Boulder Kids Tri

Well, today was fun! We got up at 5am and were at the Rez by 5:45, with gigantic balloon and bagels in tow. Sam was in the 1st Wave (ages 3-4) and got seriously confused about the "swim" portion. I walked him into the water, then walked down the shore to try and get a picture (I had the camera; Paul had the video). After all the kids (except Sam) had exited the water, I walked back to try and find him. I did, and held his hand while we walked (not quickly, mind you) through the water. He enjoyed the bike portion, getting faster as he went. The run portion was more of a meander. He was grumpy and hot at the end, but he finished. He was QUITE pleased with his medal and Sharkies.

Ted was, as usual, 100% into it. He didn't need any help at all with the transitions. Next year I'm just going to plant myself somewhere in the middle of each portion and try and get good pics. Paul had the video (with a complaining Mae on his back) and got some fun footage of Ted. He's in the orange bike shirt for the bike and run portions. Paul chose the music, by the way.

Sam rocks!

Sam can ride a two-wheeler! It's official. We took the training wheels off (again...we had taken them off last August) on Thursday and we practiced on Thursday and Friday for a little bit, with me holding his shirt. I noticed that I wasn't doing very much at all and that he seemed to have really good balance. Today he told me to let go and I did and off he went! He can turn and start (that took Ted forever to figure out!) but hasn't mastered braking yet. He is so proud of himself!!! Way to go, big boy!!
His real test will be if he can bike to Wahoo's, or to the park. I think he'll have to work on braking in the cul-de-sac before we try one of those rides, but he is well on his way! Hooray!!

First Official Day of Summer Break

Whew! I survived! We left this morning at 8:30 for Ted's swim practice at North Pool, about a mile and a half away. Ted rode and I lugged the Burley with the 2 kiddos and all our swim stuff. Ted really enjoyed practice (hooray!) and we biked back to South Pool for a few hours of play. I swam laps the entire adult swim, making this the official day of most exercise I've ever had in my life. Then we biked home (uphill) and had lunch. After naps, Sam and Mae wanted to bike again so they did some around the garage and driveway before heading up to the cul-de-sac for 2 more hours of biking and a picnic. LOVE Ted's choice of picnic food: graham crackers, rice cheese shreds, marshmallows and dill pickles! What a nut. (Paul brought us a pizza later on.) It was an exhausting day but a good one. We'll repeat this on Wednesday and Friday of this week!

Here is Mae riding her trike! If she keeps this up, I'll let her do the next bike race with Ted!



Plus a cute one of Sam. Keep in mind he's been terrified of his bike (after a terrific summer last year) so we are PSYCHED that he is back at it.

First Bike Race of the season

This afternoon was a perfect day for a bike race. Hot and windy, it seems like all bike races are exercises in tough conditions. Ted was psyched to race again after a long winter and zoomed along happily. He has two more years of fun (free!) racing before he'll need to decide if he wants to race 'for real.' Oy! It's weird now that he's in the oldest of the group (6-7 yos). There was a 2-3 yo wave .... soooooo cute!! I think they went about 0.02 of a mile. Hee!!! (Ted's in orange.)

bye bye, training wheels *revisited*

One of the things I've noticed about having kiddos so close in age is that as soon as a milestone is finally reached by Ted, it's time to start on Sam! Sam woke up on his (4th) birthday and told me to take his training wheels off. Now, for the record, I would have preferred to wait until next Spring, but he was adamant. So I did and we've been working on it a little bit. He is very excited to try it and actually is capable of doing it on his own (if it's a flat straightaway) but as soon as he sees that I'm not holding him, he FLIPS OUT. *sigh* Anyway, today he did a really good job (still flipping out) so I'm going to try and get him out a few times this week and I think he'll have it. Like so many things in life, it's all about his confidence in himself. On Friday I took Alex and my kids to a park so Wendy could do a shoot in peace. Sam practiced on the tennis courts for a while but ended up learning how to pump a swing! He actually figured out the leaning part. Ted just learned this in May so I'm impressed with him. For a kid who didn't walk until almost 18 months old, he is turning into my little athletic go-getter! Look for a video in the next few days, if I can get him to stop screaming long enough to film him!!

Horizons and biking

One of the things I loved about Horizons was their Outdoor emphasis. Sonny's husband (Sonny is the 'lead teacher' i.e. principle) fits any kid who doesn't have a bike with a mountain bike for Middle School mountain biking and Moab bike trips. Freiker was also mentioned in this article (written by Sonny's husband). Velonews is one of the top bike magazines in the country...how cool!

20" Bike!

Ted and I have been biking to school this week to get him ready for the official launch of the Freiker program at his school on Sept. 4. This afternoon while I was loading his bike into the car (we don't have time to bike back to the rec center after school, so I drive all the way to school for pickup), Sam noticed a goat head stuck in Ted's rear tire. I pulled it out and heard the dreaded "ssssssss." After trying to take the wheel off at Wendy's after school (it was rusted), we took it to U Bikes. They told us that the bike was really a mess with the rust and that we should leave it with them and they would put used parts on it as they came in (otherwise replacing the rear of the bike plus the wheel and the chain would have cost more than the $10 I spent getting this bike from Craig's List!) So we left the 16" with them and should have it back in full repair way before Sam is ready for it. What was really exciting was that there was a used 20" Trek bike for sale. Trek and Specialized are the only brands of bike that I really know and I like them both. This bike must be a bit closer to the ground or he grew a TON over the summer, because when we tried out a 20" Specialized bike in June, he couldn't even touch his tiptoes to the ground and kept falling over. No problem now. The bike has 6 gears, hand brakes (!) and, according to Jack's dad, full suspension, whatever that is. Ted took to it just fine and rode all around U Bikes and then wanted to show Jack. So we descended on their family for dinner (Stacy is an awesome cook!) and the boys biked all around the neighborhood, including to an open space area that had a tree house that was SERIOUSLY high up. The boys shimmied up there easily but needed help getting down. I thought it was really sweet that Ted wanted to show Jack his bike-that was exactly the same scenario we went through when he got his very first bike.

Kindergarten was fine again today. He was fine going in, still needs a pretty long hug but I enjoy that. No tears or anything. There were 3 crying this morning and seriously, their poor moms are feeling so terrible. I am so grateful I don't have to deal with that...it's so sad! Ted informed me that I sent him to the wrong school. When he asked why he wasn't going to Rachel's school I explained that at her school there would be a lot of sitting down and writing and at his school there would be more running around outside. "All we do is sit and write, Mama!" he said. Hee. Tonight he was talking all about the sun's reflection and how we see colors and something about a bow and arrow in the body that makes the heart pump. Interesting stuff! He is so tired by the end of the day (look at those tired eyes!). I guess happy and tired are good things to be when you're 5.

Ted's First Bike Race

What a fun milestone this was! Wendy and I did our 12-mile walk this morning and then hurried to Longmont with the boys for their first bike race. Alex's dad was in the race and found out about the (free!) kids race (8 and under). The boys looked a little nervous while listening to the announcer explain the wave start and the course, but once underway they both looked great! It was only a .7 loop and I think 2 laps of it might have been a bit more fun, but this left them with a very good taste in their mouths for racing in general. "Is this about winning?" Ted asked me. I told him no and he seemed relieved. SO CUTE. Wendy took some great pics, so check moeltini for more.

another biking success

Yet again, I forgot my camera, thus the stock photo on the right. *sigh* Today after Farm Camp I took Jack home to play. After Sam & Mae napped, and Paul got home, I took the 3 boys to Wahoo's/Noodles for dinner, on our bikes. Sam rode on the tagalong, only because I didn't want to hoof it again like last night. All the boys did great biking, snarfed their food like champs, and biked home without complaining (til the very end, but even I walked up the last hill. Uphill with a 40lb kiddo on back is HARD for a wimp like me.) All in all, lots of fun. The tagalong is now officially attached to Paul's bike, although it rubs on the wheel sometimes so I'm not sure how to fix that. It didn't do that to my bike, so it may be that Paul's wheels are technically too tall for it, in which case we'll switch it and put the baby seat on Paul's. I can ride either bike and now can pick which child to transport. Tomorrow we go to Rob & Renee's around 4 to meet up with our travel group! Can't wait!

Biking into Fall

This summer is booked up with fun summer camps and plans of lazy days by the pool (and long walks for me at night and on weekends.) Once Aug. 16 (!) comes, I will be in charge of getting Ted to school by 8:10, hanging out with Mae, and then picking Sam up at 1 from preschool, hanging out some more, and finally picking Ted up at 3. I have figured out a fun adventure for Ted and Mae (and me) that involves biking, childcare and time for me to run. The East Boulder Community Center is located due east of Horizons (#20 on the map). While the path there isn't particularly direct, it looks like a combination of multi-use & bike paths should get us from the Rec Center to Horizons. If I have Mae in the baby seat and Ted on his bike, he can lock his bike at school. Mae & I can bike back to the rec center, where I can drop her off for 90 minutes ($6.50) of childcare while I work out, in some way. There is also a sweet little pool there, so after I pick her up, we could potentially swim, play at the nearby park, or even enroll in a little class such a gymnastics or dance. Looks good to me. We may not live in Boulder, but I would love to bike around as much as possible before the snow comes. Woo hoo!
Oh, and it's only 9 miles from my house to Horizons, but it's mostly on a paved shoulder on a major street. I don't think Ted is up for that alone, but perhaps on Tue/Thu, when Paul will stay with Mae & Sam while I take Ted in to school, we could bike to school with Ted on the tag-a-long. Very exciting prospects for limiting our time in the car.
Click on the map for a larger view. I've traced our route in red, but my mouse hand is pretty shaky, so rest assured that doesn't mean I'll weave around like that on my bike! Because it's red, it's hard to see, but we will be on Baseline for a little bit.

Today's adventure

Well, today was interesting. The plan was to go to the Museum of Nature and Science, but the boys lost museum priviliges when they wouldn't stop fighting. So, instead, we headed over to Wendy's to attach the 3rd wheel and get Sam used to it. It was pretty...wraught with drama. First, we couldn't get the baby seat off. Once we figured that out, it was another drama to attach the 3rd wheel. Thanks goodness Wendy's dad was there to help out. Turns out having the baby seat on inhibits the motion of the 3rd wheel, so I'm going to take the baby seat off and have it put on Paul's bike. I'll ride Paul's bike when Sam wants to ride his 2 wheeler. And when Wendy and I are going on an adventure with the big boys, we'll put the 3rd wheel on my bike and the babies in the Burley. Rather than be sad that Paul doesn't want to jump on the biking bandwagon, I'll be happy that I now have 2 bikes to use as I choose. What we ended up doing today was biking to the park and riding around the tennis court so Sam could practice. All the other kids ended up taking a turn too, so it was a real hit. Then it started hailing on us (?!) so we headed back. "It's good we have helmets on!" said Sam.
It's cold, and I want to make a warm and comfortable stew. I have a bunch of veggies to use up, so I'm on the hunt for a soup/stew that uses a bunch.

Potty Update

It's been a week and we are at about 60%, I'd say. She is amazing at holding it...just not so good about getting to the potty when the time comes. She wakes up dry from her nap and pees like a champ then, as well as first thing in the morning. The rest of the day is ...unpredictable. Oh well, we have plenty of time and lots of undies! Today I washed and organized my Toddler size cloth diaper stash. I sold my Infant stash on Ebay a few months ago. I have such a great stash built up-whoever wants this one will have a fun time. I am posting them for sale on craig's list and with my compact. After 3 kids, I would feel guilty trying to resell them through a consignment store and I love craig's list, so we'll see. Yesterday I found a tag-a-long on CL for Sam that I will pick up tomorrow afternoon. This will make biking around the neighborhood easier for Sam and more fun for me. Anyway, I'll update in another week and hopefully we will have nudged up a few more % points!

biking to dinner

I REALLY need to remember my camera. Tonight we had an unforgettable adventure, one that I'm sure we'll repeat quite often this summer. The plan was to meet our neighbors at Wahoo's for dinner. Their son Oliver, age 4.5, recently got off training wheels and he and Ted are biking buddies around the neighborhood. Oliver's little sister, Elise, is Mae's age. I got the boys set with their camelbacks and Mae in the baby seat....and Sam burst into tears at how steep the driveway was. Oy. I quickly realized he wouldn't make it the 3 miles to Wahoo's, mostly downhill. So I worked out a deal with Melissa-she took Mae and Elise in her car and I biked with Sam in the baby seat and Oliver & Ted ahead of me. They did GREAT, although they crashed twice when both tried to get in the lead. Healthy competition, right? We had a nice meal at Wahoo's and the boys were bursting to bike home, so Jeff & I took off with the 3 boys. The way home was mostly uphill, which I think was harder on me than the boys-they didn't complain at all, just kept on trecking. They came over for ice cream and some playtime and then everyone went home/took baths/collapsed into bed around 8:30. TOO FUN. I LOVE that Ted and I can bike over to that area so easily. There is a great trail that leads to that area and I am sure we'll be doing that from now on. Biking to the mall is actually even closer, so I can see that being a fun dinner option too. I think they do Thursday night bands too, so we may do that as a weekly thing too. It's really fun for Ted (& Sam, in his own way) to love biking. Makes getting around the neighborhood a lot more fun.
Tomorrow is the CF Walk. I'll remember my camera tomorrow!!

That which doesn't kill me...

...makes me stronger. Right? Thanks, Nietzsche. The boys were troopers today. Read about it here. I'm very proud of them. I could have done with less grumbling, but they did it.

just call me biker girl

Paul refused to take a picture of me today so that's why you have to view a boring old stock photo of a blue version of MY NEW BIKE! Let me preface by saying that I haven't been on a bike (besides a few horrendous spin classes I've been stupid enough to attend) since the summer before senior year of high school. I used to bike to summer school and back and just loved it. I'm not sure why I didn't keep it up, especially living in Chicago, but there you go. I've never been a particularily graceful person, and my skill on a bike is at times laughable, but I had a BLAST today, just following Ted around the neighborhood (during naptime today) and then tonight I did the loop I usually do with the kids and was able to SPEED down the hills (and cheat and walk back up them if need be). What a rush! I'm so excited. Between walking and biking, this might be a pretty active spring! My bike isn't blue but more a light purple. Hee.