It's a Family Thing (Finally!)

Since the girls learned to ride their bikes without training wheels, we’ve been contemplating whether Baby B needed a new bike.  She was still riding a 16”, in comparison to Baby A’s 20”.  Our A seemed to get places a lot faster with those bigger wheels, and little B seemed always to be telling us how tired her legs were.

Hubby told B we’d get her a new bike when we got back from vacation.  So of course the first words out of B’s mouth the morning after we got home from Maine were, “We’re getting my new bike today!”

Late that Saturday afternoon, we made good on our commitment, taking the girls to the bike shop downtown where we bought their original bikes two years ago.  We found a great bike for B, and A was [mostly] patient while her sissy got lots of attention.  B agreed to let A ride her bike, so all was relatively well.

Hubby and I had been talking about getting bikes ourselves, but I hadn’t planned on making the splurge that day.  It was no time, though, before we’d each picked out bikes.  It’s a good thing we recently straightened up the garage…our family of bikes is quite formidable!

I’ll admit it took me a few minutes to feel comfortable on my bike.  (It had been quite a few years…30, perhaps???...since I’d ridden one!  And I’d never had a bike with hand brakes and gears!!!)  We tooled around a bit that first evening, and then – helmets on – we went for our first family bike ride the next day!

Over the past two weeks, we’ve logged as many family rides as we could…early on a Saturday or Sunday morning, or first thing when Mommy gets home from work in the afternoon.

This mama is having a super-fun time whizzing through the neighborhood, and it’s such an awesome sight to be surrounded by the family.

I’ve long talked about Mommy milestones, and certainly the girls’ milestones are huge.  This is one Family Milestone that will stick with me for a long, long time!

Look, Mom...No Wheels!

...no training wheels, that is!

It's been incredibly hot here the past couple of weeks, so I haven't gotten to see the girls ride their bikes very often.  Friday afternoon, we all decided to brave the elements when I got home from work.

The girls were ZIPPING up and down and back and forth...getting onto their bikes by themselves...stopping with precision...and making only one or two [unplanned] trips into the grass.

Baby A is quite the "leaner".  It almost makes me a little nervous...but she seems to have the hang of it!

And I love this picture of B.  She was showing off her excitement (and being a bit daredevil-ish) as she headed straight for Mommy.

I'm so proud of these girlies!  Next step...taking it to the streets!  The big hill in front of our house (relatively speaking...when your seven-year old is riding a bike...) makes me nervous, but I know the girls will be fine through the neighborhood.  That's one we might have to do individually, though.  I don't know that my nerves can take keeping up with two of them just yet.  Baby steps (for me!)!

Sweet Impromptu

The girls had a dentist appointment yesterday afternoon.  The game plan was for Hubby to take them, and I’d join everyone for the dentist’s walkthrough at the end of the appointment.  I left work 30 minutes early, thinking my timing would be perfect.  I guess they were running ahead of schedule, though, as I got the call that they were all done when I was a couple of blocks away from the dentist's office.

(Everyone got a good report…hooray!)

It was about 4:15, which is far before suppertime in my book.  But…we were SO CLOSE to downtown.  We decided to head that way and take advantage of a happy hour appetizer special somewhere.

Before making our restaurant choice, we stopped by the jewelry store to pick up the beads the girls ordered for their bracelets (the ones they get for each tooth they lose).  Then we landed next door at a new little restaurant, one we checked out for the first time a couple of weeks ago.

We enjoyed a yummy, relatively lightly supper.  What a treat it was, on a random Monday late afternoon, to hang out with my girlies downtown!  We talked about their day, they asked about mine, and we fantasized about vacation.  Even after a normal (semi-hectic) day of work, our dinner felt so leisurely!

We finished supper and it was barely 5:30.  We had two cars, and Hubby declared he had an errand to run.  I decided I wasn’t quite ready for our adventure to end…so I drove the girls to get some yogurt.  They were almost incredulous that we would do that after supper!  (I think they always consider yogurt a mid-afternoon treat…the thought of having it so late in the day drew gasps of surprise!)

(I'm growing to appreciate the goofy charm of a selfie...at least the [awkward!] way I take them!)

After we savored every last spoonful of yogurt, we headed home.  It was a HOT afternoon – still about 90 degrees – but the driveway was mostly shady.  The girls jumped at the chance to ride their bikes for a few minutes.

Just as they were donning their helmets, Hubby pulled into the driveway.  He took over chaperone duty while I changed out of my work clothes.  I got to witness a few final spins up and down the drive (and WOW how the girls have improved since last week!!!).

We headed in and had a quick shower before bedtime.  I told the girls we could read some Little House as a bedtime story, and they were again elated.  We’re reading through a very harrowing part (book 6, The Long Winter).  We read a chapter and a half – and by that time put us a little late for bed.  They begged for just one more chapter, but I had to finally tell them we’d packed all the adventure we could into the afternoon.

Just as I was tucking the girls into bed, Daddy came upstairs for one last hug.  We all finished the day with big smiles on our faces.

What a wonderful afternoon of impromptu we enjoyed.  Some of life’s simple pleasures, for sure.

The View from Behind

I chose to leave my camera in its cozy nest on Saturday morning when we went for our first family walk of the spring.  I know I missed capturing some amazing moments, but I hope they stay clear in my mind for a long time.

The morning was cool, and the girls were excited to wear their Puma track suits.  I fixed their hair – braided ponytails for both – and they skipped outside, full of energy.  Hubby and I were energetic, too, but we didn’t join the girls when they started to jog.

They took off ahead of us, jogging side by side.  How grown-up they looked in their coordinating gear, ponytails swinging as they bounced down the road.

The jogging didn’t last too long, but it gave way to skipping at one point, the girls holding hands.

What a view.

On Sunday, the girls wanted to go for a bike ride.  I reluctantly agreed.  (The last bike ride wasn’t all the pleasant, with one kiddo tiring out and having to push her bike part-way home.)  I reminded the girls of the “rules”…that they aren’t to get too far ahead of me…to stay together…to stay on the side of the road opposite traffic…to stop if a car is coming.  They committed to the challenge, so off we went.

Baby A took off first, riding to the top of the first hill to wait on Sissy and me.  Once we got closer, she took off again.  I encouraged B to catch up to A, and to wait on me at the stop sign.  The girls were off!  Baby A rode ahead most of the morning, with B following her.  I jogged (most of the time) to keep up with them.  A few times, I yelled to A to wait on us before embarking on the next leg of the journey.

How adorable it was to see the girls, again from behind, peddling hard and following the rules.  At one point I let them go down a dead-end side street (while I rested from the jog!).  They were so incredibly cute, talking with each other as they peddled side by side.

We made the full lap through the neighborhood, a solid 2 miles round-trip.  Baby A had great stamina to make it up the final big hill without stopping – a very recent feat for her!  Baby B was losing steam, but I told her she was responsible for getting home.  I was walking, with B alternately peddling and walking her bike behind me. 

At that point, I looked up to see A running towards me.  She’d ridden her bike home, and she was coming back to help her sissy.  My A disappeared over the hill, and then she and B summited together…Baby A reported she gave Sissy two pushes, and from there she jogged alongside as B made the final stretch home.

What a glorious sight!

The Day Before School Started, We...

…slept all the way until 7am (the girls, that is).  I went upstairs, truly incredulous that I hadn’t heard them.  They were still SNOOZING and their clock was green!

…had cinnamon bites with a candle to make a wish for a great school year...our tradition!

…colored some really cool bookmarks.  (We are all loving "coloring books for grown-ups"!)

…took our supplies to the girls’ schools and delivered our paperclip “happies” to the girls’ teachers.

…went to the bookstore and browsed around.  We read a book about the invention of the Ferris wheel, along with Dr. Seuss’s newest book, What Pet Should I Get?  We bought the next Mercy Watson book, Anne of Green Gables, and Barnyard Dance.  (The girls have been clamoring for that book for YEARS.  We had it when they were babies, but it got “eaten” and was thrown away.  They’re way too old for it, but I couldn’t resist any longer!)

My precious BABIES!!!

…got our bookmarks laminated at Staples and found the missing school supply item we’d been searching for (a particular type of journal).

…went to lunch at Yuki.  Baby B chose a Bento box, and Baby A went with her favorite standby, teriyaki shrimp.  They shared some of my soup and salad, and A kept checking out the sushi chefs right beside us.  She can sometimes be kind of shy, but she was very intent on watching them today.

Love these BABIES and their adventurous palates!

…went to Target and picked out a new bookcase.  The girls were very helpful in getting it in the cart, which they thought was really great.  They also got to push the cart into the corral…big fun!

…came home for Quiet Time and read our new Mercy Watson book in Mommy’s bed…just like old times.

…made strawberry-banana smoothies for snack, “with special straws”.

"What do you think, Sis?"

…went outside to play.  The girls rode their bikes up and down the big hill in front of the house.  Baby B made it a few times, and Baby A wanted to keep going.  I told her that was enough of bikes, since I didn’t want them to get too hot and sweaty.  Baby A first asked if we could take a walk.  I told her we could walk to the top of the hill and back.  And then we skipped up and back.  Then Baby A asked if she could run instead.  She ran at least twice…my little nut!  I finally got everyone corralled on the driveway to play some catch.  And then Daddy SURPRISED us by coming home early!!!  We all got to play together a little bit.  It was such a treat!

Love the joy in this one!

"High five, Sissy!"

…came in and got a well-deserved shower, getting squeaky clean to start school. 

…built our bookcase!  The girls were THRILLED to help me.  They got to hand me pieces, turn the screwdriver, AND pound a [tack] nail.  Such big kids!!! 

…enjoyed our famous baked shrimp scampi supper, and then we had just enough time before bed to get our bookcase in the office.  Success!  We’d said we wanted to get the office organized before school started, and we JUST made it!

...made Mommy's heart melt.  When I told the girls I was taking the day off on Monday, and it would be just the three of us (since Hubby had to be at school all day), they were so excited.  “We haven’t had a day together since preschool!”  And at the end of the day, “Mommy, this was the best day ever!”

***

Makes me miss being home with my babies, for sure.  

So thankful we at least got to end the summer in *our* style.

Sisters Helping Each Other

Since they started school, our girls don't seem to be in lock-step with each other the way they've always been.

That's a topic for another (long and arduous) post, but my heart was so warmed to see two unprompted acts of togetherness this weekend.

On Sunday morning, the girls and I went for a bike ride.  (Meaning, they rode and I jogged along beside/behind/and sometimes in front.)  They've only ridden a handful of times in the past 6 months, and I can tell their stamina isn't what it was this summer.

As we turned around at the bottom of a street and prepared to head back home, Baby A was in the lead.  With some cheerleading from me, she made it up the small hill.  B was considerably behind us.  I told A to wait in a driveway, and I called to B, encouraging her to join us.  She got on her way...but stopped short, about halfway up the little hill.

"I'll come push you," I told her.  "No, I will!" my A volunteered.  She went galloping over to B and ran behind her up the hill.  Baby A had the biggest smile on her face, and B giggled all the way.  (And this mama was beaming.)

Sunday afternoon, we decided to treat ourselves to ice cream.  It was a GORGEOUS day...particularly considering we'd been playing in the SNOW not 10 days prior...and it felt great to be outside.

Baby B chose Chocolate Almond Coconut (just like Mommy), and A chose Oreo Cheesecake.  The girls hardly sat down before they were feeding each other bites.  "Do you want to try mine, Sissy?"  "Yes!  Then do you want to try mine?"

These little displays did my heart so much good!  (And I'm writing them down to refer to them when the going [inevitably?] gets tough between my two little angels.)

...and They're OFF!!!

I had to check back through my pictures to see that the girls got their bikes on May 1.  It’s hard to believe it’s only been a month since they got their wheels!

I can't get over how "professional" they look in their helmets!  Tour de France, here we come!!!

Thanks to their training wheels, the girls could ride their bikes as soon as they got them.  It only took a couple of minutes before they were making their way around the flat part of the driveway.  That first day, though, they couldn’t quite make it to the top of the driveway.  There’s a slight slope, and it was just enough to stump them.

The next day, the girls mastered the driveway.  They were so proud!  And I was so amazed at how quickly they built up their strength and stamina to cross that hurdle.

The next hurdle was making it off the driveway (there’s a very slight [1/2”?] drop from the drive to the pavement).  They did that on Day 2, and they were able – with constant supervision – to make it around the dead-end circle in front of our house.

The next hurdle was making it to the top of the hill in front of our house, about three houses up.  It took another couple of days – and lots of pushes from Mommy – but they mastered it pretty quickly.

Those obstacles gave the girls a lot to practice, and they spent quite a bit of time zipping up and down the drive.  (Going off the driveway still requires permission – and accompaniment – from Mommy.)

The next hurdle was going down the hill, to the stop sign at the bottom of our road.  I had to make sure the girls had good command of their brakes!  Once I built up my courage (!!!), they had no trouble making that route.  Coming up the hill was another story, though.

It took a few tries, but Baby A finally mastered the hill coming home last week.  For the first time today, B made it [without Mommy’s assistance], too!

Today, June 3, we made our first voyage outside the safety of our dead-end street.  The girls rode (and I ran!) all the way to the pond in the middle of our neighborhood.  It’s a solid ¾ of a mile there, and there are several hills, too.

We took a few water breaks, but I was incredibly impressed with the girls!  They made it the entire way, on their own pedal power!  They followed my instructions, and they took turns leading the way.

I told the girls that I would get a bike when they learned to ride more proficiently.  At this rate, it looks like it won’t be long before I’ll have my own two wheels!