Gabe's 8 Mile Ride

I took Gabriel and Asher on a bike ride on a trail we hadn't been on before. Asher rode in the trailer but Gabe brought his bike for a change. I tols him to let me know when he wanted to turn around and go back, but he was too excited about the ride to say anything for four miles. We turned and made it back, but he was very tired at the end. His legs were a bit sore the next day, but he was okay. I was pretty surprised that he could do that on his little 16 inch bike.

Isaiah - Two teeth, four words, standing

Isaiah now has two bottom teeth that make his smile very goofy and funny. He says "ma" "da" "baba" and sometimes "Gabe." He pulls himself up on things and can stand while just holding on with one hand. He loves to bounce to music. He'll be starting to walk long before his first birthday it seems. He's not worried about his slow army crawl because he's focused on walking ASAP to catch up with his brothers.

ATV drivers

Gabe and Asher recently got to drive a new toy over at Grandpa Smith's - an electric ATV. Gabriel drove it pretty well once he got used to it, and Asher did okay with some help at the slow speed (5mph). They drove up and down the street with cousin Noah for a couple hours. Noah is three and drove very well. At times all three of them were on at once. They had a lot of fun.

Elizabeth would like to get the kids one of those electric cars, but I am hesitant. Gabe already bikes faster than they go, so he'd be bored of it quickly. I'd also hate to see any damage come from it and the design flaws in the things are obvious. The electric motor torque is very strong and the takeoff is dangerous if they are unprepared. Common sense would tell you to put switches on the handgrips to be sure the kids are holding on before power can be applied to the motor. Instead the things have a pedal throttle right where you get on and off at (with no power switch handy). A slow-start circuit for the motor could make this a lot more suitable for kids. I'm reminded of the time as a kid when someone floored an electric golf cart while one of my buddies was climbing in - he was thrown for a backflip.

Isaiah is crawling and talking

Isaiah started saying "dada" several weeks ago. We doubted he really understood it until about two weeks ago when he began only using it when talking to me. Then he added "mama" and "baba." He babbles constantly now and plays with toys on the floor. He does the same sidewinder army crawl that Gabe did, but he is showing signs of getting on his knees to crawl soon. He is eating cereal everyday and likes it now. For some reason he has been crying a lot lately and sleeping less. Hopefully it is teething that is bothering him. Hopefully it ends soon.