Watch Out for Mr. Boy!

We have discovered MB's passion...bike riding!



HeRoos and I went to a church fireside and the speaker discussed parenting. There were some great tips that we started implementing right away. One was to tell your kids what you expect of them and for them to repeat it back to you. Our daily expectaions usually include:

1) Share
2) Be Nice
3) Have Fun

Another bit of advice was to make sure your kids are getting enough play time outside every day. I agree- fresh air and sunshine are a magic potion.

Next, focus on when they are doing something positive. We have been trying so hard to give compliments when they are playing nice together or sharing instead of gettng them in trouble when they mess up.

The next thing we needed to try was something with more leverage. Time-out does not seem to be effective with our little guy so we wanted to focus on something more positive.

The two of us went to the store and MB picked out a bike (I already read reviews and knew he would choose Lighting McQueen). The agreement is that he can ONLY ride his bike if he is a nice brother. Guess what? It is working. The two of them have been playing so much better together with significantly fewer fights. He knows that if he is mean to his sister, he doesn't get to ride his bike. He is getting a lot of exercise and fresh air and there is more peace in our house.

I really hope and pray this continues because being a mom is fun again and it does my heart good to see them play so well together.

Yee Haw! Utah State Fair

We had a really fun family day at the Utah State Fair. We ate tons of greasy food, touched lots of dirty animals, and decided it would be really cool to have a pet bunny (at least that what SheRoos thinks). It really was a perfect day.



The kids were so interested in the animals. We think Mr. Boy may be an "Animal Whisperer." ;) When he stood near a cage, the animals would walk right up to him and they would share a moment. It was adorable. ZoZo on the other hand wasn't a whisperer. She was the "Animal Yeller." She was so excited to see the animals that she would yell at them to come closer. Sometimes they would make noises back or completely ignore her. It was hilarious to watch her and a lamb yelling back and forth at each other. They were definitely communicating.



Little Hands on the Farm was awesome! The kids got to be farmers/ranchers. They planted seeds, harvested the fruits & vegetables, milked a cow, groomed a sheep, sold their goods for money at the market and then got to buy a real apple with their play money at the end. It was brilliant. It is something we will look forward to every year at the Fair.



















What is a trip to the Fair without a pony ride?