A weekend of firsts...

Last weekend we took a couple of vacation days and went back to Nebraska to spend some time with our parents.  We first stopped for a bit in Lincoln and hung out with Linda's parents.  Lincoln got to spend some time with Grandma at work with her daycare kids.

After that, we went to Loup City to visit my parents. This is where the firsts begin.  Guy had his first trip to the river - and he slept through most of it in Grandma's backpack.  Lincoln had fun playing in the sand and water (another first).

 

Next we went to the lake, and Lincoln had his first experience driving a boat.  Needless to say, we spent a lot of time going in circles.  My Dad had to take over before we all got sea sick.

We also went to my Uncle Mike's farm to see the tractors and animals.  Lincoln liked the cows, was scared of the combine, and loved riding on the 4-wheeler.  Guy also got a short turn on the 4-wheeler - under the close supervision of my Dad.

While at the farm, we got to dig potatoes (doesn't get much fresher than that).  Lincoln thought this was really cool and has been carrying around a little bag of potatoes ever since.  They even went to school with him today.

Lincoln also did his first training ride for the 2010 Tour de France (with a little help from my Dad). This was Lincoln's first ride on a real bike, so it was a big deal.

Guy is mobile...

Guy is not fully crawling yet, but he's awfully close. He's able to move quickly within a 5 foot radius. Lincoln is not really enjoying Guy getting into all his toys, but he needs to get used to it soon - Guy is speeding up every day.

One of the (few) ways that having two kids is easier than one is the fact that you have a built in entertainer for the youngest. Lincoln provides Guys with hours of entertainment, and Guy is more than happy to sit back and soak it in.

A trip to the KC Zoo...

Last weekend we took both of our big boys to the Kansas City zoo. It turned out to be a *very* hot day, but it was still a lot of fun. Lincoln got to see elephants and lions, and even got to "shush" some noisy birds.

 

Guy had a great time despite the heat. His stylish zoo cap (from our earlier trip to the Lincoln zoo) kept the sun off out of his eyes and protected his bald head. Always the stylish fellow, he chooses to wear his cap at a jaunty angle, and acts appropriately blase about having his photo taken.

Guy is 6 months!

It's hard to believe, but my baby is already 6 months old! Last Wednesday we took both the boys to the doctor (Lincoln had a 3-year checkup), and Guy weighed in at 17 pounds 6 ounces. That puts him in the 50th percentile for weight. For reference, Lincoln weighted 15 pounds at his 9-month appointment, and on Wednesday he weighed 24pounds.

Guy's really starting to do a lot of fun stuff.  He's  pushing up into "crawling" position, but not quite crawling. His daycare feeds him cereal at lunch, and we feed him cereal and baby food at dinner. So far, sweet potatoes and peas have gotten a "thumbs up" and pears get a "thumbs down". He adores Lincoln and laughs at whatever he does (which in turn has encourage Lincoln to be even more of a ham), and I think he'll crawl soon just so he can follow Lincoln around the house.  Lincoln, in turn, enjoys "decorating" guy.

Happy B-day, America!

I hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July holiday.  We had a very busy weekend that started with the Villagefest in Prairie Village.  After a breakfast of Chris Cakes (gotta love those pancake feeds!), we watched a Chinook helicopter land on the municipal lawn.  It was very impressive to watch, and about half the kids watching it started crying when it got close enough that you could feel the wind blasting from its rotors. 

After touring through the helicopter, both Lincoln and Guy got a balloon while we explored the rest of the festival.  There were lots of activities, including free pony rides.  Lincoln had a lot of fun on his very first "real" pony (although he's had a lot of practice on the mechanical horse at the grocery store).

Later that afternoon (after a loooong nap) we headed to Todd and Angela's (Scott's aunt and uncle) house.  Austyn was visiting from grand island, and she and Lincoln had fun playing and sharing a Rice Krispies treat.  Guy enjoyed hanging out on the lawn.

Todd and Angela had a badminton net set up, but I quickly learned that two 3-year-olds do not make good badminton partners.  All in all, though, it was a great holiday.  Maybe next year we'll actually get around to doing some fireworks!

The Big Boy Class

With Lincoln's birthday comes another big milestone - moving to the 3- and 4- year-old (aka "big boy") classroom at daycare. We've been talking about the big move for a couple of months, ever since the first of his friends left his 2-year-old room. He was very excited the move, but I have to admit that I get a little choked up thinking about my little baby is all "grown up". Scott snapped a picture of him on the first day:

Being in the older classroom also means that he gets to start going on field trips, and Lincoln got to go on one (to Wonderscope, a children't museum) the very first day in the new class. On field trip days all of the kids are required to wear their school t-shirt so that the teachers can easily find them. Scott and I quickly discovered that the youth extra-small (the smallest size available) was going to be too big for Lincoln, so I did a little t-shirt surgery so that he wouldn't be tripping over it. I am competent at using a sewing maching, but I am definitely *not* a professional - so while the t-shirt is passable, it is not going to win any style rewards. I will admit, though, that Lincoln thinks the zig-zag stitching is really cool.