A "relaxing" breath of spring

Sunday was an amazing day. The temperature topped out above 60, and the sun was out, so Peter said, "Let's take a walk." This often is a relaxing fun thing to do, provided the girls do not argue.
Then the girls wanted to take their bikes. They really could use the exercise, so we said okay. But they hadn't been used in months, so the tires were flat. Peter couldn't find the tire pumps, so I had to stop what I was doing to find them (in the place I told Peter they were). But of course, the tire pumps are not the easiest things to use and take a while. In the meantime, Charlotte had her helmet on backward and was complaining about not having knee pads. When her helmet was turned around, it was too loose, and she wouldn't keep her head still to get it in place. So 20 minutes later we start on our walk.
Sammy still has training wheels. We live in a somewhat hilly area, so anytime she pushes off with her foot, she runs into the wheel and can't get anywhere. Also, she leans her bike so that she is resting on one of the trainers while she rides, and to balance leans her head in the other direction. It looks terribly uncomfortable. We keep telling her to sit up straight. We try to hold the bike up straight. But she just "Can't". In the mean time, Charlotte is either lagging behind, or refusing to break before running into Sammy.
Finally we decide, we're in a flat area, so let's take off the training wheels so that Sammy can learn this. (Sammy is petrified!). Of course, we didn't bring tools, so we only manage to get one wheel off by hand. Peter takes over the lesson and manages to get Sammy to go pretty well with just one wheel, but she gets nervous and puts her feet down to stop. I remind her that she can break by pedaling backwards. Charlotte hears this and decides to break every 10 feet. Of course since she's smaller and we are now going uphill, this means she can't get going on her own. So every few minutes we repeat a cycle of "come on Charlotte, let's catch up with Sammy and Daddy." (break) (assisted start) "They're getting way ahead of us!" (break) (Assisted start) (break) "Mommy they're too far away!" "Then stop breaking" (assisted start)(pedal pedal pedal) "Charlie, don't run into Sammy... Charlie, watch out for Sammy... Charlie, pedal backwards... Charlie! Peter, watch out for Charlie!".
Eventually we make it back to our street. "Okay, let's go home now." Charlie--"I don't want to go home!" So Charlie and I turn down a side street. 30 feet and three stops later she notices some birds. She wants to watch the birds. She wants to cross the street, with her bike, to get close to the birds. Sigh. Finally I convince her (or so I thought!) to go up the hill one time and then go home. But when we get back to home, Daddy has taken Sammy's other training wheel off and is helping her ride up and down the sidewalk. Charlotte wants to stay out, and I am contemplating blood pressure medicine.
Peter has taken the little bag off the front of Sammy's bike so he has a place to grip. Charlotte has to have her bag off too. (Are you sure? yes) Her bag has her water bottle in it. (Are you sure? yes) We ride to where Sammy's bag is, and pick that up, and the next time I pass the house I take both bags inside so there is less to carry. When I come back, Charlotte wants to ride up the sidewalk again, and then wants to drink out of her water bottle. Which is now in the house. Argh!
In the meantime, Sammy can make it about 50 or 60 feet on a bike without training wheels. What the heck did we do with the kick-stand?

Valentine's Day

To a kid, every holiday is special, important, and should linger until the next one. Sammy nearly fell into a deep depression when we put our Christmas things away last month. But then there was... Ground hog's Day!!!! And just as the excitement over that was waning, we were making valentine's Cards! I remember it seeming very important when I was young, so I can appreciate how the whole idea that she has to get a card for every kid in the class does not diminish the holiday for Sammy. The past few years, she has been determined to make cards for all her friends. Paper hearts, glue sticks, doilies, crayons, etc. By the eighth kid, she is burned out, but still determined. So this year I found a kit a Michael's. Foam stickers, slap sign and you're done. I got a couple to choose from so that she and Charlotte could each do their own. Sammy worked diligently and deliberately. Charlie worked with all due haste in the vein of Ruthie from the comic strip ("Good Art by Ruthie"). "Charlie, who is this one for?"
"Me"
"Okay, but these are supposed to be for your friends. Who's this one for, and it can't be you."
"Daddy"
"No, these are supposed to go to school"
"Okay, Catherine." (Four Valentines down, one friend covered)
And of course Charlie had to do the same one's Sammy was doing. So now there weren't enough for Sammy's class. We dive into the second variety. Very similar, but I soon discover, these are not stickers! Okay for Sammy, but for Charlie (who of course insists on doing some as well), this is a nightmare. She must be watched every step of the way. (And slowed down so that Sammy will have enough for her class!)
"Charlie, who is this one for?"
"Catherine"
"You already have one for Catherine."
"No I don't this is my first one!"
"You have one of the other one's for Catherine."
"I want to give her this one!"
"Okay, but the next one needs to be for a different friend."
"How about Sammy?"
"Let's look at your class list."
Of course now there aren't enough for either class. We open the third box. All items smaller than a hole punch circle, none of them stickers. This won't even do for Sammy. Back to the store. Oh look, blank heart shaped cards, suitable for ages 3 and up! and some more of the sticker bears we started with. "Sammy, you need to finish these while Charlie is napping." "OK, Mama." Ten minutes later, "Sammy did you start your valentines yet?" "No, I got distracted."
Then Charlie walks in. "I'm done with my nap! Hey, can I do some?"
So we start Charlie on variation number three.
"Who is this one for?"
"Catherine"
"You already have one for Catherine."
"No I don't! Not the heart card! Just the bear!"
"Okay, but the next one needs to be for someone else" (Charlie can write a few letters of Catherine's name, so it's useless to try to redirect).
"Who is this one for?"
"Ms. Linda"
12 Valentines. 2 teachers covered, and 3 friends with Catherine having 3.
So I pull out the traditional paper ones. I'll write the names and make sure each kid has one. Charlie sees. "I want to write the names! How do you spell Catherine?"
So Sammy went in with two different kinds of crafted Valentines, enough for each of her classmates. Charlotte went in with a paper valentine (she got tired of writing after 3) for each, and at least one of a paper heart card, a foam bear, or a bear bookmark (and in Catherine's case all three) for each classmate. Next challenge: Explain this to Peter so he can explain it to the teachers.
"Where's my snack to take into school?"
Sigh.
Sammy meanwhile has been "decorating". She really wanted to do up the house for the holiday. She had paper hearts everywhere. Including a paper chain that Charlie wanted to imitate. By bedtime on Sunday, she still wasn't done. "Valentine's day went to fast!" Yesterday one of the chains fell and Peter was going to throw it away. Then there was a discussion where Sammy wasn't done decorating and Peter thought it was time to take all the paper hearts down. I have faith in Sammy's little finger that the hearts will remain up a few more days.
Love to all!