Biker Boy

Fans, you may recall that we mentioned in passing, that we arrived at the KinderCare one day to find Joe tooling about the playground on the bike like it was no thang, and he owned the place. Then, at the Neighborhood Night Out*, many of the kids arrived on their bikes, which prompted Joe to ask us if we could break out his "red bike." This would be the tricycle, with pedals, he was given by Julie's Great Aunt Marylyn when he was but six months old. (Too big for him then.) So Julie dragged it down from where we'd blithely tucked it away in the rafters of the garage, thinking it would be a while before he could or would want to deal with pedals, when here we are. Now, he's pretty keen on riding his bike. He does look pretty cool on it. We took it with us this weekend to Graham's house so the boys could, apparently, go on "a hunt." Julie was not there to see it as she and Sara were inside with Clara Jane and Connor James, but she assumes he did in fact get his feet on the pedals and pedal off to hunt whatever needed a' hunting in the wilds of Edina. (The bike on Joe's seat doesn't have a back so he has no leverage making taking off a little more difficult, but we figure the minute we got a bike with a seat back would be the minute it was no big deal. Sort of like how we got the super cool pedal-less glide bike right as Joe figured out how to pedal.)

*Fort he unfamiliar, this is a police department initiative where they provide orange cones with which you can block off an intersection, and then, if you have "block captains" who have their acts together, you head out at the time they've told you, with "a dish to share," and you all stand around and yap while the kids run around and everyone gets to know their neighbors a bit, and some if Mr. Stranger Danger is skulking about, one is more apt to identify him as Does Not Belong. It's good fun.

Clara Kicks It Karate Kid Style

Birdie did not actually execute a crane kick while balancing on the bow* of a row boat. But, she made like she was going to when she climbed up on top of Joe's kitchen stool (which had migrated to the porch) and bounced a bit, testing this stool out. We have known for a little while now that she can climb up on to Joe's bed with the step stool that is next to it, and Ted reports that the other day, when all had gone quiet, and he went off in search of Birdie, he found her on standing on the bathroom stool, holding on to the front of the sink in that room, quite pleased with herself. Julie has seen Little Miss Hot Stuff pull this trick as well. Little Miss Hot Stuff is unstoppable, clearly. Lie's rich pageant is obviously better seen from the bird's eye view, peached from atop a stool.

*Long time readers will recall that Julie longs to toss off nautical terms with an ease that suggests a lifetime of wayfaring ways. Alas, she had to google "front of boat?" to confirm that it is the bow, not the stern.

Gatherer

Clara is all about gathering these days. She loves her a bucket and some stuff to go put in it! This past weekend, she toddled right on over to the sandbox* where she got with the yellow bucket and the sand toys. In the mornings, she will sometimes make her way into the bathroom where the low shelf holds her shape sorter bucket (as well as an old wipes container which is also rather loved just for toting about). The shelf just above these delights holds the towels and Clara is also a huge fan of pulling down and carting about the wash cloths especially. Yesterday morning, the shelves met when she put the washcloths in the shape sorter bucket! (We should add that Birdie can sort her a shape. She's getting pretty good at identifying which shape goes in which hole, and usually slides it right in on the first or second try.)

*The theme this month in Clara's room at KinderCare is the beach. Today, we are told they played in their sensory bucket with pretend sand (crushed graham crackers). Birdie "liked the shovel. She would put the sand in it and then smile."

Heart of Gold*

As we have written here before, Our Hero is three. The dawning of this age has ushered in all kinds of delightful behavior, but also all kinds of maddening behavior. We began our morning with Joe's usual devolution into tears and wails over the fact that he wasn't having something for breakfast other than what was being offered. (This moning, we were having cereal and he wanted waffles.) He refused to tell Ted what cereals he wanted poured into his bowl. So Ted went off to take his shower, at which point Joe came up againt the reality of Julie pouring his cereal which was even more tragic than having to make do with cereal. At one point, Joe decided he needed to use the potty, but his crying continued unabated, and he may have stood for at least five minute on his little stool, underwear and pajama bottoms pooled aorund his ankles, screaming (we do not make this up), "I don't want to cry!" It makes you want to go back to bed and start over, laugh, and give him a hug if he'd let you all at the same time. We are pleased to report that even before Ted's shower had ended, Joe had clambered up into his chair and told Julie he was ready. (Chocolate Cheerios and Berry Berry Kixs--"from the lake house!"--were the ultimate selections.)

Oh but Fans. Then there we were, on the sidewalk in front of KinderCare, headed in. Since Birdie is in her big girl shoes now and will be going to the room where no one crawls so very soon, we've been having her walk as often as we can. So she was toddling forth, holding on to Julie's hand, when Joe raced up and caught up her other hand. This kid. This kid! What a heart. . .You can't make that up either.

*Ted snapped this picture with his cell phone and Julie arrived at work to find it in her e-mail in box. It made her day.

Rockin' It Big Girl Style

Today, Birdie napped from 12:40pm to 3:05pm! The report of her daily doings said that she was a little sleepy, but that she did great. (Also, that she helped turn the pages of the book that was read during group time and "was super excited." Julie has a clear picture of this as it must be said that Birdie gets right after the page turning when they read together at home.) Birdie also wore her new purple kicks and at dinner, drank the milk from her cup without spilling it!