March was awesome. We kicked off the month with a visit from GG and Grandad and as always, we had a great time with them. While they were visiting, we bought Hank a new bike. He’d mostly been riding his tricycle because the bike GG & Grandad’s neighbor handed down to us never really worked properly (we’ve since learned that probably had mostly to do with the way the training wheels were attached, but its too small at this point anyway). Hank was thrilled to get to pick out his very own bike. He chose a red one with training wheels and was riding it around in the store before we took it home. He’s been riding it most days this month when it hasn’t been super cold and/or rainy/icy (ah, Texas weather). We took GG and Grandad to the rodeo while they were here and even though it turned bitterly cold and rainy while we were out at the rodeo, everyone had a wonderful time. Hank especially enjoyed watching the barrel racing but got rather nervous whenever the rodeo “clowns” (who were thankfully not really dressed as stereotypical clowns) antagonized the bulls to get them away from their fallen riders. Still, with GG, Grandad, Mommy, Daddy and cotton candy, he determined that “life is good” and we all had a great time.
The elementary school Hank will attend in the fall had something called “Kindergarten Round Up”, where we registered Hank for school and got a school tour focusing primarily on the Kindergarten wing. Hank was beside himself with glee literally dancing around while on the tour. We got to see a few classrooms (the kindergarteners were at lunch while we were there) and Hank was thrilled to get to see what a real kindergarten classroom looks like and imagined himself there. We cannot believe its already nearly time for elementary school! Still, it IS very exciting!
Hank went on a field trip with his preschool class to the library this month. He loves going on the field trips because he and his classmates get to ride in a school bus. He’s really been enjoying preschool and has made quite a few good friends there. We’ve had several playdates with his friends from preschool as well as his other friends and some of his cousins this month. Hank also continues to enjoy Kung Fu. He moved into the “big kids” class at the very end of last month and is adjusting to the faster pacing and larger class size. He really seems to enjoy it still and has risen to the challenges presented in the new-to-him format of the class. He had a belt test at the end of this month and he earned another stripe on his belt which means he will be eligible to test for the next belt level at his next test. Hank continues to have fun playing violin and loves going to his science class. This month was our last science class at the Nature Center. They will be spending the next several months preparing for thier summer programs and will not have the science classes again until the fall (at which time Hank will be in Kindergarten and won’t be participating in this program). It was a great class to end on, talking about wildlife. Hank had fun hiking and exploring nature with his class this month.
Its been a big month of celebrations for sure. We hosted two parties for our good friend, Melissa over the span of a weekend. One was a girls gathering at a local day spa and the other an engagement party for her and her fiance, Matt at our house. Hank got to spend the night with Grandpa and Grandma to accomodate Melissa’s wishes for a “kid-free party”. Both events were a success and Hank had a blast having a sleep over at Grandpa and Grandma’s house – his first sleepover with them ever. Hank is really looking forward to (and already planning) his next sleepover there. He has declared his next sleepover at Grandpa and Grandma’s house should involve a pancake breakfast. The very next weekend, Aunt Laura, Uncle Jon, Alyssa, Megan and Christopher came for a visit. We celebrated Megan’s birthday with a fun brunch at Grandma and Grandpa’s house and just a few hours later, there was a lovely baby shower for Aunt Shannon and Uncle Amos who are expecting a new son sometime next month. We celebrated Hank’s cousin, Mia’s birthday with a fun painting party at Aunt Shannon and Uncle Amos’ house. We really enjoyed getting to spend so much time with family this month!
On St. Patrick’s day, Sarah and Hank took Hank’s godfather, Patrick, to the Cameron Park Zoo. The zoo hosted a “green” event (it was St. Patrick’s Day after all) and there were all sorts of crafts to do and recycling things to explore. We had a fun time at the zoo and it was great to see all the animals. Patrick knew one of the elephants from her time at the Abilene zoo when he was a child. Her name is Tanya. He called to her and we were surprised to see her actually come over and raise her trunk for us. It was pretty cool. Later that week, Hank welcomed spring with a special playdate. He invited some of his friends over for a special “Celebrate Spring!” playdate. We made stepping stones, played outside, planted bulbs, decorated boxes to take our bulbs home in, had snacks and welcomed spring together. It was very fun and everyone had a great time.
We closed out the month with yet more fun. Tyler closed out the month with a special trip to play golf with Grandad, Hank closed out the month kicking off his sport class. He’s in a multi-sport class for several weeks and they began with soccer. He’ll do 2 weeks of soccer, 2 weeks of flag football and 2 weeks of baseball. He’s very excited about his class and had a great time on his very first day. Here are some photos from our crazy and wonderful March. Enjoy!
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