Let Go Dad!

Josh, just 3 1/2, got his first big boy bike. Anyone who knows him well, knows that his favorite color is... orange.  Yet all he wanted was a red bike, with a bell.  Well, Dan got 1 out of 2. In typical Dan fashion, he found 2 kids bikes (Josh's being a K2) at the DI for $20 - total. The second bike is put aside for Jack.

Do you remember how your first bike's brakes were done by pushing backwards on the pedals? I totally remember being frustrated with that 'cause I would accidentally push back as I tried to learn to go forward. Josh had the same issues, but he has the most determined personality and  never got discouraged. 

He looks so big on that bike!! 

The grand finale is watching him successfully pedal in front of our house.  He giggled most of the time, and Jack was always just a few feet away showing off his own skills.  We are so proud of Josh.  And, Jack loves having the little bike all to himself.

How do we know this is the perfect time for Josh to have a bike?  On the second time "up" the sidewalk, Josh called out, "Let go Dad!" 

The Next Generation

This is just a silly video of why people have kids - to teach them the ways of our own childhood.

Can you name the groups that the "songs" came from?

Happy Birthday Jack Jack!!

OUR BABY NO MORE

Jack turned 2!! Soon, he will be a big brother and life will be very different for him...

Jack has a very quiet side to him, and can easily sneak in the same room without anyone knowing.  He can also show his excitement over any large truck, plane, helicopter, etc., with his attention-getting yell.

Jack loves:

bananas, balls, trains, dogs, watermelon, cookies, anything that holds water (yes, toilets too), waffles, brushing his teeth, going for walks, wrestling with his dad and big brother, cuddling in bed with mom

Jack, we love you so much!! 

(and yes, we are keeping his hair long so stop asking...)

Jumpin' June

The biggest news of this month, is that I am officially unemployed!!  I am excited to be at home now, though I may have to remind myself of that at time...  With baby #3 coming, I will have more than just my 2 hands full, and it is time for me to be with my family full time.

But here are some things that kept us busy this month:

The Air Show at Hill Air Force Base

This could not have kept our boys more entertained!  It was hot, and we didn't take any chairs/blankets.  Next year we will be there early, and way more prepared.

The whole Goates family was in town, and then we left to go stay at Bear Lake.  We ventured down in to the Minnetonka Cave.  You can see how thrilled Jack was by the end!

What's a family trip without competition?  There was also ping-pong and basketball.  Even Josh and Jack got in on the air hockey action.

With some new toys to keep the boys entertained, the theme of the week was 'doctors.'

This was just a cute picture from our final lunch together at Cafe Rio.  Josh may not give his aunts real kisses, but eskimo ones will do.

And for a quick little blag, here is one of the Father's Day gifts that Dan whipped up on his sewing machine.  This specific pillow, with accessory pockets (for glasses, remotes, etc) was for his stepdad.  The other 2 were also monogrammed to personalize it to each "boppa."

Good Job Dan!!

Frozen Brilliance!

It is popsicle season, especially when you live in Utah with a swamp cooler and 2 busy boys who love being outside.  I found THE BEST popsicles for little kids, and I told Dan that if I ever meet their creator I was going to french-kiss them!!  

These little frozen goody-pops measure about 2.5 inches, are soft enough to bite, but seriously don't melt.  Well, in the 3 minutes it took for them to disappear they never melted.  But it was hot outside.  The box comes with 24, so it's not like you pay a bunch for a dozen tiny treats. 

TOTALLY WORTH IT!!!  

(no false advertising on this box)

Catching Up

We love going to Sugar House park.  So far, we have visited 4 other of our favorite parks and it's a fun way to welcome ourselves back to this area.  

Jack and Josh love to feed the birds: geese, ducks, and seagulls.  

This goose, however, invaded Josh's personal space, which is not okay with him.  It actually walked right up to Josh and grabbed that entire 1/2 roll out of his hand.  That's when Josh was done, and ran back to the stroller.  We actually haven't fed them since!

Josh loves to swing, and doesn't get nervous about how high he gets now, even though he tells you, "no too high, please."

Jack will totally fight you as he gets put in to the swing, but always ends up giggling as he starts to swing!  He's funny.

The boys love to play on the piano.  Josh is so observant though, and will never just play without having something in front to look at - just like mom and her music.  

The Result...

GIRL! GIRL! GIRL!