Jumpin' and Skatin'

We wore out Interstate 80 from Laramie to Cheyenne over Memorial Day weekend. And Interstate 25 from Cheyenne to near Denver wasn't safe, either.

With unpredictable springtime weather hanging around Laramie all weekend -- and a little girl who didn't want to sit around the house -- we decided to get out of town Sunday and Monday for a few fun-filled firsts for Taidyn.

Our first adventure began Sunday morning, when we all piled into the green sub -- Taidyn's name for our green car -- and drove a few hours into the Denver area. Our destination was Jump Street, an indoor trampoline park in Thornton that promised an afternoon of excitement for Taidyn.

Once there, Taidyn had a blast, bouncing high in the air and landing on her bum inside one inflated playhouse and tumbling down a huge slide inside another. It was tiring just watching her! :)

From Jump Street, we headed to the nearest McDonald's with a play area to let Taidyn burn off more energy. It worked, too. She napped for the entire drive home and, get this, until 9:30 a.m. Monday. Wow!

After breakfast on Monday -- Taidyn helped me make muffin tops -- we took off on the second leg of our weekend adventure. The drive was shorter this time, a 50-mile journey over to Cheyenne's Taco John's Events Center.

There, Taidyn went roller skating for the first time. And Cass and I donned skates for the first time in, well, a very long time! Typical of Taidyn, she didn't want to hold on to the wall or our hands. She's our Miss Independent! For a first-timer, Taidyn did remarkably well. She only fell twice, I think, and brushed it off both times. We had lots of fun!

All of the driving was worth it! Taidyn had a great weekend -- and so did her mommy and daddy. :)

Flying High!

So, wow, where have the last few months gone? Our last post here was in February?!?!?! Shame on us!

But, today, we're back with a bang! :)

With the best weather of the year (so far) as our inspiration, Cass, Taidyn and I spent a fun-filled few hours in the sunshine today. This is sure to be a day we won't ever forget since it was the first day that Taidyn flew a kite. And, get this, she turned out to be better at it than me or Cass!!

But before we flew the kite -- a Barbie kite, of course! -- we hit up one of Laramie's great community parks. It had been a few months since Taidyn had hit up the slides and swings, but she picked up right where she left off. She has graduated to the "big kid" swing now and, if it weren't for other kids wanting to use the swing, I think she'd stay on there all day!

As much as she loves the swing, Taidyn's first love right now is her new big-girl bike, with training wheels and all! After we coaxed her off the swing (lol!), Taidyn hopped aboard her bike and pedaled all the way around the park. At one point, we stopped and threw bread to a bunch of hungry sea gulls who were just hanging out around the pond. Yep, sea gulls in Wyoming. Go figure! About 15 minutes later, we ended up right back at the playground, so, of course, Taidyn headed right back to the swing! Smart girl, huh?

It was tougher to get her off the swing a second time, let me tell you. But with the promise of flying a kite, she finally agreed. We left the park and headed to the recreation fields at the University of Wyoming. Lots of open space there, perfect for kite flying.

We weren't sure what to expect, to be honest. Was Taidyn going to hold onto the string? Was she strong enough to hold the kite in the wind? Turns out we had NOTHING to worry about! As soon as I handed control of the kite to Taidyn, she was a kite-flying pro! We were stunned and proud at the same time.

We already can't wait for our next kite-flying adventure! Wonder if Cass will let me get a G.I. Joe kite? :)