Giddy-up!

Now that the weather is nice the kids have been having a hey day with the Radio Flyer Spring Horse their Grandpop and Paula gave them for Christmas. I cannot praise Radio Flyer toys enough. I accidentally cut one of the horse's pieces when I opened the box and Radio Flyer immediately sent me a replacement part at no cost and with no hassle. I've become quite familiar with different toy companies and I've got to say that Radio Flyer is my favorite. They are not cheap, but their toys are classics - proven hits - that are made really well.

I had a spring horse when I was a little girl and LOVED it! I'm so glad that Jack and Sadie now have their own spring horse. It makes the backyard all the more exciting for them. We've even devised a tactic to cut down on fights over the horse. We use a kitchen timer to give each of them equal turns. It works like a charm. They hear the bell and know that it's time to get off. We haven't had one meltdown yet over the horse, which is a huge accomplishment in our world!

Audabon Center

J. watched the kids ALL day yesterday so that I could have a day to myself. It was awesome (at least for me)! Here are some photos he snapped at the fantastic Audabon Center near our house. There is a great outdoor play area at the center that the kids really enjoy.

Hanging out w/ Tatum

There's been a lot of good photos this weekend, so I'm going to post a bunch. Here's the first photo from Friday of the kids hanging out at their pal Tatum's. There was lots of fighting over the toy stroller, which ended with the stroller in pieces and an informal farewell ceremony for it.

Pony Rides and Ragtime Bands

We took the kids for the ultimate in urban pony rides last weekend. We've been enjoying the farmer's market in Montrose on Sunday mornings and now there are pony rides up and down the sidewalk. The ponies are ancient and seemed half asleep, but that might be the best kind of ponies for toddlers. Sadie loved her ride and she has just learned about horses. Jack was not so thrilled with his pony ride. He had a better time hanging out with the ragtime band.

Jack's Bad Day

Jack may have had the worst day of his life today. He's been inexplicably unhappy all day. He had a horrible time going down for his nap and then only slept 30 minutes. He cried for almost an hour going to bed tonight, and woke up not long ago and is crying inconsolably again now. It could be his teeth, or his stomach, or nightmares, or just being two (or almost two). Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day for him.

Despite the many hours of crying today, we did have a little bit of fun in the back yard this afternoon. The kids were kicking back on this little bench that my cousins Beth and Karen handed down to us. I picked up a giant bubble wand at the toy store this morning and the kids were in awe of the giant bubbles. There's nothing like soap and water to keep kids happy.

We were very grateful for the happy times in the backyard this afternoon. We needed a respite. One can feel mighty helpless as the parent of an unhappy toddler.

Trains

This morning we took the kids to Travel Town, a train museum. They loved running around and climbing on the trains. They even got to ride on a miniature train. I'm not sure if trains will ever replace airplanes in Sadie's heart, but we might have train enthusiast in Jack.

Hiking

We took the kids on a small hike at nearby Eaton Canyon this weekend. Winter is the most beautiful time of the year in Southern California because everything grows like crazy during the rainy season and the rain brings crystal clear skies. We have backpacks to carry the kids in, but they get restless after a while so we try to let them hike a bit on their own too. They did pretty well on this weekend's hike, but it can get a little dicey when we try to take their hands to help them over difficult terrain. They like the independence of open trails and do not like having to hold any one's hand.

Jack's favorite part of hiking is carrying a walking stick. Sadie just likes being on the move.