The Seattle Aquarium

A few weeks ago we had a nice, sunny day and Moses coincidentally had taken the day off of work. So we made an impromptu trip to the Seattle Aquarium. Since it was a weekday, there weren't many kids. So my kids were able to get up close and personal with just about everything they wanted to see. Following, our visit we ate lunch at the Crab Pot and finished the day off with ice cream. We have slowly made it a tradition to get ice cream before getting on the ferry - no matter the weather.

*Warning: the pictures are pretty poor quality - all from my phone.

Seahawks pride at the aquarium

New Bike, No Training Wheels

You may remember, that Garrison received a bike for his 3rd birthday. Well, that was only 6 months ago and he was already ready for an upgrade. He chose a bright green X Games bike. It suits him well, with his love of extreme sports. It even came with pegs for all the tricks I am sure he will be doing soon!

When we got home, M took off his training wheels and off he went. I was skeptical about his lil 3 yr old body riding and balancing on a larger bike. But he managed just fine. 

Here's the thing. Its awesome that both kids hit the milestone of riding a bike without training wheels so early (Grayson was 4). But, as a parent, what makes me really proud is there determination and perseverance. They both have taken some falls and I mean serious falls (skinned up knees, elbows, palms, etc). When this happens, they literally pick themselves back up, brush themselves off, sometimes ask for a Band-aid, and get right back on! The more experienced they are at riding, the more they learn to fall without getting hurt. While, yes, it's awesome they are riding bikes, getting exercise, and out in sunshine. I don't focus on that though. What I see is success for them. That they know that they can do whatever they set their minds to. That they know that sometimes in life they are going to fall down, but it's important to get right back up and try again. That they have learned from their previous mistakes when falling and found how to fall without incident. That's what makes me proud. Whether they learned to ride bikes at 3, 4, 5, or 9 (like me, he he) - they believe in themselves! 

1st Day of Spring

We make it a point to celebrate just about every holiday that has a name. After a long winter, we were really happy to welcome the 1st Day of Spring! I could think of no better way to celebrate Spring, than blowing bubbles! We are hoping for some more sunshine and warmer weather real soon I am already daydreaming about how fast we could get ready each day if we didn't have to worry about socks, tying shoes/boots, and coats. We are also very excited to spend time in our new backyard!

Biking

We "sprung forward" yesterday. The kids transitioned quite well. Somehow we ended up eating dinner by 4P. So afterwards the kids rode their bikes and then we went for some ice cream. Grayson has really enjoyed riding her bike recently. Even while in the car on the way to get ice cream, she said "my feet just feel like they need to pedal". We finished the evening off watching the classic- Harry and The Henderson's.

Having this patch of cement off of our driveway has been a great place for the kids to ride!

She always has a shadow...

 

Just A Walk In The Park

Any afternoon we have that is 50+ degrees & dry - we head to the park. This kids have gotten so much bigger and stronger, since the fall when we were there last. Grayson can now climb the monkey bars from start to finish! And Garrison can climb up and down some of the structures that he just wasn't tall enough to do before.

The park is no doubt one of their favorite places to be!

Her breathing technique before facing the monkey bars.. (she may have taken yoga once or twice!)

After the park....