John Deere

My kids LOVE tractors.  I am not sure exactly why but they both love, love, love them.  We have an old riding mower that my father-in-law gave us a few years back when he bought a new fancy one.  My husband loves it...even though it is pretty beat up.  But hey, it works and has proved it's worth time and time again.  We even have a snow blower that attaches to it for the winter months. Maybe my husband is to blame....





Well from the time Paige was old enough to sit on the tractor (about 10 months) she has made sure that if it was running, well she better be on it.  I can remember so many times that Jeff would start it up just to move it from one spot to another, a mere 10 feet or so, and Paige would come running, in tears afraid he was going to take a ride without her.  I am sure my neighbors think we are crazy but hey, we grew up in Ham Lake where everyone had big yards, riding mowers and ATV's.   And believe it or not....the 4-wheelers and snowmobiles are allowed to go just about anywhere that a car can go.  So needless to say, although taking a tractor ride around the 3 acre park that our yard backs up to doesn't seem like a big deal to us.  I am sure there is a neighbor or two out there with their nose in the air wonder exactly which city ordinance we are violating.



Paige still loves our tractor just as much as she ever did and now Quinn has discovered it too!  Now with Quinn I am not sure it is JUST a tractor fascination.  I am pretty sure he loves anything that starts and moves...especially if it is loud, he wants on it.  Jeff keeps his snowmobile in our garage and every time Quinn gets away from in the front of the house I am sure to find him there. It is a bit of a blessing in that if he wanders off for a moment while I am distracted...I know just where to find him.

Another interesting thing about Quinn is that he pays VERY close attention to the steps a person has to take to start any of these machines.  Thank goodness he can't operate a pull start!  Lord knows he tries his best though between the push mower, the weed whipper, the leaf blower and the sled.  He just pulls, and pulls and pulls! 

 One of Paige's favorite activities when visiting Papa is to go out in his digger (Bobcat) and grade the paddock.  Since she was about a year and a half she has hopped up in the seat with him and gone to work.  My Dad has expressed to me with both of my kids how nervous he is about them climbing up on one of his machines and starting it up.  Little sponges they are memorizing every step with ease!  Just last month the kids stayed with my parents while we were on a vacation and Quinn got to spend some time with Papa for the very first time on the digger and the 4-wheeler on a whole lotta land.  Quinn loved it!  When we picked him up to go back home my Dad was taking him for a ride, he was so funny, shrieking with excitement the whole time.  It was one of those things you wish you could just bottle right up and tuck away.

When Paige turned two we bought her a battery operated John Deere tractor.  She loved it, with the exception that it took her a little while to figure it out, the combination of pushing down on the gas and steering it at the same time was tough for her.  It wasn't until the summer of her 3rd birthday that she nailed it down.  Since then, and we are now on our third Summer, it is hard to keep a charge on it.  I never realized how much use that little tractor would get.  This Summer Quinn is trying to figure it out.  Now he is much bigger that Paige was at 2 and he is only 20 months so he fits on it quite well.  I have also noticed that he is quick to learn how to operate it.  He can hit the gas and crash it into stuff like nobodies business but that is about it for now.  But he will learn how to turn and back it up in no time!





Yesterday as I was doing laundry I peeked out the window and just melted as I watched my sweet Paige giving her little brother a ride around the yard...on her lap.  He was sitting right between her legs with a gigantic grin as she whipped back and forth, it was such a precious sight.  In the next hour I was able to catch him riding on the hood as well as sitting on the seat next to her on a backyard tour.  Of course as soon as I grabbed my camera...Paige was done with the tractor.  I did the best that I could and was able to capture a couple of cute shots.