Yesterday, we went to a birthday party. It was cousin Tyler’s great-grandma’s birthday. We all went to a Chinese restaurant on the east side for a lunch buffet and cake and ice cream. It was a lot of fun. Eric ate two pieces of cake!
When we got home, we played baseball in the front yard. Baseball is Eric’s new favorite game. Every time we play outside, which has been a lot lately with the unseasonably warm weather, he wants to play baseball. Uncle Rob bought him a Nerf bat and ball last summer, so we use that a lot. Eric pitches to me until I get a hit or three strikes, and then we switch so I pitch to him until he gets a hit or three strikes. It can be a lot of fun. Sometimes, we get Mommy to play, too, and one of us gets to catch. Eric is learning to swing the bat very well. And he has a throwing arm like you wouldn’t believe! Strong and accurate. Eric also likes to re-enact the “replays” by walking with the ball and spinning it in the air as he shows us how the last play went. I am pretty sure he got this concept from his video games, since he always likes to hit the repaly button to see the game over again. He is very imaginitive with his replays.
While we were outside, Eric also rode his Super Cycle (big wheel). The last time that he rode it, he was getting frustrated, because he could not reach the pedals very well, especially when he turned the wheel. He rode to the stop sign at the corner and back with me walking alongside him. It was very difficult for him with his legs fully extended as he pedaled. So, we brought the cycle up to the garage, and we worked on fixing the problem. We made some “speed pedals” to help him ride it easier. Eric tested the prototypes, blocks of wood strapped to the pedals, and they worked great! He pedaled all the way to the end of the driveway and back without any help. So Eric played in the yard, while I finished making the speed pedals permanent. Yesterday, he got to ride it again for the first time with the new speed pedals. He pedaled all the way to the corner and back, then in the other direction to our neighbor a couple houses over and back. Mommy and I were very impressed with how fast he was going! I think Eric was surprised, too! Once he realized that he could go as fast as he could pedal, away he went!
After all the pedaling and baseball, I decided to slow the pace a little. I had bought a wood kit from Lowe’s a few weeks ago, so we got that out and started building a school bus. Eric has his own apron, safety goggles, and a hammer. Eric pounded all of the nails to connect the wood blocks together with just a little help from me. He needed some help hitting the nails hard enough to drive them into the wood, but his aim was very good. After it was all assembled, we applied the stickers to the wheels, the stop signs, the bumper, and the people inside. Eric had a lot of fun making the bus. He played with it for the rest of the afternoon and evening. We both enjoyed it!
Today was our neighborhood Easter egg hunt for the kids. Mommy, Eric, and I went to the neighborhood park. Eric picked up some Easter eggs filled with candy and little toys. Then we stayed for a while to play at the playground. Eric climbed and slid and even got on a big kid swing. I showed him how to pump forward and back to get him swinging. Mommy left to go to a movie with Grandma G, but Eric and I stayed at the park for quite a while until most of the other kids had gone home. We walked back with Eric’s wagon and played more baseball in the front yard.
We are having pizza for dinner tonight. It will be just Eric and me, since Mommy went out with Grandma G. The pizza is baking right now, while I write this blog and Eric plays Mario Karts on the Wii.
Eric helps put away the Christmas decorations in January. He was not happy about putting away the train until next year.
We had very little snow this winter, but Mommy took every opportunity to let Eric play outside whenever we got new snowfall. Here he gets ready to go outside.
He looks so cool shoveling the snow!
Eric is ready for pajama day at school! As an extra treat, Daddy went to work late and was able to drop Eric off at school!
Eric is playing games on Mommy’s laptop. Just another lazy winter day…
Eric gets to ride his new Super Cycle in the cold January air. Santa brought this all the way from the North Pole, so it must be a cold weather toy!
Get your motor runnin’!
Lookin’ for adventure!
January also gave opportunity to ride his bicycle.
Is Mommy still taking my picture?
Mommy and Eric brought dinner to my office for St. Valentine’s day, since I was working late. Eric helped Mommy make heart-shaped chocolate brownies with pink icing. They were delicious!
Eric taking a self portrait. He does have an eye for cuteness!
Grandma D read Eric a bedtime story via webcam last week and again tonight. Eric was very excited! Grandma was very excited, too! It is so wonderful that modern technology can bring these special moments to both of them, although they are separated by 150 miles!
This week was green week at Eric’s preschool. Eric chose his favorite tee shirt for Tuesday. I bought this for him about 1 1/2 years ago while travelling in Mexico on business. It was quite large on him then, but it seems to fit just right today.
Mommy bought this new outfit for Eric. He wore it to school on Thursday during green week.
Mommy and Eric played at the playground this week. The unseasonably warm weather this past week meant plenty of outdoor activities!
Enough of this ride…on to the next activity!
Eric is a great climber! This ladder was no challenge at all!
Weeeeeeeee!