mixture and put it in a ziploc bag, then take that bag and put it in a bigger ziploc bag full of ice and salt, then put it in a coffee can and roll it around on the floor for a couple of minutes you get ice cream! My daughters love rolling the coffee can back and forth knowing they will get a special treat out of it when they’re done!
what!? how have i never heard of this way to make ice cream before!? sound like a kid-friendly activity with a delicious end result!!
Yes! We did this growing up in Pre-K class!
This is what I was going to say! We put rock salt in with the ice so it wouldn’t melt, my 3 yo loved it!
Yes, this! And it only takes about 5-10 minutes of movement. We use 1/2 to 1 cup of mixture per person/kid. Rolling it around in a can, wrapping it in a towel and shaking/dancing with it. I’ve done it with a group of 20 or so kids….very fun! We’ve added a squirt of chocolate, a handful of berries. sprinkles, mini chocolate chips. If we are outside we eat it right out of the bag. It will be soft, if you want it a bit harder put the bag in the freezer for another hour or so. Or pour the bag into a container and freeze.
If you have the kitchenaid stand mixer they have an I ecream maker attachment which I have a friend who swears by it.
Ditto this! We have used our ice cream maker bowl and paddle for the Kitchenaid mixer dozens of times. It gives yummy ice cream!
We use the recipes from the Ben & Jerry’s ice cream book.
https://www.amazon.com/Jerrys-Homemade-Cream-Dessert-Book/dp/0894803123
Ok that pic of you and Ryder at DPK is super cute but can we focus on Chase in the background?! LOL!! Mini muscle man!
I was going to say that too! Chase in the background makes the picture! Nothing to see here, just pumping some iron, haha
Also, I remember my mom using my grandmother’s hand crank ice cream maker and using rock salt to make the ice cream. It was a lot of work, so we didn’t do it very oftern.
haha!!! gotta sneak in that pump!
I have the same cuisinart ice cream maker that a previous poster linked. We love it! It does take up a bit of room but totally worth it because it’s never failed us. We’ve had it for 5 years!
I can’t wait for my 9 month old to be ready for family movie nights. I know it’s going to be a while though 😂
Looks like an awesome weekend! I’m on the waitlist for the Tatooist of Auschwitz audiobook. Anxiously awaiting my turn!
I use my Kitchenaid for ice cream—there’s a special bowl/attachment you can buy (if you have a kitchenaid stand mixer).
oh awesome!!! i do have the mixer and had no idea there was an ice cream attachment you can buy!
I swear by the kitchenaid ice cream attachment! It’s SO easy to use, too. We pick lots of fresh fruit in the summer, puree it, and then make it into ice cream/sorbet, and always turns out well. Also, you are so lucky that Chase still naps regularly at almost 4! My littles all dropped their naps right after turning 2. ugh!
Sounds like a perfect summer weekend! 🙂 Also – The Tattooist of Auschwitz was fantastic, I read it in one sitting!!! (but I also don’t have any babies in my life at the moment lol!) Enjoy the book and your week!
The ice cream bowl attachment for the KitchenAid stand mixer! We just leave ours in the freezer until we’re ready to use it, had it for years and it makes great ice cream! Also, Alton Brown’s serious vanilla ice cream recipe comes out perfect every time! I use whole milk instead of half and half b/c I’m lactose intolerant but it’s still good! 🙂
We have this ice cream maker and my ice cream obsessed husband loves it:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008HV802Y/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
That’s how our big girl is! We live behind a middle school and she LOVES going and just running laps on the track! She think it’s the coolest thing!! It makes my heart swell seeing her run wild and free. 🙂
Another vote for the kitchenaid stand mixer ice cream attachment. The only thing is the bowl has to be frozen prior to making. It’s a little large to keep in our freezer all the time (although much smaller than a stand along ice cream maker), so I have to remember a day before if I want to make ice cream.
Sounds like a fantastic weekend! The Tattooist of Auschwitz is a beautiful, sad story! I loved it! Put The Secret of the Midwives on hold, looking forward to reading it! Enjoy your week!
Sounds like such a fun weekend! I’m curious to hear you thoughts on your new book. I started it a while ago because it’s a genre that I usually go for, but i couldn’t finish it. Maybe it deserves a restart!
I have the KitchenAid stand mixer ice cream attachment and have had great results with it! I love that it doesn’t take up a ton of space, too! Also, I loved The Tattooist of Auschwitz and hope you enjoy it as much as I did! Happy reading and ice cream making 🙂
I have the ice cream maker attachment for my kitchenaid mixer. I’ve always been happy with how it turned out!
The cuisinart ICE21 is the best ice cream maker! It’s easy, fast and the texture is creamy and delicious!!! You won’t be disappointed!
I love that you stopped for Jimmy Johns sandwiches – as a mom of (3!) little boys we eat there all the time. I often joke that if I would have known I was going to have 3 boys I would have opened up a Jimmy John’s (or a Sport Clips for all their haircuts!)
Haha! YES to the haircuts! Phewyyyy their hair grows SO FAST!
I don’t know if it’s too big for your storage needs, but this Cuisinart is the BEST! https://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-ICE-21-Quart-Frozen-Yogurt-Ice/dp/B003KYSLMW We got it 4 years ago and use it all the time. It’s so easy to use and makes ice cream quickly (it comes out a bit more like soft-serve but a few hours in the freezer does the trick). Also, it’s very easy to clean, which is always a plus in my book.
Just wanted to mention that I recently finished The Tattooist of Auschwitz and it is heartbreaking, but such a good read. Hope you enjoy it!
I ended up staying up way too late last night and finishing it because I couldn’t put it down. Such a moving story.
Looks like such a fun weekend! I’ve never tried to make my own ice cream before, but was always curious! I’ve always wanted to try a Yonanas machine that uses fresh fruit to create the consistency of ice cream from fruit.
https://www.tasteofhome.com/article/how-to-make-ice-cream-in-a-coffee-can/
This is how we made ice cream growing up and it doesn’t take up much space and it’s super kid friendly.
How good is the Tattooist of Auschwitz – such a good book and read. Love reading your blog posts!