Early Birthday Present

Last summer, Mac was always in the stroller for our family walks. It was easier, faster and far less complaining! THIS summer, we told him we were done with stroller and he had to either learn how to ride his bike or walk with us. He hasn't learned to ride his bike yet and there has been a LOT of complaining.

On a separate note, I started thinking about what to get Mac for his birthday. I mean, this kid loves just about any toy on the planet (especially Legos, Hotwheels, dinosaurs, Bey Blades, etc.). He's easy to please. But we absolutely don't need any more "stuff" for the sake of stuff and I figure he'll get some for his birthday. So where does that leave us? I've been thinking about getting him a 12V ride-on toy...but they are kind of expensive and usually aren't very high quality.

Which got me thinking longer term...what about an ATV? I had no idea what our options would be for somebody his age/size, but I ran the idea by Jim and he was open to it. I asked for recommendations on our local Facebook page and got some much needed feedback. I felt like we had a place to start. Well, this afternoon we had some free time (which NEVER happens, especially on the weekend!), so we looked at the recommendations and narrowed it down to places that had youth ATVs on hand and were open this afternoon!

It led us to TC West Motorsports near Howard Lake. Jim called and he said he had plenty of inventory. We pulled up (without the kiddos) and were a bit surprised: it is literally in an old shed on a farmstead! Yikes...but it was totally legit and he was SO helpful. We had no idea what we wanted and he helped us talk through it. Jim wanted the smallest one, but I wanted a bigger one so all three kids could use it. What sold me was the guy answered our 100 questions about safety and options without making us feel like we were asking 100 unnecessary questions and then he actually talked me OUT of the more expensive model because he felt the smaller one was more appropriate for a 4 year old!

He had what we wanted in stock, so we went home to get the van and to measure Finn's head (for a helmet for Mac since Mac's head is about the same size as Finn's!), went back, paid and brought it home. On the way, we discussed keeping it until his birthday (what I wanted) vs. giving it to him right away (what Jim wanted, of course!). Considering it would be tough to keep this hidden for over two weeks and how excited we were about it, I finally agreed with Jim. (for those keeping track, I listened, changed my mind and went with Jim's opinion TWICE during this transaction!!)

When we got home, we had Mac come out and open the helmet first.

And he LOVED it! We probably could have saved a lot of money and just got the helmet! LOL I finally told him that I didn't think it was a bike helmet and that it seemed like it might go with something a little bigger. Then I told him to look in the van.

He said, "Oh wow, thanks!" Ha, LOL We pulled it out and he got right on.

 

He looks like a pro! He took it for a spin and then Korri and Finn took a turn. They all loved it. Now we'll see how much they actually use it. Mac must have said thank you 15 times and how it was the "best present ever!" He gave Jim a sweet hug before bed and told Jim he was the best dad ever! Little charmer! Before bed he asked if he could ride it again..."no Little Buddy, but definitely tomorrow!"

So going back to my original thoughts...Mac basically went from stroller to ATV...because you KNOW he'll never walk on a family walk again!!!! Oh, well. I just hope he doesn't drive over anybody!

But First, Baseball

Yesterday, Finn FINALLY had baseball! It started last Monday, June 11, but he was obviously not able to attend last week. He was looking forward to practice this Monday...but it was cancelled due to rain! Then we found out he had a GAME scheduled yesterday (yes, a game without ANY practice!)...BUT...that was changed to practice due to field conditions. So, Finn happily went to his first practice and was super excited (which for him is pretty amazing).

I spent the first part of practice updating my calendar with all of his practices and games. Then it started raining hard enough that I moved to the van (Korri and Mac quickly followed me). Then they called practice because it was raining too hard. Well, at least he got PART of a practice. And he had a great time. He was excited to use his new bat. No practice or games the rest of this week...so now he's looking forward to next Monday! LOL

And last night, Mac FINALLY had his first T-ball practice. He has been waiting for this day for over a year and was beyond excited. I couldn't find Finn's old bat, so this one worked for the picture. I think Finn's old bat would have been a little too big for T-ball anyway.

T-ball was in Delano because our program in Waverly doesn't start until age 5. It was a new placed with new people, so he was pretty shy when we first got there. We got there early because I didn't know where we were going AND I had to check him in since he missed last week. We had to find field 1, group 1. I played catch with him for a bit. Then it was time to start and he did NOT want to go. He S.L.O.W.L.Y. walked toward the field. I mean, slow-mo doesn't even come close to his pace! Then one of the coaches came over and helped him...and then everything was fine.

It sprinkled/rained for the first part, but then it quit and was fine. He listened really well and did really well! It is so strange having the biggest kid on the team (Mac) vs. the smallest (Finn!). And the ages are 3-5! He got two solid hits and got to run the bases. He even had a play in the field (albeit not great, but good effort!).

So much fun! I can't wait until next week. Hopefully he gets his shirt...which he is SUPER excited about because it is light blue...the same color as Finn's team's shirts! Hey, it's the little things.

Oh and afterwards, he told me he had a good time, but wanted to know if he could play "real" baseball next week instead of T-ball! Ha...I guess that's what happens when you have a big brother to keep up to :)

Karate night

Tonight, all five of us graduated to our next belts in karate: Finn to purple, Jim, Korri and me to green and Mac to double stripe green. Graduation was last Thursday when we were gone but instead of making us wait until July graduation for our new belts, they did a private graduation for us after class. I didn't have my phone/camera in the Dojo with me, so no pictures :( But I wanted to mark this event in case we need to look back to see when it happened.

Also last night, they had Father's class in honor of Father's Day.

So much going on, but I love it and all the family time!

New do!

We've had problems with Korri keeping her hair clean and brushed. I mean, first, she's seven, which is still probably a little young to have full responsibility over it. And second, I feel like it is a never ending fight with her, which just isn't worth it to any of us. The last few weeks, she seemed open to cutting it and then we agreed she'd talk to Auntie NaeNae about it after her recital (I mean, we HAD to fit it in a bun for the recital!). So at dinner last night, she asked Auntie and they made a plan to do it when we got back to our house after dinner! We were all super excited.

Before:

Korri decided she wanted hers to look just like Auntie's, which was perfect in my mind.

She ended up cutting about 10 inches off! And Korri LOVED it, as did all of us.

After:

And then she put a headband in:

A. Dor. A. Ble!! Then I conned Finn into a cut as well (or at least told him it would be super hot at baseball on Monday if his hair was long...truth!). So handsome:

Busy but productive day! Thank you, Auntie, for the hair cuts! The birds in our back yard should be happy with all the hair to build their nests with.

Dance in History

Yesterday was Korri's dance recital, her fourth overall, but her first with Rival Dance Academy. She was really ready for this dance season to be over, as was I! June 16 is too late for a recital. But other than the last month or so, Korri really enjoyed dance this year.

We got back in time for Korri and Jim to go to rehearsal on Friday night. She was a full dress rehearsal. Which means she got to wear eye liner and lip stick and a bun in her hair. She looks so old!

It went well and I felt like I knew what to expect on Saturday, even though I'd been told three different times that the recital starts (argh!). But I got it all figured out.

Korri and I arrived at 2:45 so she could get dressed and all ready. This is her ready for her first dance.

I met DeAnn, Les, Renae, Craig, Stacey, Memere, 'Rama, Jim, Finn and Mac at the front door to make sure everybody had their tickets. Then things got started right on time (gotta love that!). For being the first recital for the owner of Revival Dance Academy, things really seemed to go smoothly.

And Korri did AMAZING!! I mean, she's always done well for her age but I feel she really grew this year. Her first dance was her Praise dance and she brought tears to our eyes!

Next was her tap, which was to Yankee Doodle! Adorable costumes!

Then it was the Daddy/Daughter dance! Both Korri AND Jim did great!

Finally, it was time for her ballet.

Man, she did amazing! She really knows what she's supposed to be doing and pays attention. She dances with so much emotion, which I think is somewhat rare for somebody her age. The poor girl had to change FIVE times but she was always ready when she was supposed to be (thanks to the stage moms helping out!!). I'm so proud of her. Even though she was burned out near the end, she sucked it up, continued learning and did her best. I guess you can't ask for more than that. Not sure what next year will bring, but I definitely see dancing of some sort in her future. It is just part of who she is!

Then it was picture time!

We took a family picture, too, but I don't have a copy. Can somebody who took one send it to me?

After the recital, Auntie NaeNae, Uncle Craig, Memere, NeNe, Uncle Les and our family went out to eat at Korri's restaurant of choice...Unhinged Pizza, obviously. Complete with an ice cream cone, duh!

What an amazing day. Thank you to everybody who came and supported our Koko-bean. She had a great time. Did a great job. And loved all the special attention. Her cup was full. We'll see what next year brings!

Home Sweet Home

Vacation Day 10: the final day of our trip! Where did the time go? Today our goal was to be on the road by 9am since Korri and Jim had to be back for dance rehearsal and we wanted to have some wiggle room "just in case." I was able to get a short run in while Mom took the kiddos to breakfast:

And we were on the road by 9:10am, which is pretty amazing for the amount of people and stuff we have. We started in Omaha, NE and had just under a 6 hour drive. We stopped for lunch at Hardee's. Finn asked what kind of place it was. I told him a nice McDonald's! Ha! It was good, too. I LOVE their Frisco burger.

And after a few round of Mad Libs, some rests and a nap and lots of driving/riding, we got home just before 3:30pm! What a welcomed sight:

Home sweet home. And we had two hours before the dance rehearsal, which was nice. Overall, this trip was great. The kiddos did great. Having 'Rama along was a Godsend. Jim planned everything out perfectly. And other than losing the top of our cargo carrier and subsequently Finn's suitcase, everything went as smoothly as one could hope. Oh, on the way home from dance rehearsal, the tire pressure warning came on saying one of the tires was super low! Ha, so glad that didn't happen during the trip!

I can't wait to talk about this trip in the future and hear what memories that kiddos made and remember. This is what life is all about...spending time together and making memories! Also, I really like lush, green scenery. I do NOT like driving through dry areas. The second we got back in Colorado on the way home, I was like, "ahhhhh." Although, I would have LOVED to have seen some of the wash outs in Arizona on a rainy day.

Jim and I are already talking about what the destination for the next Hotel Pool Tour will be. I mean, honestly, I think the kiddos are happy to tell people they saw the Grand Canyon but they ALWAYS say that we stayed in 8 hotels but only 7 had pools! Maybe we just go to Delano and stay for the week. It would be cheaper and I could go home to get things that we need! Ha...maybe not the memories we are hoping to make on our big summer trips! Niagara Falls is high on my list. Jim really wants to go back to Yellowstone and spend more time there than we did two years ago. Also, Disney World is in our future...just not sure when. I've always told Jim I'll go once and not complain or whine...so make it count!

I'll leave you with this super cute picture of Korri hugging the house when we got back:

Until next time!

Vacation Day 9

We left the Holiday Inn Express in Ogallala, NE around 10:45am. I had to take a picture from my hotel window, which I thought was hilarious:

We stopped in North Platte so Finn could ask if they found his charger from our stay earlier in the trip. They did not, but I was proud of him for doing the asking and thanking. Maybe it is in Sioux City.

Jim was super tired, so I actually took a turn driving today. I mean, it was on the freeway in Nebraska...pretty monotonous. I took about a 2 hours drive and then we stopped at Arby's for lunch. Worst experience ever at a fast food. We had to go back SEVEN times before our order was actually right! Ugh.

And we saw a sign Waverly, NE, so I had to take a picture:

Then Jim took the last leg until we arrived at the StayBridge in Omaha. Yes, we drove for almost 5 hours and were still in the same state! Sheesh. Nebraska is a whole lot of nothing. The kiddos went to go swimming but the pool was completely overrun by rambuctious 12-ish year old boys! It was horrible. They eventually left to go to dinner, so then my kiddos (and "Rama!) got a peaceful turn in the pool.

Then we ordered Old Chicago for dinner and watch part of the original Jurassic Park (telling them constantly that the dinosaurs were NOT real!). They seemed to enjoy it. Hopefully no bad dreams tonight.

And that was it. A whole lot of nothing today! Tomorrow, we are heading out by 9am, hopefully, so we can get home before Korri (and Jim's) dance rehearsal. Yes, I said HOME! I'll be so glad to be back but I'm sad that this trip is almost over. Such great memories and family time.