Happy Easter!

We had a wonderful Easter and hope you did too!

JR can ride a bike

JR had spring break last week, and among many other activities that he did with Uncle Nick, he learned how to ride a bike. In typical JR style, he got it on his first ride and was a pro by the time I got home from work. We have even gone on a couple long family bike rides since he learned.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

We were a green dressed family, although not the best picture. And for added bonus, here is an Irish dance by our little leprechaun JR (he even made his own leprechaun hat).

He is getting so smart

Tristan loves to pick things up and carry them around the house. He often has a purpose in where he puts things, like putting them away, just not always where they belong. I find things all over the place, like my slipper in the bath tub, the remote behind the chair, toys in the kitchen drawers. The other week we were playing in JR's room and Tristan was playing with the magnadoodle. It has different shape magnets to make pictures with. Tristan was playing with the shapes and then walks off with the triangle. I follow him, but get distracted by something in the bedroom. When I catch up to him, he doesn't have the triangle anymore. I was looking all over for it trying to think "where would he put it?" After looking quite a while, I finally see the shape sorter in the family room, and there inside was the triangle magnet. I think he was putting it in the triangle hole. How smart! We had only brought the shape sorter out a week or so before and he hasn't really gotten it, or so I thought. I think he is much smarter than I give him credit for. They always amaze me!

Speaking of getting smart, JR read his first book pretty much all by himself yesterday. His school has a program where they get to bring home a book every week and return it the next. He brought one home yesterday called the Merry-go-round and read it by himself, with a little help on the names. Wow, we have a reader! I'm so excited!

Another Snow Sunday

But this time the snow came to us. Our neighbor goes up to the mountains every year and brings back his pickup truck with the back loaded full of snow for the kids to play with. He rang our doorbell at 11am and asked us to help him shovel the snow out of his truck and into the cul-de-sac. He had to take his son to baseball practice, so we got the snow all to ourselves for a while. JR was outside playing in it for at least a couple of hours. Other neighbors showed up too with sand toys. They all had so much fun.

James and Nick shoveling the snow out of the truck.

Sledding!

Tristan liked this snow a little better. I think it was because it was almost 70 degrees outside instead of 40.

The neighbors left a snowball maker.

JR's snowball. I love his shorts, t-shirt, and snow boots.

What to do with snowballs? Snowball baseball!

And Nick thought he would have some fun with the snow too.

Weekend activities

Saturday

Saturday we had a friend come over for lunch. Her husband is out of town for a couple weeks and she has two little boys too, so we invited them over for lunch and to play. All four boys ate pasta for lunch. There wasn't a lot of playing going on. JR wanted to hide and go play in his room and Tristan was napping half the time, but lunch was good. After ward, it was such a nice day, we took the boys outside and I did some yard work which Nick helped me with and James took the boys for a ride in our double bike trailer. Tristan screamed at first but once James got moving he was quite happy. (For those of you that are reading this and don't know, James' brother Nick is living with us and helping us take care of the boys.)

The boys in the trailer.

Nick helping me do yard work.

Snow Sunday
On Sunday we finally made the trip up the mountain to go see snow. JR has really been wanting to see the snow and I got him snow boots for Christmas but we hadn't made a trip yet. Finally today we went up with a friend of JR's. JR was so excited he had his hat and boots on and was waiting in the garage for us an hour before we were ready to go. JR had lots of fun in the snow. Tristan wan't enjoying it so much. I think he was tired and really not liking the cold. We had him bundled in several layers, but whenever the wind blew or I put him down on the snow he cried. At least JR had fun. He and his friend made snow balls (out of other peoples snow man heads) and went sledding.

JR with boots, gloves, and hat at 8AM.

JR decapatating some one elses snowman.

I think this is all the snow man heads.

The only picture we got of Tristan in the snow.

Since Tristan wasn't very happy with the snow, I didn't get to play with JR at all. James and JR's friend dad took the kids down to the snow and took them sledding. James got a couple good videos of them sledding. When I saw these after we got home, I saw the first one and thought "what fun". When I saw the second one, I was glad I was not there to see it live. The hill was a little big and they were going a little fast. I think the kids thought so too, although I am sure they had a blast.

Still frame of the terrified children speeding down the hill.