Pinewood Derby 2011

Parker worked so hard on his car this year:





He named it Night Flame:





Lincoln got to race Parker's car from last year:



Checking in the cars:



Watching the races:



Awards (I got to be a judge):





Parker won 1st place in his den!

More from our Alabama weekend

The kids were pretty much INSEPARABLE all weekend.



Drawing with chalk on the driveway:



Riding in the van on the way to dinner:



The two babies got to share the head of the table at the restaurant:



Being goofy at the park:



The two 'big kids' on swings:



Bedtime stories:



But, don't worry, the grown-ups had a great time too. Sisters enjoying the sunshine:



Todd and Brad met us at the park when they got back from golfing:



Jess and her sweet little Kate:



Hooray for family!

Home from Alabama

We just got back from our weekend spent with my sister, Jessie, and her family. We had a great trip and we can't wait to go back and see them again soon.

We're pretty tired from the drive, so I'll tease you with only a couple pics tonight and then post more as the week goes on...

This one was taken just moments after we arrived and we sat the kids down to feed them lunch. I think the excitement/joy on their faces has more to do with being around their cousins than it does with the sandwiches they are about to eat. :)



This one was taken just a couple of hours after we arrived. Notice how comfortable Kate is with Uncle Todd and Anndra with Aunt Jessie.



Thanks, Jess & Brad, for everything! I couldn't have asked for a better weekend - we love being with your family and we're really glad you are so much closer to us for a little while.

Lincoln funnies

I sometimes think that Lincoln must have been sent to our family because without him we would have just been too boring. It's still a little too soon to tell with Anndra, but certainly compared to his mom & dad & Parker, he is the life of the party! He definitely adds spice to our lives with his unique personality. I wanted to record a few of the funny things he says and does these days (at 2 years 11 months).



He is very possessive of his things and doesn't like his little sister touching them. Since Anndra has a habit of pulling the shoes down from the shoe shelves to play with them, he has begun "hiding" his shoes in the bathtub every morning (because he knows she's still too little to climb in there). He tries to be so sneaky while he's doing it - cracks me up.

This morning he was having a great time at the table with his markers, paper, and glue. He stepped away to get a drink or something and when he came back he looked at me with such an accusing look, saying "Did you touch my project, Mom?" Then this evening he said, "Don't bother me, Mom - don't bother me." It's funny hearing him sound so grown-up when he's only two.



He likes to pretend he can tell time, but apparently in Lincoln-world it is always the same time: 3 o'clock. He points to his watch, "Look Mom, it's 3:00!" He sees a clock in one of his storybooks, "Look Mom, it's 3:00!" I ask him: "Lincoln, what time should we go to the park?" He answers "3 o'clock!" or, in other words, NOW.

He's decided to make one of Anndra's dolls his own. He chose the one with green ribbons on her braids because it's his favorite color (he calls it 'lightning green' instead of light green). He walks around patting the doll on the back just like Anndra does with hers... it is interesting to see the influence they have on each other.



He talks about his feelings like they are a part of his body. He says "My feelings hurt" exactly the same way he would say "My legs hurt" or "My head hurts" - and then later he'll say "It's ok, Mom, my feelings feel better." He also likes to say, "Ouch, you hurt my feelings" when we tell him he can't do something he wants to do.



He loves to make faces and do silly things for the baby we watch so she will smile. He even says, "Gootchie-gootchie-goo!" and I have no idea where he got that because I never say it. But the really cute thing is that he gets just as excited and pumped-up each time she smiles at him as he did the first time. He'll run over to me (or look up at me if I'm holding her) and, while bouncing on his toes, say enthusiastically: "She LIKES me!" I think he said that at least 20 times today. Such a joy.

Good times with lots of pals

This is a fun activity with three long church tables, painter's tape, straws, and little fuzzy pom-poms (used for crafts). Use the tape to mark a starting line, dividing line (to make 2 lanes), and a finish line.

Here is the cubmaster doing a test-run:



The boys are not allowed to touch their fuzzball unless it touches the middle line or falls off the table (in which case they have to pick it up and run back to the starting line). They can only make the ball move by blowing on it through their straw.

This video is the end of the first race they did. Both boys had run back to the start several times, so it was surprising that the finish ended up being so close:



I am very thankful that my kids are able to play well with so many different friends. Whether they just met them that day, have known them for a little while, or have been best friends for years, they are always good sports:

Popsicles in the Tub

It was very warm for a few days in a row and I think Lincoln started to feel like it must be summer because this morning he asked me if he could have a popsicle (he hadn't had any since last summer, but there were still a couple in the back of the freezer).

However, it was rainy and quite chilly outside (where they would normally eat their popsicles), so I let them have their icy treats in the bath-tub!



Showing off their orange tongues:





As I took this picture I wondered what her brother was doing to catch her attention:



So I moved the camera over and found Lincoln getting creative with his popsicle-eating technique:



The kids had such a good time that I think we might make it a Groundhog Day tradition!


P.S. Anndra's newest word is "yucky" - she said it for the first time at dinner last night when I tried to give her a bite of my baked potato (forgetting that she doesn't like sour cream). The moment it touched her tongue she made a face and said, "Yucky." I can't believe how fast she's learning!

Curly hair, new friend, and more

Some of the things we've been up to lately...

Lincoln's hair getting really curly:




Watching this little sweetie 20 hrs/week:



Hanging with our new friend (5 months old) making Anndra seem so grown up in comparison:




Building forts:








Being in the flag ceremony at the cub scout pack meeting:




Lincoln wanting to read Anndra's bedtime story to her every night last week:




Learning to flirt: