Super Eric

"Look mom - I'm strong!"

The boys had been helping Ryan disassemble and attempt to fix a toy four wheeler.  Eric was pretty pleased with his super self.

Well Checks

I took Eric and Kyle in for well checks today.  In an attempt to simplify my life I split the difference between their birthdays and took Kyle in late and Eric in early so we could do it all in one trip.  Both are doing great developmentally, and Eric hit a new high on his growth curve.  We love Dr. Spencer.  He is great with the kids and they actually look forward to going to see him.

Eric's (almost) 4 year old stats:
weight: 31.2 pounds (12%)
height: 39.5 inches (36%)

Kyles 2 (plus a little bit) year old stats:
weight: 28.2 pounds (45%)
height: 36 inches (82%)
head: 48.1 cm (28%)

How does your garden grow?

Ours is really tall this year!  You're looking at 7 foot tall tomatoes.  Now if we could just keep Kyle from pulling off all the green 'balls' to play with we'd be in business.

Swim Lessons, Take II

We decided to enroll Caden in another round of swim lessons so he wouldn't backslide on all the great progress he made the first session.  This time he got to be in the same class as his neighbor friend, so that was fun.  He can swim from the side of the pool to the blue rope you see in the picture.  He is most excited that that means he can go off the diving board now (which he loves to do).

Here is what his teacher wrote:
"Caden is a great swimmer and he was a great addition to our class!  Caden is always the first one to volunteer to perform a stroke.  He is enthusiastic about swimming and confident in the water.  Caden keeps his toes pointed and legs straight while doing his flutter kick.  He focuses on pushing his belly up towards the sky on his back float, and gives 100% on every drill."

Fixing Lawn Mowers

Ryan has a heart of gold and the skills to act on his desires to help others.  Most Saturday mornings find him helping tune up the small engines belonging to neighbors.  The boys love taking turns helping him, whether it be helping screw parts on and off, fetching tools or supplies, or just watching.  Lately Eric and Kyle have taken to working on their own projects next to Daddy.  I'm grateful my boys have such a wonderful example of hard work and service in their lives.

Graduation

For the last year Caden has been participating in an online preschool called Rusty and Rosy: Learn with Me, created by the Waterford Institute and offered through the state of Utah.  Its been a mixed bag as some days he hasn't really wanted to sit down and do his 20 minutes of Rusty and Rosy time, but he did learn a lot and we've enrolled Eric for next year.  Today was 'graduation' day where Caden took his final test and we turned in the equipment we had.  He was pretty excited about the experience.

Sea Urchins

We've been loving the library summer programs this year - art class for Caden, story time for Kyle and Eric, and wildlife hour for all three.  Each outing includes a craft.  Today at wildlife hour (sponsored by the BYU Bean Museum) the kids learned about underwater life.  They got to touch a live turtle - the highlight for Eric. Then they learned about sea urchins and got to make one with clay, googley eyes, and toothpicks.  I was impressed at how into it Kyle was and what a good job he did.  The boys really enjoy crafting and creating, so its been nice to have someone else come up with the craft 3 days a week.  I appreciate the great services offered by the community where we live; its the perfect place for us.

Blackfoot Reservoir

The boys enjoyed a morning of boating with cousins on Blackfoot Reservoir.  Caden loved the tube, Eric was in heaven helping drive, and Kyle was content to watch from the bow.  We did put Eric and Kyle out on the tube, but they weren't overly thrilled by the experience.

We had a great time at the lake this year.  The kids swam, splashed in the lake, kayaked, rode the go cart, rode their bikes, did sparklers and snaps, and generally played with cousins and aunts and uncles.  The three days we were there (July 5-7) felt way too short this time.

Stadium of Fire

Kyle and Eric enjoying the show on Daddy's lap.  The glow sticks were the hit of the night.  Kyle wasn't so sure about the loud noises that came with the fireworks.

Independence Day!

Pre-Camping

Eric and Kyle are so excited to go camping later this week, that they drug the play tent outside for an adventure.  Note the pirate ship (Eric's favorite toy) and fire truck (Kyle's current toy of choice) were both included.

Discovery

Ryan was moving the lawn and Kyle was following him around with his little lawn mower.  Then he noticed the red dots in the raspberry bushes.  Fifteen minutes later there were no more red dots.  Kyle made his way down the entire row, carefully peering between the leaves.  He has discovered this year's crop of raspberries.