Bicycling 101

Wanna see what somebody finally got the hankering to do on her own?

Here, it shows Daddy riding along with her.  So cute to see that 200 pound man riding on a 7-year-old's bicycle, encouraging her. I think what might have spurred her on to ride on her own was watching her cousins ride their bikes when she went on a trip to the park with them.

What happened after Daddy went inside with the boys and what you don't see in these pictures is Katherine riding the larger pink bike Daddy was riding earlier with Mommy running up and down the street holding onto the back of her seat,

encouraging her,

huffing and puffing,

helping her balance,

turning red-faced,

giving her advice,

cheering her on,

and finally demanding we MUST stop before I skin up my body by passing out from exhaustion.

My cautious girl got enough nerve to try it on her own and took off.

One of my parent's favorite stories they tell of me was when I learned how to ride a bike.  I just couldn't get the hang of it on the sugary sand down our driveway so they took me to the school playground where there was lots of hard surfaces to ride on.  Dad tells the story of me taking off immediately once we got there and he was so proud.  That was all I needed, a hard surface, and I had it!  But it became clear within seconds one important thing he forgot to teach me: How To Stop!  Yep, my dad forgot to teach me how to stop and like a moth to the flame, my green bicycle-steering skills lead me straight toward and into the school's dumpster.  I had a whole field to ride on, but somehow I honed in on the dumpster and crashed.  My ego was way more damaged than any body parts and true to form I was furious at the man who left out one Very. Important. Detail.

Well, I did NOT forget to teach Katherine how to stop.  I also made sure she was comfortable steering in tight spaces.

Bottom line is she got it!  Our girl is riding a bike now.  I'm pretty sure it was the same week she lost her first tooth also.  I can't hardly look through old blog posts for fear of bawling my eyes out because of how fast she's growing.

Good job, sister!

A beer commercial day

I know that most mothers go through the old Michelob beer commercial's slogan, "Some days are better than others," and the last couple of days fit that slogan for me. I was just thankful to make it to naptime. Maybe I should drink one also.

My precious little lady has REALLY been stretching the mommy limits when it comes to how serious she thinks I am when I tell her to do or not do something. Last night, after repeated threats for weeks prior, I caught her using both hands to "clear" off the bookshelf in her room. I caught her when about 2/3 of the top shelf was completed and in a moment of not thinking I yelled, "What the hell are you doing?" Not good. I know I am a broken person. I'm sure that one will come back later on. She received her well thought-out and calmly implemented punishment and soon there was crying, wailing, slobbery/snotty bubbles, drama, etc. She pulled out the full arsenal. One of those moments when you question whether or not the punishment was worth it. (We've been at this for 2 weeks now, yes it was worth it). But what shocked me was 15 minutes later, I walked back through the hall and noticed that she had completed her original goal. More perplexed than mad, I calmly explained to her that she was disobeying and there would be another punishment after she finished getting ready for bed. Well, bed-time ritual completed and 15 minutes later she looked mortified that I had remembered the punishment. The drama continued. Again, the well thought-out, calmly implemented punishment ensued and an age appropriate discussion followed with lots of love and hugs and kisses.

I know this is "normal" activity and I'm beginning to start the list of "Mommy's Rite of Passage":

1. lack of sleep
2. feelings of guilt (after noticing a tooth has come in, questioning punishments and weighing battles, cleaning vs. playing, who to attend to first)
3. potty training
4. leaving child with babysitter

So far, I laugh when I hear terrible twos because they were a piece of cake with Katherine. Her will and opinion has entered the scene now and the threes look like they're going to be much more difficult.

She heard me say today, "No, Nathan. You can't put on lip gloss because you're not old enough." One of those that sounds perfectly appropriate in context but absolutely ridiculous right after you say it. I'm sure he won't be able to do lots now because he's not old enough. I'll get back with you on that.

Bananas and Attitude

Ahhh, Thursday. One day closer to the weekend. Which in my case means absolutely nothing because my husband is writing his thesis. I guess it does mean I might get to help him write and/or format also. Please pray for his continued momentum and his attitude to remain positive. Mine too, I guess.

As much as I don't like to admit it, my husband is probably right about this one thing: Nathan does not do well if I take him anywhere during his normal nap times. Which means I'm confined to the house between 9-11 and 1-4 because he likes his bed or a quiet, moving car. How's that for feeling entrapped. I know that it's just a season, but it still stinks. Katherine used to stay asleep in the car seat after I'd put her in the shopping cart and push her around for an hour. On the brighter side, he is eating solid foods much better, though. He doesn't make the face that resembles swallowing poison/how-could-you-do-this-to-me-mom when I give him a minute piece of an over-ripe, mushy banana.

Katherine has taken a serious interest in reading books lately. She will choose to do that (with my help) over riding her tricycle, playing in the kiddie pool, coloring, and most of her other favorites. TV still trumps though. I didn't grow up enjoying to read so I'm trying to keep it fun for her. Her little sense of humor is also starting to really develop. Today, while eating breakfast, she said, "Mommy, after I eat this, I'll eat this, then this, then this, then.....I'm gonna eat.....the CHAIR!" Belly laughs then followed and most of the other furniture items in the dining room were included. I've also got a glimpse into the pre-teen years, I think. She has figured out how to answer me almost valley-girl-ish, which for me means including the word, "uh" before every answer or comment, severe inflection for each word and each word pronounced definitively. Does that make sense? I guess the easier way to describe it would be to say that it has ATTITUDE. Hello! She's 3! Not 13! And it's not just me that gets it, it's brother, the dog, the cat, the lizards running across the sidewalk, the trash truck driver-man, other cars on the road, "Uh, mommy. Why don't you beep beep at them and tell them to move over?" She hasn't started school yet and hangs out with kids mostly younger than her. She must have heard her father talk like that.

























This picture is old but shows how sweet and innocent she can look and be. I've been taking pictures with a disposable camera since Easter and have put my 5-year-long dream of buying an SLR on hold. Having something is better than nothing right now so bring on the point and shoot. God knows the desire of my heart and when the timing is right, it will happen.

And one more thing. This blog-thing I've started may seem a little personal at times and there's a reason for that. I've been suffering from a slight case of mommy-guilt for not taking more pictures, journaling, etc. for my two adorable children and this is my answer. I type much better and faster than I write and it forces me to download pictures more often than once a year. It is my goal to print these posts out and put them in a book for my children to look at later, when they're interested. So please, be discreet with who you forward this website to. I certainly will be.