Dance!

Last night Tyler and I went to his school's Fall Formal.  I wore my fancy dress with high heels, and he wore his suit; we felt pretty sharp.  Our beloved, trusted neighbor came over after we put the kids to bed, to keep an eye on things.  Then we high-tailed it into the city to dance the night away at the Seaport World Trade Center.  I got to meet all the people that Tyler talks about, and connect faces to names.  But once the lights were dimmed and the music turned up, there wasn't much talking going on. Let me just say that, even though I'm a quiet person with no sense of rhythm,  I have a LOT of fun on the dance floor!  Thank you Babson for a wild night!

Belated recap!

This summer we had a few visitors.  And even though I'll admit to being stressed beyond sanity to host anyone, it means so very much to me that they spent the time and resources to travel here.

I love my grandma’s adventurous spirit, my brother’s easygoing acceptance, and my mother’s depth of love and knowledge.  I love that my children get to experience that.  

With Evan, we walked around downtown Boston, celebrated the twins' birthday, and

saw the Sand Sculpture Festival at Revere Beach.

My grandma saw the North End of Boston and the harbor.  We also picked berries at Wards Farm.

With my mom, we got to take a Duck Tour, visited another beach, and met my friend Ami at the Westwood Tot Lot.

And next month, we'll get to see all these wonderful people again for Christmas and the New Year!  

I love my family!

I sleep in a straight jacket

to keep my dreams sane.

But my thoughts allude me;

the night is Houdini,

I wake up in chains.

The warden I hired,

he’s old and he’s tired.

Says it’s long past time to go free.

I shake my head, crawl back in bed,

Unequipped to start being me.  

August

Summer is stink.
Sweat trickle, grass tickle.
Brown, naked dirt
caked on crispy, crunchy lettuce and
the crescents of my fingertips.
We pick berries and stain our clothes.
Hats and glasses, shade seeking sunbathers.
Ice clinking as we sip.

1 year!

Hazel Eyre and Ezra Oakes are a year old (plus a month now...)  We had a great party with all the friends we've met in Massachusetts.  The beauty is, we met all of them here in our complex.  So it was only fitting that we hold the party in the community room and pool.  We love where we live, and the people here.

My brother was also visiting while we held the party.  Thank you Evan, for taking the time out of your busy summer (the last before starting college!) to come from Utah to visit us and play with my kiddos.  I am so happy you were a part of this memory!

We sang:

We ate cake:  

Ezra devoured his entirely:

Hazel had no clue what to do with hers:

Lincoln was willing to help her out, of course:

And to sing at the top of his lungs for the camera:

After opening the many wonderful gifts, we packed up and headed down to the pool.  The twins had so much fun!  Thank you to all our friends who came to celebrate with us.

Background story on why I wanted a cargo bike

When my family lived in Oregon, we biked during the summer.  I toted my little brother around on something like this:

We called it the co-pilot.  On a hill, and there were many, I would bark out the command, "Pedal, Evan!  Pedal!  Go! Go!"  The bigger he got, the more I needed his help.  We biked to the beach, to get donuts, to meet his friends at playgroup.  

Fast forward 7 years, and I'm a stay-at-home mom with one outdoors-loving kiddo.  Lincoln was the type of baby who never got cold.  If he was crying, a step out on the balcony would remedy the tears.  We played in the snow and in the rain.  Going inside was a necessity because I wimped out, not him.  We got a jogging stroller when he was 6 months, and I used it to push him all around downtown Salt Lake City.  We watched the construction progressing on the new City Creek Center, strolled alongside men in suits and ties, elderly couples walking hand in hand, and college students picking up pizza on their bikes.  It was a beautiful time.  Many days, Lincoln and I would leave before lunch, and still be out on the town by the time Tyler came home from work.  He would drive his truck to our apartment, switch vehicles, and pick us up in his civic, wherever we happened to be.  There is no better way to discover a city, learn its nooks and crannies, and appreciate the local retail scene, than on foot.  

Part of me bemoaned the news that we were having twins, merely for mobility's sake.  How would I usher around three munchkins in the same low-stress, eyes-wide-open sort of way that Lincoln and I had become accustomed to?  How would I go anywhere stress-free, for that matter?

The first year has been tough in that respect.  Tending two babies at once, especially if you breastfeed them both, requires being in a relatively safe and private space every few hours.  This past week I have officially weened the last of my kids.  Hazel is drinking rice and almond milk full time, and I haven't had to unbutton or pull up my shirt once!  It's always sad to say goodbye to a phase that we'll never enjoy together again, but I'm looking on the bright side and taking advantage of our newly found freedom.

In the form of... a very big, very heavy, very awesome cargo bike.  

Say what?  Looks crazy, sounds crazy, I know.  About a month ago, Liz sent me an article about a woman named Emily Finch in Portland, Oregon who is redefining "possible."  She bikes with six kids in the city.  

I laughed and got teary-eyed when I read it.  Something in me clicked, and I started researching cargo bikes.  I found out they are common in Europe, especially the Netherlands, and are appearing in Portland (of course, it's our bike capital!)  They come in two wheel and three wheel versions, front loading and rear loading.  They all looked outlandish and out of my reach, like the stuff dreams are made of.  Like what I'd do in my "ideal" life, living in the perfect city with lots of money.  

Then I came across this video, and was excited to see the bikes in action.  

Some unexpected events transpired, quite quickly, and I am already the owner of a Babboe City.  I will tell the story of how we found it and how it works for us (and what we plan to do in the winter!) in another post, but for now let me demonstrate:

Happy Independence Day!

Ironically we spent a lot of the 4th of July with French people.  :-)

When I was a kid we visited London over the holiday, and for a brainless moment I wondered where were are all the fireworks?  Because you know the Brits love to celebrate American Independence!  Ha.

Tyler and I and the kids are all a little grumpy this summer.  It should not warrant even the slightest complaint, the fact that we are all here together most of the day.  It should be a wonderful blessing.  And it is.  But adults are used to a certain amount of productivity in a day, and children are used to seeing one or both of their parents head out somewhere in the morning, and then return in the evening tired but happy to see them.  We are all here though, and it's frustrating that taking care of the kids isn't any easier, we're not getting more done, I'm not taking any breaks, etc.  Tyler's summer internship is not using enough of his skills or time, so that in itself is unsettling for him.  Ideally we should both be able to exercise, address a hobby, and both take care of the kids, because there are two of us to switch on and off.  But instead we're going on weekend mode every day, because that's what we're used to doing when we're all together.  What should we do today?  What fun thing would the kids like?  All this to say that on the morning of the 4th I was not ready for a special family celebration, I was ready to leave the house independently!  I did.  I took the trash out.  And the 5 minute walk was honestly enough to recharge.  The day got better as it went on.

Norwood has a children's parade in the early afternoon, where they can dress up as historical characters and decorate their bikes, strollers, wagons, etc.  Lincoln, naturally, was Lincoln.

I made a paper top hat and we taped it to his helmet.  He also had a makeup beard, but it was hard to see underneath the straps.  

Another kid had the same idea!  Abraham, meet Abraham!

After parading around in the heat, everyone was pretty sweaty and tired.  We went home, and after several of the kids took naps... 

we went to the pool in our complex.  

It was really fun to play in the water with 6 kids; our friends are happy, kind people, and we usually feel the better after spending time with them.  For the latter half of the evening, we had the pool to ourselves.  Lots of squealing, sharing, "NO RUNNING!" and laughing.  I don't have pictures of the actual swimming, but here's some boys taking a break.  

Life is good.  

I'm happy to be an American.  

And I recognize that freedom and independence are wonderful but not easy, like most responsibilities.  

They require intelligence and creativity to work well.