The Zoo

Viola and Tyler in the lion's den

Tyler can get Daphne laughing pretty easily.

Giddyup!

Party in the Rain Forest

While Daphne was napping in her crib, Tyler and his stuffed animals threw a rager in the rain forest. Tyler was quite proud of himself.

6-Month Check-up

Daphne had her 6-month well child doctor's visit yesterday and got a clean bill of health. She is right on track for her age. I think her next big milestones will be sitting unsupported and rolling from her back to her tummy. Currently she rolls from her back to her side but then rolls onto her back again. The stats:

• Height: 26-3/4" (84th percentile)
• Weight: 17 lb 10.8 oz (81st percentile)
• Head circumference: 17" (72nd percentile)

Daphne's height has caught up with her weight since her 4-month check-up. She's still a chunk, but at least she's proportionate! Our kids definitely did not get their height from Michael or me. I think they must have gotten some tall genes from their Great PawPaw Protzman (my mom's dad).

Kachow!

Tyler told us that at school today he called out "Kachow!" when he passed some of his classmates while they were all riding tricycles. (Kachow is Lightning McQueen's catchphrase from the Cars movie.) That's our competitive little speed demon!

Sunday Trailways

Tualatin Hills Parks & Rec held their first Sunday Trailways today. It was more low key than Portland's Sunday Parkways but still lots of fun. And the weather actually decided to cooperate after a wet morning!

It's hard to get Tyler to stay still on his bike to get a photo.
I actually jogged alongside him to get this shot, which just
prompted Tyler to ride his bike faster and faster and to giggle!

Daphne loves the view from her stroller.

On the modern version of the see-saw. I forgot
Daphne's sun hat because it was so overcast
when we left the house and so I improvised
with her blanket when the sun came out.

Tyler was fascinated by the gigantic bubbles.

Trying, Temperamental Three's

Whoever coined the phrase "terrible two's" did so prematurely before their child turned three! Looking back I really don't think two was such a bad age for Tyler. Three on the other hand is trying our patience. Let me count the ways:

• The constant testing of limits and rules
• The attitude
• The frequent tantrums when Tyler doesn't get his way (this seems to be at least once a day)
• The stubbornness (granted, he did inherit a large dose of this from me!)
• The competitiveness (again, a genetic trait from the Hulett side of the family)
• The whiny "but I need such-and-such" or "but, but, but, but..." while he searches for a reason
• The super whiny "I need help" to do a task on his own (e.g. wash his hands) that he has done a million times before but he wants help just because he is craving extra attention

Of course you can also turn up the crankiness level when Tyler skips his nap, which is becoming more frequent lately. On the flip side, Tyler can be super sweet when he wants to be and will just melt your heart when he knows you need it most!

My Laundry Helpers