While we thought it took a long time to get to Tory’s first haircut, it was over three years until Tegan’s. But she’s a girl so it’s different, and she’s got her mom’s awesome thickness too. Not much was taken off so you can hardly tell, but apparently doing this makes hair healthy.

Tory got a quick trim too. Judging from the results, it’s time I stopped cutting it for him and let the pros do what the pros do. I should probably stop cutting my own hair too.

Heel Edge

Tory has been asking all season if he could snowboard. We finally caved and rented one for the afternoon. I was hoping that he wouldn’t like it*, but turns out he really did. Even though he just rode heel edge all day, I was still amazed at how quickly he picked up the balance.

Here’s a quick video:

* Why? 1. Don’t want to buy both skis and snowboard gear every year and 2. He’s a good skier, and I wasn’t looking forward to the learning curve on High Meadow again. Selfish me, I know.

Very excited to post this about Tegan skiing on her own for the first time. Top to bottom on High Meadow all by herself. She’ll turn three in a week, but technically, she’s skiing on her own at two. My little girl.

Forced smile aside, I think he's pretty happy about these books.

I picked Tory up on Wednesday and his teacher, Miss Sylvie, asked him to tell me what he did today. Typical kid, he’s says something like, ‘What? I don’t know.’ Turns out he read his first two books. They’re Bob Books, Mat and Sam. Pretty simple of course, but Miss Sylvie was pretty excited, saying he picked them up and started reading, bam bam bam without having to sound out the letters. Apparently when they get it, it comes like a flood. He’s been reading a few others since then.

It shouldn't be this easy!

Potty training is one of the milestones I’ve been looking forward to the most. With Tory we experienced a long, drawn out process that required much bribery in the form of ‘potty prizes’. It was never meant to be this way… we’d started him sitting on a mini potty from about 5 months and were convinced that by a year old he’d be pooping on his own, and probably even scrubbing the pot when he was done. Not so.

So with Tegan we just decided to let nature take it’s own course and let things happen in due time. For the last 6 months or so we’d as if she wanted to sit on the potty and she always just said no. Until last week that is. She began asking to sit on the potty, and even though nothing would happen, it was encouraging to hear.

And then lo and behold a miracle occurred! I came inside one afternoon to find Tegan sitting on the potty by herself, and actually using it (no 1)! Later that same day she did it again and left a little brown treat! Were we excited? ah haha ha aha aha!

She’s had a few accidents here and there but overall, she’s good to go. There’s still the nighttime diapers for a while and I’m not sure if we’re ready to brave a long afternoon in public, but I’m ready to call this milestone achieved! Way to go kid!

Tory navigates a corner.

Big Milestones this week – one for Tegan that I’ll write more about later, and the big T rides his bike without training wheels! I’ve been bugging him for the last few weeks to let me take them off and he’d been reluctant. Then one day he asked me to take them off, so we did. I held him for the first few seconds, gave him a push and off he went! Now, a week later he’s able to get up and going on his own and rides back and forth to the neighbors house.

Now I need to get him up on the trail!

Duck Duck Goose with Brad

For Tory’s 4th birthday party (and Tegan’s by default – bad parent, bad parent), we decided to do a drop-off soiree at our house, with games and prizes and screaming uncontrolled kid frenzy. Luckily Brad decided to stick around and help control the chaos.

Actually it turned out really well and the games all got played and everyone got a prize of some sort or another. Parents showed up a little later for a quick dinner and socializing, but the kids really had fun running around and just being together.

On a side note, it was interesting to observe the older boys and girls starting to segregate themselves somewhat. They’re starting to get interested in different things, I guess.

Tegers gets outta the crib

Perhaps we’re jumping the gun here, but Tegan is getting out of the crib and into a big girl bed. We switched out of a crib a bit early with Tory too, and it worked out fine.

Last night was her first night and it went great. She slept through the night and I didn’t have to pick her from the crib in the morning. We’ll see how well nap time goes.

He's got his lunch, must be heading to preschool.

My mom used to take a picture of us kids on the front steps of our house on the first day of school each year – so it’s only right that we get one of Tory on his first day of preschool. He’s been so excited to go, it’s fun to see the day finally come.

His friend Sophia is going to the same school too so he’s got a buddy to lean on. There are many new friends there to make too though and I’m glad that he’ll be able to branch out a little from his current circle.

Tory's first bike. Napoleon Dynamite style.

We should have done this at the beginning of the summer, but Tory finally has a big boys bike. Bought it brand new after failing to find a used one. You’d really think there would be more of these around.

He’s been riding it every day since. He falls off quite often but gets right back up. Maybe in a month or so we’ll yank the training wheels. If the snow isn’t flying by then.