Max rides a bike!

Yesterday afternoon was beautiful and sunny.  In our house that has come to mean that bike riding will be the activity of choice after school.  For the last several months, Max has rotated between riding his scooter and his glider bike, with occasional turns on his two-wheeler with training wheels. But when we got home, Max immediately asked Dan to take off his training wheels - he wanted to give riding a two-wheeler a shot.

Now, when we tried this last June, it only took about 5 minutes before it became really evident that he wasn't ready.  The balance wasn't there, and he was too nervous about falling to keep working at it.  In fact, that was part of what pushed me toward purchasing his glider bike.  Since then, he really hasn't said a word about it.  But between the scooter and glider bike, we've watched his balance grow and grow.  We knew he was ready - he just needed to decide that he was.

So, today was the day.  Dan popped off the training wheels, told Max to take it to the top of the driveway and coast down,  just like on his glider bike.  No problem.  The second time, he told him that when he got to the bottom of the hill, he should try peddling.  And seriously?  That was it.  He was off and riding. No tears, no fear.  I'm so proud of him.  And I'm still trying to figure out when he got so big. 

Here's a video about 5 minutes after the training wheels came off:

Cousin Time...

One of the best things about Christmas this year was all the cousin time that the kiddos got to have.  With my sister's family living all the way in Ottawa, there's never enough time together.  But Christmas break gave us great time for Max, Luke, Savannah, and Asher to spend together.

It's funny to watch as the relationships develop.  Max, as the oldest, loves his little cousins.  Savannah adores him, and he loves being adored, so it all works out.  They play well together, and he is much kinder and more patient with her than he ever is with Luke.  While he thinks Asher is cute, he really can't wait until he can play ball with him.  Babies don't get much attention form my biggest.

Luke, on the other hand, has completely different relationships with his cousins.  He and Savannah are only 5 months apart, and they don't always bring out the best in each other. They antagonize and push each others' buttons, and have little patience or understanding for each other.  But, we are starting to see signs of improvement.  They worked together on several kitchen ventures, and Uncle Alex hosted a delightful tea party that they both enjoyed. And there were even a few times when they chose to play together.  And Asher?  Luke ADORES him.  Wants to make him smile, giggle, laugh all the time.  He loves to lay on the floor next to him and find things for him to play with.

While we always wish for more time, we're so thankful for what time we get.  I'm glad the boys are building relationships with their cousins, and can't wait to see how they continue to grow together!

The drive home today...

On the drive home today, there were a few Max and Luke jems I never want to forget:

Max: Mom, when I'm sixteen, can I have a bow and arrow?
Me: Sure.  Why not?  What do you want them for?
Max: So I can hunt in the South American rainforest.  That's how the people who live there do it.  Sounds good to me!

Me: Luke, you can't just touch the buttons on the new phone - it will actually call someone.
Luke: But Mom, when I'm sixteen can I dial the phone?
Me: Sure, kiddo.  No problem.

Luke: Mom, when I go to college, I am going to go with Max.
Max: And you can come visit us.
Me: Really? You'll let me visit?
Max: Sure - you could go to college then, too. Then you could get a new job.
Me: What kind of new job could I get?
Max:You can do whatever makes you happy.

Man, I love these kids.

Christmas Update #1

Rather than blather on and on like I usually do, this time I'll let the pictures speak for themselves (or I'll never get caught up!)

Here was the first part of our Christmas at Mema and Papa's (my parents):

A very special visit from Santa (or Santa's helper, as Luke decided) was a magical part of our Christmas eve.

Gotta love new goggles!

Three of my favorite people

We were lucky to have Uncle Jerry and soon-to-be-Aunt Brenda join us

Luke and his beloved stoplight - Santa sure came through!

My beautiful sister - who never looks as gorgeous as when she's being a mama.

We tried to tell him not to eat the snow, but it was better than licking it off the window, which he did later...

Snow flingers that double as great noise makers

Amazing snowman demolition brought to you by my brother-in-law, Alex!

Asher and Dan enjoying their time together

SO many wonderful memories and laughter.  We felt very fortunate, indeed.

And it's tree time again...

For some people it's the first strains of Christmas music that stream through the overhead speakers in the grocery store.  For others it's the dark hour Black Friday shopping excursion.  For me, Christmas begins with the tree.

Growing up, it was a trip to the forest.  Now we live in the heart of Christmas tree country - no fewer than 30 farms within a 30 minute drive.  We can go out, cut our own, and still be home for lunch.  For the last two years we have loved visiting the Hamburg 4D Tree Farm - a great little farm with trees for $20, hot cocoa, cider, and chili. The family is friendly, and the trees are beautiful.  We love Noble Fir, and enjoy the search for the tree that is meant to be ours.

Here are a few shots from this year's trip:

Letters to Santa

Each day of Advent, the boys get to open a bag that contains a card with an activity for the day.  Day 2 was to write a letter to Santa.  While we've always talked about it in the past, this was the first time we've actually sat down and done it. 

Max is getting more and more independent with his writing.  While he will first exclaim that he can't do it, given a little prompting and time, he does fairly well.  It is so interesting (as a reading teacher) to watch him develop letter and sound ideas.  Luke is just starting to write his first letters - he's got "u" down, and is working on his name.  For his letter, I took dictation.  Here are the results:

 Max's letter reads:
     "Dear Santa
            I hope  you are having a good time.  Kud (Could) I hav hte Lego castle ples? Kud I hav a tooth bruhs (brush) ples?
                                       Frum,
                                       Max Y"

Lots of tongues sticking out in concentration.  This is serious business, people!

The soundtrack of our house...

( A little Eye of the Tiger for those needing translation...)

A little heads up...

Over the last couple of years, I have had a few challenges when it comes to blogging.  The largest of these was feeling like I was trying to make this little blog cover too many things.  I wanted it to be our online scrapbook, family journal, but also wanted somewhere to share our theories on parenting and life.  Sometimes these things go together, but often it just felt awkward. Maybe it all comes down to the English teacher in me always wanting to write for my audience, but not knowing who that was...

So, as many of you know, I started a new blog a couple weeks ago.  Upon the Tightrope is our new bog for our journey to finding more balance in life.  Here I will continue to write about the funny things the boys say, silly videos, and our more personal, individual thoughts.  Hopefully this will help make each place feel more coherent, and tied together.  I'd love to have you join me for whatever interests you!

And thanks for reading along, wherever you choose to do that!

Halloween

We had a great day today.  Instead of our usual craziness of trying to do too much "holiday stuff", we took it easy.  The weather was beautiful, so the yard called for attention.  Max and I planted over 75 bulbs today (mostly tulips and narcissus), we cleaned out the garden, and Dan mowed and cleaned up tons of leaves.  It was so nice to be able to work on all of that without the rain!

To celebrate Halloween, first we went over to my grandma's house. It was great to see her, my Uncle Jerry and his girlfriend Brenda, and mt Uncle Jim, Aunt Robbi, and cousins Ian and Sydney.  They loved getting to see my little pirates, and my pirates loved seeing people they love.

We came home, ate dinner, and headed out for Grandpa Tom's church.  They were having their second annual "Trunk and Treat", where members of the congregation decorate their car trunks and pass out candy to children from the church and neighborhood. The boys loved seeing their grandparents and thought that the cars were pretty cool, too.

Once we got back home, Dan took the boys around the neighborhood, while I stayed home to man the door.  I was really impressed at how polite the trick or treaters were, and the boys had fun on their short adventure.

It was a great evening overall.  Our little pirates were adorable, even if they had been planning for months to be a knight and a dragon.  (Last minute changes made possible by the dress up box...) Now, off to "check" their candy (and hope for a butterfinger...).

Nearly a month...

It's been nearly a month since I've written, and looking back I'm not sure where it has gone. Ok - that isn't exactly true. It's been full. Really full. But so full that I think I am just going to have to give it one massive update, or we'll be catching up for months.

So, here's where it went:

1. At the end of September we lost our cat, Oden. He had been sick off and on the entire time we had him, and after many vet visits and all kinds of exams, there really wasn't a clear issue or a solution. Oden was Max's cat, and of course he was pretty upset. I was glad we had the fish episode to prepare him, and the one positive thing was that we had a few weeks to get ready. Still, there's not much more pitiful than watching Max haul the dead cat in a laundry basket around the house for a couple days before he was ready for us to bury him. And something a little funny? Luke still tells people that his orange cat is "very, very sick in a deep, deep hole".

2. We went to the beach with my parents. What was supposed to be a crabbing weekend became a arcade, swimming pool, air hockey weekend. The 55 mph winds just weren't conducive to being out in a skiff, but we had a wonderful time anyway. I was so happy to see the boys so happy to be in the pool every day, and they loved riding their bikes up and down the promenade.

Max loving the pool

3. Just after coming back from the beach, my grandmother was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. We could hardly believe it. Fortunately, I am part of an amazing family that has worked hard to rally around her, and we are really thankful that she is still feeling well. My aunt and cousin were able to come to town, my mom came up, and my uncles who live in town have all worked hard to get appropriate care established. Now we just love her up as much as we can.

4. While my family was gathering, we were also joined by my wonderful sister-in-law for a weekend. It is always so fun to have her around. She is such a kind, considerate, crazy-smart person, and the boys adore her. We just wish she lived closer!

5. We were also lucky enough to have my sister and her family join us for a week. (Well, my hard working brother in law flew out, back, back out, and then home again within a week to help my sister get my niece and nephew out here.) Max and Luke were so happy to have their cousins around, and I loved cuddling with the princess (my niece Savannah) and the peanut (my nephew Asher). My sister and I got a couple of nights out together, and she even helped me attempt to shop. They are such easy guests, and we miss them already.

Alex reading to Max and Luke

Asher, 4 months

6. Speaking of great guests, there was also my Mom. She was here for about a week and a half, and in that time she kept the house clean, helped my Grandma, fixed dinners, cleaned out my pantry, and read countless bedtime stories. I don't know how she manages to do all she does, but she sure makes our life easier when she is around.

7. Dan and I got a weekend away. One of my best friends from high school got married in Vegas the weekend we were at the beach (we got to watch it all online - so very cool!), and his reception was in our hometown. While we were there we got to sleep in, watch a movie (The Social Network), shop (successfully this time), and catch up with friends I hadn't seen in years.

8. We also hit the pumpkin patch. Taking all four kiddos, my fabulous mother in law, sister in law, sister, and Dan to the world's busiest pumpkin patch was quite an adventure, but the weather was incredible and the kids had a lot of fun picking out pumpkins, playing in the mazes, and riding the mini merry go round. It was a bit of seasonal fun amidst all the other craziness.

Savannah, Max, and Luke (in disguise, apparently)

Erin, Asher (in the pouch), and Savannah

9. And finally, we spent a LOT of the last month outside. Portland has enjoyed a gorgeous fall - sunny skies, weather in the 60's kind of days. Nearly every day the boys have come home from school and spent an hour or more riding their bikes and scooters in the driveway and garage. They get quite the little loop going, and the chance to spend time outside has done wonders for all of our moods. Max has developed his balance on his scooter and glider bike, and Luke loves to bomb down the hill on the "big bike" (12 incher with training wheels). The laughter and fun they have together out there is such a nice way to wind down from the day. I'll be pretty sad when it's too wet to do any more.

Savannah riding a bike

Max

So, that's what we've been up to in October. A busy, fun, emotional, FULL month. We're so lucky to have such wonderful family in our lives, and this was a great few weeks for really paying attention to just that.

Pumpkin carving

A small harvest...

It's been an interesting year for gardening. Every year I learn so much about the process. But sometimes I think the biggest lesson I learn in gardening is just how much is OUT of my control.

This year has been a little strange - a very cool summer, with a very wet June. Our first rounds of cucumbers and squash all rotted out, and the second round was late getting started. The beans never really got going - beyond a handful at a time, there were never enough beans for a meal. The chard varied between not growing at all, and leaves that were baked hard from too much sun exposure.

Our large tomatoes have only been getting red in the last week - and most are showing signs of evenings that are too cool. The blueberries did well - but this was only their first year in ground, so the harvest was small. Squash? Overcrowded vines didn't allow for much fruit.

We really only had a few successes this year. Our eggplants grew well, and turned out many fruits (too bad I'm the only one who likes them!). The hops plant provided enough hops for one batch of home brew. And our cherry tomatoes - Sungolds, primarily - have been amazing. And since that's our favorite, it's the only one that really matters.

So, lots of frustrations in the garden, and few moments of glory. Was it worth it?

Of course. The reason I garden is only very partially for the harvest. No, I garden because I want my boys to know how food grows. I want to remember my grandparents, amazing tomato growers. I want an excuse to be outside. And I want to try something that pushes me to let go of my need to control everything.

So, while I still have the beds to clear and soil to mulch, I'm already planning for next year. How about you?

Apple picking time...

I'll get back to revisiting summer soon, but while it's still fresh, I thought I would share today's trip to the apple orchard. To say I've been a little overwhelmed since school started would be an understatement. Every evening has been filled with preparing for the next day, and this weekend I have plenty of grading to do. But I needed a break, and the weather is only supposed to get worse. Dan and the boys appeased my pleas to head to Parkdale and the Kiyokawa Orchards.

Despite the gray skies, the drive there was beautiful. Instead of taking grading in the car, I took my latest knitting project and made a real mini-vacation of it. It was so nice to sit and listen to Car Talk podcasts and knit rather than think about students and grades. Just what I needed today.



The orchard was busy, but the u-pick areas were nearly empty. We all headed out to pick the three varieties that were ready - Sansa, Akane, and Ginger Golds. Max is becoming quite the experienced picker, and it was fun to watch him really search for the best apples - even if that meant he had to get up on Daddy's shoulders. Lucky for us, they also had u-pick strawberries and peaches - both of which were beautiful and perfectly ripe. Luke may have eaten more berries than he picked, but the grin on his face was worth it.







The orchard was also offering free hayrides around the farm, while the owner shared a little of the history and told us about his father's start of the orchards. The boys loved the ride, and I liked hearing about the place we've been visiting for the last several years.



Tomorrow I will work on canning some peaches for the first time, and applesauce will be made next weekend. Strawberries are cleaned and ready to be used in smoothies this winter. And my mind is just a little clearer.

A day well worth it.