new bike

remember last summer when my sweet husband bought me a bike for our 9th anniversary? well, my love affair with said bike ended pretty quickly. the pros were the awesome basket and how darn cute it was. but it was clumsy and heavy, which made a quick ride to the library difficult and unappealing. so, we sold the bike in the spring and i've been biding my time, casually looking for a replacement. i found that the hybrid bikes really suited my needs. aesthetically they are similar to cruisers, with larger tires, a curvy frame and a wide seat. however they are more similar to a mountain bike in that the handle bars are straight and sit higher up. they are also lighter weight like a mountain bike and able to handle light trails and hills.

i found one on amazon that i loved, but i didn't love the price tag. i really wanted to stay within the amount i made off the cruiser. today while killing some time at toys r us, we found the one (for less than the online price)! here's what i love about this bike- it was made for women! they didn't take a men's bike and merely shrink it down. the length between the handle bars and seat is shorter than a traditional bike, the grips are smaller and the seat is made to, ahem, allow certain parts to ride more comfortably. the gears are super easy to use as well. i love that i am agile on the bike and able to ride up hills without straining or having to stand. i also found a great basket to put on the front that pops off and has a shoulder strap- making it super handy for farmer's market runs.

we went for a family ride tonight and had so much fun! we will definitely be making time for these on a consistent basis...

body love

moonpie loves to talk about the systems of the body. when she was 3 we were at one of those restaurants where you can draw on the table cloth and she was scribbling away. when she pulled back from her work she asked 'you know what that is?' we replied 'a snake, a worm, etc'. nope, that girl was drawing her intestines.

for the past couple of days she has been wanting to make a big body diagram. we finally traced out the bodies this morning and she set to work. while i was pulling body books from the shelf she was working on body parts. guess what she drew first?

her uterus and ovaries.

man, i love this kid.

sharing classic films with children

i have to admit it, as a kid, and even as a teenager, i really did not like classic movies. i dreaded the annual december viewing of 'it's a wonderful life' and 'white christmas'. color was my friend, black and white- not so much. funny how being a parent beckons you to see things from different lenses. we are now drawn to classic movies with their simple themes and slower pace.

if you are interested in sharing classic movies with your children, but not sure where to start, here is a list of our favorite classic films. save them for family movie night and enjoy them with your children!

1. the circus

this charlie chaplin film is the best! yes, it is silent, but the slap-stick keeps the kids cracking up through the whole thing. and it's lots of fun to create dialogue as you go! definitely one worth seeing. sidenote: you also feel pretty cool when your kids are talking about that 'charlie chaplin film' to strangers at the store. reason enough! : )

2. rebecca of sunnybrook farm

is there anything cuter than shirley temple? i mean really, this girl was a marvel! this is our favorite shirley temple film of late. we have seen others that have fallen flat, but the kids really enjoy this one. and you can choose color or black and white. last week we watched it in color, this week they want it in black and white. the music is great and the dancing is so fun! i can just see the wheels in moonpie's head turning...wondering when it will be her turn to be a star!

3. the absent minded professor

i think, overall, this is my kid's all time favorite movie. we kept this thing from netflix for 2 months, watching it every week for movie night! that is some fred mcmurray love! it inspired my daughter to try to attach springs from pens to her shoes and try to jump to the ceiling. see this film. it is hilarious!

4. son of flubber

yes- this is the sequel to the absent minded professor. and i must say, it is not nearly as good as the first, but my kids would disagree. they love this movie!

5. singin' in the rain

this is our 'sick' movie of choice. the dancing is fantastic and the music is catchy. there are some scenes some may find 'racey', but very easy to skip onto the next scene. warning: this may inspire your preschooler to hunt down a pair of tap shoes at the nearest thrift store and scuff up your wooden floors. but by all means, let them...

and for some classic television, we have been loving the andy griffith show here lately. it is so funny to hear the kids ask to watch 'barney' and realize they are talking about this show and not the big purple dinosaur. yeah, we um, bought the whole series. geesh.

momma gets schooled

last night moonpie and her daddy went to run an errand. that left buddy and i to some quality alone time. even if just for a couple of minutes.

buddy wanted to spend his time with me putting puzzles together. this is his new favorite thing- puzzles. we put his new one together, spent some time talking about the colors, what different things we saw, and then he wanted to put it together again. we disassembled the puzzle, put it back in the box, and then took it out again. after putting it together this time, i thought that i would make our observation time more challenging. i hadn't yet introduced buddy to shapes, and felt this would be a great time! i pointed out a circle on the puzzle, and then another one. i then asked him to do the same. we proceeded to identify every circle on the puzzle! i was so proud! he picked it up so quickly. i felt such success!

we decided it was time for some dinner smoothies, so we got up to go into the kitchen. i quickly turned to him and announced that we would be going on a shape hunt in the kitchen. let me just say, that if you ever need someone to be excited, just give buddy a call. he clapped his hands as he lifted onto his toes and gave an exuberant "o-tay!!!". we ran into the kitchen. i spotted the first one- a jar lid- on the floor (of course).

he stood in the middle of the kitchen for a moment turning around, and then moved with determination to the dishwasher. he pointed to one of the buttons "look momma- a circle!"

"...and that one"

(pointing to the one next to it)

"is a diamond."

***crickets***

passing on

we received a phone call in the wee hours of the morning that we had been anticipating since yesterday evening. john's beloved grandmother, we called her nardi, has passed on.

it is hard for me to even know how to begin sharing about nardi with you. she was an amazing woman. i have known nardi since i was a little girl. she was my mom's sunday school teacher, and just always a strong presence in our church. she was the one who brought john to church as a young boy, and then later, as a teenager. since his birth, she covered that sweet baby in prayer- the prayers that i am reaping the benefits of now. so much of who john is, is because of nardi. she was a refuge for her grandchildren, a sounding board and source of wisdom for all who knew her.

nardi loved her god with all of her heart and soul and mind, just as the scriptures tell us to do. so even though it is hard for us to see her go, we can only rejoice when we think of the peace and joy she is feeling now. now that she is truly home. and i can only think that she is a sight for sore eyes for our god, and that he is so happy to have his beloved home.

"So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom."

Psalm 90:12

{these photos were taken last january when we celebrated nardi's 99th birthday with her. she would want you to know that she has all of her own teeth and her dark hair!}

plums

in further celebration of plums and william carlos williams, i give you

To a Poor Old Woman

munching a plum on

the street a paper bag

of them in her hand

They taste good to her

They taste good

to her. They taste

good to her

You can see it by

the way she gives herself

to the one half

sucked out in her hand

Comforted

a solace of ripe plums

seeming to fill the air

They taste good to her

this is just to say...

i have a bowl of plums pre-washed, sitting in the fridge. they are beautifully red and begging to be eaten. but around here, they don't have to beg for long. my kids love plums! they are in and out of the refrigerator all day, snacking on plums. today i picked up two half eaten plums off of the floor. one was stashed under a stack of art work in the living room and the other under a pile of dirty clothes in the bathroom. when i found the first one i was annoyed. but when i found the second one, i turned sentimental, thinking of the day that will come much too soon when i will no longer find half eaten plums. remnants of a busy day, much too busy to stop and finish the snacking. there will be a 'talking to' tomorrow about food waste, of course, but i wish i could hold on to these sweet preschool days longer than time will truly allow.

this is just to say

i have eaten

the plums

that were in

the icebox

and which

you were probably

saving

for breakfast

forgive me

they were delicious

so sweet

and so cold

william carlos williams