Skateboard Park, Another VBS, and Birthday!

On Friday I took Nico in the early morning to one of the local skateboard parks, Fort Boise Skateboard Park. It had a big pit with a bunch of ups and downs and since we were the only ones there I let Nico go down in there to run around. He rode his skateboard for a few minutes but then discovered that it was fun trying to climb up the sides, so that's what he spent the rest of the time doing. When people started showing up, I had him get out of the pit. We watched them ride and jump all over the place. Nico saw that the kids were putting BOTH feet on the skateboard instead of just one (I had tried telling him the day before that he should try to put his other foot up on the board but he didn't want to hear it, hehe!!), so he wanted to try it. He did it! He pushed himself with one foot then brought it up to the board behind his other one.

One of the parents there started talking to me, and him and his 8 year old son were very nice to Nico and the 8 year old boy took Nico down into a smaller pit and helped him ride back and forth on either side of the curve to get him used to the motion. Another 12 year old kid was very nice to Nico too and told me all about how there are skateboarding lessons that could help Nico. They all told me what kind of skateboard to buy for Nico and helmet and gear, etc., and where to get it from. I have not met a nicer group of skateboarders in my life! Nico, after coming home on Friday, has not wanted to skateboard at all. Not sure when he'll try again, but for now he's content to have tried it and had fun for a few days. I didn't get much of a video from the skateboard park, at least none of it when the kids were helping him out in the pit, but I did get a few shots of Nico on his own down there. You can see the video at the end of the post. In the video you'll also see how he skateboards without putting his back foot on the board. This was before the kids showed up.

On Sunday, Nico got to spend the afternoon with Sarah. She is the teenager who watched the kids during Bible Study. Nico loves her and loves going over to her house. She offered to watch Nico to pay me back for some essential oil stuff, so I said YES! Since I had a LOT of coursework to finish up, Guy and I took the time to go to Starbucks. We sat across from each other sipping our drinks, each with our laptops, and we both worked on stuff. It was very pleasant and I hope to be able to do things like that more often!!

Monday started VBS at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church. Nico thought I was going to stay with him and Evelyn, so didn't want me to leave. But, I convinced him. Today when I dropped him off took a LOT of convincing. I may or may not have told him that we'd have to rethink his birthday party if he didn't let go of my leg and go inside with Evelyn. :/ Don't worry, the birthday party is still on. I was convinced he was just being bored and whiny, and I was right.. but there was probably a better way to handle that. I listened to him, I told him I understood, I reasoned with him, I was nice, then I was firm, then I walked away, then he chased me, then I pulled out the birthday party thing. Thankfully he listened quick and had no more trouble. I think he would have just rather been home playing on his iPad.  Because that's what he usually tells me when I ask him why he doesn't want to be somewhere.

Wednesday was Nico's birthday! Growing up I always remember my parents putting out presents on the table with a card so when I woke up I would see presents on the table and get to open them up right then. I loved it! A day all about me. So this is what I did for Nico. I had Guy stop by Freddies on the way to work one day to pick up Nico a "Dinosaur Car" that he has been asking for for a long while. I wrapped that, put two bows on it, bought him two mylar balloons - a spider man one and a happy  birthday cupcake one. I put $5 in a card for him, I also put figs and chocolate and a brownie on the table. When he woke up I said "Go get Daddy from downstairs and then come up here and look what's on the table for you!" There were no lights on yet so he still had no idea. He was very excited. He had fun opening his present and he said "A dinosaur car!!" It's so fun to see him so excited. We put candles in his breakfast brownie and sang to him. At the last minute he said "WHERE'S MY BIRTHDAY HAT!??!" so we grabbed it for him.

After VBS that day, I took Nico and Evelyn to Reel Foods Fish Market, where they have deep fried gluten free Fish 'n' Chips. The dipping sauce was their favorite part. They ate and were happy. Then I took them to Tree City Juice and Smoothie Cafe and bought them each a smoothie. Strawberries, bananas, peaches, and OJ. We sat for a while and then I took them home.

Nico and Evelyn are like siblings! I remember when I was little, driving my brothers NUTS whenever we were in the car, and that's exactly what Evelyn does for Nico. I think Evelyn is very similar to how I was at that age. I can see it in her eyes... Except her imagination is a bit more than mine was. She likes to tell stories about thieves and animals on our rides to VBS, it's very entertaining. And then she pushes Nico's buttons, which can get him screaming pretty quick. But sometimes it's not without his prompting. He'll finally get her to stop doing something to him and then he'll poke her with his foot, or do the thing that he was trying to get her to stop doing. hah.. Nico often tells me that Evelyn is his sister. I've explained it a few times so I think he understands now.

Birthday party is this Saturday, 4 PM, here! It'll be a great weekend with Grandparents Russell visiting!

Ivy holding Nico's finger. He likes to do "This Little Piggy" on her toes.

Nico at the skatepark