The Toledo Zoo

We had a nice time at the Toldeo Zoo last week.  I didn't get many pictures as it was really busy, really, really hot, and the kids were in the stroller much of the time.  The pictures I did get are still on the computer and awaiting the desktop computer to be fixed so I can download them and then put them on the blog.  The cement "stream" that the kids could play in was a huge it.  Titus really like the giraffes and the train ride we took on the second day.  It was so hot that the petting area was closed.  Maybe next time.

 Checking out the lion statues.

The entrance to the kid area.

Isabele the elephant.

Titus and the bird.

Here is the "stream".  What a wonderful place to put feet when it's 100 degrees at the zoo!

 The kids could move rocks and a few logs around to change how the water flows.  Titus and Isabele didn't understand that, but they sure understood that it was cooler in the water than out of the water.

Isabele is in the nest and Titus is in the egg.

The Next Adventure

Brian has to go to Flight Safety in Toledo for work this coming weeek.  We are going to tag along.  The plan is to leave Monday morning and head to the Toledo Zoo.  The hotel Brian is staying at has an indoor "splash park" that we think the kids will really enjoy.  As we are not sure how the kids are going to do sleeping in a hotel and Brian has to be able to sleep as he has class Tues, Wed, and Thurs all day, the kids and I are going to stay Monday night, and then, depending on how things go, either return to Warsaw on Tuesday afternoon / evening, or stay till Wed or maybe even Thursday and return with Brian Thursday evening.  I'll try to take lots of pictures and will get them posted eventually.

Fireworks

We let the kids stay up really late to watch the fireworks at Winona Lake last night.  They did really well.  They are in bed and asleep by 8PM.  Fireworks didn't start until 10PM.  They both had a short nap in the afternoon.  We rode bikes (kids in the bugger) over to my mother's to watch the show on the deck.  It was fun!!  Isabele made it through about 1/2 of the show before passing out on my lap.  Titus stayed awake, watching the flashes and listening to the booms, sitting on Grandpa Hoover's lap.  Titus fell asleep in the bugger on the way home.  They were both so tired that they stayed asleep as Brian and I carried them into the house at 11PM and deposited them in their beds.  I'm so glad that they just went to sleep and stayed that way.  Titus got up a little after 6AM (too early for the amount of sleep he got, but I'm sure he'll fall asleep on a bikeride today).  Isabele slept until almost 9AM!!! 

Bike ride to Bia's

First - I promise to get some pictures to prove that Titus really is riding his bike all by himself.
Yesterday he took his first bike ride to my mother's house. He peddled himself on his little 14 inch 2-wheeler the entire 1.7 miles.  We stayed at the lake for 4 hours playing in the water and whatnot.  Then Titus made the trek home, the entire 1.7 miles.  We didn't think he'd make it all the way home on his own, but he did.

Titus also discovered that he can stand up and pedal on his bike.  I was watching him practice riding in the driveway and saw him stand up a little bit.  When I asked it he was standing up and pedaling, he said, "Yes, Daddy does it like that sometimes."  And off he went.

I am totally sold on the Mini-Gliderbike.  I can't wait until Isabele is big enough to ride the little red glider.  It has been so nice to not have to argue or fight with Titus to get him to ride a bike.  He can ride and we had no battle of wills or tears!!

 Titus is demonstrating his newfound ability.

Isabele is not to be outdone.  She has a newfound ability too.  Lay the tricycle on it's back and stand on it.

Nothing like standing on the back of your tricycle in a pale pink linen dress.  She's my girl.

A couple days later.

He's sure proud of himself.

Check out the air above his seat!!

What a big kid.

First Bike Ride

Titus went on his first bike ride this morning.  He went around the island with Brian.  All by himself.  He doesn't need any help to start, and no training wheels.  He made it all the way around with only 1 little rest break (it takes a lot of pedaling for not quite 3 1/2 year old legs).  After a longer rest at Bia's, he went around the island again with me.  Brian and I were both riding a bike, so he really did it all by himself!!  Titus does a pretty good job stopping, too.  He's not good enough yet to tackle the ride from our house to Bia's, but by the end of the summer, I'm sure he will be riding over there with us.

For those of you curious as to what a glidebike is and where we got it: Titus' Mini glider bike.  We bought one of these for Titus' first bike when he was a little over 2 years old.  He rode the gliderbike for a year.  We bought him a real bike this spring and never put training wheels on it.  We didn't even open the training wheels.  Our biggest struggle is that with both bikes, when he first got them he was so little we had to get creative to get the seat low enough for him to be able to do it himself - which is the whole point.  Let the kid figure it out for him/her self.

Isabele is still a little small for the gliderbike but I think she'll be using it by this fall.

Photo Catch-Up

These were from the end of May.  

Strawberries from my garden - I picked 50!!

The rowboat behind the bike - Brian built the boat and the trailer.  The kids are in the bugger.

Titus and Isabele racing the longboards.

Isabele

Isabele on the glider bike with Brian helping as she is too little.

Titus sitting in the Pitts looking up at the canopy.

Bikes, Beds and New Rooms

In the last week we moved our bedrooms to the basement.  There are 2 finished rooms down there, plus a bathroom.  Since it's been hot the last couple weeks, and the basement is so much cooler, we thought we'd give it a try.  So - Brian and I moved our stuff into the "pink" room (the carpet is mauve - not my choice, but that's what the previous owners put in.  It looks better with our red bedspread.  And maybe I can find some cool fabric for a dust ruffle and diminish the mauve effect).  The kids moved into "Uncle David's Room" (the room Brian's brother, David used last summer when he was living with us).  Titus upgraded to a twin bed.  Isabele spent the first couple nights in her crib and then moved up to Titus' old toddler bed.  I modified it a bit and the frame with mattress now rests directly on the floor.  I used an old table that David built as the "side rail" for her so she can't roll out of bed.  Now she can get out of bed when she wakes up and doesn't have to cry. 


A couple of days ago we taught Titus to start riding his bike by himself.  He could already ride the bike as long as an adult pushed him to get him going.  Now he can do it himself, sometimes with a little prompting of "put your foot on the tall pedal and push hard".  Of course he would not show Bia how he can ride his bike when she was over yesterday, but that's okay.  He will eventually. 

Since moving the bedrooms to the basement opened up those rooms upstairs, we now have a playroom - in our old room, and a music room - in the kids old room.  The toys are 90% out of the living room.  The keyboard and guitar are both upstairs now - maybe we will get around to practicing.  Both rooms have enough space to put a blow-up mattress for guests that may need or want to stay.  I have an old daybed in the basement I've been thinking about setting up in the music room.  Maybe I'll do that today.  Then I have someplace to put pretty pillows and blankets.