dance

Little Bug took a ballet and tap dance combo class this year. She ended up having one ballet performance and two tap performances at the end of the year. I thought it was a lot of rehearsals and performances for such a little person, but Bug loved it! And a funny note, last year I ended up recording the wrong little girl... twice (those matching outfits really threw me off) but I got it right this year. Whew!

Here the girls are ready to preform. They had big puffy tutus in addition to their leotards, but I missed getting a shot of that.

Bug was really into flowers this year. 

Grandma Kristin came!

I love her little bun!

Making silly faces with a good friend and dance buddy in their tap costumes.

remembering

almost summer fun

new car

We have a new member of our family! We got a minivan. I have to admit, Andrew and I were thinking we would really become SUV people, but the fact of the matter is, this vehicle is just so kid friendly. My finest parenting moments do not occur while heading out the door and getting into the car. The sliding door helps tremendously with this problem. Little Bug can open the door and get herself buckled and Tank is quickly following suit.

We got the car while visiting Andrew's parents in Utah. So, it needed a wash right away when we got home. Ironically, right after purchasing the car, as we were pulling out of the car lot, our Honda Accord decided to stop working. Luckily, it was not a bad fix, just unfortunate timing. These are some quick phone pics I took of the car.

Saying goodbye to our Subaru. Little Bug has tracked a lot of hours in this car. It was my mom's and when Andrew and I moved up to Washington, she gave it to us. Fortunately, my niece is closely approaching 16 and is getting the car! Here we are washing it for her. 

fire station

I have been wanting to do this for years! Something I definitely want to do again. Both Little Bug and Tank had a blast.

tank's car

My sister lives nearby and we often get her kids' old toys. I was not too sure how I felt about inheriting this car, but now I love it. I even think I posted a picture of Tank in it last year. He loves this thing. When the weather turned somewhat warm again, Tank was out there happily reunited with his car. He sometimes brings a drink to put in the cup holder and will often park his car in front of the grass, gaze across his land, and take a sip of cool water. 

afternoons

When we return home from errands, the kids often grab a moment in the front yard to ride "bikes." Little Bug is most fond of the scooter and Tank, even though we do have a trike his size, always chooses to cruise around with the shopping cart. He thinks it is just as fun as being on his own set of wheels. I love these peaceful and fun moments.

tractor

Andrew has just begun creating and building a play structure for the kids in the backyard. His vision required obtaining some old utility poles. We were offered the poles for free. The only problem was transporting them home and somehow getting them in our backyard. Fortunately my Uncle has both a trailer and a tractor. So, while Andrew, my Uncle, and Bug were off getting the poles, Tank had an absolute blast "driving" that tractor...for an hour.

And phone pics of Tank "helping" Andrew dig the holes for said poles. 

time out

Little Bug was in time out the other night. A minute into it Tank went looking for his play buddy. When he found her it must have looked like fun cause he decided to drag a chair across and room and join her. Then he started tracing the shapes on the wall just like big sister. The power of older siblings. The matching outfits to the wall is completely unintentional. Although I do love teal. 

choo choo

Tank loves his "choo choo".  He feeds his choo choo, takes baths with him, but to his dismay, he is not allowed to sleep with him.

He pretty much loves anything automotive.  He gasps and points with excitement at all the trucks, cars and especially buses he sees while driving.  He says digger, crane, dump truck, and cement truck, along with his standard car, truck, and choo choo. I guess I had better beef up on my construction vocab.

His latest tantrums are the best. First he says "no" and then lays on the floor silently. It is awesome.  If he agrees with what you are saying or asking he says, "yeah." We hear lots of "no's" and "yeah's" all day long here.

And this past week he started saying some really good sentences. I told him it was time for his nap and he responded by saying, "I want to play" except it sounded like this, Iwannaplay. I think he meant it too because he cried in his crib for an hour until he conked out. He also has been saying "here you go" or, hereyougo, and then handing me stuff.

Oh, we love our Tank!