a day in the GOOD LIFE

December 1, 2012

Bikes! Bikes! Bikes!

Here is a pretty creative sideways view of Ellie rocking her balance bike down the hallway. She has been rolling around on this thing every waking moment since we bought it yesterday. It was pretty much an impulse buy--I couldn't resist it--which was easy to cave into considering the price was $13. These things usually run $50, up to $100. This particular model is the Chicco "Red Bullet" bike and I wouldn't have bought it if it was much more. Then again, Ellie is all about this and I've been super proud about how much she is enjoying it. This video shows Ellie's skill level after using it for almost 2 days at 32 months old (a.k.a. 2-years-and-8-months). I can't wait to post her improvements after a year... Maybe on the mountain bike trails...

November 29, 2012

Let the Holi-daze begin

I like the anticipation of holidays, especially the Big Three that fall in the last three months of the year. (You know what they are. Don't make me say it.) These might be my favorite because, unlike the more political holidays, they have pretty deep roots in human history while also involving lots of prep and grandeur.

Well, this year, now that Ellie is getting bigger and is beginning to understand holiday traditions, we decided to buy our first family tree and bust out our collections of ornaments that haven't seen the light of day for a few years (after we inherited them from our parents).

This morning, it became painfully obvious that Christmas decorations can't be much different from toys--and anything would be treated as such. Emery, wanting to play her favorite game of fetch with Alden, made an effort to pitch a glass ornament--straight down at the hardwood floor as she is apt to do. Smash. As if to make a point, Ellie purposefully smashed another ball shaped ornament minutes later. Sweet.

I was pretty disappointed and by mid-morning packed up most of those "heirloom" ornaments back in their boxes for another decade, keeping a few choice---F*CK! Ellie just disassembled another one...

So, I guess if anything gets up on the tree it will be some dolls and maybe some rubber blocks.

For now, I'm streaming some pretty cheesy Christmas music station on the internet and keeping the holiday spirit alive.

October 4, 2012

a review: the burley encore

Earlier this year I got excited about warm weather and the fact that our youngest daughter was getting close to that One Year tally mark that signifies, above all else, an appropriate age to be strapped in a seat with wheels that travels 15 miles per hour in a relatively bumpy fashion while wearing a helmet. What with having two of these young'ns, a bike trailer was the way to go. After hours of deep consternation, pouring through internet reviews, images, and videos, I had narrowed my choices to those of the Burley variety. Coincidentally, our neighbors had a new (2012) Burley Encore AND a two-year old they were willing to lend me. So with their kid and one of mine all strapped up, we set off on a ride around the block. Ellie enjoyed it. That's all I needed to know. I decided we would go with the same model, as reviews of the more expensive deluxe model (the D'Lite) were mixed and I'd rather keep the difference.

Well, this thing has been a treat. It's light weight, has a good amount of storage capacity, and has made my life better. The handlebar that folds forward to double as a roll bar offers me some peace of mind and adds to the perception of it's safety. The large 20" wheels appear to offer a fairly stable, cushy ride for the girls. Granted, our two kids are young (14 months and 29 months) and small, and they don't seem to mind being in such close quarters, but they are pretty much shoulder-to-shoulder. My one complaint is really that, at such a young age and short stature, my daughters' helmets get pushed forward by the back of the seat. This accounts for the most common reason for fussiness between them.

Our ride to the nearest park is maybe 5 minutes by bike path. It also enables us to get to another cool park about 1.5 miles away without having to drive. Lately, as summer temperatures have cooled a bit, I've set out on a couple longer rides to the grocery store. That trip turns out to be about 4.5 miles, round trip, exclusively on a bike path. I'd say I fit about 3 canvas bags full of groceries in the rear storage area of the trailer. There is a lot more vertical space back there, it just get's tricky trying to stack groceries.

In the past two weeks my two-year-old has fallen asleep in the trailer twice. I think that is about the best compliment a trailer could receive. Big ups to Burley.

August 26, 2012

Ride days, not miles

I've been trying to log a few nano-miles on my bike whenever I find a chance. I thought to look at the total odometer reading on my (inconsistently used) computer. Looks like I've logged 1,341 miles since 2009. Is that right? I don't know.

In Grant Petersen's book Just Ride, he recommends this: "I think there are better things to count, such as minutes, elevation, or days. Minutes add up quickly, and if you ride slowly, you get more minutes per mile... When you count a day, you check it off whether you ride five minutes or five hours. I rode my bike today!"

This has become pretty important to me, and a good way to stay grounded. If I ride my bike on a day--to the park with the girls; to work; to the grocery or around the block to drop off mail--I am pretty pumped.

August 21, 2012

Cheese

Two so-unflattering-they're-sorta-cute photos

August 19, 2012

a few favorite memories to start

It's the morning after we've arrived home from our trip to the Great Southwest and I'm anxious to throw a couple photos out to the world. Here they are in their currently unedited glory: