Phil found out about a cyclocross race in town that also included a little kids race just for fun. We thought the boys would love to participate in it. Phil got them all pumped up about it and took them on extra bike rides to train for it, ha! One day a neighbor saw the boys on their bikes and asked them if they were going on a bike ride and Eli quickly responded "no we're training!" Hahaha!
Before the race
Ready, set, go!
As fast as lightning!
Caleb cruising around the bend
In cyclocross you have to carry your bike over obstacles
The boys showing off their wooden medals! Eli was a little perturbed that everyone won. He said next time he wanted to do a race with only one winner, ha!
Later that weekend we went mushroom picking with some friends who taught us the ropes.
Eli was really good at spotting them!
We picked several pounds of chanterelle mushrooms and split them between our friends and us. Unlike their mother the boys LOVE mushrooms and couldn't eat enough of them!
Caleb "helping" fix our porch steps : )
Pretend play has never looked so cute! The boys hardly take them off and are always having epic light saber battles : )
When we took our family vacation to Hawaii 4 years ago I bought the boys coconut monkey "piggy" banks for them to use someday. A few months before they turned 5 they started doing chores. For helping pick up the living room they'd each get a quarter (they'd do this everyday). Then there was occasional yard work (weeding, picking up leaves, etc) and depending how long they helped for we'd pay them a dollar or two. They all saved most of their money in their monkeys but sometimes they'd spend it too. Eli was the big spender, Thomas a little less, and Caleb hardly ever spent his money. Caleb just never thought ahead and was always bumming off his brothers. Thankfully his brothers were pretty generous with him and would always share their purchases or just plain old give him money! At some point the boys asked when they could open up their monkeys and I blurted out 'when you turn six' (I wanted to give them plenty of time to get a good amount saved). Well the day finally came!!!
Luckily no dad's were hurt in this event, ha!
Look at all the loot!
Counting our money!
As expected Caleb had the most, followed by Thomas and lastly Eli. We immediately went to the dollar store and they all spent $3-4 (I wouldn't let them spend more so they'd actually buy stuff that lasts). A few days later they all agreed that they wanted costumes which I fully support because these guys spend a good amount of the day in serious pretend play mode. So we went online and I ordered each of them their costume of choice, now we are just waiting for them to come! And next up is the Lego store : )
A few weeks ago with their buddy Oz : )
Caleb was looking so handsome today...
...that I snapped a few more pics of just him!
See what I mean! Some serious pretend play going on!
I love a little kid with hands in their pockets!
Cheeky Eli
The boys love playing the Mexican game "La Loteria." They call the person who deals the cards "the helper," haha!
About a month ago Eli lost his first tooth (both his brothers' loose teeth are still hanging on, gah!). It was his idea to tie it up to the door to yank it off. Phil was very squiemish about doing it but I'd rather do that than try to yank it out myself, that would creep me out, ha!
