No More Training Wheels!

When the sun came out this afternoon, we decided to finally take the training wheels off Jackson's bike (we tilted them up a bit last summer but he has been afraid to remove them entirely and preferred to keep them and ride at an angle LOL) and let him loose in our cul-de-sac.

Anthony started off with one hand on a handlebar and the other on the seat. Jacks pedaled away, and after about 5 seconds Anthony tentatively let go, keeping his hands close by. Jacks just chugged happily along half-way down the street until Anthony helped him stop. Anthony asked Jacks if he knew that Daddy had let go, and he nodded.

Anthony talked to him for a few minutes about getting your momentum going and how the bike will do the work for you if you keep it moving. Once Jacks can wrap his head around something, he usually feels more comfortable about it.

Then Anthony and I traded places and I put a hand on the seat and helped Jacks get started. After he was moving, he TOLD me to let go! And he took off down the street all on his own.

Check out that look of concentration! I purse my lips just like that when I'm focusing on something. :)

Anthony and I had both expected to have to go up and down the street for long hours on multiple days, practicing with Jacks until he had the balance down. Boy, were we wrong! Jacks hit the ground pedaling and never looked back!

Fashion Disaster

Today is Fashion Disaster Day at Jackson's school. He was very excited about getting dressed up and wearing something silly. He borrowed a couple of my socks (it was Anthony's idea to have 2 mis-matched ones!), and one has spiders and a fly on it, while the other is covered in Christmas lights and it actually blinks. Then he put on stripes with plaid, and topped the whole shebang with one of Daddy's neckties. I think he looks totally ready for an episode of "What Not to Wear," don't you? :)


Cody saw Jackson borrowing my socks and insisted that he wanted a pair, too. So he's got some hideous yellow and neon green giraffe socks on. At least they match...each other. I'm sure his teachers will be a little taken aback when we get to school today! LOL

Cody's School Picture

I actually really like this picture except for the fact that it looks like they put lipstick on him. Not sure what that's about! But at least he's (mostly) smiling.

And I had to include his class picture, too, just to show how big he is in comparison to his peers. I know it's weird that I blacked out all the other kids' faces, but I didn't want to share their pics without their parents' permission. So anyway, here's our big man with his class. :)

Easter Eggs

Our Easter weekend ahead is filling up fast, so we decided to dye our eggs early this year. Anthony, being the artist that he is, has always loved doing this with the boys and he missed it last year because he was in DC. So we were all very excited to do this activity together and make a big mess in the process!

For the first time, Cody did all his eggs on his own this year. We could definitely tell how much progress he has made in OT, because he manipulated that egg holder like a pro! He loved experimenting with different color combinations (his favorite was the one that ended up black).


I love this...Cody taking a page out of the Michael Jordan playbook. The tongue really helps with concentration and execution, don'tcha know? LOL


Cody with his masterpieces!


Jackson was very serious about his eggs. He really got into coloring on them with a crayon first to watch the invisible designs appear once they were put into the dye. He even made one of his eggs look like Earth!


Jackson the artiste with his finished products!


The boys did a really good job of working together, too.


And Lucas? Well, we corralled him in his high chair with snacks so he couldn't get into the dye. He did well for a while with a chocolate chip cookie (which is what he's wearing all over his face), but then he demanded in on the action. So Anthony handed him a few of the plastic eggs we had purchased that morning. Luke was thrilled to have some eggs of his very own!


Daddy, his boys, and the eggs!


Mama's turn...and we had to do a silly one, too.


The Easter Bunny's comin'!

When You Already Have 3 Boys....

....really, what's one more? Heehee...

Jackson had his friend, Tyler, over to spend the night this weekend. It was Jackson's first sleepover , and it went just great!

The boys spent all afternoon playing Lego Batman, and then we headed out to get some BBQ for dinner. Luckily, the place was almost empty anyway, but the sight of our herd of boys did cause one older couple to quickly pick up their trays and find a table in a different section. :)

Everyone got along very well, and Anthony and I even commented that it felt like having one LESS kiddo instead of having one more, because Tyler and Jackson kept each other so entertained that we barely knew either one was there!

They settled down in front of Spongebob before bed, and both were completely thrilled that they got to stay up so late. Not long after lights out, I found this:


It was a great first sleepover experience for all of us. Now to see how Jacks does at someone else's house....

Spring has Sprung

Earlier this week, we took Aunt Emilie to the Arboretum to see the Dallas Blooms before she went home to Connecticut. Despite it being a little bit chilly and windy, we had a nice afternoon and enjoyed all the beautiful tulips and azaleas.

I just love this shot of Em and the boys. They could not get enough of her, and she was always so patient with them. (And Lucas kept demanding I go back to her picture while I was uploading this, so he could keep looking at her!)


Once again, the house on stilts (what Cody calls the "treehouse") as part of the Little House on the Prairie storybook playhouse display was the biggest hit.


Jacks had a VERY lucky day when this beautiful ladybug landed on him.


Here's the Eragon playhouse, which we think looks like a giant porcupine more than a Dragon, but whatever.


Despite it being a little cold, Cody still loved the water.


Jacks checked out the Hansel and Gretel cottage.


And one more of Emilie and me, in the same spot where we had a picture taken together 4 years ago when she came to visit (I'll have to try to find that one).


We also found some bluebonnets that same morning, to give Em a final taste of Texas. They aren't in full bloom yet and it was windy as all get-out, but we still had a nice time!

Sniffles and Band-Aids

Cody has really been coming out of his little shell lately and talking more and more. In fact, recently, it has been quite difficult to get him to be quiet! But the good thing about that is that we get to hear all the clever and wonderful things that come out of his mouth.

For example, he wears his favorite boots almost everywhere. He was taking a closer look at them the other day and said, "Hey, I never noticed my alligators had sniffles!" Apparently, nostrils are sniffles.

Cody certainly brings truth and honesty to all his interactions as well, not shying away from potentially delicate topics. He asked my dad why he didn't have any hair (LOL), and said to me, "Remember that time when you were fat and we painted your tummy?" (For the record, I was pregnant, not fat. :P)

And, hard as it is to believe, Cody trumped himself in the "Bungled Song Lyrics" game. Last year, his favorite song was Good Charlotte's "I Don't Wanna Be in Love" and for Cody, that song was called, "I Don't Wanna Be a WOLF."

Well, the other day in the car, we were listening to Bon Jovi's "Shot Through the Heart." The lyric goes, "Shot through the heart/And you're to blame/You give love/A bad name." Cody was singing along from the beginning (I didn't even know he knew that song!), and when he got to the chorus, we heard his new and improved version:

Shot through the heart
And you're to blame
You give love
A BAND-AID.

Hahahahahahahahahaha!!! As Anthony says, Cody has a unique and wonderful interface with the world. It is such a treat to hang out with him!