When both Franny and Cole turned a year old, we introduced them to our Burley bike trailer.  Neither of them liked it at first; this year, Delaney joined them in their consensus.  There is nothing that takes the joy out of a bike ride like screaming and crying, and it was very disappointing to have an extremely unhappy Delaney when we attempted our first family bike ride during our last trip to Sunriver.  Our last trip, taken with our good friends, involved six kids, and there was a lot of juggling between trailers and bikes.  By random luck, Delaney ended up in this Topeak seat that belonged to our friends, and she loved it.  Also by random luck, our friends were done with the seat and it quickly became our seat.  It has made all the difference for our current vacation.  Both kids love being on their bikes and want to go on rides. In this seat, Delaney is completely happy, which allows us to get out and ride the beautiful trails available to us.  I am looking forward to many more bike rides to come!

This week, I have been reintroduced to the tremendous joy kids have in not only being loud, but being loud with an echo!

Echo from T on Vimeo.

This past week was a big one for Franny.  She had her last day of preschool, which she attended for three years—including her last day with her best friend Taryn; her last Mandarin class; her last regular playgroup day, which she’s had weekly for five years; and, her last morning gymnastics class.  She has handled it all very well, even though it is a lot to take in for a five year old.  All of these things were very important to her, and it was sad to see them come to an end.  But although it was a series of lasts, we are excited for the series of firsts that are awaiting her in September. 

 Franny and her dear friend

Playgroup at Oaks Park

Class ending cheer at OGA

It was our first day in Sunriver, and the first thing on everyone’s mind was riding bikes!  Today we had our first family ride with everyone on two wheels!  Franny, of course, led the way, and this time Cole rode his bike, and did a great job!!!  Everyone had a really great time and can’t wait to do it again!

Last week, the kids were getting ready for school, when looked around and called out Where is Delaney?  The response from Franny was She’s in here—she’s on the top bunk!  Sure enough, sweet Delaney had shimmied up the ladder to the top bunk and was giggling and having a great time.  After taking her down, I realized that she was able to climb up to the top in just seconds.  She definitely keep us on our toes!

Franny adores her grandpa.  He is fun, loving, patient, and is always finding thoughtful things to do for her, as well as the other kids.  So, it really isn’t surprising that he was her first choice as a partner for the rides she couldn’t go on alone at the Enchanted Forest.  I am sure that he wasn’t the only grandpa that has braved the park’s roller coasters, but I am also sure that most don’t.  He was Franny’s willing co-pilot for multiple rides on the bobsleds and two rides on the Big Timber Log Ride, which is, by the way, the biggest log ride in the northwest, and ends with an enormous 40 foot plunge!  These are the rides that Franny loves, and she loved sharing them with her grandpa.  It was fun to stand on the sidelines and watch them.  I took this picture just after they came down the big plunge—I really love this picture of the two of them. What a wonderful and special day it was!

Monday, the kids joined their grandparents for a trip to the Enchanted Forest.  Last year, Franny and Cole’s favorite part of the park was Alice In Wonderland’s rabbit hole—a winding underground tunnel that comes up further down the Storybook trail.  Ever since, Franny has been talking about how she was going to show Delaney how to go down the rabbit hole.  She had to wait an entire year, but Monday she got her chance.  And, although Delaney didn’t share the same enthusiasm as her older siblings, she did have a very fun time!

There are inevitably missed moments when documenting the life of three kids. It is hard enough to get all the pictures I'd like, much less capturing videos! At the fair, Cole was innocently checking out this sheep. His face was right up next to the gate and the sheep was no more than a foot away from his face. The sheep let out a Baaaaaa! that made Cole jump and sent him into a giggling tailspin. I only wish I could have caught it on video! There is no recapturing the moment, but this one will have to do...

Baaaaa! from T on Vimeo.

There are a number of event traditions we have during the year, but Fair Day with Auntie Noelle is one of the most anticipated for Franny and Cole.  It is always a special day, but despite the fact it is always the fair, it is always different.  This year, Franny enjoyed shopping the booths, Delaney loved the drums in the Pioneer Village, and besides his new cowboy hat, Cole’s favorite thing was probably the animals.  But, whatever we do, it really doesn’t matter.  It is just a very special time with Auntie Noelle.  All the kids had a wonderful time and are already thinking about next year.  But, unlike most things, in this case, the event actually does overshadow the anticipation!  It was definitely a very special day.

Yesterday, our new camera arrived.  Hopefully, I will have better luck with this one than the last.  So far, I think it’s working well.  This evening, I took these pictures of Cole checking out his new hat in his reflection in the fireplace tile.  To use one of his favorite words, he is so silly! 

This evening, we found ourselves again at the Zoo.  It is the perfect place to take the kids for a couple of hours.  They absolutely love it, the visit is never the same, and the proximity to our home just can’t be beat.  Today, Franny’s choice was zebras and Cole’s choice was lions.  Here is the Trio, roaring like lions… 

The polar bears put on quite a show today, swimming, turning flips, and floating on their backs, right in front of the kids!  Delaney was very impressed!

Boys definitely like different things than girls.  Even at age three, Cole’s intense interests are those that are shared by most other little boys.  Among these interests are dinosaurs.   Today was our turn to host playgroup, and with Franny and her gymnastics camp all day, Cole and I decided on the dinosaur exhibit at the Zoo for our destination.  Cole had a great time hanging out with his sister’s friend B—although he is two years older, they both loved running from dinosaur to dinosaur roaring, growling, shooting, and acting like only boys do.  The combination of enjoying boy stuff with another boy made for a great time for Cole.  I know he wouldn’t have enjoyed it this much if he had just gone with Delaney and I!

I have been waiting for Big Truck Day ever since we missed it last year.  It is an amazing display for any lover of big trucks, which Cole definitely is.  I was amazed not only at the the number, but at all the different kinds of vehicles there were—a 2010 John Deere K Front Loader, dump truck, cement truck, fire truck, ambulance, monster trucks, armor truck, to name a few, not to mention the 24 vehicles just from ODOT!  Even the Oscar Mayer Weinermobile was there!  The kids were able to climb on, sit in, honk the horns, and examine every detail of every truck.  Cole took it quite seriously—I was with him in one of the cabs, and he pointed out every detail to me, including where the driver kept his safety glasses.  It was so great to find an event that would be really special for Cole.  I think he had a really good time.  We spent two and a half hours there, but easily could have taken more time.  We ended our tour, very appropriately for Cole, with a John Deere tractor—the perfect ending to a really great day.

Yesterday, Franny went with us to a friend’s wedding.  She certainly did not know what to expect.  She was intrigued with the ceremony, and especially with the butterfly release they had.  But, everything paled in comparison with the dancing.  Franny did not hesitate in joining in kicking up her feet.  She did variations of her ballet moves, as well as learning a few new ones on the dance floor.  She didn’t know quite what to make of Walk Like an Egyptian, but there is no question she had a great time, and she was a lot of fun to watch!