Biking Buddy

Everyone had a fun day at work and school on this Tuesday, and we had fun at home too.  The boys took turns (kind of) listening to stories on my Nook while we prepared a yummy dinner of grilled chicken, macaroni and cheese, steamed broccoli, and wheat toast (jelly for the boys, butter for Daddy).  Happy plates for all!!!  Daddy and Beau headed out on a quick errand, and Lincoln and I went for a bike ride through the neighborhood.  Well, Linc did the riding and Mommy happily walked/jogged along because Mommy (A) doesn't have a bike and (B) doesn't want a bike because (C) she's not that great of a bike rider and (D) usually has to keep up with tricycle snail Beau.  (So no one get any fancy ideas about giving me a bike any time soon!)  Anyway, Linc and I had fun riding down the street all the way to the bike trail.  He told me several times that we were on an adventure and had to use our imagination to talk about the houses we passed.  And he would get to pedaling so fast!  I'm so glad he is quick to hit the brake when instructed.  

We ended up riding the bike trail down a few blocks, and Linc was so excited that we made it to the "rest circle" as he called it.  He parked his bike, we played tag, rested on the bench, waved at lots of cars, and even spotted Daddy and Beau driving by on their way home!!!  So fun - and we even got chauffeured home in the cool air conditioning in the car!  

Of course Popsicles were necessary after our adventures, and then a nice bath and bedtime story.  An hour after getting tucked in, both boys were singing and talking away in their beds as I listened to the monitors.  Beau was especially animated with a story about Baby Bear and Bobster looking for the Mommies and to ring the door bell and he would help them . . . we don't have a problem with imaginations around here!  The boys have a visit from the Farmers Market at school tomorrow, and they are so excited to shop for their favorite fruits and veggies.  Minnie said they could probably teach the other kiddos about fruits and veggies since they are such healthy little eaters.  There's no telling what they'll bring home from the Farmers Market!

Great Aunts Visit!

We were lucky that some of my Aunts could visit from Arkansas this week.  Sarah, Barbara and Patsy came over on Thursday morning ready to play.  Right away we headed out on an adventure.  We went to the nearest train station and waited with lots of excitement!  This is the greatest picture of the boys and Patsy EVER!  (Sarah and I both took twenty or so to get this one good one!)  

We loved speeding through town and checking out the sights zooming by in the window.  The City Place Station was our stop, and the boys were so excited to get out in a real tunnel!   

Mommy was pretty excited too . . . until we turned the corner and saw the escalator to get out.  I mean, really?!?!  This was like 7 mall escalators stacked up and it seemed so high.  One big deep breath and up we went.  Oh, and Beau had decided that I needed to carry him.  My arm was breaking from holding him with one arm and keeping a death grip on the escalator rail (which I totally would never hold on a regular escalator because of it's incredible germiness) with the other.  After finally stepping off that terror ride, we discovered there was another equally giant one to get to the top level.  Freaking out!  When we finally escaped into the fresh air, we discovered that I had chosen the wrong set of escalators and we were so far away from where we were trying to get.  Luckily, we found an elevator to take us down and made it to the top on the other side.  A little walk away was a fun trip to Target.  Of course, the last down elevator was broken when we were headed back down!  Mommy braved the escalator down (even scarier than going up and my arm was super shaking from still carrying Beau!), but Barbara and Lincoln chose to take the steps.  Get us out of here!!!!! 

The train ride home was pleasant, and we made it back in time for a late lunch and nap/rest.  We took the girls to Carmine's for pizza then came home for a little surprise party.  Patsy had a birthday in July, and Barbara has one in August.  A yummy cookie cake with lots of icing went well with our party hats.   

Of course my two chose the blue icing balloons and looked like Smurfs!   

On a rainy Friday morning, we took a trip to the Galleria.  While the girls shopped, we found a cool Lego activity for the boys.  For a small donation to a school fund, we got to check out Lego displays of our favorite Dallas landmarks . . . the Perot Museum (Linc's fave), Medical City, the AAC, the Galleria, the Klyde Warren Park, and so many other places.  We had a list of things to "spy" while touring, and Lincoln loved that.  The boys spent a while just building with Legos before we moved on to lunch and a bit more shopping. 

Friday afternoon was filled with swimming lessons and Anamia's with the usual gang.  The Robison's came too, and everyone loved playing with Baby Jackson.  He was really on his best behavior!  On Saturday, we had lots of playing around the house.  Sarah brought Lincoln some Franklin books on tape, and he wanted Patsy to listen to them over and over with him.  Beau drove his Cars car all over the house a million times while Linc and Patsy were busy.  The Ghost Tower game that Daddy brought home from Germany is still a treat for Linc to play.  So many squeals when the ghosts fall!!

We went to Shady's Burgers for dinner, and it ways too delish!  Nana and Pops met us there, and of course everyone did lots of bragging about how wonderful/smart/sweet/silly/great the boys are.  I mean, I totally agree . . . but we are probably a biased group!  Something curious was going on below the patio, and they had to check it out.  

The Aunts left fairly early on Sunday morning, and we went to church, hit up the playground, and shopped at Central Market and Tom Tom for this weeks groceries.  After a giant book cleanout/organization project and a brief nap/rest, we went to Nana and Pops temporary apartment for a swim!  Two happy kiddos were ready to swim and play.

Well, Beau was pretty interested in taking snack breaks!  He would run over to the bag every five minutes to get a handful/mouthful of Goldfish crackers.  How can he fit 7 at one time?!?!  

We have all had a wonderful long weekend!  Thanks to Sarah, Barbara and Patsy for coming to visit.  We loved our adventures, shopping and playing.  Oh, and we loved that our piggy banks got filled up with all of your change!!  Thanks to Nana and Pops for the pool fun.  It was a great way to end the weekend.  Home for dinner, baths and bedtime - these two tired boys had a lot of fun!

Happy Birthday, Mommy

Lincoln and Beau love a good birthday party, and they were thrilled to find out it was time to celebrate Mommy's 34th birthday!  We shopped for the best party supplies, and they took forever to decide!  I guided them away from Elmo and circus stuff to more Mommy-friendly polka dots!  Once they saw the hats, they were on board!  Lincoln gave Nana very specific cake instructions, and they wrapped up some of their favorite cars to give me as gifts.  

Daddy took the boys to get cards and flowers on the big day, and they had quite an adventure.  I hear Beau wasn't happy that he couldn't carry the roses because of the thorns and maybe threw a fit.  They each picked out a great Charlie Brown or Snoopy card that played music!   

We opened girly gifts, and they were excited even though they don't care about dresses, necklaces or earrings!  Of course, the fact that they were the openers made it all ok.  So sweet that they don't care who the celebration is for, they are just happy to have fun. 

Finally, it was time for cake!!!  I was serenaded with the Happy Birthday song by my sweeties, and we were all happily wearing our hats!   

The cake was super yummy, and exactly matched Linc's specifications.  Whew - glad Nana found the perfect cake at Central Market!  For some strange reason (perhaps because 4 year olds are silly), Lincoln decided it would be more fun to eat the cake without his fork . . . or fingers . . . just by leaning over and licking it or burying his face in it!  What?!?!   

Beau was less concerned with being silly, and as always more concerned with actually eating.  That's my boy!  He ate the icing first and asked for more over and over.  Just because it was a special occasion, he got three servings of icing with his one slice of cake.  It was good!!   

The whole day was pretty special.  We went to church, had a yummy brunch at Deli News, played like crazy, took a nap(!!), and everyone really enjoyed the party.  The excitement the boys have about birthdays is catching, and it is a great reminder to take a moment and celebrate.  I hope 34 is as great as 33 has been.  With this family, there is no chance we'll be bored!!!  

How to Eat Rice (Efficiently)

Everyone knows that Beau is pretty serious about food.  I mean, he's constantly talking about food, cooking play food, snacking and planning for his next meal.  At dinner on Friday night, he was extra serious about his rice.  We order the boys cheese quesadillas and chicken fajitas to split (along with apple slices I brought along), and they always enjoy their Mexican meal.  I gave Beau the rice from my plate, and he was so happy!  He needed a spoon and fork to capture each and every grain.  He was careful and filled his utensils slowly.  

A look of determination while bringing the fork and spoon closer without spilling (much)! 

The fork bite was first, and it was great! 

Clean fork - next up is spoon. 

I think we could all see the little wheels in his brain turning about the difficulty of this two bite process.  Apparently, it was too hard or too slow to load both utensils with enough rice for a good bite.  Smart little guy decided to use the fork to load up the spoon!  Genius!   

He was much happier with his new process and bigger bites!  So efficient!

I got a sneaky little look after he caught me observing and taking pictures of him at work.  Stinker!!! 

It was kind of amazing to watch Beau work through his rice process.  He's just the smartest thing . . . especially when food is involved!  Next week he can get his own bowl of rice, and maybe that will be easier than trying to get it off the plate.  I'm sure genius Beau will come up with a great plan no matter what! 

Match-y Match-y

I find myself dressing Lincoln and Beau alike more and more.  It's just so cute!  There are so many fun superhero shirts out for little boys right now, and they love to be superheroes!  Auntie has sent them a few matching shirts, and Nana is always finding them more.  I know that they are aware when they have on the same shirt, but Beau has taken it to a new level.  I had Lincoln dressed for school in a shirt with a basketball on it, and Beau freaked out that his shirt didn't have any balls on it at all.  We found a baseball shirt really quickly!  Neither are very opinionated about the type of clothing I choose, and they aren't sensitive about fabric/style/etc.  Cargo shorts (like Daddy!), polo shirts, basketball shorts, tshirts, whatever is fine . . . as long as we stick with a theme!  

Tales from Lincoln's Lunchbox

Lincoln is definitely a lunchbox kid!  He is a fan of many lunchbox staples, and I try to create a fun mix of things to keep him guessing during the week.  His most requested lunch is a homemade lunchable.  The ones pre-made in the stores gross me out because I'm not sure they are actually healthy.  The sodium levels are off the charts, and I'm not sure about the quality of the meat and cheese, plus the cookies/treats aren't suitable for a lunchbox.  So we make our own lunchables!  We get the healthiest black forest ham or roasted turkey breast from our favorite deli guy, natural cheddar, add a few crackers and fruit, and top it off with a cereal bar . . . instant success!!!  This one had ham with his favorite goodies.

He also likes sandwiches made with his favorite ingredients.  Pretzels and blueberries are a frequent request, and this lunch is a winner.  Silly Lincoln eats his sandwich crust-first, which is kind of weird for a kid!   

Back to the lunchable!  He instructs me on the ingredients and approves the final product.  Roasted turkey breast was our pick on this day with our favorite stuff to go with it.   

I found some fun bread shaped like goldfish crackers that he went wild for!  I'm sure a ham and cheese sandwich is super fun to eat when it's shaped like a fish, and goldfish pretzels definitely kept the theme.  

When we have tortillas left over from fajitas or tacos, Lincoln suggests a wrap for lunch.  He's happy to have crackers and a banana with his wrap, and that's a pretty hands on lunch!  

Back to the lunchable!  There are so many different combinations, and it's hard to get bored when things are switched up each day.  He eats apple slices like crazy, so I know this is one of his favorites! 

I wouldn't say that Lincoln is the most excited eater, but we have figured out what he likes, what is nutritious, and what works in the lunchbox.  He is thrilled about what we've packed each day, and I know he's actually eating it and getting proper nutrition.  His teacher loves the lunches and always tells me she is jealous!!  I'm pretty sure that her suggestion that I start a kids lunchbox business isn't practical, but I love that she and Lincoln both enjoy the lunch each day.  This tiny little labor of love makes my heart happy!

Fun Few Days!

No work or school on Friday!!!  We had a few errands on the agenda in the morning, and the boys were thrilled when they learned the car wash was on the list.  They love Big Lou's and beg to go there all the time! The squeal when the guy sprays their windows before we head through the automated wash, and they love the rolling brushes and dryers as we pass through.  We get out while they clean the inside and have lots of fun by the benches.  One time the guy cleaning in the back of the Acadia put on a fire hat of theirs . . . they are still talking about that and how funny it was! 

After our errands, we had a picnic lunch and played some fun games inside - 100 degrees!  Of course, we had swimming lessons in the afternoon followed by our favorite Friday dinner party at Anamia's.  The Robison's joined us, and the boys were super excited that Jackson could come over to play after dinner.  Jackson wasn't intimidated by the older boys and crawled right over to play with the cars and ramp with them.  At just 9 months old, he's a pretty cool kid!  Beau was just happy his buddy was here, and Lincoln kept asking me to get Jackson to talk. 

We posed for a group picture after the boys set up the chairs to watch a show . . . they do this often, and we never see any shows.  Not sure what the point is, but it rarely causes fights and they seem to think it's pretty great.  Thanks to Jackson for playing along!  Oh, and Beau and Jackson are happy with footballs, while Lincoln needed the drill gun. 

Surprisingly we didn't have any real plans for Saturday!  We slept in (YAY!!!) and shopped a bit in the morning and did lots of playing in the afternoon.  We went to Matt's to have yummy Mexican for dinner.  On the way home, Beau had an unfortunate sun spot in the car.  He was pretty miserable until Daddy turned and gave him a break from the sun.  Poor little guy! 

A rainy Sunday kept us in for most of the day.  After naps, we had a movie event with popcorn, lemonade and sleeping bags.  The boys LOVED watching Charlie Brown Christmas (I know, in July!) with their special set up and treats.   

We got a little artsy-craftsy after dinner.  Construction paper, crayons, glue sticks, tape, and scissors . . . Lincoln made a treasure map, and Beau and I made a paper chain.  Lincoln thought the paper chain was super cool and made one of his own.  Monday is back to school, and there are so many fun activities going on.  Pretend Day, Movie Day, Foam Day, and Splash Day are on the calendar, and Lincoln and Beau are excited!  What a fun weekend filled with lots of time for family fun!

Silly School Day

The boys had Silly Hat and Sunglasses Day at school this week, and they were thrilled to get decked out in their silly gear.  Funny cowboy hats and Rangers sunglasses were a must!  Fun and silly days at school!

Lincon's Dentist Visit then Fun Day

Lincoln had a dentist check up recently, and he was all good except for a previous filling that didn't hold up.  We went back to see Dr. Bob today for a crown, and Lincoln was so brave.  I understand that he didn't enjoy the numbing shot or the actual crown setting, but he just cried a little.  He loved watching the movie and playing video games before and after, according to the nurse.  The nurses and doctor said he was really sweet the whole time though.  He was excited to tell them about all the fun he would have after leaving the dentist.  So proud of my brave little guy!

We went to the library to check out a few new books while we waited on the numbing to subside.  Linc picked a Curious George book, a Berenstein Bears book, a Franklin book and a Dr Seuss book -- all of his favorites!  He ate a yogurt semi-successfully with half of his mouth being numb, and we read our borrowed books together on the couch.  I asked if was interested in going to see a movie, and he was definitely exited about that!  We saw Monster University, and it was so fun.  He got scared at first because they were learning to scare sleeping kids (!!!!!  Really, Disney!!!!), but then he because excited to watch Mike and Sully become friends and watch their team win the Scare Games.  Luckily he was laughing and cheering at the end!  We picked up Beau from a fun day at school with a petting zoo and a puppet show, and Lincoln was happy to share all of his adventures of the day with Beau.  The boys had super special (homemade copycat Chick-fil-A) chicken nuggets, sweet potato fries and bananas for dinner, and the cleaned their plates!!!!  Linc's mouth was back to normal and his "bubble" was gone so he could eat.  Of course, he wanted to play the Cars video game for a few minutes before bed.  It has been a few days since he has played it, so Mommy said yes!  Beau tried to help me put away laundry, but he really wanted to sneak into Daddy's office to watch Linc! 

The boys decided on Popsicles for dessert, and we are loving these new ones.  Mini Popsicles that are slow-melt are so easy and yummy!  They can eat them fast enough that there is no mess - hooray!!! 

We all brushed our teeth super good tonight, but we always do.  I'm so proud that Lincoln said he was cool with going back to the dentist after today.  He did tell me that I should text the lady at the office and tell her that he didn't like the bubble and not to do that again!  (They call the shot a bubble.)  Also he told me to text her that they should show a different movie next time because the "mouse cooking one" (Ratatouille??) isn't his favorite.  A fun and busy day didn't even wear them out.  They were bouncing off the walls at 8:00, but everyone calmed down nicely after a bath and bedtime story.  Wednesday is silly hat and sunglasses day at school, and they have their gear already picked out and labeled with their names.  Also Lincoln has computer class in the morning, so he's super pumped.  He's always telling me about CPUs and surge protectors . . . I think they play actual computer games in between learning the tech jargon!!!!

Post 4th Fun with the Freemans

The boys were so excited that Minnie and Bubbles came to visit this weekend.  After our super busy 4th, we knew we could keep the fun going for the rest of the weekend.  Minnie and Bubbles got to see Lincoln and Beau at swimming lessons, and they were amazed at what super swimmers they are.  We went for a walk, a bike ride, and played baseball outside before it got too hot.  Bubbles was pretty much in charge of playing with blocks, fixing airplanes and trucks, and in general being climbed on.  Those are his favorite things!  

Minnie spent most of her time reading books and playing Lego's.  No complaints from her!  Beau read to her from his favorite book - a cookbook!  He knows the names of each recipe and loves to talk about the foods.   

In addition to all of the playing, we had lots of yummy treats.  Bubbles brought the boys a special batch of his famous sugar cookies decorated with icing and sprinkles.  They LOVED them!  We also had plenty of ice cream sandwiches and popsicles.  Minnie found a few books in their clean out that she thought the boys would like, and they were happy about that of course.  They are joke books, and I think we have a while before they understand the joke part.  Lincoln did really enjoy the knock knock jokes, but he didn't "get" them and just liked saying "who's there" over and over.  Beau also got his very own Franklin the Turtle for his bed, just like Linc has.  He's been hugging him and saying, "Oh, Frankly!"  Cute!  I didn't take any pictures until it was time for them to go back to Arkansas, and everyone was giving lots of squeeze hugs.  We had so much fun, although the boys were sad that Allyson couldn't come this time.  Thanks for coming to visit!  

Independence Day 2013

Our neighborhood has a fun parade for the 4th of July that the boys were so excited about!  We decorated Lincoln's bike and Beau's wagon with tons of flags, streamers, garlands, and bows to make them look super patriotic.  We took our spot at the end of the block to watch the parade go by and wave at everyone.

The firetruck was their favorite part!  Of course we waved and yelled as they passed by.  I'm pretty sure I recognized a few of them from my repeated calls back in October of last year when Kevin was in Belgium!  Thankfully, they didn't seem to remember us or hold any ill will towards us and waved back! 

Their second favorite part was the marching band.  Lincoln told me he wants a tuba someday and to march in a band.  That would definitely make the Kuhlman family proud!   

After a few more floats of veterans and boy scouts, tons of kids passed by with candy to toss.  The boys hoarded lots of candy in Beau's wagon with the promise that they could eat it after lunch.  (Don't tell them, but the candy might have disappeared.  No one has inquired about it so I'm not saying anything!)  We joined in and paraded up the street to Bowie (their future Elementary school) with our decorated bike and wagon.  The boys were happy to wave to those on the sidewalks watching.  The party at Bowie had hot dogs, a dj, a bounce house, and a giant slide.  Linc was super excited to try the slide.  Super fun smile at the bottom! 

Beau took a turn jumping in the bounce house with Daddy, and Lincoln wanted to try the dunking booth.  He gave his best throws at the target! 

The volunteer girl thought Linc gave a great effort.  She told him that since he was so young, he should just run up and hit the target.  The girl sitting in the dunking booth barely had a chance to protest that it wasn't fair before Lincoln slammed the button to plunge her into the water!  He was giggling like crazy!!   

After cooling down at home, we took a rest and played a few games.  The Rainbow Cheerios counting/sorting game was fun and yummy, and the Berenstain Bears Share game had us all laughing.  We went out for pizza for dinner, and Daddy decided it was too early to go home.  Lincoln asked to play some video games, so Daddy took us to Adventure Landing for the first time.  These guys were in heaven!!  We played a round of SkeeBall first, and we definitely need to work on aim.  After a water gun game, the boys played a game to knock over lizards as they spun by on a wheel.  They did great!  I guess Whack-a-Mole isn't around anymore, but we found the closest thing . . . Ice Age Acorns.  They took turns whacking the acorns to earn tickets.  Beau found a jumping/dancing game that he wanted to try.  I'm not sure he was heavy enough to activate the floor sensor, but he had fun!  Somehow, we earned enough tickets to get the boys yoyos and a dinosaur.  They loved it! 

We couldn't resist treating the boys to their first round of putt putt golf.  The weather was crazy nice (breezy and upper 80s is unheard of on July 4th!), so we hit the mini links.  I can officially confirm that the next Tiger Woods does not live in our house.  The boys listed to Daddy's instructions on the first hole, then it was a free for all after that!  They kind of got the first shot part, then they just grabbed their balls and ran to the hole.  Who could put it closest to the hole and tap it in was their contest!  They really had the best time just playing around, and it was so much fun to watch them.  I hope we have many more (and more productive) family putt putt outings!   

We got home at about 8:00 from our fun adventures with the intention to do baths and bedtime at about 8:30.  They were still completely wired and running wild and inexplicably in Green Lantern costumes (???) that probably added to their energy level.  We decided on a last minute surprise for them - going to watch fireworks!  The only fireworks they have ever seen is at a Rangers game when someone hits a home run!  Fireworks always start so late, and in past years they have already been in bed.  We went to watch the fireworks show at the country club, and it didn't disappoint.  We started out in the back of the Acadia, but soon moved to the grass to get a better view over the trees.  They loved the fireworks, the different colors, the explosions, and pretending to fly in their costumes.  I'm still not sure why they had on their Green Lantern vest and capes!   

Everyone was definitely up past their bedtimes, but everyone had a spectacular day!  I'm so glad Daddy suggested Adventure Landing and putt putt golf.  I hope that is an activity we enjoy often.  I'm also so glad the boys got to see their first fireworks show.  Experiencing life through the eyes of a 4 year old and 2 year old can be amazing.  They have so much joy and just love these new fun things.  I'm so thankful that we live in a country where we have an Independence Day and can celebrate as we choose.  After such a fun-filled day, I hope we all get a little extra rest in the morning . . . fingers crossed!