Two Wheels are Better Than Four

The weekend before kindergarten began, Bradley and Benjamin spent a few days with Grandma and Poppy. Poppy decided to bring their bicycles to Valpo to ride during their stay. While Bradley was riding, one of his training wheels fell off. Poppy decided to remove the other wheel to see if Bradley would like to try riding without them. With Poppy jogging along side for a couple of times, Bradley quickly got the hang of it. Within 3 days, Bradley was going on bicycle rides with Poppy and then Grandma. One day, Bradley rode 2.5 miles in total with only 4 falls. His longest ride between falls was 1.4 miles.

Ask and Ye Shall Receive

Just before dinner Bradley asked, "What is a wedgie?" When a verbal description was insufficient, it was time for a demonstration. Bradley enjoyed it very much, so he got another one. How long will it be until Bradley gives Ben a wedgie?

Summer Vacation

We took a quick trip to Michigan for the weekend. The boys had a lot of fun. They really liked the children's section of the Meijer Gardens. They were worn out before noon. After resting during the car ride to the beach, Bradley refueled with three(!) tacos at Taco Bell. They had a great time playing in the waves at Holland beach and digging in the sand. The next day we went to the Dutch Village and then on to South Haven beach.

More Summer Fun

Ben made his first trip to the drive-in over the weekend. Bradley had been there several times before Ben was born. We saw Despicable Me and the boys stayed awake through the whole movie. That means they were up after 10!

Going Down

Bradley has had a very successful month on the potty. He earned 11stickers, which is a record. Ben has actually regressed. He had zero stickers during the month and is now back to pull-ups full time.

The End

Over the last month, I have been reading Charlie and the Chocolate factory to the boys. It has been a wonderful experience for all of us. Ben doesn't like the book too much, but I think that is because there are so few pictures. Whenever there is a picture, Ben points to each person in the picture and asks, "What's that guys name?" The reading has a side benefit of getting the children to sleep earlier. Bradley usually falls asleep in about 10 minutes. Ben stays awake a little longer, but lies quietly in Bradley's bed after I leave. This is much better than the antics we normally go through when Ben sleeps in his own bed.

The Security Guard

Who knew Ben could sleep standing up?

Going Up

Bradley had his first rock wall experience at a party over the weekend. The first time, he almost made it to the top. The second time he was on a different line and didn't make it very far. He seemed to enjoy it. Since he will so be a member of the Y, he will be able to go climbing more often.

Field Trip

One of the advantages of bring 5 years old is that Bradley gets to go on lots of field trips at school. Every Monday they go to a swimming. There is usually one other outing during the week. So far he has been a minor league baseball game, WNBA game (his first basketball game), miniature golf (another first), and a science museum. Next week they are going to Old Country Buffet. That would be amusing to witness. Bradley already has some buffet skills from all his trips to Flat Top.

The Thrill of Victory

Now that I have my own kids, I get to do something my dad always enjoyed - crushing your child in competition. My dad's specialty was checkers, but it tough to beat Bradley in checkers since he changes the rules after every move. However, I did get to annihilate him at miniature golf. I won 47 to 71. Yes!