2- Wheelers

Both boys can now ride a 2-wheeler!

Xander wanted to try on Saturday, July 12. So Aaron and I stood about 2 car lengths apart and encouraged him to ride from onw of us to the other. He did it! No push, no running along behind him. He just rode his bike without training wheels. It didn't even phase him. He knew he could do it and he did and that was just the way it is. : )

Nathan would have nothing to do with it. He asked if he could play with his Pokemon cards instead.

So Sunday morning, Xander is riding his bike at the house. He keeps stopping to talk to me and "rest". He was bored. He needed his brother to ride with him! So he talked Nathan into trying as well.

Nathan is a very cautious kid. He doesn't like to try anything new, unless he is confident that he will be good at it right away. So he was very worried about crashing. We had to talk with him about practicing and trying hard. No one (except Xander) learns to do it on the first try. It took Nathan about 1 push more than it took Xander to learn it! The look on his face was pure pride!

We had a date set up on Sunday afternoon with some friends of ours. We were going to go to the airport and the boys were going to be able to learn to ride their bikes in a big open space, with no traffic (occasional airplanes don't count. Kidding. There weren't any planes where we were riding, in front of Aaron's hangar). Aaron and his buddy were going to run along with the kids until they got it. The boys both tricked our friends! They didn't need to learn to ride their bikes. So they taught them how to SKID!

The boys have been riding for a few weeks now and are both getting better, of coarse. There have been some pretty good crashes. Xander came home from Nana's house with a skinned up elbow and knee. And Nathan has had some big wrecks as well. But they are both really enjoying themselves and maybe we will all ride our bikes some now!

I plan to post a picture of them on their bikes soon.

too much coffee??

This story has 2 details that need explaining....

#1. We live in coffee country. Our little town alone has 17 coffee shops or coffee stands (that I have counted, I may have missed one or two). Aaron and I often stop for coffee in the morning on the way to work and dropping off the kids at school/day care.

#2. Mom keeps a gumball machine filled with Jelly Belly's and a bowl of change for the kids. They like to put in 4 pennies, put their candy in a dish, and guess the flavors.

This week, I decided that coffee has too much influence on my kids when Xander was telling me the flavors of the Jelly Beans.

In addition to cherry, watermelon, marshmallow, and peach, he offered to share with me his jelly bean, that tasted like "a 16 ounce, double mocha". Which, incidentally, is what his father orders in the morning..... I like vanilla lattes!




We are back from our wonderful vacation! It was great. The weather was perfect, we got to see some people we hadn't seen in ages, we spent time geocacheing, swimming, and playing with the new cousin. The kids got to see real sharks and sting rays in the water we were swimming in, which was very exciting, and a little scary. I will post a picture or two sometime. I haven't found the time to spend on that recently.

Can't wait to see you Katy!