Riddin' the Tractor

My parents have a John Deere lawn mower. Now living in farm country Jonathan knows a John Deere when he sees one so the moment he laid eyes on my parents lawn mower he was memorized. Several times while we were there my dad took Jonathan on a ride around the yard on the lawn mower. He even let Jonathan steer, which almost gave me a heart attack. Both boys enjoyed sitting on the lawn mower while it was parked. They made car noises and of course wore the protective ear phones.Have you ever seen a cuter lawn mower driver?

Oh wait here's one!

Whatever will we do with such handsome lawn care workers?

Hair Cuts and Head Bumps

Yesterday was a much anticipated day.

Yesterday was haircut day.

From the moment Jonathan's feet hit the floor yesterday morning he was asking if it was time to get haircuts yet.

He was excited.

Despite all the excitement he did a fantastic job sitting still and following directions.

When it was all over he looked like this...

Ignore the cheesey smile, he had gum and didn't want it to fall out of his mouth.

Umm can someone tell me where my little boy went? How is he so grown up?

He looks handsome.

I got my hair done too.

I basically told J, the guy who cuts my hair, he could do whatever he wanted.

I LOVE what he did with my hair!

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Jason likes to climb.

He has no fear and doesn't know his limits.

Jason fell out of a chair!
Ouch.

Bummer.

And of couse we are doing family pictures in a week!

Thanks Murphy!

Swings

My dad is a very handy man. His dad, my Papaw, built houses for a living and as soon as he was old enough my dad was out there by his side helping him. So when I was born it was only natural to my dad that he would build things for me. When I turned 5 he built me my very own swing-set. In my opinion it was the best swing-set in the neighborhood.

My swing-set had a slide. two swings, a trapeze, and a teeter-totter. I spent hours out playing on the swing-set. I'd create dance routines and the neighbor girls and I would put on performances for our families. My dad would give us "high pulls" and on occasion we would jump off the swings. We would also swing as high as we could and see who could kick their shoes the furthest.

As you can see our lawn took quite the beating for all our swinging and playing but my parents never complained. I grew up imagining I was in the circus or off having some great adventure and that was all that mattered to them.

Of couse, as always happens, I got older and no longer used the swing-set as much. The trapeze rusted and the swings cracked from exposure to extreme cold. The slide went to a good home and there the swing-set sat, an empty frame.

Until yesterday...

Yesterday morning Jonathan got curious and asked what "that thing" was. Immediately after my dad told him that it had been a swing-set Jonathan asked if he could swing. So we went to the home improvement store where we found a swing for Jonathan and a baby swing for Jason. I was also pleasently surprised to find a trapeze.



And so the torch was passed to the next generation. Something tells me Jonathan and Jason are going to enjoy the best swing-set on the block!

The Red Line

I was three years old when, at my mom's suggestion, my dad and my uncle put a red line down at each end of our driveway. The street I grew up on was by no means a busy street but there was a fair share of traffic and being the first house on the street it all passed by our house. I liked liked to ride my trike right up to the edge of the street and it made my mom really nervous. Her solution was a red line at each end of the driveway showing me exactly how far I was allowed to go. I knew going past the line meant trouble and I was careful to stay on my side of the line. Even the neighbor girls knew going past the red line at my house would mean no playing in the front yard. Then I grew up. I got a bike and the driveway no longer contained my adventures. I was trusted to ride closer to the street and eventually up and down the street. And with each passing year the red line faded a little more. Soon the red line was completely gone and the only way to know where it had been was to look for the crack in the driveway that it had followed.

Now with Jonathan being 4, having a trike of his own, and wanting to play outside the red line has once again become necessary. So Sunday night my dad took Jonathan out and showed him where the red line would go, painted the red line down, and told Jonathan the rule of the red line.
And now the red line is back on the driveway, as bright as it was when it was first painted in 1985, marking the boundaries for a new generation.

A Sprinkleful of Fun

We don't have much of a yard at our house in Pullman. The biggest area we have for the boys to play is our driveway if we pull both cars out. And even then the driveway isn't much to ride a trike around. It's pretty small.

My parents have a huge yard and a huge driveway. There is so much space that poor Jonathan didn't know what to do with himself when we sent him out in the back yard alone while we worked on dinner. He ran out of things to do in less than 5 minutes and came back in. After dinner we all headed out to play with a golf set that my mom got him, or so we thought. And then Jason caught sight of the sprinkler running down the the corner of the yard. He spotted that sprinkler and water and he was off and Jonathan was right there with him.

Despite the fact that the water was cold the boys played happily in the sprinkler for almost 15 minutes. Jason sat down in the wet grass and got totally soaked by the water. He was even sticking he tongue out trying to catch the water. It was adorable. Jonathan ran around in and out of the sprinkler laughing the whole time.

The water in this picture is AMAZING!

I love Jason's expression in that last picture. I can't even begin to think of what was going though his mind but he was obviously amused.

As I stood there watching my boys run through the sprinkler in my parents back yard I couldn't help but think of my own childhood. I spent hours in the summer playing in the sprinkler. The neigbor girls and I would lay out in the sun, invent games, dance, and run through the sprinkler all summer long. We thought we were pretty darn cool back then. What wonderful memories!

I looked through my parents photo albums and found this one of me taken Summer of 1986. This was just after I turned 4 which is how old Jonathan is now. I can't wait to show him this picture and tell him of the fun I had at his age.

Travels and Trains

We have arrived in Alaska. Technically we got here late last night but we didn't actually get to my parent’s house until early this morning. We had a very uneventful trip. Getting through security was a breeze. I don't think it’s ever been that easy since having kids. Everyone was really nice and helpful.

This was right before we went through security. I planned the boys matching outfits but it was totally by accident that I also ended up wearing yellow and blue. My mom was also wearing a yellow shirt with jeans. A couple people commented on how smart it was to all match so we could find each other. So funny since it was a total accident.

We ended up being an hour late leaving Spokane. Out inbound flight was late and then they had some problem that maintenance wanted to check out. We ended up sitting on the ground in the plane for almost an hour. Thankfully the boys were both really good! And since we had a 6-hour layover in Seattle we weren't stressed for time!

Jonathan and I spent part of our layover riding the underground train system in the SeaTac airport. He had so much fun. We checked out other terminals, watched airplanes, and rode trains for nearly an hour. Jason slept back at our gate with my mom. Jonathan and I had a really good time together. While we were riding we saw a guy in a full tux running through the airport to catch the train. He ended up in our car and I asked if he was going to or coming from the wedding. He said he was coming from and trying to catch the last flight back home. He had clothes with him and was hoping he had time to change before getting on his plane.

When we first got on the train we couldn't get a spot to sit at the front of the train so we stood. There were a couple of pilots on the train with us and they were quite amused at how excited Jonathan was to ride the train. I'm sure they do this all the time so it is just a part of the job to them.

Once we got a seat Jonathan spent most of his time with his nose pressed up against the glass watching as we literally went around in circles. He had so much fun and by the time we got back to our gate we had enough time to get me coffee and go to the bathroom before getting on our flight to Fairbanks.

Leavin' on a Jet Plane

There won't be snow in Alaska in July this is just the only pic I have.

The countdown is officially over and today my mom, the kids, and I are on our way to Alaska. I'm so excited you can't even believe it. I'll be home for almost 3 weeks, I haven't been home for this long since college. See ya in Alaska!

A River Hike

Those of you who know me very well know that I'm not much of an outdoors person. I like to be outside enjoying fresh air but tent camping and hiking aren't something I frequently do. You won't find me doing an overnight backpack outing like some of my friends enjoy. (love you Megs!) My father-in-law calls what we do tent camping for comfort and its just about my speed. We bring air mattresses and make sure the campground has some sort of restroom, ie. better than squatting. The campground we were at this year even had a shower facility which I used and loved.

So this begs the question how did I end up camping this year in the 1st place? Well it was actually my idea. I know shocking but true. I really wanted to spend some time at the Oregon Coast but I didn't think we would have time this summer. Then Dan found out that the paint company he works for was taking the second week of July as vacation. So we had the time to go but not really the money. Well I knew my father-in-law loves to camp so I proposed that we camp at the coast. I'd get to enjoy the coast and he'd get to camp. I figured I'd survive a few days camping, and the shower facility helped my survival! The campground we were at was along the Salmon River near Otis, Oregon, about 10 miles from Lincoln City, Oregon.
As you can see the area was gorgeous. At night in our tent we feel asleep listening to the river, it was wonderful. For some reason I was feeling extra adventurous, I blame it on the beautiful area and wanting to see more of it, so Dan and I went hiking along the river bank. It was so fun. We left the boys with Grandma and Grandpa and headed down a huge slope to the river bank. Then we traversed our way along the banks and rocks exploring the area.
Look there's my husband, isn't he studly! It was really fun to spent time together without the boys doing something totally fun. Dan mentioned that it would be cool to find a way to get to the other side of the river. We kept going and up a little further I saw a place where it looked like it might be possible to cross to the other side. The only trick would be getting to the spot because the bank was ending and we'd have to navigate the rocks. Dan wanted to quit but I was determined to make it. Then one of the rocks I stepped on gave way. I didn't fall in but decided it might be time to admit defeat and turn back. Unfortunately it was too late. My shoes were wet and when I turned back I slipped and fell in the river.
Fortunately the river is shallow and rather slow so I was fine. I was soaked up to my knees and scraped up my elbow a little bit. The trip back was slow as I trudged along in wet pants and shoes, and climbing up the hill to the campsite was difficult with wet shoes but I still had a great time with my husband. I was also very thankful for a hot shower back at the campgrounds!

Look Dan and I made an appearance on my blog. We should be good for a while, right?

Sand Castle Demolition

After Dan built a sand castle Jason took it upon himself to destroy it and begin refilling the trench Dan had started for the moat. He was pretty darn pleased with himself!

What A Difference A Year Makes

We are back from Oregon and we had a fantastic time! I have a lot to write about but for now I'll just share a few pictures of my baby boy. We went to the Oregon Coast last summer on vacation with Dan's family. It was the first time Jonathan had ever been to the ocean and he loved it. While Jason was there he was only 3 months old so I don't really count it as his first trip to the ocean mostly because he spent the whole time we were there doing this...
This year was totally different. He was so excited about the ocean. If you've ever been to the Oregon Coast you know very well that the water is FAR from warm. That fact didn't seem to bother Jason, he was ready to splash and play in the water. I couldn't believe how different being at the beach with him was from last year to this year.
He played in the water, dug in the sand, destroyed Dad's sandcastle and was pretty much smiling the whole time. This kid is so full of joy!

Today I'm heading up to Spokane to pick my mom up at the airport. I'm so excited that she is coming. We're doing Jonathan's birthday part 2 so watch for more pictures plus I have a bunch from our trip to Oregon to share as well.

Sport Carnival

On the last day of sports camp they did a little sports carnival where the kids got to play three of the sports from the camp again.

They playedT-Ball

Soccer

and ran the relay race again.

Overall I think Jonathan had a really good time at sports camp. He is a much happier kid when he is active, imagine that after all he's a boy, and so I wanted him to have lots of opportunities to be active this summer since he's not in preschool. I also wanted him to have some exposure to several different sports so that later he can decided what he wants to focus on. Now if I could only find a Hockey mini camp!

Basketball

Basketball was on the day Jason had his doctors appointment and ear infection so I wasn't there for the whole time and Dan took all the pictures while I sat and tried to entertain a really grumpy Jason. When I got there they were practicing shooting the ball.
From what I can tell in this picture Jonathan has pretty good form. I have no idea whether he made a shot or not but he sure was enjoying shooting the ball. I think they have a six week mini basketball camp in the fall so I may enroll him in that so he can get some more exposure. My dad would love to have a basketball player in the family. Notice he's wearing his University of Kentucky basketball gear that my dad brought him. My dad is from Kentucky and that side of the family are UK basketball fanatics. My dad was thrilled to see Jonathan in his gear and has pictures to take back to the Kentucky family.Jonathan seemed to do pretty well with the dribbling activities. Of course there was quite a bit of basketball chasing but when he focused on what he was doing instead of what everyone else was doing he had really good control.

Ok Math/Science/Social Studies and PE block friends, mostly April cause I know you're reading, do you remember in Elizabeth's class she told us to always say grab your soccer ball or grab your basketball because the alternative will yield strange responses and laughter from older children? Well one of the coaches kept yelling "Ok kids grab your balls." Now none of the kids knew any better and they all grabbed their basketballs but you could hear all the adults snicker every time to coach said that. It was AMAZING!

The Birthday Boy

As promised here are pictures of Jonathan on July 9, 2009. I can't believe how old he looks in his button down shirt and shorts with the belt. WOW!

What a big boy. I don't even really know how he is turning 4 already. It feels like just yesterday we were bringing him home from the hospital. Time sure does fly!
Jonathan had a fantastic birthday. We did a lot but I'll post about that later. I also have bunches of stories from camping and a day at the Oregon Coast but again those will have to wait. Tonight is our last night in Portland so I'm going to play games with the fam!

Soccer

This was the second time Jonathan had the opportunity to participate in soccer. Back in the fall he did a six week soccer mini camp which he absolutely loved. He hadn't had many opportunities to practice his skills since winter came so this was a good refresher for him.
I thought Jonathan just looked adorable in his little green warm-up outfit. I couldn't believe how prepared some of the kids were. There were several wearing cleats and shin guards. I can't imagine buying cleats for a 3 year old. You don't even know if they are going to like the sport so why buy the stuff?
Jonathan had a lot of fun passing the ball with one of the other little boys. Neither one was very accurate with their kicks so there was a lot of soccer ball chasing going on but they were laughing and having a good time. The coaches tried to play a game of sharks and minnows with the kids but they just aren't that good at dribbling so it didn't work to well but it sure was amusing to watch!

Track and Field

For day 3 of sports camp they learned about track and field. The kids got to try shot put with bean bags, the relay race, and long jump. Unfortunately it was raining that day so they didn't actually get to play on the real track at the local middle school instead they were inside at an elementary school which made for horrible picture lighting.
Here he is just after throwing the "shot put." Notice his follow through, his coach said he has pretty good throwing form. He consistently out threw his peers which make his mom and dad proud.
The relay race was pretty hysterical to watch. The kids didn't really understand why they handed the baton off and stopped running, they wanted to keep following the next runner. The kid who received the baton didn't always remember which way to run and there was always mass confusion about who was on what team and who they were supposed to pass the baton to.
I love this picture! I wasn't trying to capture the motion, and probably couldn't do this again if I was trying, but I think it was a good accident.
The long jump was by far Jonathan's favorite event. And really what boy wouldn't love running and then jumping onto a pile of mats. He was so excited about running and jumping he totally missed the fact that he was supposed to try and land on his feet. I think he managed to land on his feet once and it was mostly by accident.

The River

In an effort to embrace summer for all it has to offer and not spend our evenings sitting around the house bored I decided on a whim that we would spend the evening at the Snake River. We live less than an hour away so its not like its a big journey to get there, we just never remember to do things like that. My plan was complicated a little by the fact that Dan ended up working a littler later than I expected that day. I had our stuff, including food, all ready to go it was just a matter of would he get home in time. When he texted to let me know he was back in cell service, yeah the job he's doing right now is that out in the country, I checked the time and decided there was plenty of time to put my plan in motion. We Dan got home he was handed Jason and asked to buckle him in and get in the car. He was confused but intrigued. We hit McDonalds for McChicken sandwiches (we didn't have the stuff for sandwiches at home and I wasn't going to the store) and headed down to the river.
Jason hasn't had much experience with water other than the bathtub. As you can see he loved being in the water, in fact he was a little too fearless for my taste and we are now in search of a baby lifejacket to have before we get to the Oregon Coast!
Jonathan loved jumping up and down in the water. I wish I'd gotten a better picture but I was enjoying the water too much myself to be too bothered with my camera. He had a lifejacket but at this point I was a little more concerned about Jason (Mr. I don't know my own limits) than I was with Jonathan. Dan told Jonathan that if the number 95 was underwater then he was too far in the water. He did great following the rules.After Jason got tired of playing in the water (or so cold his lips were turning blue) he dug in the sand with the shovel and ate some sand for a late evening snack. Oops!
Jonathan liked scooping water up in the shovel and throwing it in the air. It caught Dan and I off guard more than once as water fell from the sky on us.

We stayed almost until sundown and went home tired but we had a fantastic time! It was a great warm up for our trip to the beach, where I will attempt to get some pictures of Dan and I just to proove we do still exist!

Happy 4th of July

I hope you all have a fun and safe holiday! God Bless America!

Mini Vacation

If you need me I'll be here...
Doing this...
and enjoying this...
But I promise pictures when I return!

(I also have several posts scheduled to hit while I'm gone.)