Biking and batting

We had a big day yesterday. In the morning, we set out with Rick and Tucker and without our training wheels. Then, in the afternoon, we took Henry's new bat over to the park for some BP. We have video from each outing.

We started on a gentle slope in the grass, and then once Fiona and Tucker found their footing, we went to a flat parking lot. You'll notice that Fiona had some difficulty with the stopping aspect of bicycle riding, but figured it out in the end, starting with a sick yet controlled skid. Tucker, meanwhile, appears as though he's been riding without training wheels for years. As for Henry, he found climbing on Rick's truck to be more fun than learning how to ride a bike. I think he was just saving himself for batting practice later in the day.



Henry reminds some of a young, blonde, American Joey Votto, it is said. Fiona needs a little more work to fine-tune her swing, but she proves to be remarkably fleet of foot in flip flops.

Pictures from Naples

Faces painted

Last weekend, we broke out Fiona's face paint kit. Dad took requests for Indian, er, Native American war paint and a vampire.

Opening Day Wiffle Ball

Henry's fever finally broke today, and he was back to his old tricks. He insisted on skipping his nap, and after watching an inning of the Reds game (which they would end up winning hours later in dramatic, walk-off fashion, btw), he decided we should go outside and play Wiffle Ball. I dug up the bats and balls in the basement and we hit the street!

First, Henry takes some cuts against live pitching:



Then he grabbed the skinny, yellow bat and smashed one off the T:

iPhone photos of the Kimball teardown

Demolition of Kimball School began today. Fiona and Henry will both attend its replacement, Christa McAuliffe Elementary School, when it opens in the fall of 2012.

I stopped by twice today and took some pictures with my phone:

Virtual art show

Fiona has become a prolific drawer. Her medium? Crayola markers. I would estimate that 9 out of 10 school days, when I pick her up, she is parked at the art table, surrounded by paper and markers. She is also an emerging author. Here is some of her recent work:

Friendly's menu:




(Can you find: pizza, hamburger, hot dog, french fries, sweet potato fries, chicken nuggets, mint chocolate chip cone, chocolate cone, chocolate chip cookies, M&Ms, banana split, a tray of brownies, Hershey's bar, cherries, watermelon?)

A note to Henry, meant for his lunchbox:


Channeling her inner John Updike, Fiona pens (or, more accurately stated, pencils) a rabbit tale:


Lastly, a (k)night book:

Henry's first turns

Henry refused to perform any sort of pizza wedge this winter, instead choosing to ski in parallel or french fry form straight down the hill, expecting Dad or the kindness of strangers to stop him. Then, suddenly, one afternoon at Sunapee, he decided to try out turning and -- boom goes the dynamite -- a skier is born!

Henry's weekend of cart napping

In need of a new kitchen light, Henry and I hit Lowe's on Saturday and Home Depot on Sunday to assess our ceiling light options. Both days, we ventured out in the early afternoon, or as it's known in some circles, nap time.