Mobile…

Behold!  My birthday present!  It’s a big comfy Schwinn.  All it’s missing is some tassels and a basket.  Just kidding.  It DOES have fancy gears that I haven’t quite figured out how to use.  And a squishy big seat that won’t mince my nether regions.  I love it.  And the best part?  It was all Mr. B’s idea.  He came up with this gift on his own, and man is he proud of himself.  I was the only one in the family that didn’t have a bike.  Mr. B and I took it out for a ride around the park the day I got it, and he loved stepping in to the role of tour guide.  He even asked me several times “So, Mommy, how does it feel riding your bike for the first time?”  Abso-freakin-lutely adorable. 

For what it’s worth, I haven’t owned my own bike since perhaps junior high?  And even then, I don’t think I rode it much.  In sixth grade, I ran in to a moving car on my brother’s dirt bike, and the fear of riding a bike in traffic still prevails.  But the park is only three blocks away, and with kids, I can get away with riding on the sidewalk. 

And in other news, our tomato plant lives on!  Mr. B and I tried our hands at farming some vegetables this summer.  There’s basil and red peppers in this gigantic pot too.  The basil has fared pretty well.  The peppers, not so much.  And our cucumber plant has taken a turn south.  But we’ve managed to get a few juicy and tasty tomatoes out of the whole deal.  Too bad it’s not one of the three vegetables my children actually eat.

One year down…

Yesterday marked my birthday.  To date, I’ve had 38 of them.  And it also marked a year or so that I’ve had this blog. Why is it that events like birthdays and anniversaries always seem to spur reflection? 

Looking back at photos from last year, I can’t believe how far we’ve come as a family, how big my kids have gotten, and perhaps how much I’ve fallen apart and attempted to put myself back together.  A year ago my daughter hardly had any hair and still looked like a baby.  Now?  She’s sporting a full head of crazy hair and looks like a little girl, complete with wardrobe preferences. My son has entered the world of Big Kid School and has shed his preschooler looks in exchange for boyish expressions, lanky limbs, and semi-adult vocabulary and negotiation skills.

And as for me?  I seem to be packing on the pounds my son can’t seem to gain, I’ve denied the fact that I have found a couple of gray hairs, and feel the effects of my year-long emotional roller-coaster.  But I’m putting my head down and plowing forward.  My birthday was a great day.  Jon and the kids surprised me with my favorite cinnamon rolls in bed; I got some lovely treats, hugs, and serenades at rehearsal; and I spent the evening bowling horribly with Jon, Mr. B and Miss P (I came in DEAD LAST both games.  How sad is that?  Lost to the kids!  Who had to use the bowling ball slide!  My only defense is that they got to use the gutter bumpers.).  I came home to a delicious chocolate cake that the kids helped bake and decorate.  And the outpouring of sweet and somewhat surprising wishes on Facebook were a nice end to the day.  Today, I tackle my beer and sugar hangover and move on with the next 365+ days.  Who knows what I’ll be posting on this next anniversary?