Do not believe the box....

when it says: "Easy to assemble. Well, actually, we all know that but somehow we cling onto that myth time and again just to once again....ugh!. On Sunday the boys got big boy bikes (big excitement!) but they came in boxes, to be assembled at home. And yes, there was some frustration involved. What I can tell you is that there is a learning curve to assembling a bicycle and the second one took about a quarter of the time that the first one took.

What I can also tell you is that it took the boys one go up the driveway (quite a steep incline) and down to master the basics, and away they were.

The Princess got a hockey stick and ball due to her huge enthusiasm and good performance after her first hockey tournament. Yes, she had exactly two practices, and on Saturday played her first mini hockey tournament. And no, it's not because she is great or anything, everybody gets a chance as long as they have mastered the basic skills which thanks to last year's Playball, she did. She LOVED the hockey and went into the first game as a forward and was used in the second game as the same position. She enjoyed being in the thick of things, right at the ball and had huge fun.

Speaking of that, we had a taste this Saturday of possible future weekends to come - while I was with the Princess at the mini hockey tournament, Hunter and the boys attended their first rugby day. It was super cute and the boys had lots of fun, especially playing a game against their dads after their game and having the chance to tackle dad. The boys played against each other and true to their personalities according to Hunter. L was right there int he thick of things while C waited away from the action to steal the ball and score two tries. Regardless of it all, they loved it.

It is our philosophy to not only encourage an active lifestyle as a family, walking together, cycling and playing ball etc at home, but also to encourage our kids to do sport at school. We will never pressurize them into doing something specific (apart from swimming which we feel is a life skill and safety issue more than just a sport), but as long as they try their very best and enjoy and participate in some sport, we are happy parents.

So what is your take on sports and the kids? And what did you do this weekend?