More Two Wheel Action

Zane couldn't get enough of his new skill yesterday! After nap we went over to the school near us, which was nearly vacant since it's spring break, to get more riding time. 

 Let the races begin...

 The victor.

 Hannah snagging a ride on Papa's longboard.

 Me holding onto Mason for dear life while attempting to longboard.

 Hannah's selfie.

 And a celebratory "I just learned to ride my bike" ice cream. When we got home the neighbor was out so of course the bike came back out and they rode up and down the street together until it got too dark. It's going to be a fun summer!

Zane Rides Two Wheeler

Today Zane reached a milestone! He will never again not know how to ride a bike!! He told us he was ready to ride on two wheels so we walked over to the park and off he went. Mason ran with him for the first few trips in between the park benches, but Zane wouldn't let him touch the bike, he said "Let go, Papa!" And that was that.

It took a few tries, but he can also start and stop on his own. There were no major spills today, but I will add a mini first aid kit to the stroller for future trips. We are so unbelievably amazed at the ease at which he picked it up and proud of his determination and independence. Go Z!!

A trip to the Children's Museum

 Hannah would have been content to hang out in the Dig Pit all day.

 Learning about circuits. Very cool!

 Fashionista.

 I've decided to wrap them in bubble wrap to fend off allergens and sickness.

Mini Vacation

Well we rolled right from the stomach flu into nasty chest colds. Boo. Is it spring yet?! We've been making the best of it and getting outside when we can, but it's been rainy a lot…so we go stomp in puddles.

 And take bike rides around the block. Zane put his chain back on!

 Our neighbors came over for an evening of loose supervision and pizza. Mason and I totally used them as an excuse to get REAL pizza…so cheesy and delicious.

 Then it felt like we were going a little bit crazy in the house so Mason booked us a little overnight vacation in Cannon Beach! YAY Mason!! We hit the beach upon arrival...

 …and he wonders how so much sand gets in his shoes (and pants, underwear, and eyes).

 The hotel, which we LOVE, let us check in 3 hours early so the kids could nap! Awesome! And then we hit the pool. Hannah thought the echo was neato.

 We even got some hot tub time. Ahhhhh….

 Then it was time for dinner at The Lumberyard (we had Irish Nachos in honor of St. Paddy's day!)…but not before taking in the view of Haystack Rock from our porch.

 In the morning we went back to the beach one last time before heading home and got to see the tide pools around the base of Haystack Rock. I've wanted to do that since we moved here and was overjoyed. It was cool to walk around the base of the rock, which is normally surrounded by water, and point out the sea life to Z.

 Papa and Hannah take it all in.

 Starfish cluster.

 Anemones.

 Eagle!!

 Heading back…until next time Cannon Beach.

Fresh Air

The Rippeys have been down with the stomach flu for a whole week. It wasn't pretty and there was a lot of sleepless nights, laundry, and bleaching…and lots of time spent shivering under blankets in front of cartoons. For a while there it seemed to pick and choose daily who it would infect…not fun. Poor Zane got the worst of it.

 Hannah was mostly OK on this day and up to no good. "What? Oh, you don't want me to turn off the radio?"

"Haha, I'm so funny."

 Just yesterday the monkeys were well enough to venture outside. Zane is all about his "pedal bike" these days, but he needs to practice pedaling and balancing at the same time so the training wheels are on. He's close!

 Hannah's big girl friend, Zoe, joined us for a walk around the block.

Today they had more energy so we ventured to the park to play with Zane's glider on the tennis courts.

 And we headed back in the afternoon. FRESH AIR is so fabulous after being couped up for a whole week! The sun felt lovely and it was great to see them both smile and EAT!