Big Girl Bike

My daughter is learning to ride a two-wheeler and is doing really well. She is really getting the hang of it. She is particularly good at going down hills.

My son is also mastering the tricycle. He can steer and ride himself, just not always in the direction we want to go.

Keeping Cool

So far, we have managed to keep cool this very hot summmer by checking out the numerous splash pads, wading pools and anything else to get wet. We especially like the splash pad at the zoo, where we spent a good chunk of the afternoon today.

The area is all set up like the water cycle, and kids can go from the rain, to a stream, to a marsh to a lake and finally to the ocean, with lots of animals spraying water along the way.


Speakin of cool, after walking around the zoo, we checked out the drum cafe show (I don't know what it has to do with the zoo, but it was certainly cool). Everyone in the audience gets drums, and they have a little show, where you can drum along.

The kids really got into it and mom and dad had a good time too.

Year of the Breakdowns

We have lived in the house for 15 years now, and I think that is the age when everything breaks down. Since January, our lawnmower has broken down (we had to buy a new one), our dishwasher broke down (we had to buy a new one), our clothes washer broke down (we had to buy a new one), the day we got our new clothes washer, our dryer broke down (new one due next Wednesday.) Due to constant headaches, we also bought a new computer and printer. My MP3 player broke down too, but it was under warranty.

We had a service man in to look at our stove (the top display of the clock is gone so we never know if there is 7:09 left or 1:u4 left.) He said it could not be fixed. Now, if the clock does go completely, I would be pretty reluctant to buy a new stove, but Sharon has pointed out that we would never know what temperature the oven was at. I will have to somehow come up with a plan with a meat thermometer and a digital watch to defer the purchase.

Hopefully, the fridge lasts.

Highland Games

There is always something to do in the summer. Today we went to the Highland Games. I think the kids really enjoyed it. We watched the heavy events (caber toss, hammer toss, sheff toss), the sheep shearing, the Highland Dancers and the bagpipes. We saw the Scottish livestock exhibit:

My daughter got a lesson on fencing, and looked like a pro:

There were lots of crafts and other things to do:

And my son looked good in his celtic garland.

Great Green Adventure

We took the kids to see Safari Jeff and Shannon's Great Green Adventure at the mall. It was a good show. The kids got to pet a Giant turtle, a 25 foot long boa constrictor and an aligator. We learned about reptiles and had some fun.