Sunday, February 27, 2011

product review~strider bikes

I have been putting this review off for quiet sometime and in away I am happy that I did. Keep reading you will find out why.  Sorry it has taken me so long to write this post.

 

Last year we bought our two older kids new bikes and poor Jacob was just going to use the hand me down bikes till he got bigger and was ready for a big boy bike. I was searching the internet and came across Strider bikes. I contacted them and for awhile I didn’t hear back from them so I at first thought they didn’t want to do a review with me. Yes I was bummed but also understood. Then I contacted them again and they said YES! Needless to say I was excited when I found out.  The day the bike came Jacob and I were at the store and my mom was at our house. She called my phone and told me a box arrived, thinking it was something else I wasn’t very excited till she told me it was green. I wanted to grab  Jacob run out of the store and leave what my mom needed at the store and hurry home. And  of course on the way home Jacob fell asleep.  While we were still at the store she put his bike together so it would be ready when we got home.  She said it was very simple and even came with its own tool to help!  I let him sleep for a bit then made him get up to play with his new bike. He was very excited to see it was green his favorite color, they have 7 different colors to choose from. At first he was a bit bewildered that it didn’t have any pedals and it was all his!  Since its now winter time here and we can’t use our bike outside its small enough for Jacob to bring his bike inside and it doesn’t use up a lot of space.

 

Now some information about the strider bikes then I will tell you why I am glad I waited to write this review~

~designed for ages 1-5 yrs old up to 50lbs

~ you can buy a taller seat post for your growing child.

~no pedals or sprockets for your young rider to get caught in

~little assembly! just attach the handle bars, wheels and seat and ride! Loved that one

~ Light weight, just weighs 7lbs

~check out youtube.com and type in strider pre-bikes to see how easy it is for kids to learn how to ride.

 

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The box his bike came in

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Jacob’s bike all put together. The seat is in the lowest spot when mom put it together but it does go way higher

 

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Jacob’s first ride, see we still have the seat too low.

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He is trying to run the ball over.

 

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See even in Michigan you can still ride in the winter.  

 

Why I waited---Jacob has had many ear infections and this year he received his 3rd set of ear tubes. When he got his bike it was shortly after his tubes fell out, he did ride his bike but not much. Since he received these last set of ear tubes he has been riding his bike indoors all day long.  On January 22 he received his tubes and today is February 27 and he is starting to pick his feet up off the ground for a few seconds! I can’t  wait till spring comes around and we can go outside and ride more and see what he does. I don’t think he will have a hard time keeping up with his sister this year and he might get a big boy bike sooner than I think.  I love this bike and would recommend this bike to everyone who is looking for a bike for their kids!

 

**Thanks to strider who  gave me this great opportunity to review this bike**

Thursday, February 17, 2011

We can hear We can hear!

On January 21st, yeah I know I am way behind on blogging but I am trying to get caught up), Jacob went in for another set of tubes. His 3rd set if you lost count. He also has his tonsils and adenoids   out the same time. His ENT really wanted to wait till he was 4 for his tonsils/adenoids  but I really didn’t want to wait another 5 months to get it done.  Since it was just Jacob and us the night before we let him stay up later. Needless to say the morning came way too early for him.  I even made Jerry turn around because I forgot my camera this time. Last time I forgot the papers the hospital needed. oops good thing we live close.  This time I think he was on to us, he knew he something was up. When the nurse’s would come in to ask questions he would run to sit on my lap, when they left he would head back to Jerry. He was NOT happy at all when they came to take him for his surgery either. Poor guy.

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Jacob watching some kind of show before his surgery. Looks like Jerry stayed up too late also.

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If they can find me, they can’t take me.

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He feel asleep and I was hoping that he would’ve stayed sleeping till after they  took him, but no such luck.

 

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Jacobs first popsicle after surgery.

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Dora was on TV so he was glued to the tv.

 

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His lips were turning black from the popsicles that he was eating.

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Day 2 and healing GREAT! I was surprised how fast he bounced back.

 

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He enjoys making “sets” of his toys.  He will clean the one toy shelf off to make a set.  Since this new set of tubes I can tell his speech has improved big time. His teacher and speech teacher has even noticed a difference. The other day when he said “I not ‘tinky” I just wanted to jump up and down and cry. I called my parents and my dad answered the phone and made Jacob say it again and my dad was even able to understand what he said, that’s a huge thing!  I am happy the he is starting to talk but then he's going to start telling other’s things we don’t want them to know.  You  see many times over I would take Jacob some where to get something and I could tell him not to tell someone, knowing that he wouldn’t or couldn’t, but know that he starting to talk I am afraid our secrets won’t be safe anymore.

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

snow days

The beginning of the month he had a snow storm. 12.2 inches in fact. I think this  is the most snow I have seen at one time in a long time. So needless to say school was cancelled and what do you do when you have 3 kids and that much snow? Well you bundle up and head outside that’s what.

 

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Look the snow is up to his knees in this spot!

 

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The bad part is when all this snow melts it means our backyard floods!

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She jumped off the roof of the playhouse.

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Well that’s one way to clean off the slide.

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For some reason I love her face in this picture.

 

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Jacob crawling on the snow fort thing that gets built every year with the snow from the driveway.

 

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our 12.2 inches of snow on our table outback

 

Right now we are warm weather, well ok warm for February, and that only melting snow which I am happy about but that means flooding also.

Thursday, February 3, 2011

sledding fun…

A few weeks ago we went to my parents house to let the kids sled. At mom and dad’s they have a nice little hill by there house and my dad was going out every night and adding water to the hill. So we headed over since the forecast was calling for warmer weather.  The kids had a blast sledding and the best part is NO ONE asked for help to drag their sled back up the hill.

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jacob first time down the hill.

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Camron’s turn. Why he went down backwards I have no idea, but he liked it.

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Katey is getting a bit braver this year. She started going down on her knee’s then I told her to stand up, and she did. Now she wants a snowboard!

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She looks like a little pro at this. Look out winter Olympics here comes Katey!!

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Grandpa’s turn! wheeee

Now that we are under a blizzard winter warning, They will get even more snow where they live so that just means more sledding!

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

happy belated birthday………………

Well Katey turned 8! Yes I said 8 where did the time go?? This year she wanted a pool party since we celebrated the boys bday at great wolf.  So I called a local hotel and we rented the banquet room for 4 hours and we got to use the pool area also. We got to the hotel, unloaded the cake, swim suits, food and more. Then off to the bathrooms to change, and then freeze!  The heater in the pool room was broken that day and a few days before her party so I swear the pool had ice floating on top of the water.  Needless to say us adults didn’t want to go in but the kids jumped right in. Since it was so dang cold we only stayed in for 2 hours.   Katey was a bit disappointed but she got over it fast.    

 

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Jacob was the only smart kid, he didn’t go in at all.

 

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Come on mom the water is “warm!”

 

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BURRRRR

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Katey is in love with I Carly!

 

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Camron got the biggest chip ever! We were seeing who had the biggest chip- his is the white one in the back, while mine was the reddish one in the front.

 

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Katey went back in for a little bit after lunch, but she never went all the way in.

 

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Went home to eat our cake where it was warm.

These last 8 years have been a blast, I can’t wait to see what the next 8 will take us.