Days 2-9

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

 Day 6

 Day 7

Day 9

William and the Rattlesnake

...and we're not talking the reptile, but rather the two-wheeled kind!  (The "rattlesnake" was Thompson's first bike.) William wanted give the "rattlesnake" another try this afternoon. (We've been getting it down every month or so, and each time determine he's not tall enough.)  He insisted on getting it down to try again...and he rode it!  It's still a bit big, but William is riding and handling it well.  Starting is a bit more of a challenge, but I have no doubt he'll have that mastered in no time.  So his determination today takes him from his started 12-inch bike to a 16-inch one!

Bike Park Grand Opening

A local newspaper photographer snapped this picture Tuesday evening as Thompson tackled the dirt jump course at Hendersonville's new bike park.  William quickly tired of the beginner pump track and spent most of his time on the advanced pump track.

GNAR

Bobby and Thompson participated in the GNAR (The Gnarliest Kids Adventure Race Ever) this afternoon along with dear friend and neighbor Jillian and her father Frank.

The race had been rescheduled for today having been postponed a few weeks ago due to torrential rains and cold temperatures.  The GNAR offers 5-14 year old kids the opportunity to experience the thrill of adventure racing.  Teams of two work together to navigate a variety of challenges, with this year's course including trail running, mountain biking, frisbee golf, an obstacle course, canoeing, wall-scaling, bouldering, creek running and a slip and slide.  With a total time on 22:30, Bobby and Thompson placed 1st in the parent-child division and 2nd in the Male 5-7 age group. Frank and Jillian placed 5th in the parent-child group and 1st in the Female 5-7 category.  Everyone had a great time and Thompson has already said he wants to participate again next year!

getting ready 

on the course 

2 and 3

Egg number 2 hatched this morning and number 3 followed closely this afternoon.

1 down. 2 to go.

Look what was hatching as I took a picture this afternoon.

6 & 10

Saturday morning we went for a "family" bike ride at the Arboretum and Bent Creek.  Bobby and Thompson took off while William and I "followed" behind.  Well...William's little legs pedaled his 12" bike 6 miles!  We biked from the Arboretum into Bent Creek and up to Lake Powhatan  a solid 40 minute ride, gradually uphill, with several water-break stops along the way.  But William never once complained.  Our game to get us back to the car as fast as possible (as I figured Bobby and T would probably be waiting on us) was to see how fast William could bike, calling out his speed...and he did make it up to 10 mph a couple times.  And as for Thompson, he and Bobby rode 10 miles and Thompson proclaimed "I love to climb!"

Three

Another day, another egg.

Nesting

A few weeks ago I saw these weeds collecting at our back porch door.  I figured the winds must have carried them to this corner, where they just got stuck.  So I picked them up and threw them over the porch banister.  Fast forward a few days...they had reappeared.

Around this same time, we began noticing a bird that was frequently flying into the door and exterior wall and flying off anytime we opened the door.  I began wondering if she was the culprit and the weeds were her futile attempt at making a nest atop the back porch light.  (Which, if you ask my opinion, is impossible because the light is only affixed on one side, not nestled in the corner.)  But, was the joke on me!  Clearly, I had vastly underestimated the determination and creativity God instilled in birds.  Look what we discovered this past Wednesday morning!

We finally took note of the bird as she likes to perch herself in one of the pine trees on the back hill: Mrs. Robin Redbreast.  I just wish I had a time-lapse camera to have caught the nest's creation.  Now to wait and see if any eggs would appear...

The first egg appeared Saturday morning.  And this afternoon (Sunday) we have #2!

Shaving

William's inaugural "shave with dad" morning.