Callie Learns to Ride a Bike

On the one hand, the title of this post says it all.  On the other hand, as anyone who has ever taught a child to ride a bike knows, nothing is quite that simple.

In late March a couple of things happened.  The snow finally melted and we  saw the hope of no more shoveling.  Sport and Nana Banana came for a visit.  And six months after her parents told her she was getting a bike for her birthday, Callie finally got her present.  And once we brought the bike home Callie was determined to learn how to ride it.  Sport took the first go at it, working in the driveway with Callie.  Sarah then took some time with her and handed off the reins to John.  John took maybe two runs with Callie before realizing that Sarah was definitely the right person for this job.  Sarah did not disappoint.

We all decided to head down to the track at Cassidy Elementary School where Callie could have more room to work on her skills.  Sarah and Callie took off while Sport, Nana Banana, John, and Reese moved a little slower.  And by the time the slower foursome had arrived at Cassidy, Callie had something to show us.  Right before our very eyes she got up on that bike and started to ride all by herself!  Now stopping was still an issue.  As you can see from this picture we went with a bike that Callie will grow into, which means she had to get used to being a bit higher up.

This day was much more emotional for us than we had imagined, and we were so incredibly proud of her as she zoomed around the track again and again.  Watching your child master a childhood milestone like this is so rewarding and it was also so great to see how proud she was of what she had accomplished.  What a great day overall.  And it made it even more special that she was able to do this in front of Sport and Nana Banana.  It's only a matter of time before she is biking all over the place.

Check-ups and Playdates

For quite a few reasons, the girls' annual check-up has gotten a bit out of whack in terms of when it happens.  In short, instead of Callie having her annual check-up right around her birthday she ends up having it about four months later.  Reese is a bit closer, having hers just about two months after her birthday.  The good news is that they generally only see the doctor at this annual check-up.  The two of them are pretty hardy souls, and we have been very fortunate because they are healthy.

So here they are on the big day.  Callie continues to grow like a green bean.  At this February check-up, her height came in a little over 50 inches which put her in the 70th percentile, and her weight was a whopping 45 lbs, or the 15th percentile.  A slim chip off the old block.  Reese registered in the 75th percentile all the way around, measuring at 41 inches in height and 28 lbs in weight.  We tend to think of her as small and petite, so it's kind of funny to see her with those numbers.  Unfortunately with the four-year-old check-up came four shots.  She was tough through the first several, but the last one pushed her over the edge.  Her older sister knew this could happen because when Sarah told Callie that Reese was going to have to get four shots, she asked, "Do I have to stay in the room?"  In the end, though, the girls are growing well and looking good.  We are very lucky.

After years of coordinating playdates for Callie, we finally fielded a request from Reese for a playdate of her own with her friend Maggie.  Reese was so excited to have her very own friend over, and Callie was a little unsure what to do with the whole situation.  Maggie and Reese have known each other since they were months old, and they had a lot of fun dressing up and hanging out.  We have a feeling that these are going to become more of a regular request now that Reese sees how it all works.

Reese wasn't the only one who got a playdate with old friends, however.  We had a big night out with our wine group at one of the cool new places in Lexington called National Provisions.  Our group has now been getting together for almost five years and although we all have busy schedules we manage to keep the fun going.  This particular night was filled with a pairing of food and wine crafted by the owners of the restaurant.  It was quite a fancy evening for a group that still prides itself on being less than pretentious.

Snow, snow, and more snow

We had quite a winter in Lexington.  Although last year we had several days and weeks that single digit temperatures, this year was all about snow accumulation.  Some very serious snow accumulation.

The first big storm hit in mid-February, and the snow was light, fluffy, and over ten inches deep.  Honestly, it was even a bit fun to shovel the driveway because it was so light.  And all the snow in the driveway had to go somewhere, which meant we were able to build a small sledding ramp in our backyard.  It was a little tough to get to the top of the ramp, but the girls had fun trying.

Because we only had one adult-sized snow shovel, John and Sarah had to take turns using the one pictured here versus the one built for a four-year-old.  We not only shoveled out our driveway, but also helped out the Chrismans and the folks next to them.  It was a very tiring and neighborly process all in one.  Callie and Reese opted to watch the neighborly process unfold from within the warm confines of Sharon and Chris's kitchen.

It just so happened that the winter storm coincided with Mardi Gras, and Sharon and Chris pulled out all the stops, including some colorful New Orleans garb for an impromptu celebration.  The girls were intrigued by the whole deal, especially the King Cake with the little baby figurine inside.  They really weren't sure what to make of it, and it creeped us out too.

Reese certainly can go into party mode at the drop of a hat, and once she was given a set of beads she was ready to go.  The combination of all the snow outside and all of the fun inside had her fired up.  This smile does not even begin to illustrate the energy contained within that tiny body.

Both EKU and UK were closed down for almost an entire week in second major snowfall of the winter.  And what made this one extra special is that John was in Fort Worth on a research trip.  This gave Sarah the opportunity to wake up, shovel, pay a babysitter to watch her kids while she went to work, and then come home to children who were in full cabin fever mode.

It certainly was beautiful to look at, and it isn't fun to just have cold weather without snow, but it makes it a little tough to be in a place where this much snow shuts everything down.  Indeed, the snow even prevented John's flight from landing in Lexington, which meant he got home a day later than scheduled.

However, John did finally make it home and was able to get back to work with the shovel.  Our driveway usually seems relatively small, but by the end of this winter it was showing its size.  We do recommend that you look at this picture closely to see the kid-sized shovel that Sarah and John had been alternating throughout the winter.  Perhaps it is time to invest in another adult-sized one.

Of course the crazy winter weather didn't stop all activity, especially for the man raised in the tough New England winters.  John still got out and ran while Sarah went to hot yoga.  The running gave John an appreciation for those who shovel the sidewalks in front of their house and the hot yoga gave Sarah an appreciation for heat.  This picture was taken after one of John's runs, and if you look closely you can see an icicle that formed on his glasses.  That is just how tough he is.

Even with all of the shoveling we managed to fit in a little sledding at the Shriner's Hospital hill nearby.  Callie and Reese were definitely into it, which was a lot of fun to watch.  They didn't want to stop, and had a great time spinning their way down the hill.  This was probably the most classic winter we have had since we have lived in Lexington.  We probably got more snow this winter than we had in the previous seven winters combined.  It was fun, but we were definitely ready for spring to show itself.