Mountain Biking

The past few weeks our family has been a bit consumed with Mountain biking.

I used to race mountain bikes pretty religiously. I spent a few years touring on the NORBA Pro National Series as a Downhiller and Dual Slalom specialist. It was a great way to spend a few years in and after college before succumbing to The Real World.  I lived out of the back of my car for a few summers and in my final year, secured a factory ride with a bike company team and could actually sleep in a condo at races.  That was my least successful year as a racer.  Scrapping it in the back of my truck in independence was more favorable to me.

 Here is some dual slalom footage of a race a few years ago - I was probably barefoot and pregnant with child number four around this time.

My 12 y.o. Daughter decided she wanted to mountain bike race this summer rather than a third year of swim team. She fits perfect on my cross country bike so I gave it to her. It's a bit old school, but custom built on a unique Diamondback Titanium frame and I still love it.

We both entered a race at the Grafton Nordic center last weekend. It was brutal and I was out of shape. I was beat by a bunch of 40 something women. But it felt good to be back in the saddle, after overcoming the feeling that I wanted to die during the climbs at race pace.

Daughter did outstanding and was competitive with an experienced 15 year old. She is eager to do it again.

While I was out there, I recalled exactly why I was a downhiller. The caliber of amateur cross country racing has elevated since my day and it takes serious fitness to be competitive, even in the older classes.

Despite suffering intensely during the race, I found myself daydreaming about my next climb the next morning.

Daughter on the podium in second place on the left. 

Here is little ol me at the finish.  I had a mechanical issue that took a significant amount of time to work through in the first lap and I was suffering from the distance, so I bailed after the second of three laps.  I rode 9 technical miles out of 13.5. 

 I took them to Mount Snow - a mountain biking mecca of the east - the day before the race, as Cassidy had never been in singletrack.  We spent the day as a family climbing the mountain and taking section by section in the technical downhills video taping and having a ton of fun.  I was elated to be doing this as a family - the two smallish kiddos went to grammas for the day.  Climbing Mount Snow on bikes may not have been an excellent choice the day before our first race.

This stairs with no helmet and flip flops stunt was their idea while I was talking to an old downhiller friend I bumped into at Snow.  I snapped a photo before pulling the plug...

Ciao!

Basketball

I think it is pretty righteous that our family can bring our own three on three basketball game to any court.

We play girls versus boys, because we were able to choose the desired gender of each of our children at conception...they were born girl - boy - girl - boy.  I recommend doing it this way.  That way games are more fair and neither gender is outnumbered in the home.   

The Boys usually win.  The Husband was a high school basketball All Star. It's pretty cool to watch his moves. He's still got it...Sort of.  Boys were winning 4-0 but then we played for the 'WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP - FINAL POINT WINS' and.....

I loathed basketball in public school P.E., but my friend next door had a hoop and we used to play PIG and HORSE. I guess I still got it a little, too.   Ciao!

Zoolander Montessori?

Sitting at my desk a moment ago, I was tapped on the shoulder by Little Huck, who created this get up for himself.

 

 No, he has never seen Zoolander, but that was my immediate thought.

 

Ahh - the value of Free Expressive Play - Montessori Style

I am especially concerned about the following Montessori quote:

"children, especially under the age of six, have an innate path of psychological development. Based on her observations, Montessori believed that children at liberty to choose and act freely within an environment prepared according to her model would act spontaneously for optimal development."

Really?!?  Hoo-kay...

Ciao!

Is There No End...

No, apparently there is no end to what I will do - with a dress on - to take a shot at an angle I like. Even if it is only with an iPhone4.

Exhibit A:  "The Up-the-nose-shot" title and photo credit goes to  H. McGee.  I think the Husband was mumbling something like "here she goes again".  The kids were asking me if I was okay or why I had fallen down. 

Yep, this is what I wanted.  Buggars and sky.  No seriously, don't you think the up-close and angle-from-below makes the kids look tougher, more formidable and intimidating? 

I did purchase a GoPro Hero 2 today to start filming more of our excursions.  I think I will have some fun with this.

Ciao!

Creatures

We were shutting down the house this night. Locking up. Letting cats out the patio doors. Check out the local wildlife paying us a visit!

This little frog had scaled the glass on the french doors in our living room. 

This amazing moth  ("night time butterflies") looks like a leaf. 

Confessions of a Homeschooling Mom

I homeschool my four children in rural Vermont. You can imagine my elation to receive an invitation to Westport, Connecticut for an evening social gathering with some families that we know.

Field Trip, kids!

We spent the night due to the distance.

It felt like The Fresh Air Fund in reverse. Maybe I can start a similar exchange program where other country kids and their moms get to spend a couple of days in Westport - learning the language of soccer moms, and the art of carpooling negotiations, viewing the immaculate lawns, and seeing bright yellow school buses that actually pull up to the driveway.

A Westport garden - there's the tent in the backdrop!

Upon waking up in Westport, I grabbed a mug and a hot beverage and shifted into observation mode.

My friend had thrown a catered social event the night prior - complete with life guards and child wranglers.  Her yard had been host to a band, a tent and tables resembling my wedding reception and a deck full of select vintages and a keg or two.



I noticed how I felt observing the morning rush as my graceful friend fixed breakfast and mediated relations between siblings as if nothing had occurred there the night before.  One child was playing The Entertainer on the piano and discussing his b clef while another was quietly seeking her iPhone.  A third was breakfasting.


Suddenly there was a dash for the door - her three and my four - to wait for the bus. Hurry up and wait! It was fun to see my kids witness an actual school bus pick up right at the house.

Civilization!

Kids, this is how it would be if we were cosmopolitan.

My friend let me stand at the school bus stop with her - tea mug in hand- and wave her kids goodbye. Something most mothers experience, I guess, but an act I am deprived of.

A crowd at our Field Trip to the School Bus Stop

As the bus sped away and left us in silence, the husband and I glanced at each other where an electrical exchange of thoughts occurred like, why on EARTH don't WE do this?

"Hurry Up Child, you'll be late for the bus!" ~I've always wanted to say that.

"Bye Kids!  Have a GREAT day"  I'm imagining my children on the bus at this moment. (I'm the waving mother)



We know why we don't do this... Because this is the choice we made as a family.  It is the reason I exist right now.  My kids, their education and me...this entanglement;  it is our Way of Life.  I am thankful every day for the inspiration, energy and motivation I have on some days to accomplish this with them.  

Life is pretty good if my naughtiest fantasies involve a Big Yellow School Bus.

Ciao!

A 'lil Carpentry

So, my mother-in-law heard that I was hawking an antique bench for my dining room table.  Being the practical New Englander that she is, she decided to MAKE one.  Why buy it when you can MAKE it?  Yes, this is the woman who gave my husband his carpentry genes.  She is amazing and I love her.  The Mister comes from a long line of carpenters and home builders.  I wanted a super dark stain on there.  It took a couple trips to r.k. Miles to find a dark enough color I liked.  This is after one coat.  I think it will darken with a second coat.  I picked a stain color called Tudor.

A light sand in between coats of stain. 

This is a raw pine bunk bed the mister made for our son.  Today it is getting some beadboard and a coat of Walnut color stain.  Will post more of the finished products of this in a couple days.

Blue Envelopes and Jingle Bracelets

This week I assembled a handful of my favorite things to place in a post box and ship to a dear friend. It went off to the post this morning.  

This is the goody pile.  I made some tags out of pretty floral thank you cards I cut up.  Apple Butter, strawberry honey stix and Nantucket Briar body lovies are a few of my faves.  I first found Nantucket Briar ironically in Wyoming when I lived there.  So I think of the Wild West when I wear it, even though it is called Nantucket...and even though Crabtree and Evelyn is located in London. 

The little tags explain every item and why it's in there. No special occasion, just a bosom friend that I wanted to send some love to. 

...because every girl deserves some Burt's Bees Champagne lip shimmer to look like fairy dust was sprinkled on her smile.    ..and because every girl deserves a bar of soap to sit unwrapped like a little gift in her bathroom to stare at and wonder what's in there. 

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...and because inside every girl is a tacky belly dancer, who wants to wear something that jingles when she moves.  I bought a matching one for me!  My little ones like to listen to and watch it.  I think they might remember this as an important part of my mothering when they get older.   Ciao!

Weekend Potter

Gardening success to me =  BUTTERFLIES!

This weekend I worked a little more on the front entry way.  I'm gonna show you what I did with a flower pot I tipped over and cracked.  See it in front of the potting bench, near the lower left corner on the ground.  Just above the azalea?  Yes, that's it.

I'm a clumsy gal at times.  So I made use out of it... I added a bunch of top soil inside and in front of the pot.  I curved it around a bit, too.

The pot had a significant crack in it.  The Mister took a flat edge tool-thingy and lightly hammered the crack so the entire side popped off.    Then I made an intentional accidental garden bed out of it.  The side removed will ensure the pot won't roll around in these 30 mph winds we've been having.

A little water and a lil' lovin'.  Isn't this copper watering can the bees' knees?  Speaking of knees, pay no attention to mine here.  They are bikers' knees.   I used to race mountain bikes. 

I planted impatiens.  Have I told you yet this is like a happy plant to me?  My mother planted hundreds of them, so they remind me of her house.  They like full shade and moist soil. 

Mom said to water them GOOD after planting.  I added some organic fertilizer, too.  For good measure. I should probably take off that price tag on the bottom, huh?

Aren't they cute?  In a couple weeks they should fill in so it will look like there are flowers spilling out of a tipped over pot!