we are planning our next life transition - E starting kindergarten in September. also, my office is moving. as it looks now, i may become a driver commuter and will have to try to fit in bike commuting as best i can. its been a good 3 years. great 3 years. I'm not ready to give it up, so i think i can make it work at least sometimes. remembering that we can't do it all.
list of wonderful things that helped us enjoy our roadtrip
- The Broadway Kids Sing America CD
next time I'll get more Broadway. wicked, les miz. wonderful to sing out loud!
audiobooks! we brought along 23 borrowed from our library and they were wonderful. some science/nature, others pure fiction. e did great turning pages and following along.
he also enjoyed audiobooks without follow along books.
he did spend about 2-3 hours of each trip (total 15 hours) watching dora, lego movie, sesame street on kindle.
more coming as i can get the last things put away and organized from the road trip.
I'll add this to my supercool gift idea list (more of that forthcoming at E's bday celebration post): two reusable lunch food snack bags. washable in the dishwasher or washing machine. thank you Ms. E!
items for road trip:
1.
fuzzy-posters . Most RoseArt products can be found at large National retailers such as Target, Walmart, K-Mart, Toys R Us, OfficeMax, Office Depot, Staples, Michael’s, JoAnn’s, and at Amazon.com. You can also find our products at some regional chains such as Hobby Lobby, Meijer, Fry’s, as well as many others.
2.
chalk activity book 
3. cool wooden magnetic alphabet puzzle and chalkboard. don't know brand. B?
4. velvet stickers!
5. electronic keyboard :)
6.
"design and drill" screwdriver with bits and bolts.
7. art set. containing crayons, pencils, paints. all packaged up in closable container.
8. coloring pictures. twisted. scanimagic.
9. color by number coloring books!
10. magnetic things. alphabet. with white board (magnetic) or cookie sheet (also good as desk tray for drawing, etc)
11. legos with green base building plate glued to bottom of carrying container.
12.
sticky foam mosaics. kind of like these. we just found for $3 at rite aid, entertainment for over an hour!
a few more biking photos from our May outings. E takes killer photos! here Ms. J, Ms. C and myself.
he can't read yet, so sweet S helped him know the story on the back of the cereal box. We took a trip to historic Wheeler farm. so great!
Uncle D's cool bike got walked around the farm under close supervision.
two sweet newbies.
catching some Z's after an already full day.
Aunt A made this day for all of us by obtaining bikes for each cousin (and uncle) who wanted to ride. We rode at Wheeler Farm (where aunt J saved E just in the nick of time from going downhill when his training wheel broke off!) and then we rode in an official mountain bike race in Park City. Uncle D, cousins T & E were signed up, and we were going to watch, but then A made it so much more fun by facilitating cousin S, and uncle E, and EVERY child race a bike.
it was a little hectic at the starting line. 
the kids could choose to go around the loop once, twice, or three times. here was cousin J passing us by.
i forgot the correct terms, but after our little kiddo race, we all watched the older kids and adults take off on their 6 mile and 11 mile races. so much energy and fun. the organizers were so nice and personal even when we added 20 new riders to their evening. they cheered for the kids by name and made sure every child got a prize and otter pops. 
superfun that our cousins were right there with us. Ms B is E's closest in age cousin.
the roots of a white bread preference.
shopping for party favors
this is how we roll. swimsuits & bikes on a hot day.
this is how we feed a full house. 7 layer dip, chicken enchiladas, salmon, green bean casserole and pesto pasta.
excitement building as more families arrive. crew from KY and ID
happy 8 year bday to sweet Ms. S!
there is a lot of love, sunlight, warmth here. we soaked it up. Grandma had made fresh cinnamon rolls (as beautiful as if from a bakery) which were devoured. Aunt R practiced with the kids- she is primary chorister.
we left early. love the long daylight hours for roadtrips. makes them not seem so long. on the road by 6:30. audiobooks and crafts. will give list later. (i always want road trip entertainment ideas, so a list will be helpful for me to come back to)
hoorah for reaching Idaho and an 80mph speed limit.
We passed several temples, here Boise.
welcome to Utah!
those mountains are home.
