Ride

We had plans this weekend to go to Sweet Briar and let the kids visit before it closes down for good, and then wander down to Blacksburg to visit some friends we haven't seen in a while.  But those plans fell through and we were left with a last-minute open long weekend.  Which really was kind of a nice surprise.

We had free tickets and a tent to sit in for the Fair Hill Races on Saturday so we made it a family affair.  The kids enjoyed making and riding stick horses, and Erin has been very excited to tell anyone she has talked to that she rode a real horse, as well.  I think maybe Erin was excited to see the race horses and watch a race, but who knows for sure.  Dexter was excited that there was a TV in our tent, so he could watch the races on TV.

Sunday we took the kids and their bikes to the closest flat empty parking lot we could think of - Dexter's school.  Dex worked on building his skills with his new, bigger, fancier bike.  Erin worked on talking my ear off.  And she actually did a really good job of balancing on her bike when it was gliding down a gentle hill.  I was impressed with both kids.  Dexter remembered to use his hand brakes, and figured out how to change gears.  He hasn't quite figured out WHEN to change gears, but that will come eventually.

We're hoping to hit the Memorial Day parade on Monday.  It will be Erin's first time going.  She's very very excited to be able to wave her flag at a fire truck.

Here's a few pictures, and if you CLICK THIS LINK you can see some video of the kids as well.

Dex and his stick horse named Mercury

Erin and her stick horse named Venus

Gotta warm up your stick horses before they race

I swear she had fun riding a horse

In the starting gate.  Everyone has their game faces on.

Dexter's new bigger bike.  His knees don't even hit his handlebars.  He could stand to have his seat raised a bit, but he's not quite comfortable yet with his feet not being able to go flat on the ground.

Munchkin almost looked like she was riding a bike today, instead of just walking with a bike between her legs.

I'll leave you with this one - blue frosting face from some cupcakes we brought home from the races.  Too bad I didn't take a picture of her poopy diaper this morning...

Bloom

Dexter has been helping me in the garden this week - he planted two separate flower gardens and did a fairly admirable job.  What he lacked in skill he totally made up for in enthusiasm.  As a result we have a pretty front yard right now, with Dexter's garden and the rhododendron in bloom.  And Erin was wearing her flower headband this morning (to match the flowers at Longwood, where we spent a couple hours with some friends.  Totally her idea, not mine).  So I thought it might be a nice opportunity to take a few pictures with my nice lens and a few pointers learned from an excellent photographer at Willowdale Steeplechase last weekend.  Here are kids and flowers, in bloom.

Thanks, Grandpa Cowan, for helping Dexter pick and plant the flowers in the front garden.  They look lovely, especially with the blooming rhododendron.

Small Fry, waiting for the bus to come

The Young Writer

This afternoon at school the library displayed writing samples from all the students in the elementary school.  We went to take a look because Dexter was excited to show us his writing, and because Erin LOOOOOOOVES going to school.

Dexter was delighted because, as he told me at home before we went to the library, they had "The Book With No Pictures" there, but with different words.  Apparently one class wrote their own Books With No Pictures.  Dexter thought it was the coolest thing ever.  He spent most of his library time reading all of them.  Erin spent her time hugging and kissing Clifford.

Here's Dexter's writing.  It was cute to see, and Dexter (ever the tour guide) was perfectly happy to show us around school for a bit.

Also, Happy 10th Anniversary to us!  Ten years ago John and I got married.  If THAT doesn't make us feel old, I don't know what will.

PS - Mrs Arthur reportedly loved her chocolate rocks!

Tag Carrot

Erin:  Mama, this is my dinosaur.  He is a ceratops.  He only eats pants.
Me:  He eats pants?
Erin:  No, mama.  Not pants.  PANTS.
Me:  Ahhh.  Right.
(Note - PLANTS.  She means plants.)

While talking to Grandpa the other day, Erin was telling him about how Dexter and Aunt Christy were playing Tag Carrot.  I had no idea what Tag Carrot was.  And then it hit me.  "You mean Tag, you're it?"  Yes.  Yes, that was it.  Tag Carrot.  Erin was just playing a rousing game of Tag Carrot with the dog the other day.  I think he was just as confused as I was.

Dexter read a Magic School Bus book about all the different rocks inside the earth.  And since then he's been trying to identify all the various rocks in our yard.  The white ones under the deck are limestone.  He has named a few.  Limey.  Limer.  I do believe there's one named Slater.  So I was in the candy store the other day, looking for some chocolate to send in to school for Dexter's teacher for Teacher Appreciation week.  And I found some chocolate rocks.  I bought two bags - one for her and one for us.  We had them for snack this afternoon.  They were a huge hit.  Now if only I could find chocolate rocket ships, or gummy planets.

Finally, a joke from Dexter:  Where does a sheep get his hair cut?  At the baa-baa shop!

April Showers Bring May Flowers

A few weeks ago Erin and I went to Longwood, hoping maybe some daffodils would be blooming or something.  Nope.  Nothing.  Nada.  Zero flowers.  This was the best we could find - little purple flowers in the grass.  Which was fine.   I didn't mind if Erin picked them.  And she had fun feeding the fish, so all was well.

Little tiny purple flowers

Dancing on the glass leaf, for Aunt Jeanne

Aunt Jeanne and Dex doing some leaf dancing way back in 2010

The weather has been perfectly perfect this weekend, so we went to the airport yesterday for pancake breakfast, and then today made a trip up to Longwood with the whole family to see if there would still be some tulips.  The answer was yes.  Yes, tulips.  And no, we were not even close to the only people who had the exact same idea we had.

Pretty tulips, cute kids

Perhaps even cuter kids.  If you can get them to be a little silly, they have good smiles.

Or sometimes, if you get them to be a little silly, they just have silly smiles.

Walking on the "balance beam" is a sure-fire way to keep both kids happy and get a decent picture or two.

Stopped at the tree house to hug a dragon

Dex sitting on Aunt Jeanne's tree stump.  John thought I was crazy...

And I may well be crazy.  But it is, in fact, Aunt Jeanne's tree stump.  From way back in 2006.

Erin tried out Aunt Jeanne's tree stump as well.  It all started out fine...

But it was all downhill from there.  Boom!  Tears.

Next stop?  Aunt Jeanne's lion.  No really.

Aunt Jeanne's lion, circa 2006.

Next stop was the Children's Garden, where the boys were bees.

We ran in to our friend Alex and had a lovely time getting him as wet as we possibly could.

Erin preferred being a butterfly to being a bee.

Finally, I was DELIGHTED that my favorite tulip garden was actually open.  Smaller, but open.  Last fall this whole area was closed off for the fountain renovation.  I was glad they opened up a portion of it for the tulips.

This tulip smells like strawberries

And I think this one smelled like melon

Perfect way to spend a Sunday morning, followed by lunch at Beep Beep all Done French Fries.  Dexter, it must be said, was VERY flexible in allowing Erin to choose there for lunch.  He really wanted to go to Applebees.  I think the promise of a milk shake won him over.