Two-Wheeler

Just after Christmas, we decided it was time to teach Jacob how to ride his bike without training wheels.

He isn't the most confident bike rider with the training wheels on, so I wasn't sure how it would go.

They started on the sidewalk, so Jacob could use the grass as a safety net.

Much to my surprise, after just 15-20 minutes working with Daddy, he got it.

Once he was confident, they moved onto the street:

Note: April 5, 2011 - It took another few weeks to master starting and stopping with grace, but he's got it now.

Happy 3rd Birthday

July 7th, 2011 marked the first day of a "no toddler household." Luke has officially become a preschooler. For some reason, 3 sounds so much older than 2! I remember thinking the 3s were more difficult to handle with Jacob, so for another reason I am sad to see the 2s go. I would be happy if my boys could have just stayed 2 and 4. Such fabulous ages!

Now this is not to say that 3 and 5 will not be wonderful too, but only time will tell.

Here is Luke at 7:51am on July 7, 2008:

and 7:51am on July 7, 2009 (poor kid had an eye infection):

7:51am on July 7, 2010:

and finally, 7:51am on July 7, 2011

Preschool Comes to an End

I like to document the boys' stats on the first and last days of school to see physically how they have changed.  I wish I had been good enough to really document what they had learned or how they had changed emotionally as well, but I didn't, so....

This year was the final year of preschool for Jacob and the first for Luke.

Day 1 of preschool for the boys, Sept. 9, 2010, Jacob was 4 years and 1.5 months and weighed in at 37lbs and stood 40.5" and Luke was 2 years, 2 months and 28lbs and stood 33" tall

And on the final day of preschool, May 26, 2011, Jacob was 4 years, 10 months and weighed in at 41.5lbs and stood 42.75" and Luke was 2 years, 10.5 months and weighed in at 32.5lbs and stood 36.5" tall.

Blue Bell and Bluebonnets

Today we attempted a trip to Brenham to take our annual picture in the bluebonnets. Heading out on our trip, we thought the weather was going to be the issue, but as it turns out, the lack of bluebonnets was the problem. We visited a couple of spots we have taken pictures at in the past, but found only a handful of flowers at each spot. Since we had driven all the way out there, we decided to visit the Blue Bell Creameries tour with our friends. Who wouldn't like a tour that ends in a scoop of your choice of the best ice cream in the country? After our tour, the tour guide mentioned a town about 15 miles further down the road that had bluebonnets. So, we decided to give it a shot. We found a field that had a decent amount of flowers, so we took a few pictures. Unfortunately, Luke had fallen asleep in the car at some point, so he wasn't in the best of moods for pictures. I wasn't able to get too many good shots of the boys together, but I did get a couple of solo shots of each boy that I really like. We will probably make a return trip in a couple of weeks and hopefully get some pictures with more bluebonnets in them, but for now, these will do.

Wienermobile

The Oscar Meyer Wienermobile was at our local Kroger today, so we took the boys to see it.

They got to take a look around inside,

and write Wienermobile postcards to show others their experience.

Of course, they had to bring their Hot Wheels Wienermobile cars too. The girls at the Wienermobile were very impressed with the boys' little cars. Hard core fans!

Last Soccer Game

Yesterday was Jacob's final soccer game for the Spring season. He had a great team this year with several very talented players.

Jacob enjoyed the season, but I think he is glad it is over. The best thing about YMCA soccer...they keep the seasons short, which is great for most young children who get bored easily!

The end of season party was at Joe's Crab Shack. The kids had a blast playing on the playground with all the other kids. Another fabulous trophy to add to his collection.

Next up...swim team!

Fish Fry Tailgate

Friday night, the moms group at our church decided to have a Fish Fry Tailgate in the church parking lot by the playground. The church sells fried fish dinners on Fridays during Lent, so we filled up the coolers, popped up some tables and chairs, brought some food, and enjoyed the evening. The kids had a great time running around and playing with friends, while the adults had a chance to visit and eat. We had a great turnout for the event and are looking forward to the next one.

To the Zoo

Another nice Houston day called for a zoo trip. The boys were excited since it had been over a month since our last visit.

Meercats always provide entertainment

The Chimpanzees in the African Forest is my favorite exhibit.We even got to see the lions get fed. Lots of raw hamburger meat, onions, eggs, squash, and a few other veggies were being offered.

Our zoo visit wouldn't be complete without a ride on the wild animal carousel.

A quick run through the children's zoo playground, finished out our zoo visit (judging by Luke's acrobatics here, it is no wonder the recommended height requirement is 48 inches)

And of course, after our picnic lunch, we had to ride the Herman Park Train. So fun!