rendezvous

It was like a scene right out of a movie -- I groggily walked toward the baggage claim after too many flights, ready to find my bed, and turned the corner and there he was. It stopped us both in our tracks, seeing each other there. We weren't expecting the other just then, even though we were suppose to meet -- it took us both by surprise.

Let me go back to the beginning.

I hadn't seen Adam for about ten days. He was traveling the week before, came home for two days and then left again.The day he was due back I was flying out to North Carolina and we missed each other by a few hours. I kept thinking it was fine because I'd see him Sunday before he had to leave again on Tuesday. Or so I thought.

During one of our phone conversations we discussed my flight home and the logistics of it all when we realized he was leaving Sunday afternoon for South Carolina and we'd miss each other once again. As bummed as I was I knew it was something we couldn't conrol. It was just the way our work had lined up this month. We both knew it would be crazy coming into October, we just didn't know how.

And then I got this lovely email with this crazy idea to meet him in South Carolina. I wasn't sure I could really pull it off -- I'd been gone all week and the girls were expecting me home. So I called them, my girls, to see what they thought and they urged me to go mainly because they got to spend a night at their friends and then Lolo was coming to stay. So I did it. I made it happen.


So there we were, after days/weeks of absence we found ourselves walking toward each other a little bewildered at how easy it had all been. We smiled and eagerly embraced standing there in Charleston, both of us with our travel bags.


Here are a few photos of our rendezvous (24 hours) in South Carolina.










I can't even begin to tell you how much fun it was to ride my bike through the seagulls. I couldn't help shoot pictures as I went. So worth getting mud all over my back.

so far we've done a lot of

biking


walking


jumping


baking


eating


reading


and enjoying the fruits of someone else's labor (my father-in-laws beautiful greenhouse)

spring break photos

Megan came to me Sunday night crying. Spring break had been so good she didn't know how to go to school the next day--all she wanted was sleep in and lay in bed all day. Adam sat laughing in the background as I tried to talk her through it knowing his amusement was due to the fact that he had heard something very similar from my lips hours before.

I guess you could say spring break was good to us. We left the rain and cold weather behind and lazied about all week in the sun. Well, we weren't entirely lazy. When we weren't swimming we were riding bikes around the neighborhood. I'm pretty sure Tess was in heaven each morning as we hit the road. She loves to bike, but has major hills to contend with at home so she goes back and forth a lot on the same street. Needless to say I think swimming came in second on this trip. Even Megan, who has lacked confidence in the past, was acting like a pro the last day. I'm so glad we took the bikes this time.





















Other than those two activities it was pretty low key, but perfectly what we all needed--a spring break.

first ride

She never had the desire to ride her bike, in fact, she seemed perfectly fine to ride her scooter for the rest of her life. It wasn't until we went to Walmart this morning to get a new tire for Tess' bike that her interest was sparked.



She came home, grab the bike closest to her size in the shed and took it to the road. There were no stumbles, no falls (at least not at first...getting off the bike was a bit trickier). She started pedaling and off she went.

Here's a 14 second video for kicks. I call it first ride, first fall (sorry it's a little jumpy I'm walking while filming)...


The one thing I've learn about kids and bikes is you have to wait til they're ready. I guess you could really say kids and anything new. When they want it, suddenly it's easier to do. Apparently that lesson extends far beyond my kids. Attitude is everything. I wonder when I'll stop learning it for myself?


Have a great Holiday weekend fellow patriots....cannot believe it's the fourth of July already.

just the 3 of us

It's just Tess, Megan, and I holding down the fort tonight while Adam is in Vegas enjoying the 100 degree weather (not) and Bella is spending the evening with her best cousin Whitney. Jill graciously invited her over because her boys are at a campout tonight.

This evening started out rough for me after falling asleep when I got home around 4pm and not waking up until 6pm. I had a hard time recovering from my apparently much needed nap, I guess my 530am mornings are catching up to me.



Lucky for me I had Megan and Tess to force me out of it. We spent the remainder of the evening outside enjoying the weather. The girls made beds for potato bugs and we eventually went on a walk/bike ride around the neighborhood.

first step to making the perfect potato bug bed

picking the bedding

second step

making beds

third step

finding bugs


fourth step

introducing them to their new beds

It was a delightful evening that ended for them at 9:45pm. I fear mine will drag on much longer with my nap so I'm hoping the late night for them will mean a late morning tomorrow...especially since my early raiser is with her cousin.

she rides

I've been asking Bella, more like begging her, for years to learn how to ride a bike. "No", was always her answer. "I'm just not interested", she would say. I admit it bothered me a bit because it's such a part of childhood, but after a while I realized if it's not for her, than it's not for her and I left it at that. I never asked her again, but always hoped one day she would.

Well that one day came a few months ago. She said, "Mom I think it's time I learn how to ride a bike. I'd like to be able to ride to school so we don't have to drive so much and we can save the earth." Her reason cracked me up, she's such an environmentalist (must be all those Nova's she watches), but whatever it takes I say.



So Saturday while the girls played on the hill, Bella got out the brand new bike she got for her birthday and learned to ride. She was shaky at first, but caught on within the first few tries (perhaps it helps the older you are). She's not very confident at turning, but "it will come", I told her, "Your just starting out."

It's such a great moment as a mother to watch your child face their fears or doubts and go just for it. I am proud of her. Marvelous job Bella! I can't wait to go on bike rides with you. Now I just need my own bike.