Spirit of Flight Festival

Last weekend we headed north to the suburb of Erie to friends Lisa and Aaron's house, to BBQ and attend the Spirit of Flight festival.  The festival is an annual event put on by the Spirit of Flight center, museum and airport in Erie.  Lisa and Aaron live on the airport and one day the runway will lead right up to their very own hangar and they will take off in their very own plane that Aaron is building!!
It was my first time seeing their house and Lisa and I share similar tastes and Pinterest addictions so it was great to finally see all her ideas in-person.
A bouncy house at the festival kept Ben happy and Ryan loved the planes and classic cars.  A large lurking storm caused some of the planes and cars to depart early which only meant more time for BBQing.  I look forward to going each year and the fun Ryan will have teaching Ben about the planes and the fun I will have staying behind to "help" at the Miller house. :)

this plane seemed to be Ben's fave.

you can see the impending storm in this SHINY fender

the bouncy house made the admission fee more than worthwhile

a Vietnam War era cockpit

 

plane crash relics

lots of history in the museum

a stationary pedal car plane also made for lots of fun

balance bike

I've been on the hunt for a new and bigger bike for Ben for a few months.  Knowing he might only use it for a year or two, I'd been glued to Craigslist to find something used and was being continually beaten to the punch on any that were more than $10 less than brand new.
I'd also been hearing more and more about "balance bikes," and "Striders," for the last year and was totally convinced that was the route to take.

Here is the info directly from the Strider site:

If your toddler can walk, a STRIDER will get your toddler cruising over dirt, grass, and pavement with ease. Designed to be steady, stable, and safe, the STRIDER ST-4 bike is perfect for children from 18 months to 5 years old.

Weighing only 6.7 pounds, the STRIDER™ No-Pedal Balance Bike is designed to be super light for ease of handling by young riders.  The bike includes patented frame-integrated footrests for advanced rider development, and the handlebar and saddle height are adjustable for growing children.

Healthy kids develop essential motor skills early in life.  Pediatricians agree that learning balance, coordination with exercise jump-starts a child’s growth and development.

The ST-4 teaches your child balance, coordination and develops glittering confidence.  Trikes and bikes with training wheels don’t.  Traditional bicycles place too much of the focus on learning to pedal -- skimping on developing your child’s motor skills.

So, basically the point of Striders and balance bikes is to eliminate the need for training wheels by having the kid already able to balance without pedals and later the pedals replace the "running" as the locomotion. For me the proof has been in the many 3 and 4 year olds riding pedal bikes around like pros.  All the parents I've inquired with claim it's all because of the balance bike.  One family I met recently said their youngest of 3 could ride 4 years younger than his oldest brother was able to, all thanks to a Strider.

Well, thanks to MeeMee and an early birthday present, (I'm sure she was sick of hearing me talk about my constant search for one,) Ben is Striding!!!

He is just getting the hang of sitting and striding vs. standing but he LOVES it and is very motivated to ride it much further than Ryan or I ever think he can make it. We take it out 2 or 3 times a day and he's had it less than a week.  It's also been a fantastic replacement for some energy burning as the nearby church school that had long allowed the community to use their playground has locked it down. :(  There are still plenty of parks around but a great playground only a block away was such a treat.  Striding is also becoming a wonderful post-dinner, father-son tradition and all day when I take Ben out with his bike he asks for his DaDa to come home and take him. :)

"picable me"

Ben saw his first theater movie Sunday with an afternoon showing of Despicable Me 2.  Overall he did really great and with a little more exact planning would have surely made it through the whole thing.
The original Despicable Me has been his favorite movie for quite some time so we've been anticipating the second installment with lots of excitement.  Ryan and I so seldom go to movies in the theater I kind of forgot just HOOOOOW LOOOOOOOONNNNNGGGG the previews can go on and on.  Next time we will choose seats and then have one person text the other right as the actual movie starts to allow for the longest sitting still time possible.  We took one potty trip and then Ben got really restless so I just took him out.  It turned out there were only about 5 minutes left so we probably could have pushed it but I was still pleasantly surprised that he sat mostly quietly through most of the movie.  There were lots of kids and lots of giggles and some talking so his few moments of excitement were no big deal.

I guess in the end I won't hesitate to take him again every few months or so but Ryan hit the nail on the head saying the normal relaxation of a theater movie just isn't there when you're constantly worried about someone else.
I'm guessing Disney's Planes due out later this summer will be up next.

Lineberry's Firecracker 4th 2013

Now that we're settled back home, spending the 4th of July at the Lineberry's is nearly a given.  This year was more fun than ever and included even more fun for the kids and the adults, too.  I was crowned champion in the ladies bracket of the first annual watermelon eating contest, (a title I plan to keep.)  Next year Ben will be prepared to compete in the kids bracket.  
We arrived a little early but didn't stay late as Ben crawled onto the kiddo picnic table about 8:30 and laid down his head on his arms.  I scooped him up as he pleaded, "home, Mama."  He woke up the next morning with a summer cold so his extra-tired and glassy-eyed demeanor on the 4th made more sense.  We've all recovered well though and I'll let the pics tell the rest of the story.........................

"there, I touched the flag. Are you happy?"

He absolutely refused to look at me for a pic and I have 15 more to prove it.

Amy's mom made this amazing flower display complete with a vintage Coke crate.

some photo booth fun

yep, this amazing pool toy is right in the back yard

Ben sidled up to his newly proclaimed best friend Sara and was SO happy to sit next to her, he did so without saying a word. He was probably expecting to be told to "go away Ben!"

This view is why this was the only suburban locale we seriously considered.

beautiful MeeMee

no nap but a little Jack Johnson surfing video relaxing time. :)

my fave pic of the day

"MeeMee, I got this! "

everyone loves a shirtless tractor driving man

Here he is tackling dessert #4 (home-made bing cherry ice cream) in outfit #3.  Next year I'm going to get him festive swim trunks so he can be shirtless and wet all day as he clearly prefers.

A new stand this year made the mentos fountains bigger and better.  There were again no fireworks allowed due to high fire danger.

handsome Quincy

the photobooth was a bust for Ben and me

Amy's clear Pinterest addiction went more over the top than ever before this year and based on the crowd's rumblings, everyone was very impressed.  It's just a wonderful venue to gather with many we love and to contemplate the meaning of the day.  We are so blessed to live in this great nation and to be continually protected by the men and women who put their lives on the line for us everyday.  

Happy Birthday America!! and may God continue to Bless You!!

my first REAL mommy-break

I spent last weekend with my dear friend Angela at her in-laws beach house in Crystal Beach, TX near Galveston.  Relaxing doesn't begin to describe the time spent between Thursday morning and Sunday mid-day.  I needed it more than I knew and multiple days of uninterrupted thoughts, meals, and trips to the bathroom were pure bliss.  In fact, I kind of think every parent, and especially every SAHP should get a coupe days kid-free every 6 months or so.  I really came home feeling like my patience was re-charged and my focus more in line with where I'd like it to be from a parenting perspective.  There were walks I took on the beach where I wanted to tackle certain issues or thoughts in my mind and I'd come home after an hour thinking I hadn't really thought about anything.  I think my subconcious really had been sorting through a lot and though I had no striking moments of clarity, I sure feel more ready to take on what the world hands me with less stress and strife.  I guess it was the most natural form of anti-anxiety drug I could find and I'm curious to see when all the peace and clarity fly out the window. :)
I will also see if Ben's caretakers while I was gone, MeeMee and DaDa, have any interest in guest-posting.  So far they're both still in bed.....exhausted. :)

the view to the water from our deck

this poor girl got her Camaro stuck and didn't get the help she expected from her friend.

One day 3 helicopters flew VERY close to us.

Friend Angela jumping for joy

"Just look for the round house!"