Biker Boy

Dave and I have been talking about getting Leland a bike. He has a tricycle, but his legs are already a little long for it, and we thought he was ready for an actual bicycle.

I didn't want to spend much on one - I was thinking like $20 or less - so I put a note out on facebook to see if anyone had any ideas on where to find one and a friend of mine said we could have her kids' old one. She said it was headed to Goodwill anyway, so I happily scooped it up. And then we went to Target to get him a helmet.

He's so proud!

Alden thinks it's pretty cool too.

And he likes that he gets Leland's trike.

It's perfect for Leland, and he loves it. He can't pedal yet, but he's practicing. To me, it seems like he's improving each time he tries, but it's a very slow process. I told him once he can pedal by himself, we'll go around the neighborhood together instead of just the driveway. He's pretty excited about that. Hey, maybe he can be my partner while I run.

Berry Pickin'

Last summer, we missed out on picking strawberries (although it would have been really difficult with Alden being so little anyway), so I was determined to do it this year.

Friday afternoon, my mother-in-law came over and we all hopped in the car to go pick some berries.

The boys did a good job, though Alden pretty much ate everything he picked. We ended up with a pretty good pile o' berries. Good thing my boys love them!

New Pool (and more photography practice)

Last week, after I filled our pool, I discovered that there were more holes in it than the just the top ring that had been flat for the last two summers. There was no saving it, so I grabbed another one at Target.

The boys were so excited and hopped in it that afternoon, after only about 3 hours of it warming up. It was freezing, but they didn't care at all. So I used this opportunity to practice my photography some more.

It still took me a while to get my settings "right" for a correct exposure, and I still had many shots that weren't in focus, but these turned out much better than my beach ones. They are brighter, but almost too bright in some areas. I have a hard time finding the right balance.

In my mind, I still have a lot to learn, but I am pleased with some improvement.

Beach Play (Photography Practice)

A few days ago, I took the boys down to a local beach on Lake Michigan. It was way too cold for swimming (Lake Michigan takes a long time to warm up and we haven't had too many warm days), so the boys just played in the sand.

My goal in this was not just a fun activity for the boys, but also a chance to practice with my camera a bit. I haven't really used it much in the last few months and I'm not thrilled with the photos I take. Maybe it's my equipment, maybe it's me, maybe it's an editing issue, maybe I'm being harder on myself than I should be, or most likely, it's a mixture of all of those things. But, basically, I'd like to get to the point where I can take decent (not professional, but not random mamarazzi) portraits of my own kids. And since practice makes perfect...or at least helps one improve, then practice is my goal this summer.

It was a really cloudy day, so I adjusted my exposure compensation, but then they turned out overexposed (though they didn't look so bright on my camera display, there were SUPER bright when I uploaded them), so I had to edit them to tone it down a bit. I have a hard time getting that bright (but not too bright), crisp picture.

Here's what I got that I felt was worth sharing.

Probably my favorite as far as lighting.

Suggestions from my photography friends would be deeply appreciated. Mostly, I struggle with getting my settings right. I spend so much time fiddling with my settings that I miss a lot of photo opportunities. To get the lighting right and the right part in focus...the struggle is real, friends.

(I know about composition, but since I'm focusing on the more technical aspects right now, I'm paying less attention to composition.)

Also, I only have Lightroom 5 for editing, and I really probably only scratch the surface of what I can do with that program. But I feel if I can get a better photo to start with, I won't need the editing so much.

You know you're a boy mom when...

...you get excited about  watching construction vehicles do their thing.

Yesterday, on the way to Kindermusik, I suddenly remembered that they were doing some construction downtown. I have been meaning to take them down to see the construction vehicles, and just haven't yet. I'm sure they'll be working for a while but I decided to skip Kindermusik (we can do it next week instead) and check it out.

The boys LOVED watching them.

We followed this excavator down the street and watched it from a safe distance, behind a fence. Leland yelled out to the guys, "Hi! My name is Leland!" And the guy driving the excavator chatted with us for a minute. Then he asked if Leland wanted to sit in it. Boy, did he!

That alone was so exciting for Leland, just to sit in it. But then the guy asked if it was okay if he sat with Leland and let him work the bucket, and I thought Leland was going to burst.

Alden enjoyed watching his brother have all the fun. He doesn't like to do those kinds of things unless I'm with him. He's my cautious one (they totally have their birth orders mixed up), but he really did like watching.

And then, on our walk back to the car, the Traverse City Light and Power guys gave the boys some stickers.

What a fun morning! Leland hasn't stopped talking about it.

Family Fun Day

This weekend, we went to an "Family Fun" event at a park near our house. We'd never been to this event before. Actually, we'd never taken the boys to that park before either. The last time I went there was for a birthday party for my high school boyfriend's dad. So...it's been a while. We weren't sure what to expect, but we figured if it was lame, at least there would be food and a playground. But it turned out so fun!

Leland was immediately drawn to the ambulance and fire truck. He got to sit in them, which is pretty much the coolest thing ever in his mind. Alden sat in them too, but not long enough for a picture.

And then the boys noticed the planes.

There were several small airplanes there. I'd say about 6 or 7 of them. They were giving airplane rides to kids ages 8-14. For FREE! Now, obviously, my boys aren't old enough to go up, and I'm not sure I would be comfortable with that anyway, but they had SO much fun just watching the planes take off and land. Leland was able to see one up close and sit in it.

After that, the boys enjoyed some bounce houses...

And the playground...

 Teeter totter fun!

On the swing with Alden. Photo bomb by Dave. Yes, my husband does exist and attend these things with me. He just refuses to be pictured most of the time.

It was such a great event. It was nice that it was small so it wasn't too crowded. The boys loved it (so did we), and we look forward to going again next year!

Off to a Great Start

Warning: picture overload!

Well, we've had one full week of summer vacation and we made sure it was a FULL, fun week. 

To kick off our summer, we had a play date with Fischer and Otto. We played and picnicked at a new (to us) park and then went out for ice cream.

Another day, we went to Kindermusik, which I posted about here.

We visited Julie at her new apartment. It was so nice to see her and visit!

We went to the library for story time (and played with puzzles).

We ate smelled the flowers in the backyard.

We took walks.

The boys went to daycare one day so I could organize the basement, get my hair cut, and have lunch with my awesome coworker. 

We did a little Pinterest craft. They didn't turn out exactly like the original ones I pinned (my projects never do), but I thought they turned out cute. Leland LOVES them!

Alden's are on the top, Leland's on the bottom.

The boys helped Daddy in the yard after he cut down some tree branches.

We played outside A LOT! We wrestled and goofed around inside.

We snuggled on the couch.

Basically, we had a perfect week. And then we had a fun weekend, which I will share about later. It's going to be a fabulous summer.