Still riding my bike...

I'm still riding my bike. But, last night I wanted to go to the store & so did my 5 year old son. But, I can't ride the bike with him. That's fine because the dog needed a walk. He is a Border Collie...thus he always needs a walk. So, does my 5 year old come to think of it. 9 at night and he was running around the store attracting positive attention as usual. A man was looking at the bin of prebagged and netted pistachios. Escher ran up and put his hand on each bag.

So no bike ride last night for me. I used to prefer to walk even if it's was a long distance. But, I'm starting to find the riding easier. I still haven't ventured out of the safety of my neighborhood yet. But, what started this? Oh yes. My 5 year old cannot ride anywhere with me & he doesn't fit in a *seat (see explanation below) & I hate bike trailers. So, I went lusting after and Xtracycle again and found a local couple who I think I'll lust after, too. Is that ok? I mean I'm just lusting after their biking, not them as individuals. I promise not to hunt them down or anything either.

I once, and only once, had a child's seat on the back of my bike. I'm not sure if I'm too short or what. But, every time I came to a stop my giant child & bike came crashing down to the side. Try as I might to keep the bike upright it's just horrifying to me. Well, perhaps it's not horrifying, just horribly embarrassing and a blow to my tough I know I'm short but I can do what I want spirit.

Summer with a Bike for Groceries

I have lived in places previously...in places with my bike. A sweet little GT boys bike with a little basket on the back. I've dragged it from home to home. But, this is the first home where my little GT feels loved. Because a bike was meant to be ridden.

It's wonderful to ride my bike with my oldest son. I enjoyed his little years. But, this is new. He is becoming a little man. He is becoming more friend than son. And, it's strange, but fun.

When you haven't ridden a bike in years you have to limit the amount of groceries that you can place in those little baskets. Good for the budget and really good for the bum!

We spent $20 and have dinner tonight with leftovers for lunch tomorrow, coffee & sugar, cat food, and sandalwood soap.

What drives me crazy is my will power. I do not save money when I shop at Costco. I actually hate having extra food around the house. I wish I could replace our fridge with a mini-fridge. It's insane with 5 people in our house. It feels so wrong yet so right. We don't need all that food. I love being challenged to figure out what to make out of leftovers and frozen bits of veggies. I don't like trying to have willpower against that giant box of low fat ice cream bars my children talk me into.

When I sat down to post to my blog the first thing I remembered was Rebecca's Eating Organic on a Budget. It seems impossible to live that with a family. But, it is plausible. It is nice to occasionally get a trip to Costco (I do sometimes send the husband on his way home from work), but it isn't necessary. You can teach your children to enjoy simple food. You don't have to stock up or rely on hamburger to be thrifty.

The Year of Living Biblically

Wow, this finally came in from the library. I was well over 100 in the waiting list. So, far it's hilarious and insightful. It's a good look at how those from the outside often see "us". By us I mean those who identify as believers in a Judeo-Christian God.

Charlotte Mason in Modern English

I know I said I wouldn't be talking about homeschooling over here. Well, if you take that literally you are very, very silly indeed. What I really meant was I wouldn't be sharing all my children's achievements.

I'm not going to stop learning myself. I believe a homeschooling parent should keep ahead of their children. This week though my oldest read the Sutcliff version of The Iliad and the Odyssey. Asking for a narration was informative because I haven't read any version of it yet. Intended for it to be a read aloud to last the summer but you can see how he took over at our homeschool blog.

I digress....back to the subject...(and all those darn little dots...)

I'm reading the Modern English version so generously put together by The Lovely Leslie I read most of it a few years ago. Then within a few months I was accepted to a large university. A large university which has somehow managed to suck a few years off my life. (Let's not go there too deeply yet. I have until the fall to decide if I'm officially on another break from Higher Education).

Mancala Math & Lullabies

Posted by shangrilewis on 22 October, 2007

I admit there are times we worry about our youngest. No one can understand him because of his speech “delays”. His last therapist always did this slow talking thing and he adapted that. It makes him sound slow.

But, what if we didn’t see him as a problem or as delayed?

He is loving Mancala. We count as we put stones in each section. He put one in his Mancala and showed me how he had four with his fingers and that if he has one more (he showed me his thumb) he would have a full hand! Yeah…that’s Math.

Tonight I sang him Hush little Baby.

He’s heard this so many times through the years.

But, tonight he told me

it was so beautiful

and then he sang me a song.

His car song he called it.

But, for me it’s heaven…

pure and beautiful heaven.