our week in pictures + stories and such

8/20/2015











^^ For date night these days I often find myself in workout clothes and a baseball cap in lieu of high heels and lipstick. While I do love slipping on some sexy high heels now and again, there is absolutely nothing that can beat these kinds of date nights. Not one thing. I daresay some of my fondest conversations about life with this man were on a kayak. I remember one in particular, (the first experience we had which gave us the itch to buy kayaks at all!) when we sat on a borrowed two-man kayak and paddled around first dam and up stream a ways, where we floated for a couple of hours and watched the sunset. It was a cool-aired, dreamy friday evening with the man I love, full of reminders as to why I married him in the first place. I still swoon when I think about that date.

This particular date night here took place at a lovely little lake called Tony Grove, maybe you've heard of it? The beauty in my neck of the woods is breathtaking I tell you. Hashtag ILoveWhereILive allllll day.

Also, have you tried the flying cauldron's butterscotch beer? It's our current addiction. It's non alcoholic, mind you, so the kids can enjoy it too. One day I imagine the taste of butter beer will bring nostalgia for this adventurous summer that we have loved so much. As the hubs so wisely points out, it was far best *sipped* rather than gulped, like a good wine but much, much tastier. So far as I know you can only find this stuff at Macey's, Harmon's and Natural Grocers. (Unless you grocery shop online, and let me know how that goes!)





^^ The other day we had ourselves a lovely little family bike ride at the river walk, which has for many years been one of our very favorite stomping grounds near our home. The J-man rides without training wheels now, did I tell you that? Well shoot if I forgot because that deserves a blog post all of it's own! But okay, I'm a sucker for my babies so let me brag for a moment, will you?

A few weeks back we went camping with some friends of ours who have fun toys, including but not limited to little dirt bikes for their kids. Jace has loved motorcycles since he was born, really, so his face when he saw these dirt bikes that were his size was pretty priceless. Much to his dismay we had to play the mean parents this go around, and isn't that the worst? Stay out of the street kids! No ice cream for dinner! You have to wear your life jacket at all times! We are the worst joy kills, I know. But we also keep them alive and I feel that one day they'll appreciate that.

Anyway, we had to break the news that he couldn't drive his own dirt bike until he could ride his bicycle without training wheels, which was terribly devastating while also, incredibly motivating. The second we got home from camping it was on. While I'm bragging it should be noted that Jace's bike is not a little rinky dink 12 incher! I mean there's nothing wrong with a 12 incher (if you have a dirty mind right now then hardy har har...) but Jace, he likes the 16. That's a nice big one, just tall enough that he has to stand on his tippy-tip toes to even hold the thing up! So his going without training wheels really was no easy feat.

But the kid was determined. He practiced all night, and the very next time we tried (the very next time!) he was outta there. As though it was easy as pie! And not long after joining the no training wheels club he was riding on dirt hills. Then came popping a few wheelies while jumping off the curbs. I feel that I am doomed as a protective mother while also, if you know his dad, well duh. We knew this would happen all along.

Well there's that and back to our family bike ride at the river walk! It has been insanely hot these past couple of weeks, the kind of heat that makes you sticky and miserable. We've been meaning to get a good family bike ride under our belts ever since the J-man got rid of the training wheels but, this heat! So Monday morning at 10:00 we declared it just cool enough for a ride and we packed up our things.

The river walk is lovely and a bit shady, which is needed. Beck rode behind Dad's bike in the burley as he does and we had a grand and pokey bike ride through the path and over bridges. We raced each other around and took turns being the "leaver". (which rhymes with leader and ironically, he means leader, but I can't correct him because it's the cutest.) Jace learned about staying to the right unless you were passing someone, and that when you pass someone you call out "on your left!" to be polite. We stopped off to let Rockie swim and chew on sticks three times her size, while we sat down on the rocky river bottom to cool off and hydrate. (and take selfies, see above.)

It was on the second to last bridge heading back towards the dog park which we quite literally found ourselves in a tumble. Jace rode in front because he was the current "leaver", dad was in the middle and I was the caboose. We encourage Jace to really pedal hard when he is coming up on a hill, so as he can make it all the way without having to stop, so he was going pretty fast. We were cheering his accomplishment when, and this all happened very fast, his bike headed at a rapid pace back down the bridge at the bottom of which was a sharp left turn in order to stay on the path.

And, might I add, we are still working on braking.

With that, Jace was quick to realize that he could not in fact make that sharp left turn, nor could he remember how to brake, and so down the hillside he went, mountain biking for a moment and then quickly flying over his handlebars and landing in the thicket of branches below.

It was a terrifying moment from the eyes of his parents who couldn't do a thing to stop it. There were some tears, some scrapes and bruises, a little gouge on the forehead. No stitches or eyeballs poked out, no broken bones. When he had calmed down a bit he got right back on that bike and rode over to a park bench nearby, where he declared "I'd like to rest here for a minute." We all sat down for a rest on that park bench where he asked to call "all three of my grandpas" so that he could tell them how brave he was.

His story now goes (and I quote): "I was on the motorcycle and the wheel went ALLLLLL the way high up, ALLLLL the way like this (hand held as high as it can go over his head), and then I just flew off my motorcycle like SUPERMAN, and it was so cool."



^^ And THIS is a picture of a boy who wants to be just like his brother. We caught him with his brothers skate helmet on (put it on all by himself!) pretending to drive the big motorcycle. This brother thing is the bees knees, I'm not kidding. All of the feelings you guys.













^^ am I the only 30 year old who still eats a pb&j everyday? 


^^ "what's the name of this game again?"

"I win!"


^^ Following this bike ride, one mile from arriving home, my back tire went flat and I was forced to do the walk of shame home in my padded bicycle shorts. Why yes, I do know what it feels like to wear an adult sized diaper.




^^ If you follow my IG feed this is a total repeat, but nonetheless: the other day my lovely friend Nicole told me, "I feel like Rockie is you in human form!" And I was so dang flattered. I love my Rockie girl, she is the coolest pup I've ever met.


^^ Aw geez, another IG repeat. But here it is. We have a garden chucked full of green tomatoes. You guys, I have green tomatoes coming out of my ears. Everyday I walk to the garden and search these giant tomato plants, just sure that somewhere, deep down in the shade of their most inward branches, there must be a red tomato. With no avail! So imagine my excitement when the first of the red showed up. These babies are going to all ripen at once and I am going to be locked in my house for a week straight making fresh pico de gallo while meg + tom play on the tv. It's going to be perfect.



^^ And I'll leave you with this gem. Do you see what I mean about this brothers business? I mean really. I love these sweet boys of mine.


Happy {almost} weekend friends! Get out there and get you some!


xoxo

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