easter

Marshall, Stewart and Nigel wore floral bowties and ate everything sweet and several easter eggs too.
The contrast from our Seder Dinner and Good Friday's service to Easter's service was splendid. The sanctuary was a sight, filled with the most amazing display of discarded instruments and a visual journey through Holy Week across the stage. You'll know how amazing it was just by knowing that it was done by Kipp Normand. I wish I had a picture.
For the service and brunch at the church, we were joined by Uncle David and Mom and Dad Sparrow.
Later, Stewart rode the half-wheeler behind Mike all the way to Mom and Dad Boring's house. First time. He held on tight, did not petal and never complained. Marshall rode solo, steering himself into bumps without fear or regard for the disaster that those bumps could mean.

desperate for coffee = first bike in the snow

I didn't plan well this week. We woke up to no caffeinated coffee in the house. Our options were for me to run out and bring some home OR go on a family bike ride to the coffee shop. We did the later.

It's called desperation & spring fever.

We didn't think it was that cold out when we made the decision, but by the time everyone was ready, and the trailer hooked-up, it had started to sprinkle. But the bikes were ready, and we were bundled. We added a few more layers and headed out, with Marshall on his own bicycle (instead of the tandem) for the first family bike outing.

We got to the coffee shop on the circle and warmed up with coffee and hot cocoa. It was 34 degees outside, but no one was complaining. By the time we were ready to go, it had started snowing. It didn't pose any problems, besides getting in our eyes a bit.

By the time we made it home, Nigel had fallen asleep. I let Stewart out of the trailer and Nigel and I returned some books to the library.

logical thinkers

Marshall loves chess.

Stewart loves puzzles.

Nigel loves to eat.

I dream of adventure

Every day is an adventure with my little boys.

We'll be starting to ride our bikes again, and I'm dreaming of long bike rides through the countryside. We'll camp along the way and go for miles. We'll be prepared for anything. Maybe we'll plan a bike ride across some foreign land.

Where should we go next?

how it went; the Bizarre Baby Bazaar

The Bizarre Baby Bazaar event was pretty cool. The space was transformed and looked like a precious boutique. There was good energy and lots of positive comments directed to us and overheard (exept for the one lady who said, "Well, I don't even like kids"). It was fun to have an idea like this one, organize it, and see it through.

The items that we showed (and sold) were beautiful. Thanks to Jennie, Shannon, Rachel, Karyl and Bethany for all their hard work preparing the items. I'm thrilled to know such amazing artists!

There were a lot of things that I would do differently if I chose to do it again. I don't. The effort that the organization took (even though it wasn 't super organized), along with the difficulty of the week before the event was exhausting. Thanks to all who visited and supported us!

no pictures of my friends and I

Amy took a picture of Tina and I last night at the hospital (Tina's been sick). I beleive it is the only picture ever taken of us. How can it be that I don't have any pictures of myself with my friends, those who I spend most time with? I can't even remember the last time someone shot a picture of Mike and I together either.

It seems like I am busy trying to capture my kid's lives in photographs, their milestones and moments, with no thought to photographing the other sweetnesses in my life.

Or maybe I have considered it, but have no desire to be caught on film looking like the mess that I feel like in my daily existence.

Or maybe it's that I don't often consider the regular things that I value deeply (besides my family).

So, friends, I treasure you. Let's document our lives together, and Tina, I want a copy of that picture.

snow flower and the secret fan

I just finished a short novel by Amy See called Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. It is a story of two sworn sisters in China (early 19th century). They are matched to be emotional sisters and their committment to eachother is like that to a husband. At that time, this relationship was to be the most important and meaningful of their lives.

A weakness of our society is that, as a whole, we do not value commitment like this. Maybe too, that women find it difficult (practically) to value eachother. I've thought that it may be because we don't value ourselves, but after reading this book, I wonder if we value ourselves too much, thus the difficulty in committing to eachother.

Our communities are not tied to our history like in this book, either. They have traditions that enrich their history, things that remain constant. All these traditions would feel like enormous burdens to us (especially as a woman), but there is something intriguing about it.

While it isn't a true story, I think it was historically accurate. It was extremely sad to realize how women were treated in the time. There were so many rules they had to follow, and so many superstitions that they had to live by. They labored intensely and were on the lowest rung of society. It reminded me about how my circumstances in life are so pleasant.