How old were you when you learned to ride a two wheeler?

I think I was about 5 or 6, and it was a dark green Schwinn.

When I got home from work this afternoon Megan decided it would be a good day to give this 2 wheeler a go. Mike had taken the training wheels off this bike when Cameron was over last Wed. This bike has lots of miles and memories on it. It originally belonged to Jessica (I was her nanny from age 6 months to 7 years) she is about 22 now. Anyways we got the bike when her parents moved back to CA and now Megan is learning to ride it. We fixed it up with new tires, reflectors and such.
We had to keep reminding her not to look down at the tire. Look where you want to go.

Rowdy was not very impressed, not much keeps him from taking a doggy nap.
After Mike was "run out" I chased her around for a while. She ended up riding all the way down to the stop sign at the corner (about 10 or 12 houses). She also rode around the cul de sac and only stopped once. I think by tomorrow afternoon she will be an old pro.

We had to hurry and get Paige's ballet costume and then it was off to the art show at school. This is one of our favorite things, going to the school on art show night. It is fun to see their friends, enjoy all the fun and fabulous artwork that the kids have made and to make some new mini works of art to take home. Paige also worked for an hour as a balloon pumper so Mrs. Ross (the principal) and Mr. Jervis (an art teacher) could make balloon sculptures for the kids.
The girls made Mona Lisa pens at the first of many art stations throughout the art show.


Megan's "Blue Dog" is up above her. I think he kind of resembles Rebel.
Paige always enjoys the spin art station.

Megan made this self portrait, we love how fashionable she is with her belt and earrings.
Paige made this mini "Blue Dog" pin and an embossed tin flower.
Paige grinning with her tin embossed Rebel dog picture.
While Paige was at the balloon station Megan and her friend Caitlyn designed some fashionable hats out of paper and tape.


Lauren and Paige pumping up ballonons for Mrs. Ross.

While waiting in line for a balloon goldfish Megan posed with her b.f.f. Cameron!

How Many Days Until Wednesday?
Last Thursday on our way to dance we saw Gayle getting Jordan and Cameron off the bus and she waved us over. She asked if Cameron could come to our house after school the following Wed. Well of course, she is such a little sweetie she (and her sister) are always welcome to come play. Megan almost immediately started counting down the days until her b.f.f. got to come over.

Megan was the first or maybe second kid off the bus yesterday. As soon as she came in she asked "so when is Cameron coming over?". I told her after snack and homework. So the girls had some chocolate pudding with their "secret ingredient" (a small spoonful of creamy peanut butter). This is Paige's concoction she says "it makes it taste like a Reese's p.b. cup. Then it was straight to homework without any fussing.

When Cameron got here they ran upstairs to "play house", it's a tradition they always start each play date with "playing house". After they got that out of the way they went off to ride bikes with Paige and Harry. Luckily we have an extra bike and bike helmet that is just Cameron's size.
After bike riding they decided to build a tent out on the patio with the parachute. They played a game of "Trouble" (I'm not sure who won) then they came in and made pizza's.

They enjoyed eating their pizza, carrots and watermelon out back. Afterwards they had ice cream bars and then Cameron's mom and sister came to pick her up. The girls were still having so much fun that they weren't thrilled about saying good bye. We promised them another fun time soon.

Friday was a beautiful warm (78 degrees) and sunny day. The girls had the day off of school and I had promised to take them to the movies. We saw "Nim's Island" a fun fantasy tale about a scientist his daughter and an author of adventure stories that has agoraphobia. It was a fun movie and we had the entire theater to ourselves (like our own personal screening). The movie is directed by Jodie Foster and she stars as the author Alex Rover. I told Paige that when I was her age (about 10) Jodie Foster was a young actress (about 5 years older than me) and she was in a funny baseball movie "The Bad News Bears". Later on the way home Paige asked "so if you want to be an actress do you start out making commercials?". I said "yep I think that is how it works".

On the way out of the movie Paige and Megan did their best crazy kung fu poses with the panda from "Kung Fu Panda" that is coming out June 3rd.
Any excuse to make a fish face! Paige and Megan posing with the fun sculptures that are by the train garden at Easton Town Center. They (the sculptures) look like George Carruth's work, he is an artist here in OH.

We had a late lunch at CPK (California Pizza Kitchen). I won a free ($40.) dinner for two from a game promo that they are doing. We have to use it before June 16th. Paige and Megan thought that was cool.

Don't throw the turtle in! Paige with her webkinz turtle Pablo (from Aunt Shann). Megan left her turtle, Stella in the car.
After the movie and lunch at Easton we stopped by Aunt Terry's to meet Ginger their new pup. She is so sweet and mellow. I think she is going to be a wonderful addition to their family.

Paige and Megan love their new cousin, she's a sweetie. We can't wait to have her over for a play date with Rebel.

"I Met a Dragon Face to Face"

~Jack Prelutsky

I met a dragon face to face
the year when I was ten,
I took a trip to outer space,
I braved a pirate's den,
I wrestled with a wicked troll,
and fought a great white shark,
I trailed a rabbit down a hole,
I hunted for a snark.

I stowed aboard a submarine,
I opened magic doors,
I traveled in a time machine,
and searched for dinosaurs,
I climbed atop a giant's head,
I found a pot of gold,
I did all this in books I read
when I was ten years old.

This poem came home with Paige on the front letter that was attached to their "Scholastic" book order forms. You can order the books on line and they get delivered to the class plus the class gets points to earn free books for their room.

If I had written it (but I'm not that clever) it would have included, "I tamed wild horses with a gentle hand, I visited fairies in a magical land, " since Paige seems to enjoy animal stories and anything magical. My girls are so fortunate they have such a wide variety of children's literature now. I love it when Paige reads a book and then she says "Mom that was really good, you should read it." I have started reading one of the books she suggested "The Penderwicks". I had bought if for her last year from one of the book orders. It always makes me happy when she really loves one of the books that I picked for her.
Paige and Rebel having a read. Picture credit goes to Aunt Shann Feb. 2008
These are two of the books that Paige is currently reading. One is from the school library and the other is from our wonderful public library. We are very blessed with an incredible library system. We reserve books, movies and c.d.s on line, they have a super summer reading program for the kids and both Paige and Megan loved their story time programs for toddlers in the "story garden" when they were young.
Can you tell that I am thrilled to be raising readers?

BUBBLES

One of the cheapest things you can get your kids to play with and they don't need batteries. The only cheaper thing may be an old paint brush and a bucket of water (to paint the sidewalk with) or maybe even cheaper yet rocks and dirt. But bubbles are cleaner although they are a little sticky. I don't think you ever outgrow bubbles. I know that I still get the urge to dip the wand and spin about making magic fly into the sky.
So if you are feeling blue stop at the local drugstore and for under a buck you can get yourself a bottle of joy with a magic wand inside....have at it go blow some bubbles!

Megan had her classmate Meghan (as in Meghan H. ) over to play after school yesterday. They played upstairs for a while then they came out and blew bubbles and jump roped.

Snapshots from our sunny Sunday afternoon.After spending an hour playing in Hannah's backyard on the swing set Paige and Megan came home and decided to do some watercolor painting on our back patio. While they were painting I brought them their lunch so they could dine alfresco.



Rebel dined alfresco too. He had his big puppy pillow out their and he was enjoying a nap in the sun after lunch. I tell ya it's a dogs life!


While I was out front cleaning out the van and washing it our neighbor Chris was out with his son Jake. Jake just adores Paige and Megan. The girls got out some bubbles and entertained Jake while Mike and Chris chatted.