Saturday, August 25, 2001
Wheee!
Kathryn's now riding without training wheels. She had tried a few years ago, got frustrated, and asked for the training wheels back on. Since bicycling without them is not a crucial life skill for the elementary set (well, excepting any peer pressure), it was her choice. Now that her brother succeeded, she asked this morning for their removal and was whizzing along with no problem within ten minutes.
Vincent has taken a few spills but no serious ones. We have required them to wear helmets (well-fitting ones) since they were on little trikes as toddlers. They do not leave the front door without them, and they are the first bit of gear the children go for (even before footwear). They now wear them habitually. I just wish all the neighborhood children wore them, because accidents are inevitable.
posted by Sherman Dorn 9:34 AM
Friday, August 24, 2001
Bicycle riding
Vincent learned how to ride a bicycle without training wheels in the last week. I saw him ride along the sidewalk for the first time yesterday. Amazing!
Parents moving
My parents moved yesterday for the first time in over 36 years. When they moved into the house they're selling on Monday (assuming the escrow closes then), I was two weeks old. They're renting a house for a few months while the house they're buying is moved out of and some remodeling happens. I was in California last week to help pack up (somewhat) and help them move (almost).
Rear view mirror AWOL
It happened again yesterday—the rear view mirror on one of our cars dropped off the windshield. I know the routine now. Get adhesive. Crayon outline of old glue. Scrape old glue off. Remove "button" (a piece of metal that slips into the mirror frame) and clean off both it and the spot on the windshield. Apply both parts of the adhesive. Apply button and hold for a minute. Let set for 15 minutes. Put mirror assembly on button.
Wait a few months for everything to fall off again.
posted by Sherman Dorn 10:00 PM
Wednesday, August 08, 2001
First day of school
Today is the first day of school in Hillsborough County, Florida. The children visited their classrooms yesterday afternoon, and they are mildly annoyed that their parents are fussing over them this morning. After all, aren't they perfectly competent schoolchildren who know which end of a bus moves forward? I do understand—and yet, they are yet small and cute.
One of Kathryn's science projects from last year is still with us: a lima bean plant. It poked along all "winter" (we live in Florida, remember) and came back this year. To the left is a photograph of Kathryn showing off the (one) lima bean pod it's grown this summer. (This, folks, is why we plant herbs, chiles, and perennial fruit. We just don't have the time to be great gardeners.)
Next week I'm off to California for a few days while my parents finish packing before their house is finally sold. The family moved into it when I was a few weeks old, so while I have few regrets about their selling a house that's too big for two people, it's somehow appropriate that I'm there.
posted by Sherman Dorn 6:42 AM
