Birthday Party at the Firestation

On Saturday we had two birthday parties. The first was at one of the Frisco fire stations. This was a very nice change of pace. The kids got a tour of the fire station, an ambulance, a firetruck, and a short talk on fire safety and what firemen look like in their full outfits. At the end of the party, with magic timing, the firestation alarm rang and the firefighters were off to another emergency (out the door time is under 60 seconds). We suspect this was part of the show, however, because the engine rolled back in about 5 minutes later.


stop drop and roll...
















the ambulance














\

The big finale

Happy Birthday Collin

Collin turned 4 last week. Although he hasn't gained much weight in the past year, he sure has grown. I am constantly amazed at the things he can do. He can't read yet, so when he navigates the menus on the Wii it is purely from memory. He is very athletic, and being so light makes him very good at climbing. I'm looking forward to getting him involved in organized sports.






His obsession with Star Wars is still intact, so we ran with that for the theme. He had a Darth Vader cake. Some of his presents included a new lightsaber, Darth Vader costume, and some action figures.

That night we met a few friends at Gattitown for Pizza and some fun. Collin and Caden really like the miniature bowling. Madison got to ride the bumper cars for the first time.

I've Been Schooled

Today was the first time Collin really beat me bad at Wii Bowling. Normally I win, but today he started the game with 4 strikes. Needless to say I lost 191 (his high score) to 109 (not one of my better outings).

He also loves to play the tank game. I can usually stay alive longer, but he has a recklessness that often nets him more kills.

Happy Easter

Here are a few pictures of the kids from Sunday morning. The weather did not cooperate and Sunday was cool and cloudy. Saturday and Monday were nice and sunny.

The kids searched for eggs that morning before Church. After Church we went to a neighbors house and had another Easter egg hunt. The kids were hopped up on sugar all day.

Caden Shaves for the First Time

Caden consistently gets into things. Madison never wandered into cabinets and climbed on the counters. Collin did some, but still he wasn't much trouble. Caden, on the other hand, thinks the whole house is his. He can climb onto any counter using the drawers as a ladder (he typically doesn't need to pull them out). He climbs on the shelves in the pantry like a ladder until he realizes he can't hold on and get whatever he wants.

Today he climbed on the bathroom counter and got hold of my razor. I guess he has seen me shave enough now and knows just what to do. I'm suprised he got as far as he did before crying enough for mom to hear. Most of the cuts were little, but Kerry said the one on his chin bled for quite some time.

Rock Climbing

Today we went to a birthday party at the Canyons of Frisco. This is an indoor rock climbing place. They allow parents to help their kids and have 20 or so climbing locations, so the kids got to do a lot of climbing. They also had a big rope swing (the kids were hooked in).

Madison and Collin both did really good climbing. Collin had a bit of trouble reaching some of the different holds but displayed a lot of strength and flexibility. I was very proud of Madison as well. She climbed well.

Dad took a turn on the climbing wall as well. I went up a reverse incline section, but wasn't able to make it to the top (I did make it over the reverse incline section, but just barely). I was suprised at how quickly my arms and fingers got tired.

We will definitely be going back.

Dallas Snow

Today we got around 3" of snow in Frisco. At my work (about 15 miles south) we only saw rain and sleet, but Kerry had warned me about all the snow when we got home.

A lot of the kids were out front playing tonight. We put on layers of clothes, plastic bags for hands and / or feet, and tape to keep gloves on little fingers. We made a few snowmen and even rode down the street in the back of a pickup to pick a snowball fight. Jill made hot cocoa for everyone which really hit the spot.

This weekend it is supposed to be back up to 70, so we should be able to get out again and play in the sun.

Wii 've created a monster

So we got our first real gaming system just this past Friday. As you can tell from the title we chose the Wii. Collin has been playing it at our neighbors house religiously and can't seem to get enough of it. Yesterday he woke up at 6:30 and started playing Lego Star Wars. I don't think he took more than a single break over 30 minutes the rest of the day, until about 7:30 last night when we threw the kids into the bath. Watching him bowl is hilarious. He uses his entire body, and quite often lands on the floor after swinging his arms in full circles.

Madison likes bowling as well. We will have to get her another game.

Kerry and I are playing guitar hero. We just wish there were a few kid friendly songs available, because Madison likes to try and play this as well. She does the colors, and I strum the bar. She is doing better on slow ride, but still can't make it through the full song.