Cycling

A day perfectly rounded.  It began with a luxuriously lazy arrising, adding an additional hour on to our normal rise time. Beautiful breakfast made by Josh and the kids of bacon and German pancakes.  Without delay we were off to a family excursion on bike and foot.  

Three small cyclists were bookended by parent runners acting as crossing guards and guides.  Within a mile of our home is a middle school that has an asphalt track on which we could all circle at our own pace.  Josh and I made a few laps for fitness as the children lapped for leisure.  Danny and Daddy practiced baseball on the in-field and we enjoyed the breezy morning warmth.  Within forty-five minutes the sun and exertion had their convincing statements and we were again riding home.  

Our morning then shaped itself into a fine balance of working together in the yard and cooling off.  I was delighted to have Josh around to assist with the yard work and again the children rotated between childlike entertainment and the work at hand.  We pruned trees, weeded the garden, swept sidewalks and prepared a personal urban paradise.  We dined al fresco in our freshly cut green turf and let the birds serenade the ease of our conversation.  Drowsy, Daddy retreated to an afternoon siesta in the basement.  The kids and I pampered our selves a bit more in the backyard before moving indoors for quiet activity.  I rested, the kids read.

We are all so pleased with the progress our yard has made this year, in another it will only just improve!

 The second grand excursion was to the city center for Buskerfest.  Our happy family of five took seat astride our bicycles and pedaled to the festival.  What a treat to live in a small town city with amenities within child biking distance.  It was our first experiment with city block traffic, and not without a bit of apprehension and tension along the way.  All was safe in the end and we enjoyed a mini street carnival.

The river green way is two blocks from our home that travels directly into the city along St. Joseph River.

 We were drug by one little leader or another from various attention grabbing attractions.  Loud banging on recycled goods attracted Faith and Danny, while Viv shied away from the overwhelming sensory input.  We saw street performers of all color (literally gold, silver, and green), musicians, jugglers, stilt walkers, and unicyclists (one playing the guitar while cycling).  A fine dinner outside of Jimmy Johns afforded us a fine vantage point of all while not having to pay the exorbitant bus food prices.

Faith joined in the drum-line without hesitation.

Danny had the rhythm and was tickled to play along. 

Doing 'airplane' on Daddy's feet took a whole new level with this balancing act. 

Fire eater - Josh sleuthed out her flaming source as vodka.  Not to bad swallowing that after extinguishing the flame.

The kids were pleased with this posing captain. Boy would Disney take them for a loop!

Our ride takes us right past the court house, with a lovely garden and circular paths for extra riding fun.

We came full circle back at home as each of the kids recorded in their personal picture journals what was most important to them each.  Even with nearly five miles of cycling around our city today, they were happy and energetic to the last pillow call.  There will be sweet dreams cycling around in their heads tonight.  I will rest well myself, having had a rounded day with those I love to share the road with best.

Setting Sails

 It has been a while coming for me to articulate.  My summer has been full of peace and joy.  I wouldn't wish to say it is a rarity, but is is something of a nuance to actually feel it so intensely. I have been a captain of a fools ship for so long it is strange to find competent sailors aboard - meaning, my kids are showing definite signs of becoming independent of me.

The transition has been met with incredulity on my part.  I still believe that I must pause my personal agendas as I have done for the past 6 years in order to be ultimately available for assistance.  However, as the days lengthen with summer sun, the periods between needed interruptions draws out and I am left thinking "What do I do?"

The kids are best of friends on most given days and play on the same imaginative level.  I feel like a real dunce in their world.  Perhaps it is I the fool captain and the ship full of competent crew all along.  I try to sneakily observe all the blissful imagination that accompanies large blanket constructed forts or piles of toys and books and remember that I once did that too.  If ever I am detected the magic seems to dissipate for I am the outsider and adults always seem to come with too many rules.  I suppose now I work on changing my persona to match their world.

In the end, I have discovered summer in a new way this year: full yet empty, peace and chaos, joy and independence.  I remain on the fringes of a epic change - growing up.  My kids are growing up - which I have repeatedly tried to forbid to such responses as "But Momma, you grew up because you wanted to be a Mom [Faith]" and "It's okay Mom, I can Skype you a lot when I am far away [Danny]." They know and feel that the transition is natural and rejoice. I have been reticent.

As the lazy summer days have lengthened I have relaxed and been generously enveloped in this new peace.  They are happy to play.  I, in my somewhat distance location of observation for safety purposes, am left to keep one ear on the present and the other listening to the joyous moments of my own past.  I was a happy child and I am a happy mother to hear the noises of past and present harmonize.

We continue to just enough work to feel responsible and connected to purpose, but the rest is left to play.  They govern themselves in joy; welcome difference to the iron hand of consequences.  If it makes us happy, it is best.  If it is not so fun, then leave it behind.  Rest when needed.  Eat as hunger strikes.  Exercise your body in play.  Sleep as all is exhausted.  Dream peacefully in anticipation of another day to come.  My role - observe happily.

Sail on you happy ship!  I shall hold the rudder and my budding captains will make the course.  We are setting sails into a new land of discovery and life.  It is yet uncharted by this mother for now I no longer will be doing the driving.  My kids are growing up.

We  have spent endless hours at Metea Park.  A pond, with a beach, and fishing, and grass.

Water, friends, sun, all we need.

Close enough to save before drowning but far enough away not to interfere.

Celebrations- our boy is 5

June 14th our boy, the youngest in the family as it stands, turned 5!  I don't often refer to Danny as the baby of the family because he is our Boy, but something does click in my head to have the youngest getting older.  I saw it coming.  All his talking and being grown up has certainly painted it on the walls. I love every minute of new discoveries with Danny.  He is still super cuddly and service centered.  Yet, he is more and more boy each day.  His daddy spoiled him with a new guitar so they could share a hobby, one of many of course, together as men.

We have the gift opening first thing in the morning so Daddy can share it with us.  Plus, we were going camping that evening and didn't want to not have gifts.  Camping was one of those wonderful gifts that we all get to share together.  We loved sharing it together, thanks to Danny for being born on such a nice day of the year to celebrate.

Happy Birthday gifts early for our boy!

His own guitar! He loves making music for us all.

This was the initial excitement of arriving at the campsite!

Their first memories of putting up a tent.  It had been so long since last setting up the tent one of the elastics had deteriorated.  The kids did not mind at all, the whole process was a party.

Our campsite at Pokagon had a play structure which was just a preshow to a fun weekend.

It was fun creating memories of their own on this first camping trip they will remember for themselves.

In lieu of a birthday cake Danny settled for authentic smores and blowing out flaming mallows instead of candles.  

They caught a few crappie on Friday but Danny cast perfectly to get a bluegill on Saturday morning.

Most of Saturday was spent on the beach of Lake James playing and playing.

Danny bought a two-scoop birthday cake ice cream cone which he enjoyed mostly independently. 

Suzy Diaries

On a lovely afternoon Suzy, Faith's new favorite doll took a stroll in the neighborhood, which was documented by Faith. Photography and placement was all done by Faith.

When you are small, perspective is everything.