Wednesday Night

Max is next to me on the sofa, sketching Ninjas and watching "Dragon Riders of Berk."

His pajamas are getting too small and his hair is growing too fast ("But, mom, I like wolfin' out!"...huh??)

He smells clean and looks worn out.
Second Grade is winding down and we are both ready for a break from packed lunches and homework.
We're sharing a bowl of Cheerios (dry, no milk...do you think that's gross? I think cereal with milk is gross).
I just vacuumed, so obviously Max is dropping Cheerios everywhere.
"Let's keep it under control, Max."
After several rounds of binky-replacing and mobile-winding, Maeve is sound asleep.
In a few minutes, I'll read with Max.
We have two chapters left of "Superfudge"...Max has been drawing quite a few parallels between himself and Peter. 
"Please go brush your teeth."


Right about now, Bill is probably enjoying a well-deserved brew following his Wednesday Night Ride.
Good for him...
and I hope he has one for me.

 

sweet potato

Five months tomorrow...

• Giggling & laughing (but, we really have to earn those belly laughs for now)
• Rolling over (from back to front)
• Eating (bananas, peas, apple sauce, and sweet potato so far)
• Sitting up very well with support (graduated to high chair tonight with a pillow propped behind her)
• Soothing herself to sleep 
• Grasping toys

To call her a pleasant baby is quite an understatement.
I love these kids so much...

 
  

On The Rocks at French Creek 2013

On a whim, I decided to "race" French Creek today.
The bug bit mid-week when my brother confirmed his band would be playing at the race...
if my brother gets to play there, I want to play, too...

I'm destroyed (7th out of 9 women in Cat 2...yeah, yeah Cat 2...)

In fact, I'm so destroyed that I am relying on a list to illustrate my feeble reflections on today's experience:

• Racing is a lot more fun for me when it's not the most important thing in my life.
• The jitters & nerves will show up in force no matter how cavalier I seem to feel about the shape I'm in (or not in, as it were).
• Mixing it up in Cat 2(Sport) again is humbling after years of working my way up through the ranks...I didn't expect to be in any kind of contention and honestly would have raced up had I anticipated any other outcome. I belong there. 
• This race was about me pushing myself harder than I have in a long time and having nothing to prove to anyone...and, wow, that is extremely liberating.
• My legs are sore...so, so effing sore. Already?! Really??
• Ron Harding's course layout is fun...he knew what he was doing when he put that loop together (and I'm sure if you raced Endurance, you'd concur).
• Riding a few times a week at best for ninety minutes at a pop doesn't make for feeling like a Rockstar out on the trails, but counts for something...I felt surprisingly good.
• Descents are still my weakness...rrrrrrrrrrr! 
• Phantom tire leaks really bug me out. Is it flat? Is it flat? How bout now?
• My tailbone doesn't appreciate the fact that I spent a few hours on a mountain bike.
• BillShowers*  is such a supportive and encouraging partner...he makes me feel a tiny bit more calm when I am waiting at the line. (that tiny bit of calm is a big deal)
• Live music at a bike race is awesome.
• Our baby is such a pleasant little sidekick...all smiles, happy to see some familiar faces.
• Riding my bike puts me in a great mood...the buzz lasted all day long following the race.
• When that buzz faded, I hit a wall and it wasn't pretty (picture a hungry, cranky, overcooked toddler who skipped their nap...that was me in grownup form).
• I could not be happier with how today played out, yet I'm in no rush to race again any time soon. 

(maybe the Fair Hill Classic in August...maybe)

Baby's first race

My brother keeping the woods funky

* Yes, I really call him that sometimes.

my aunt

Yesterday we traveled to Wilkes-Barre for my aunt Kathy's funeral.
She died at home in her sleep last week after a ridiculously valiant fight with cancer.
Seriously...
Anyone who knew Kathy would attest to the fact that she never complained or let on just how sick she was.
I've never witnessed somebody struggling in the midst of such an ugly and insidious disease with so much humor, humility, and wit. 
She was my mom's little sister, the mother of two girls, and the grandmother of Lily and Dae.

On a whim, I sent her flowers for her birthday this year (she turned 52 on April 25th).
Thanks to a quick google search, I found a florist near her home and requested a cheerful Springtime bouquet.
In true Kathy fashion, she posted a picture of the arrangement on Facebook and wrote, "Thank you Kim Showers & Family! I couldn't tell you how long it's been since I've received a flower delivery. This is beautiful and I feel so special. Love you all!!"

Say what you will about social media, but I heard from my aunt every day via Facebook.
Through her thoughtful links, inquiries about my kids, and comments on our photos, I felt more connected to her than some family members who I spend time with in real life.
I'll miss her presence during my morning routine of drinking tea and scrolling through my FB feed while the kids are still asleep...

this is the Aunt Kathy I remember as a kid...the cool, smart-ass Aunt...the fun babysitter

Eileen, Mom, Kathy (sisters)

Pollen and Tacos

Mother's Day has started early.
Max wrote a poem for me:

My mom is as pretty as a daisy
She is as sweet as pollen
She is as smart as a scientist
But most of all, she is as special as Tacos!

Capital "T", bitches.

Wednesday night jam

My brother, a pretty extraordinary guitarist, hosts an open jam every Wednesday night at a local bar.
The first incarnation of this jam started a few years ago and served as the perfect respite from my woes at home.
Woes at home? 
Remember when my (ex)husband and I had already decided we were splitting up, but still lived under the same roof for nearly nine months? Yeah. Many nights I would leave after my son and his dad had gone to bed.   
Oh...and if "respite" sounds like hanging out at a bar and getting hammered, that couldn't be further from the truth. In reality, I was Rob's dorky older sister...a fixture at the corner table, nursing one beer, and taking my task of writing the Jam List maybe just a little too seriously.
I look back on those times and can hardly believe that was me or my reality.

Anyway.
Last night, my dad mentioned heading over to the jam and I decided to join him (and I wasn't escaping any woes at home).
Although we only stayed for one brief set, I felt inspired.
Not inspired to pick up a guitar (please), but inspired to at least breathe a little bit of new life into my thing.

what's my thing? sometimes it's riding...sometimes it's writing...sometimes it's picking up a box of pencils and a blank piece of paper...sometimes it's making cookies shaped like robots with my son...sometimes it's writing on this blog...  

He sounded that good.
(or I just don't get out enough anymore)

(photo taken from the Rob Perna Band's FB page)

spring rides

Fall has always been my favorite time of year to ride, but this spring has been amazing so far.
I've made peace with the fact that there is no racing on my immediate horizon...
There is something to be said for riding purely just for fun this time of year.