Bikes

As a part of Dash's birthday, we watched the local classifieds and bought Dash a bigger bicycle, one that didn't make his knees hit his chin when he pedaled.  As a part of the deal, everyone got a "new" bike.  Colt inherited Dash's old bike and Sport took over Colt's old bike.  Included with Sport's new bike was a special kind of training wheel that helped stabilize the bike and make it fall slower.  With the aid of his new wheel, Sport started riding independently within the afternoon and a few weeks later he was finally able to stop and start on his own.

Sport learning how to ride his bike and giving Dad a workout.

Success!

On Dash's birthday, Sport taped on a sheet of tissue paper like a cape and went out for a ride to see if he could get it to blow in "his wind".

Colt doing his favorite bike trick; steering with one hand while the other arm dangles lifeless at his side.

Dash doing his favorite trick.  Look, Mom, no hands!

Sissy doing her favorite bike trick; yelling at everyone to give her a push.

Pioneer Day

Pioneer Day is a big deal 'round these here parts.  I mean, this is Wyoming and the actually trail went right across the top of the valley.  So, we celebrate big.

For us, the day started early at the Pioneer Day 5K in Lyman.  Brandan was the only one who actually ran in the race, but the kids and I had the major responsibility of cheering him on while looking sympathetically supportive of the other runners who were getting destroyed by our Daddy.

Brandan was so far ahead of the other runners he had time to give hi-fives to his support crew.

After the 5K, there was a kids 1/2 mile run.  Dash and Colt loved the competition and spent the afternoon retelling their race step-by-step to anyone who would listen (or just be quiet enough for them to get the story out).  Sport enjoyed the race as well, but he got distracted a couple of times along the course.  First, by a bunny, then some flowers and finally a corralled horse caught his eye.  He put on a burst of speed at the end though.  Just in time to beat his little buddy from his Primary class.

Dash and Colt came back to cheer Sport on as he came down the homestretch of the race.

After the race, we only just had time to run home and change and hurry back to Lyman for the parade.  Dash and Colt rode on the Primary float (Sport opted out - you get more candy as a spectator) and I walked with the YM/YW float.

Dash and Colt in the parade.

This was our Youth float.  I'm modestly waving from behind the little pony.

Our day ended at the Pioneer Day Rodeo where the boys chased chickens, rabbits, and kittens and I participated in the Goat Milking event.

Sport in the rabbit chase.

Colt just finished his rabbit chase.  He was pretty disappointed he didn't catch one, but since the prize was the rabbit, I could only be a little sympathetic.

Dash lined up for the chicken/kitten chase.

Dash running after a chicken.  The boys tried hard, but we didn't come home with any animals this year.  Too bad.

This was the goat milking competition.  It was a crazy event.  About 50 women in teams of three lined up on one side of the arena and the goats were set loose on the other side.  When the signal was given, everyone raced over to a goat to try and get enough milk into a cup to drip out onto the judge's hand.  My job was the runner, so I just watched as my teammate and 12 other women swarmed one goat.

Kristi handing me out our cup of milk.

Running to the judge.  We took a measly 8th place, but it was kind of fun anyway.  Especially since I really didn't have to do anything. 

Some Summer Stuff

True to our promise to camp more, we've been out several times this summer as a family and a couple of times with our friends, the Lindfords.  One particular evening, we headed out with the Linfords right as some heavy storm clouds began to gather.  Colt was a nervous wreak, and with good reason.  A pretty major thunderstorm broke out after we pulled into camp.  We left the kids in the vans and the adults attempted to start a fire to cook our dinner over.  Sitting in the front seat, Dash grabbed my phone and snapped the picture seen below.

Dash can be pretty tech savvy.  After taking this picture, he texted it to Brandan's phone with the caption, "Worst camping trip ever".  

 The rain storm wasn't the only rough patch in our trip.  About halfway to our camping spot, I started worrying that Sport had climbed in the car with only a pair of flip-flops on his feet.  If only I was so lucky.  I called back to ask what shoes he was wearing, when Dash announced that Sport had no shoes on at all.  Sport vaguely muttered something about it being Sissy's fault and then spent the rest of the trip barefoot.  I don't think he minded much, but now, instead of just telling the kids to go get in the car, I always specify that they should put on shoes, and then go get in the car.

It wasn't all rain clouds and sore toes though.  The weather cleared up and the kids spent the next day building forts out of partially burnt logs.

Dash and his friend, Isac, covered in ash, but feeling extremely accomplished.

 The kids haven't limited sleeping outdoors to camping trips only.  They've also spent a few nights on the trampoline.

Colt and Sport snuggled up and watching a movie before bedtime on the trampoline.

 Sissy doesn't get to sleep outside with the boys, but she finds other ways to hang out.

Breeze the Chimp

 There is a fun little pizza and ice cream parlor in Lyman and one Saturday in July we decided to ride our bikes into Lyman, have a picnic and then get some ice cream cones.  The total trip is almost exactly 12 miles.  Brandan pulled Sport and Sis in the bike trailer and sweet little Colt and Dash huffed and puffed up hills and into the wind without complaint.  They did fantastic.  I was so proud of them.

The kids at the park in Lyman where we stopped for our picnic.

 Our summers aren't all fun and games. (alright, mostly they are)  We really want to teach our kids some responsibility and money management, so we gave them each a school "bill".  In order to pay for the new school clothes and supplies, they need to earn money and then pay us their bill, $5 for Dash and $3 for Colt.  They've been working pretty hard trimming the edges of the lawn (with pairs of scissors), vacuuming and washing the van, scrubbing shower curtains and the like.  Then Brand decided to let them in to the "family business", wood working.  Brandan has been cutting down and carving walking sticks to sell on Ebay and he found that there is even a market for plain sticks of a certain size that are stripped of bark and dried.  So we took the kids to the hills and gave Dash and Colt a small saw to cut down small trees.  The boys took turns sawing away and then worked together to haul their trunks out of the woods and down the hill.  Then they used moderately dull knives to shave all the bark off the sticks.  (Disclaimer: I wasn't totally comfortable with the amount of sharp objects my children handled, but no one ended up bloody, so...) After their sticks were perfectly clean, they set them out on the back porch in the hot sun until they were nice and dry.  So far, they've sold one stick for $8.  They're pretty pleased.

While we were waiting for Brandan to finish cutting his sticks, the boys sat down and started working on their sticks while Sis and Sport played in a mud puddle.