Learning to Ride Bikes

We promised the boys new bikes for their birthday. I sold the tricycles they had outgrown & the balance bikes they had gotten too tall for at our last yard sale in March. They still had their scooters & were content riding them, but the constant reminders from neighbor kids riding their bikes was getting to be too much. 

The only thing really delaying the process was finding 3 of the same bikes without spending a small fortune. I figure these bikes will only be good for a year or so & then they will be too tall again so we really didn't want to spend a ton on them. Even though each of the boys wanted a different bike, we have learned from experience to just get 3 of the same or they will inevitably fight over them. We push the "YOU chose this one" issue but it doesn't help, so we like to just get 3 of the same. Well a couple weeks ago I finally found 3 bikes at toys r us & they were on sale! I ordered them immediately & a couple days later when the weather was a perfect 97 degrees followed by a week of 102+ degree days, the bikes arrived, lol...

Garren in front & Caden

Garren had caught on to the concept of peddling with his tricycle but Caden & Kellan were never interested enough to put forth the effort. So riding these bikes was a learning process. Our children are apparently not very coordinated. They would peddle but not steer or steer but stop peddling, lol... Garren got the whole thing figured out rather quickly & has been flying up & down the sidewalk since. Caden got it figured out within a day & is cruising around too but not quite as fast as our little speed racer. Kellan has not been a fan of the heat, he has the peddling part down but hasn't gotten his coordination down quite yet. He doesn't give it more than 10 or 15 minutes at a time though before he wants out of the heat.

Tractor Rides With Grandpa

I have a lot of catching up to do here on the blog, about a months worth of blogging actually but I'll start here with our latest trip to the grandparents. 

We had a whole weekend planned at the beginning of June but it turned out my bonus mom had other plans, our photo session for the boys' 4 year old pics had to be rescheduled & we just ended up driving down to Donna's parents for the day. I think a days visit with the boys is more than enough for them though, not that that's all they need but that it's really about all they can handle of 3 rowdy boys, lol...

This time the boys dragged the tractor (mower) out themselves, I really can't believe how strong they are sometimes. Donna drove them around the yard a couple times & then they insisted on grandpa driving. Grandpa gave each of them a turn on his lap driving & was even brave enough to let them steer. Caden drives like my dad did, going forward but looking everywhere but forward, lol

Garren driving

Caden driving 

Kellan's driving but Garren thought he needed a boost

And of course a lap around the yard with MomMom too

It was a quick visit but the boys spent some quality time with Grandma & Grandpa both, we ate pizza, lots of cookies & of course my favorite dessert, strawberry pretzel salad. Donna's parents are doing well. They gave up the snowbird lifestyle this year. They sold their place in NY & have decided it's time to stay in FL year round again. It's great for us because they are only 3 hours away all year long now but a little sad too because we usually go to NY in the summer while they are there to check in & to visit extended family. We didn't go last year because we were building/buying the house & this summer has so much going on that it doesn't look like we'll make it this year either :( I'm hoping that the boys will have some kind of school break in the fall (other than thanksgiving) that maybe we can take a quick trip during. We will work it out one way or another, it's just a change we didn't anticipate. 

Project 52 Catch Up; Weeks 22-26

 

Cousin bonding, Caden & Chandler

Who are these boys & where are my babies?!

More cousin bonding, Nadia & Caden

What else to do when it's 102 degrees out?!

On being 4

I wasn't really going to write a "4 year" post or a "4 year interview" because really it's all so random. The boys can be so different from one day to the next. However, they have had us in stitches the past few weeks with their complete randomness so I decided I would share some of what having three 4 year old boys is like.

The boys have a few self proclaimed favorites...

Caden

Favorite food; Mac N Cheese & waffles, seriously he eats a whole box of Annie's in one sitting & I have to cut him off after 4 waffles.

Favorite color; purple & black

Favorite animal; chickens & monkeys.

Favorite character; Thomas of course but we have seen a significant decrease in playing with Thomas or watching thomas on TV.

What he wants to be when he grows up; A baby, he says he's not getting bigger & he staying a baby.

Caden has formed a strong opinion about his hair cut which is why his is long on top. He wants his sides short & the top long! He is strong willed & as stubborn as his moms! He has never seemed to pay much mind to the dogs or cats but when we were on vacation he cried for them every single night. He has long talks with them now at home. He lets us know what emotion he is feeling most of the time, "I'm excited to..." "I'm very very sad..." "That makes me happy/smile" he uses words like terrible, awesome & amazing which always crack me up!

Kellan

Favorite food; Cereal, he doesn't even care what kind.

Favorite color; Yellow

Favorite animal; whatever zoo animal comes to mind when we ask, zebra, giraffe, lion...

Favorite character; Buzz & Woody & Thomas too

What he wants to be when he grows up; MomMom, lol!!! A golf cart driver & a digger ( bulldozer, back hoe, dump truck) driver. He'd also like to drive MomMoms trucks (fedex trucks) 

Kellan is the most happy go lucky of the 3 boys, he's pretty laid back but far from being a pushover! He doesn't care what we do with his hair or his clothes, unless there is a yellow shirt clean, then he has to wear the yellow shirt, lol... He is the most sensitive emotionally! He still pouts when he sees a photo of my dad & won't say "grandpa" when we ask who's in the photo. He does talk about him at other times though. Kellan loves to give compliments, he always says his food is "dEElicious!" & comments on people's shirts, shoes & hair. He is the biggest love bug & just so incredibly sweet!

Garren

Favorite food; Chicken

Favorite color; Red

Favorite animal; Monkeys, cats & puppies

Favorite character; Spider-Man 

What he wants to be when he grows up; A firefighter

Garren is, well... our biggest handful. He talks non stop, asks a thousand questions a day, gets into everything, challenges us on everything, he's wild, rowdy & hyper. He wants to know how everything works & why! He is particular about his clothes, this past winter he would NOT wear jeans, only sweatpants, lol... He is also particular about his food & he's pretty specific about how it's presented. Garren also likes to be close, he's very affectionate & likes to be touching most of the time. He never just sits next to someone, it's always against them or on them.

The personalities of all 3 boys have me in awe most days, it is so interesting watching them grow into little people & develop individually.  I'm also usually in amazement at their memories, it's unbelievable the things & details they remember & especially from how far back, although their sense of how long ago isn't so good. Everything was "last night" or "the other day."

They are each very polite & very caring, physically & emotionally. The biggest comment/compliment we get about them is how polite they are, which always makes me feel like we're doing something right.