Tyler on Two Wheels!

I'm not sure if Tyler decided, or if his big sister talked him into it. But whatever it was, they were both determined that this weekend the training wheels were coming off that little red bike. So we got him all geared up, Sam put on his running shoes, I pulled out the cameras and off he went. Literally that easy. We were amazed.
Tyler hopped on his bike Started pedalling

and by the time he was down the road and back
he was on his own! A pro 2-wheeler rider at only 3 1/2 years old!

He was so proud of himself. And we were so proud of him. His sister, and all the kids at the park, and the neighbors that were watching (yes he had quite the cheering section) were all proud of him too.
Look at that crack in that training wheel. It wouldn't have lasted much longer anyway. Boys are rough. And fearless.

It took him a little longer to master getting started by himself, but that's not a big deal.And once or twice the bike did get the best of him - no he didn't bite the dust. The bike is just a little hard to handle when you're that small. He standing up trying to turn it around and both of them just kind of slowly sank to the ground. He wasn't hurt. He wasn't even crying. That's why I sat there and took this photo instead of running over.Daddy got it all straightened out

and off he went again!

Isn't he cute?!! We went on a "long walk" around the neighborhood a couple times to give him some more practice on starting, stopping, and hills (all of which he did really well with) and Sam and I spent the whole time marvelling at how quickly he caught on and how well he was doing. And at the bus stop this morning (he rides his bike when we take Kate) you should have heard the other parents (some of which had kids at the park yesterday that had obviously been telling their parents about Ty and his two-wheeler). Let's just say, we all think he's one amazing kid! In fact, Sam told him that at one point and Tyler said "yeah. I know." :)
(now why couldn't potty training be that easy???)

Aquarium

We have been wanting to take the kids to the aquarium for months now, and since we found ourselves with time on our hands Sat morning, we decided to go. They thought it was really cool and rushed from one tank to the next.

The whole place isn't that big, but they have a surprising large variety of fish and other animals.

The touch tank with the rays was really fun. They just swim around and around the edge letting everyone touch them.

Kaitlyn was of course, more daring when it came to touching than Ty. We watched their live animal show, where they show off birds, a tarantula (ew!), a cockroach (double ew!), and a boa constrictor. During the whole show Ty sat on my lap, asking when it was done so he could get a drink. Kaitlyn thought it was great and even volunteered to help show off one of the birds' tricks.

The penguins were a big hit. They were really energetic and put on a good show swimming back on forth in front of everyone.

And in the Utah section the kids took turns posing on the frog. And Tyler was really excited to pretend to drive the boat.

The only drawback to the day was that Kaitlyn wanted something from the gift shop and had a big meltdown when we told her No. She must have been tired or something because she almost never gets upset over things like that.

Back to School

Kaitlyn is officially a First Grader! WOOHOO! She has been looking forward to school for weeks and is so happy it's finally here. She has been planning for weeks too - what to take for lunch, what to wear, what order she's going to get dressed and make her lunch on the first day...
I'm happy it's here too (Moms not-so-secretely love anything that gives their kids something to do for chunks of time during the day so we have fewer sibling fights to break up).

I did a little questionaire for her at the beginning of the week. My intention is to do this at the beginning of every year and see how her answers change.


When will you be grown up? When I’m 20
What makes your family special? (She drew a blank every time I asked this one. Then about an hour later she said "Mom do you know why our family is special? Because I love you!")
What's one thing you're really good at? Building puzzles (she says because she’s working on one while we discuss these questions)
What's one thing you wish you were better at? Everything.
Who is the smartest person you know? Me (Kaitlyn herself)
Who is the funniest person you know? Aaliyah (her neighbor friend)
What will you wish for on your next birthday? I’m not telling. It’s a surprise! (She says with a smile)
What's your favorite treat? Popsicles
What's your favorite game to play? Outside games like Capture the Kissy Boy (one they seem to have made up at the BBQ the other night)
What scares you the most? Nothing. Well, loud thunder I’m scared. Super loud.
What is the best gift you've been given? Nobody gave me my favorite gift yet
How tall do you want to be when you grow up? As tall as my daddy
What job do you want to have when you grow up? I don’t know. There are so many things to decide from.
If you could eat only one food for the rest of your life, what would it be? Nothing
If you could choose a different name what would you pick? Hello Kitty
What rule in your house would you get rid of if you could? Tabasco sauce, I don’t like it (not that she’s ever had it! I threaten them with it when they say words I don’t like them to say)
If you had a million dollars, what would you buy with it? Everything! Everything in the whole wide world. That’s girl stuff. Hello Kitty.
What are you most excited about for school this year? Eating lunch there (without my brother!)
What do you think you will learn this year? To stick your finger in your armpit and...(then she cracked up laughing and said she was teasing. Obviously she wasn’t in the mood to answer this question because she couldn’t come up with a single thing.)

Monday afternoon was Open House where she got to meet her teacher, see her classroom, find her locker, etc. Kaitlyn was so excited for this little event, that she was up at 6AM and fully dressed (in school clothes because in her opinion the ocasion demanded them) by 7AM, including shoes. Open House didn't start until 2. So it was a long day, with her asking every 15 min if it was time to go yet.
The meet and greet went well. (of course) Kaitlyn found her chair, made sure her tag for the bus chart was correct, and decorated a bag (that she then had to go home and put 2 items in for the next day to show to the class).
Ty had spotted the playground on the way in and wouldn't let us go until they had tried it out. As it turns out the tire swing seems to be the most popular thing on the playground and Kaitlyn has complained every day that "the line was too long and I only got one turn!"

Then the main event! Tuesday morning Miss Kate was awake by 7:00 and ready to start the day. The first morning back to school always feels a little rushed and crazy, but not so this time. Kaitlyn happily moved from one task to the other. Even had plenty of time to make her lunch all by herself. Actually that was first on her list. She's been the most excited about eating lunch at school.

Waffles and cinnamon rolls, for an extra fun breakfast on the first day.

The only thing that was rushed was photo time. I never manage to get any creative shots on the first day. Guess that's typical for most parents right?
And there they go! I was surprised at how many new faces we saw at the bus line.

The first thing Kaitlyn said when she walked in the door after school was "I had a good day!" Then she sat down and ate cookies while I pried the details out of her. :)

Hauling Hay