All about Miles and a few Milesisms

I'm long overdue for a Miles update. The move is to blame. 

Miles is a fun kid to be around. He likes to engage whoever is near in a conversation, especially if it involves bikes. He also likes to interrogate the nearest person about their likes and dislikes, what scares them ("What's the scariest thing you've ever done? What's the second scariest thing you've ever done." etc.) what kind of fruit they've eaten lately, what they've been up to the past month or so, etc. Maybe he will be a journalist, too.

Here are a few recent photos of our boy:

Enjoying our second spring in Utah with Babi's slip 'n' slide.

Pumping is a much-appreciated new skill.

Springville's Art City balloon festival.

Church sketchin'

Water skiing with Aunt Jen and Uncle Mark at Utah Lake. He tried, and tried and will try again the next chance he gets. 

His cousin, Andrew, is a good sport for donning this pair of tights so he could join Miles as an acrobat.

Our self-proclaimed vegetarian catches his first fish on an expedition with Grandpa Roger, Uncle Brian, and McKade.

His new obsession with rock climbing takes second place to biking (see evidence below).

Bouldering and hiking in Big Cottonwood Canyon. Miles and Mille spent two hours packing for this three-mile hike. The helmets were their idea, which proved to be a good one. Included in their backpacks: toothpaste, sunscreen, pencils, hummus (yep, that chickpea stuff), a map of the United States, forks, plates, bowls, sheriff badge, CheeseIts, among other things. They were prepared!

Through all the transitions, Miles has remained cheerful. He even managed to keep himself and Matt entertained while driving 1700 miles in two and a half days in a bumpy truck (towing our second car) with only a radio and a backpack full of art supplies to keep him entertained. At the end of that trip, he had a backpack full of finger-knitted scarves, travel brochures, and miscellaneous napkins, straws, and sugar packets collected at various IHOPs, plus stories of exotic road-trip food like sushi and pancakes as big as his head.

Miles misses his friends in Kentucky and our big, green yard. But after staying with both sets of grandparents and a few aunts and uncles, he supports our move. "Mom, I'm so glad we moved to Utah, it's just so nice to be near our big family." I agree.

Another favorite thing about Utah is the trails. Miles and Matt, along with a few cousins, made a dirt-bike trail in the vacant lot next to Pam and Roger's place. It has fueled his biking obsession. Here is a short self-made documentary by Miles that I like to call "Ode to the Bike." Warning: the cinematography is a little shaky and may cause nausea. 

MILESISMS (I can't figure out how to change this font...)

I bet that hurts even more than when I fall, because you're taller!

I need a hooker. (glow stick connector)

M: Is church faster next Sunday?

A: Nope, they're all the same  

M: Then why is it called fast Sunday?

M: I read the scriptures in my head. I just looked at the words. 

A: what did you read about? 

M: I don't know. You can't understand unless you say it out loud. 

Mia is taking a nap and Miles wants me to come outside and watch him ride: "Just leave her inside and use the baby thermometer."

After looking at the moon through the neighbor's telescope: "Being outside in the dark everything looks different. It's like being in a different world."

Don't worry Mia. Someday I'LL buy you a dog. 

Miles to his friend, Myra: You wanna take Ninja lessons? I'll be teaching them in June. 

After creeping out of bed: I have a headache, mom. I think it's because things keep zooming around in my head. 

To Matt after having cookies for breakfast during their roadtrip: We have uncontrolled sweet teeth.