It's official. Lauren can ride her bike without training wheels! She's practiced a few times over the last few months, but last week she really got it. Here's a video of her.
You can see how proud of herself she is. This video is on the cul-de-sac across the street from our house. This is where the kids ride their bikes the most when we are just hanging out. Lauren did ride her bike to the park without training wheels, with Mark running alongside her. She only had one crash! That's pretty good for a 3 3/4 year old! (Only one crash is pretty good for my 30 something self too!)
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Monday, October 26, 2009
Houston, we have a bed. 2 actually!
Well, we finally did it. It only took us 6 and a half years, but Ryan has a bed!
He never felt deprived, and liked being low to the ground. But as he approached first grade it really seemed like he should have a bed. In true Bonniwell fashion, he couldn't just have a regular bed....no, it had to be the perfect, exciting one! Well, he has his dream bed...with a built in desk with a total of 8 new drawers to store treasures in. He also has a bunk bed, on top, and shelves on the bottom by his head (if he sleeps down.) There are also lots of options for making forts. He had been having bad dreams, and stated that with this bed, he feels safe and won't have bad dreams. He also quickly found a place to store his books near his new book light, and wanted to start reading. So, if this bed alleviates bad dreams and encourages reading, it was well worth the wait.
Now for Lauren....she has also been bedless. Once she crawled out of her crib, we moved her to a mattress on the floor. Up until recently, she didn't even want to sleep on the mattress, and preferred the floor. So, why bother with a bed! But she is getting older and has been consistently staying in her bed. We've been searching for the perfect bed for her...one that was equally as exciting as Ryan's, and preferably gently used so we don't spend a fortune on a bed she'll outgrow in 2 years. This weekend we found it!
She was so cute sitting on it last night reading her stories. She said in all seriousness, "I have a ladder and a slide in my room. I can't believe it." The bed has a slide down from the loft, and a pink canvas tent that wraps most of the way around the bottom creating a fort. We've hung a quilt from Grandma over the front to create a full fort.
Lauren slept in her bed all night last night (not always the case), and came down after sliding out of her bed.
I remember feeling so special when I got a canopy bed when I was 7 or 8. I loved that bed, and loved how special I felt in it. Maybe that's why we've waited this long to get beds. It wasn't just a bed for me, and maybe I've secretly been trying to duplicate that feeling for the kids.
He never felt deprived, and liked being low to the ground. But as he approached first grade it really seemed like he should have a bed. In true Bonniwell fashion, he couldn't just have a regular bed....no, it had to be the perfect, exciting one! Well, he has his dream bed...with a built in desk with a total of 8 new drawers to store treasures in. He also has a bunk bed, on top, and shelves on the bottom by his head (if he sleeps down.) There are also lots of options for making forts. He had been having bad dreams, and stated that with this bed, he feels safe and won't have bad dreams. He also quickly found a place to store his books near his new book light, and wanted to start reading. So, if this bed alleviates bad dreams and encourages reading, it was well worth the wait.
Now for Lauren....she has also been bedless. Once she crawled out of her crib, we moved her to a mattress on the floor. Up until recently, she didn't even want to sleep on the mattress, and preferred the floor. So, why bother with a bed! But she is getting older and has been consistently staying in her bed. We've been searching for the perfect bed for her...one that was equally as exciting as Ryan's, and preferably gently used so we don't spend a fortune on a bed she'll outgrow in 2 years. This weekend we found it!
She was so cute sitting on it last night reading her stories. She said in all seriousness, "I have a ladder and a slide in my room. I can't believe it." The bed has a slide down from the loft, and a pink canvas tent that wraps most of the way around the bottom creating a fort. We've hung a quilt from Grandma over the front to create a full fort.
Lauren slept in her bed all night last night (not always the case), and came down after sliding out of her bed.
I remember feeling so special when I got a canopy bed when I was 7 or 8. I loved that bed, and loved how special I felt in it. Maybe that's why we've waited this long to get beds. It wasn't just a bed for me, and maybe I've secretly been trying to duplicate that feeling for the kids.
Happy Fall 2009
A couple weeks ago we visited Dewberry Farm which is about an hour from our house, and went to their Pumpkin Patch. It was a rainy day and the farm was muddy (Look at Lauren's jeans!), but it didn't phase the kids. They were able to see how pumpkins actually grow, on vines!
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
2 Weeks Later
Lauren has recuperated wonderfully from her surgery to insert tubes in her ears and have her adenoids removed. We had her post-op appointment yesterday (2 weeks), and she can now bathe and swim with no restrictions! And she attended gymnastics class yesterday. (see photo below)
Our focus now will be to try to keep everyone healthy! I hope to get the kids the Flumist next week, and avoid the shots. I'm not sure what the recommendation for the Swine Flu shot will be, and I'm not sure I'm comfortable giving my kids such a new vaccine, so we'll see.
Ryan is doing great in 1st grade. He has his first spelling test this Friday, and today dressed up as a Ninja for a Storybook parade, carrying the Magic Treehouse book, Nights at the Ninjas. He was very excited. He loves these books, and they mark an important corner we turned....when he realized that books without pictures could be exciting! Mark, Lauren and I went to the school and took pictures. He was clearly happy we were there! (Not!)
One more note about the Magic Treehouse Books. The kids love the songs from the Magic Treehouse Musical. I play the CD in my car and they especially like the sweet song, "What Would I Do Without You." They would belt it out together!
 | |
| Lauren's princess leotard for gymnastics |
 |
| Ninja Ryan in the Storybook Parade |
Monday, August 31, 2009
Fall 2009: State of the Bonniwell house
Hello. As my first blog, I feel like I should catch you up on everything. However I doubt I have much time. It's 5:55 a.m. Ryan came downstairs at 4 a.m. and is asleep on the couch outside my office. Lauren came downstairs at 5 a.m. and is watching "Win Ka Poo." I don't have much quiet time left.
So here's the quick version. Ryan started 1st grade a week ago. He loves it so far...all 3.5 days of it. He came down with strep Thursday at noon and missed the afternoon and Friday. Mark was on a trip, so I skipped my client meeting and took Ryan to the doctor, and spent a pleasant afternoon with him at the doctor's offfice and at Walgreens. It's really fun spending time browsing the aisles of Walgreens with a 6 year old!
Lauren is having surgury this morning to have tubes placed in her ears and her adenoids removed. She had tubes when she was 11 months old, and they worked great eliminating her months of constant ear infections. One fell out about a year ago, and the other about a month ago. We've had 8 ear infections in as many months. The last one was terrible, with thick "goo" oozing from her ears, and her saying every few minutes, "What'd you said." The ENT recommends this route, and while I hate to see her go under anesthesia, I think it's the best thing. It's not good for her to be on so many antibiotics, and to have her hearing impacted so often.
So, we will be at the outpatient surgery center at 7 a.m., surgery at 8, and will likely be home by 10. I am planning on Lauren being home through Wednesday. If she feels good on Thursday, she will go to school.
By the way, Lauren started her new 3 year old class at preschool and LOVES it! Last week, every morning she would ask if it was a school day, and wanted to go!! Normally, she's not quite as excited. So, that feels great.
Wow, my first blog post! How exciting!
So here's the quick version. Ryan started 1st grade a week ago. He loves it so far...all 3.5 days of it. He came down with strep Thursday at noon and missed the afternoon and Friday. Mark was on a trip, so I skipped my client meeting and took Ryan to the doctor, and spent a pleasant afternoon with him at the doctor's offfice and at Walgreens. It's really fun spending time browsing the aisles of Walgreens with a 6 year old!
Lauren is having surgury this morning to have tubes placed in her ears and her adenoids removed. She had tubes when she was 11 months old, and they worked great eliminating her months of constant ear infections. One fell out about a year ago, and the other about a month ago. We've had 8 ear infections in as many months. The last one was terrible, with thick "goo" oozing from her ears, and her saying every few minutes, "What'd you said." The ENT recommends this route, and while I hate to see her go under anesthesia, I think it's the best thing. It's not good for her to be on so many antibiotics, and to have her hearing impacted so often.
So, we will be at the outpatient surgery center at 7 a.m., surgery at 8, and will likely be home by 10. I am planning on Lauren being home through Wednesday. If she feels good on Thursday, she will go to school.
By the way, Lauren started her new 3 year old class at preschool and LOVES it! Last week, every morning she would ask if it was a school day, and wanted to go!! Normally, she's not quite as excited. So, that feels great.
Wow, my first blog post! How exciting!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)