Baby Steps Through Motherhood

Can you believe it!!! Last Sunday (just over a week ago) Josh and I thought it would be fun to see what would happen if we took of Preston’s training wheels from his bike. Well, he did pretty good if we held onto him and helped him steer. We practiced for 5 or 10 minutes each day while it was cooler outside but didn’t get to practice too much because some days had 110 heat index. It was a HOT week. He would say, ” I will go and you hold onto my neck and help me, then you can let go and I can do it myself.” Josh and I would hold onto his neck a little to help him get started and then today we went to the park and took his bike. I helped him ride around the little path a few times guiding him, letting him go, getting him back on the concrete, letting him go. Then all of a sudden he started doing all on his OWN! He was riding around starting himself, biking all around the path for 20 or 30 minutes off and on. I am so proud of him. His practice paid off and I can’t believe he isn’t even 4 yet and doesn’t have training wheels on. Where does time go?? We had some good laughs too because he thinks it is fun to ride in the grass. As I was helping him, he would ride in the grass full speed keep peddling and then go back on the sidewalk. We were both laughing pretty hard when he did that. He thought that was pretty funny. I did take a video with my phone and will see if I can get it uploaded here sometime soon.

That is what we are trying to teach Naomi to say. She does pretty good. She had her 2nd birthday on Sunday and I think she talked more in one day than she has in her whole life. She talked all day long. She was singing “Happy Birthday to me” with a big grin on her face throughout the day. She cracks me up. Josh had found a pretty purple dress and got it for her. She twirled and twirled in it and wore it to church and part of her party. We had family come over and it was a great time for her. She got bubbles and was very excited about those. She kept saying “bubble, bubble” and couldn’t wait to play with them until she heard there was food. Then she went up to the table and ate and ate and ate. Chips and salsa, pinwheels, hotdog, chips….her cousins ate, left, ate and left again and she was still there asking for more. It was hilarious. I am pretty sure she knew the day was for her! Now we will begin the wonderful year of being 2. Naomi thinking she knows what is best for her and trying to get her way. Learning that sometimes mommy says “No” and she won’t get her way, back and forth, I am sure those times will be plenty but she is also such a character to be around. She has such a fun sense of humor she cracks me up. Last night we were telling her what to draw on the magnadoodle. We would say draw a bus, she would repeat “bus” make a little line on the magnadoodle; draw a cow, “cow” another little line; draw a basketball, “basketball” another little line…over and over again for a few minutes. All the while looking up at us with her big cheesy grin. We love you Naomi and are thankful God has blessed us with you for 2 years.

We have been spending lots of time outside enjoying the nice weather. We got the kids this sprinkler and it is pretty neat. It spray and then you can put balls in the spiral part and the ball shoots up with the water. Naomi wasn’t so sure about it spraying on her and so I got her a plastic cup and she was filling it up and drinking it from the sprinkler. Preston likes putting the balls in and seeing how high it can shoot up.

Thomas the Train came to a train depot in Baldwin City, about 15 minutes from home so Grandma came with us and we went to see him. We didn’t ride the train because it was $18 a person….that would add up fast. I convinced Preston that we would go if he didn’t ask to ride it. We had lots of fun though. They had a fire truck that the kids got to see, a bouncy slide, some animals to pet, lots of Thomas things, bubbles, and then the train came and went from there. It was our second year. I think Preston liked it more this year but Naomi was a hoot. She decided to sit down in the middle of nowhere on the gravel walkway because she was tired. There she was little miss sitting in the middle of all the food vendors not wanting to get up because she was tired and hungry. We ate there because it ended up taking longer than I thought and we weren’t done seeing everything. Naomi had a cup of ice and she was entertained with that for probably 30 minutes while she sat at the picnic table with Grandma. That was nice because Preston and I walked around looking at the rest of the things while the girls hung out a the table with Grandma.