The Bike Whisperer

Grandma Helen - aka The Bike Whisperer.

It seems she is able to speed along the bike riding skills of children of any age. Last year, during our Russian trips, she and Grandpa helped Liam with his bike riding sans-training wheels. Shortly after we got home, he took off. Natalie, also, showed a big improvement in her with-training-wheels riding after Grandma's help. Natalie got faster and better up and down sidewalk curbs, enough that she could ride to Liam's school during drop off. And during this summer's visit from Grandma, someone else was finally (and I say "finally" only from HIS perspective, because he's been trying to do this ever since he came home) able to use those little legs to go all the way around with the pedals. I caught them covertly practicing one day when I came home from running an errand. They both looked guilty. Actually, Grandma may have looked guilty, but Owen looked elated. Now I know why. Grandma has gone, but she left in her wake a 2 yr old Lance Armstrong. (And you know I'm just teasing, Grandma - we both know it was only a matter of time before this happened).

Now I just need to fly her back here to teach him how to use the brake.

If you can see the video, be sure to catch the funniest thing about it. Owen is saying under his breath "catch Natalie...catch Natalie...catch Natalie". And that about sums up the whole relationship there. So he's off and pedaling now, with no regard for potential falls. He knows that is what the helmet is for, I think. Part of me wishes that he would save some "firsts" for his 3 yr old year, but then I shudder as I realize all of the things that he could come up with...like bike ramps for jumping over things. Mostly, I'm just happy that Grandma's expertise doesn't lie in the field of bungee jumping or skydiving.

Little Mommy

Periodically I ask the kids what they want to be when they grow up, just to get them thinking about that. Natalie has been pretty consistent in saying a ballerina (though based on a dance camp she took this summer, I'm not going to hold my breath for that - she was not into the whole "performing in front of people" thing...). Sometimes she adds other things along with the ballerina idea. But she always says that what she really, really wants to be is a Mommy. I find it a little perplexing. I don't remember having those thoughts myself when I was young. I don't remember at her age, but from the time I can remember, the "Mommy career" was not on my radar. I don't think the Mommy idea crossed my mind until I was about, oh, 30 maybe.

I don't want to discourage her, of course, because being a mom is wonderful. As long as it doesn't happen too soon... The funny part is that I have realized over the course of several conversations with her that she has a funny idea about her baby. When I asked "Do you think you'll have a girl or a boy?" she looked at me funny and said "I only have one baby. It's Owen. So he's a boy." She has commented before that one day she'll grow up and then she'll be able to "take care of Owen and carry him around". I'm waiting for that day, I'll tell you. I sure could use the help! But seriously, isn't that an odd notion, thinking that when she grows up she'll be Owen's mother? I think I had some very motherly feelings toward my younger sister, but I always assumed it had something to do with her being seven years younger. Maybe it is just a girl thing? I wonder. All I can say is Bless Her Little Heart to say repeatedly that she wants to be a mother, if she is thinking that Owen will be her boy! The girl has more fortitude than myself. It took me about 40 years to be ready to look Owen in the face and be ready to parent him! Here she is at 4, ready to take him on. Ahhh, sweet girl. No wonder she gets cranky with him - she's probably imagining lugging him around the rest of her life.

The Beast Among Us

Yes, the beast among us is a tomato plant. The boy hiding behind it is wonderful, by the way.

The state of the garden...well it is a sorry state. Okay, I haven't really done anything more than water it and pull an occasional weed. But truly, I thought it would produce more than this. This gigantic, ugly, too-heavy-to-even-be-staked-up tomato plant has produced exactly ONE - count it - ONE tomato. One! I forgot to pick it, and it withered up like a raisin. And the plant has been punishing me ever since by refusing to produce any more! It just keeps growing like a virus. Perhaps it can feel my nasty feelings toward it and that is why it is barren? I don't know. In any case, it is the last picture you will see of it, because I pulled it out. (Not the easiest thing in the world - it may not have had fruit but it sure had some strong roots!) I feel slightly guilty, but I only have so much nurturing to go around, and I think it was so big that it was making the peppers next to it angry, because I have only had about 4 jalapenos all year too. Tons of little flowers, but only 4 peppers! What is WRONG with my gardening?! I definitely have a black thumb. Oh yes, and I kept waiting and waiting for the asparagus to mature, and I'm pretty sure that it has gone to seed now. But it never got big enough to pull, or at least it didn't appear to be big enough. So much for subsistence farming. My family would be awfully thin if we had to depend on this poor little plot of land. Mind you, I'm sure it is 100% my fault. Well, maybe 1% was the cat who fertilized it furiously in the early months...

I sure am hoping I am doing a better job with my children than my garden. Time will tell, I suppose. And I don't think I will rate their success on how much they reproduce.

Waning Days of Summer

Oh yes, I did! That is a picture of Natalie and Owen holding hands! And I said it wouldn't happen...

Also some other pictures of them all being quite cooperative together at a splash park. The last shot makes me laugh for several reasons...the droopy swimsuit (it is a 12 month size, but is still falling off the boy!), and also because he chose to stand right on top of the "fountain" so he's getting sprayed from below. ha ha They had a good time - at one of the only places to have fun when it's over 100.

Recovering

No, Owen wasn't the one sick. It was Jim. He's better now, so no need to go into too much detail, except to say that it was a long, frustrating week of being diagnosed with five very different things. The last diagnosis, and the one they stuck with was pneumonia. He is out of the hospital now, and we're all feeling better. The picture of Owen was him pretending to be sick so he could snuggle with Daddy. I spared Jim and didn't take a picture of him in his time of sickness.

Let me just say, the whole experience was frightening enough for me that I was having all sorts of panicked thoughts running across my mind. Not the least of which was "When exactly did having three small children seem like a good idea?" and "We said in Sickness and in Health, but no one ever mentioned being left alone with three small children, so don't you dare even think about it Mister!" You get the idea. I was scared. Unfortunately, my youngest has the uncanny ability to feel the emotions in a house and reflect them back times 10. So Owen has been a little...uhmmm...out of whack this week. Good news is that he seemed to do fine being babysat by a very kind friend and neighbor. It wasn't the way I'd planned to leave him with a sitter (aside from Grandma) the first time, but it went okay. But back at home, he has been a tantrum-y, hitting, yelling machine. Slightly reminiscent of his arrival a year ago, with perhaps a little more anger thrown in. I am hoping now that we are all back on track that this subsides. I do think the chaos and change in routines really affected the poor little guy. He is working real hard these days at expressing himself verbally, but I think this was too much for him to process. But we're all happy that Jim is home, and the countdown to the school year has officially begun!