The Binker Files

Levi is 8!

Levi's birthday celebration spanned 3 days, one day of cake baking, a birthday movie (Hobbit 2) and dinner out, then a visit to the New England Aquarium the next day.  He is also planning a camping trip for his 1/2 birthday.

 

Mountain bike race series

The Healthy Kids, Happy Kids mountain bike race series wrapped up recently.  Silas competed in all four races and Levi jumped in for the last two.

Silas took 3rd place overall and one a special award for being the "Most Enthusiastic" participant!

Levi came in 2nd and the last race, which bumped him up in points enough to come in 4th overall!

The races didn't go so well for Arlo.  At one race, he was hit hard between the eyes with a see-saw used in a pre-race obstacle course.  The poor little guy had a lot of swelling and two black eyes, he even lost his cuteness for awhile.  We are so lucky he wasn't seriously injured.

Tiny tagger

Seven

Levi's 7th birthday started with some of his very favorite things, lots of legos and blueberry pancakes with syrup.  Levi is stretching out his birthday into a long celebration.  He opened his new snowboard two days early, rode it on his birthday eve at Mt. Abram and spent his big day at camp.  A big post-birthday trip to Boston is scheduled for the end of the month.

He dreamed up and decorated his own cake - chocolate with chocolate frosting, decorated with M&M's and NewmanO's cookies, served with mint chocolate chip, vanilla AND chocolate ice cream!  His birthday was spent building legos, eating cake, playing games, snowboarding on the new front yard terrain park, tapping some maple trees, taking a sauna and watching a special movie.  He said it was a pretty good day.

Levi spent 12 minutes in the 180 degree sauna - a personal record:

Happy birthday Levi!

6

Our little Levi is 6 years old!

We had such grand plans for celebrating this birthday.  We were to drive to Montreal the day before, spend his birthday at the Science Center, then have dinner in Old Montreal (he even bought a suit to wear) and the following day, take the train to Toronto for a week (Levi has been anxious to return to Toronto since his last visit two years ago).  Unfortunately, we had a big snowstorm the day before, so we spent the morning of his birthday driving.  Silas became pretty sick on the way, so we couldn't leave the hotel room and the boys and I packed up and drove the 276 miles back home the next day!  He did get to swim in the hotel pool and order room service dessert, but it was a pretty bad birthday.

When Mark returned home from Toronto, we planned a redo birthday, but that morning, Levi came down with a horrible sickness and his redo was canceled.

He is thinking about what he would like to do for his 3rd redo birthday, coming soon.  I hope he will finally have a happy birthday!

More skiing

Silas told me today that people are disappointed that there haven't been any videos of him skiing on the blog this year.  So, not wanting to make anyone sad, here we go, it starts out with just Levi, but ends with Silas & Levi skiing together.

 

This shows their preferred technique, straight down with no or minimal turns.   Si likes to throw in a few turns when it takes him to jumps or rough patches at the edge of the trail (adjacent to the woods).

Tiny tears it up

Levi's first day of downhill skiing, absolutely no instruction was necessary (or accepted).

 

Climbing like little monkeys

Levi & Silas celebrated their friend Ian's birthday with him at the rock gym. 

Young Entrepreneurs

By all accounts, the farm sale was a success.  The boys had a great time and sold a lot of hot cocoa, cupcakes and snowmen.

One of the best things about the fair was the behind the table bartering that happened between all the young entrepreneurs - cupcakes, cocoa & snowmen were traded for fleece headbands, felt acorns, hemp bracelets, rice krispie treats, hand-sewn bird ornaments, painted note cards and candles.

I love Levi's sign, he decided to make his words "fancy".  I think he might share a love of cursive writing with his mother.

The fair took place in a heated greenhouse.  It was very cozy, which may have hurt Levi's hot cocoa sales just a bit.

Arlo seemed to enjoy the day too.  As usual he was very popular, here is a shot of him with his very good friend Ridley:

Check out the new tooth here (click on the picture for a close-up view - an option probably only interesting to grandparents):

Both Silas & Levi are anxious for future business opportunities.  Silas said he likes selling cupcakes, for now, but might want to try selling bigger & better things next!

Masked

Can you spot Silas & Levi in this scary group?  Here is a better view in this self-portrait taken by Silas: