life's a bear

To All the Fathers

2013-06-16T15:19:00.002-06:00

Nate became a dad nearly six years ago. And he embraced it wholeheartedly. The fatherhood role suits him nicely. He is kind and patient and fun and strong. He gets great joy from watching and being with the kids. Benny put on a guitar performance for us this morning. It was his surprise for Father's Day.

Happy Father's Day, Daddy!

(Strum, strum, strum)

Me and Lila love you!

(Strum, strum, strum)

We hope you have a great Father's Day!

(Strum, strum, strum)

He warned us that he was going to make us cry before he started playing his song. I definitely had tears in my eyes when he finished.

I've always been a big fan of my father-in-law. He and his wife moved to Montrose, Colorado, from Iowa nearly three years ago. It's been such a treat to have them closer to us. Plus, they live within proximity of some stunning mountains and areas. It's been fun to watch Mike as a grandfather. He is amazing in that role and adores his grandchildren.

Nate became a double daddy nearly three years ago - to a daughter. He was terrified of having a daughter. But he's changed his perspective (at least while she's young). He and Lila have a great relationship. It's wonderful to watch it blossom.

And finally, my own Dad. He's been a wonderful father, but I didn't fully appreciated him until I had kids. He, like Nate's dad, relishes his role as a grandfather. And my kids love him.

Happy Father's Day to all of the dads I know. It's so amazing to watch so many great fathers everyday.

New Summer Challenges (to Biking and Other Things)

2013-06-15T22:29:00.000-06:00

In just over a month, the weather in Denver turned from snow storms and 30 degrees to 100 degrees. That's weather whip lash and it's just wrong. I figured we'd have at least a month and a half of spring-time weather. I knew that June travel plans would make biking everyday a challenge, but I didn't think the weather would play into it. And kids. That never seems like a challenge - until it's too hot to ride with them.

As noted, we were in Calgary last weekend. It was a lovely trip. The kids are at a good age to travel - naps don't get in the way of plans as much any more and they can be plied with plenty of snacks if eating schedules are thrown off. We incorporated a bike ride into the trip because I'm finding it's one of the best ways to see a city. It was a relatively quick ride, but man I appreciate a good bike lane. And Calgary is filled with them.

So I can kind of deal with the challenges of biking and traveling. The heat, though, I'm still figuring that challenge out. If we want to ride, we need to leave the house before 9 a.m. There's not too much open at that time of the morning that's also within biking distance. As a result, we're going to have to get out of the house earlier and seek out some alternative activities. And, I'm just going to have to accept that some things won't be bike-able. Like the art museum and the botanic center and some other outings. Perhaps public transportation is a viable option that I haven't considered yet.

Other challenges? Well, I'm finding that "school's out for summer" attitude has hit me too. While I should be prepping for my online class and getting ahead in my other work so I can take a big vacation at the end of the month, my motivation hit a stonewall about the same time as Benny was finished with kindergarten. I'll figure it out, but boy, it's frustrating.

I am excited to report that Struckman Consulting was featured on the idealist.org blog late last month. It was a nice surprise.

Canadian Wedding Weekend

2013-06-10T15:00:00.001-06:00

On Thursday, we packed up and headed to Calgary for my brother's wedding. My baby brother's wedding. It seems so strange that my youngest brother is now married (he's 30, so he's not a baby any more).

Calgary is lovely this time of year. We decided to spend a morning exploring the city by bike. It was the perfect family activity. Benny had a great time on a tag-a-long. He'd never ridden on one before.

Calgary has an extensive network of bike trails and routes. We ended up riding along the Bow River from downtown to the west of town. Since Benny was using a tag-a-long, we could ride much farther than if he had been on a bike. I knew it was a success when Benny told Nate that "this was a really good idea, Dad." Nate agreed.

My brother met his wife, Reny, at my other brother's wedding (in Edmonton). It was great to meet Reny's family and friends and celebrate throughout the weekend. I got to spend some time with the ladies of my family for sushi on Thursday night. We spent a majority of Friday afternoon and evening at the rehearsal and dinner, but I did manage to squeeze in a henna tattoo, courtesy of Reny's family.

The wedding was a unique mix of Catholic and Indian traditions and was one of the most interesting and beautiful weddings I've ever been to. But, Benny and Lila were in the wedding, so I didn't have a whole lot of time to take pictures. Lila wasn't too interested in sitting down.

Lila coloring during the ceremony // Benny and Lila - no words // the beautiful bride // our family

The weekend kicked off our summer travels. Next up, a tour of Nebraska, Iowa and western Colorado.

We had a really great time, despite some lack of sleep due to schedules that conflicted with nap time and bed time. Lila was a trooper until about five minutes before the plane landed yesterday. She crashed. Hard.

School's Out for Summ-ah!

2013-06-04T09:51:00.001-06:00

First day of Kindergarten.

Kindergarten. Check.

Benny has learned so much this year. He can read (!) and write. He knows about dinosaurs and volcanoes and treble and bass and ceramics. He brought home armloads of artwork. He often pulls out nuggets of knowledge and shocks me with how much information he soaks up. I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Kids do that stuff all of the time. But he's my kid and I think he's so smart. Last night he told me that Hawaii is the only state that was made of volcanoes.

This year, we rode bikes to school many more times than we drove. At first Benny wasn't excited about riding everyday, but he has built up quite a stamina and now the one-mile ride isn't a problem.

Benny made some great friends this year. He also learned that kids can be mean, which is a hard lesson for a five-year-old (and it's really hard to witness as a parent).

I learned things too. I learned that it's not easy to get out of the house to get to school on time. I learned, unlearned and relearned patience in the morning. I learned that Benny doesn't like PB&Js (what?!?) in his lunch. Or leftovers. Or vegetables. Or really anything besides yogurt. I learned, through volunteering in the classroom, that I could never be a kindergarten teacher. They deserve our utmost respect!

I'm also learning about how city schools differ from rural schools. I attended the same school with the same 11 classmates for 12 years. I had the same teachers as my siblings, played on the same teams, had many of the same friends. Benny's class will be split into thirds next year. He'll have new faces and he'll have to say goodbye to some of his friends - even if it's only for a year.

One of the most important lessons I learned, which wasn't even on my radar, is how much I love living close to a quality neighborhood school. It's important that my kids receive a good education, but there's more to it than that. I don't want to have to schlep my kids halfway across town to go to school. I think it's important to build a sense of community and attending a neighborhood school helps with that. I know traditional public schools aren't for everyone. But they are for us. We are willing to do the afterschool work to ensure that our kids have a well-rounded education. Really, I just want them to love to learn and be inquisitive. I think every educational institution espouses those goals. So, although Benny and Lila will attend larger schools, I hope we have set up an environment that feels relatively small - knowing and going to school with our neighbors, participating in our schools and neighborhood and feeling connected in that way.

Last day of kindergarten. Those freckles!!!

And now, here we are. School's out for summer. Next year we'll be learning more, making more friends and generally enjoying life. But for now, we'll all be enjoying a well-deserved break!

Camping with Kids

2013-06-02T10:19:00.000-06:00

As a kid, I didn't really camp. Even as a young adult, I could probably count the number of times that I slept outside in a sleeping bag on one hand - and that was usually in our backyard. I never really thought of myself as the camping sort. And then I moved to Montana after college. Into the mountains. And I discovered that camping, particularly in the mountains, is just about the best thing to do on a summer evening.

Pre-kids, Nate and I took at least one backpacking trip together every year. We spent our honeymoon in the Canadian Rockies, exploring Banff and Jasper National Parks. It wasn't the most romantic of honeymoons, but it sure was memorable - not to mention affordable!

When we moved to Colorado, I knew we would be a camping kind of family. Nate grew up camping every summer with his family. Epic trips all over the western U.S. and into Canada and Alaska. His family has amazing stories about hiking down to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, only to discover that the tent stakes were at the top of the canyon. They slept outside and were visited in the night by a rattle snake. So they slept on picnic benches.

We started camping as a family when Benny was just under 2 years old. He was a natural outdoorsy kid. There's nothing like wide open spaces, camp fires, rocks and streams (and most specifically rocks and streams) to entertain a toddler for hours.

We took a couple of years off of camping when I was pregnant with Lila and when she was a newborn. But we started back up last year when she was about a year and a half.

Here's what we do to make the trips memorable (but not the unprepared and miserable kind of memorable):

Use a large tent. We bought a family-sized tent when we started family camping and it has been a great investment.
Bring plenty of layers. We typically start out in shorts and T-shirts, but once the sun goes down, everyone changes into pants, sweatshirts, hats, gloves, jackets/coats.
Plan for cold sleeping weather. Early and late in the season, we pack footie pajamas for the kids and pack extra blankets for sleeping. It's easier to remove stuff than it is to shiver through the night.
Expect the unexpected. Last year, we went camping on the first day of a fire ban. We had planned on cooking over an open fire in the campground. Although we had checked the forest service website before we left (no fire ban then), we didn't plan any alternatives. Luckily, there was a town relatively close by so we ate out.
Don't forget water. Lots and lots of water. It's easy to get thirsty at higher elevations. The kids typically suck down much more than they do at home.
Wet wipes are your friend. Since Lila is finished with diapers, I don't regularly think about wet wipes. Always have them on hand while camping. They are great for wiping off dirty hands and faces (s'mores are messy!). And, if someone has "issues," they're great for road-side stops. I won't go into further details, but I will say that I wish we had packed wipes for our trip last weekend!
Teach your kids to pee outside. It sounds uncivilized, but there aren't always bathrooms around and kids can't always hold it. We taught Lila how to squat this spring (she calls is "squawking") and that skill came in very handy in the mountains.

Six Months of Biking

2013-06-01T08:19:00.000-06:00

Today marks the first day of the sixth month of riding my bike (nearly) everyday. I've been slacking a bit on actually taking pictures of the exercise, but I am riding!

It's a big month for biking in Colorado. Denver has it's own Bike to Work Day (June 26) and the Denver Century Challenge is in two weeks. I was planning to ride, but it's not going to work with our schedule. Maybe we'll cheer some of the riders on.

June also marks the beginning of summer riding - when it's harder to blame the weather for not riding. Happy riding!

May #everydayonabike Review

2013-05-30T09:43:00.001-06:00

Nearly half of the year is over. I can't quite believe it. Five whole months of riding (nearly) #everydayonabike. After a rough start to the season, spring has finally arrived. Although I haven't been able to ride everyday yet, I have significantly increased my daily mileage this month. Last month, I barely broke 100 miles for the entire month. This month, I easily broke 200 miles (223 total miles). I wasn't able to completely give up a car this month, but I got pretty close. Many weeks, I only got behind the wheel once or twice - usually to run errands outside of my biking comfort zone (less than 5 miles).

I did increase my biking bubble a bit for meetings this month. Typically, I drive to meetings that are over 5 miles from my house. This month, I rode to several meetings over 5 miles away and even trekked down to the University of Denver once (8 miles one way). I'm getting more comfortable riding longer distances and more familiar with the city's bike routes, which helps out on longer rides.

Here's the rundown for May:

63 total photos // 25 photos posted by me // 38 photos posted by others

10 contributors // 27 out of 31 days on the bike // $52 in gas savings

Thanks to everyone who contributed this month!

@bemorelocal // @mrsweichbrodt // @runbobbierun // @obc_benson

@allmybrush // @emfritz // @timaides @simplybike // @claireelaine // @frauwein

The biggest challenge for me now is taking a picture everyday - riding everyday seems to be the easy part! Although I would love for June to be the first month that I ride everyday, out-of-state (and country) travel plans probably won't allow for that.

Memorial Day Weekender

2013-05-28T08:54:00.002-06:00

What a whirlwind - and wonderful - weekend. Even though we had an extra day, we didn't get much down time.

Although the kids consistently wake up after 7 on weekdays, they have started waking up before 6:30 on weekends. As a result, we got an early start on our first camping trip of the year. We met Nate's parents and brother near Buena Vista in the Collegiate Peaks - one of my favorite areas of the state. There happened to be a paddle board festival at the river that runs through the city, so we all got to try out paddle boats and Benny went out on a kayak by himself!

Benny is a camping pro and has been for three out of five years of life. Lila is still getting the hang of it. She has some issues running away from us toward the river and walking too close to the fire. But, she'll get there. I'm sure of it. Going camping with Nate's family is also spoiling me. They have a pop up camper and I get to sleep inside with the kids.

We raced back home on Saturday so we could spend a few hours with some old friends from Iowa State who were in town for a wedding. Always good to see them. Nate dedicated most of yesterday to the deck, which means that I dedicated the day to hanging out with my kids and the neighbors' kids. The deck is coming along, but we have a substantial portion left to finish. We capped the weekend off with a BBQ with friends.

And now the house is a mess and I have a load of work to do. Here's to long weekends with friends and family. Happy (almost) summer!

Nine. Whole. Years.

2013-05-23T10:38:00.002-06:00

Many years ago, I received the best advice about marriage. A friend of the family shared that while marriage is great, it's also a lot of work. Every single day. At the time, I was nowhere near ready to marry. I hadn't even met Nate yet. But I tucked that piece of advice away and retrieve it on a pretty regular basis.

Being married to Nate is great. I love him and I even like him. But marriage has been a lot of work. Every single day. We share many things - viewpoints, ideas, passions. But we disagree too. And I think that's healthy. Like most married couples, we could do better at communicating with each other. We could be more considerate to each other.

Yesterday, we celebrated nine years of being married. Although I think it's more important to note that we've been together for nearly 13 years! Anniversaries are a nice time to reflect on the year and the relationship. Every year, I'm happy to be sharing this life of mine with Nate. He makes me laugh. He is a wonderful father. He cares about his family. He likes to have a good time. But most importantly, he's the best kind of person to have in my corner. He is supportive. And when the going gets tough, he is my rock.

Happy anniversary, Nate. We have created a meaningful life with each other and our two greatest achievements, Benny and Lila, bring us joy every single day. I couldn't ask for a better partner.

Deck the House

2013-05-20T12:36:00.002-06:00

After several weeks of preparation, we started on the deck this weekend. Nate has been so committed to getting this project done. He's prepped the house and area after work and on the weekends. As part of this project, we replaced the gutters and trim on the house. Nate removed the old gutters and replaced the trim. He's been digging post holes for what seems like forever.

But, Nate, his dad and a friend down the street made significant progress. And it looks amazing. Poor Nate will have to commit a few (many) more hours to the project, but it will all be worth it when we're drinking gin basil smashers on the deck this summer!

When Nate and I first looked at the house over five years ago, we could see a deck in the space where the patio lived. The L-shape of the house nestles the deck perfectly. And we can access it from the kitchen, which is something most older homes are not equipped for.

Notice the new gutters and paint? I think it looks really sharp, even if it's not a big change. Eventually, steps will wrap around the front of the deck and a landing will be placed in front of the kitchen door. We'll also install pergola.

It was a long weekend for everyone, including the kids. But they had a good time "helping" where they could. The loved measuring the wood and drawing on it. That made the weekend relatively easy for me too. While Nate worked, we rode all over town to gather food and libations for the fellas. Not the worst way to spend a weekend. Not at all.

Book Review: Where'd You Go, Bernadette?

2013-05-15T12:26:00.000-06:00

After reading several "dark" and serious books for book club over the past few months, we decided to go with something lighter. The subject matter in Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple is certainly not light, but Semple has an uncanny way to write about it in a lighthearted way.

The book was really easy to read because it was organized in a novel way - through letters, emails, faxes (yes, faxes) and some narration. As the title indicates, Bernadette has gone missing. As we learn, it's for a variety of reasons.

Thinking about many of the books I've read over this year, I'm surprised about a common theme: So many of them address mental health in some way. In the Girl on Fire, a mother deals with paralyzing depression. In The Round House, a family deals with depression after a horrific event. In Where'd You Go, Bernadette, a family deals with a mother's social anxiety. It's also interesting that all of the books about women (and specifically mothers) whose mental health is impacted by serious and tragic events in their lives.

As someone who has dealt with a mental health issue, it's an interesting component of our culture that is rarely written about in a way that reduces stigma. I have more thoughts on the subject, but not nearly enough time to address them.

Oops I Did It Again

2013-05-14T09:00:00.000-06:00

I just used a Britney Spears reference. And I'm not ashamed of it. (OK, I'm a little ashamed of it.)

Somehow I've signed myself up for something big. It all started innocently enough - a friend of a friend mentioned that the annual Viva Streets event was moving from Park Hill this year.

Noooooo!

Viva Streets is a fantastically fun event during which the city shuts down a major thoroughfare and opens it to pedestrians and bikes for one day. For the past two years, LiveWell Colorado has hosted the event in Park Hill on 23rd Street. Last year, the street was packed for most of the day and it was so fun to see so many people out and about without having to worry about cars.

LiveWell is committed to introducing the concept to other neighborhoods in Denver. And for good reason. But, I was sad and disappointed that it won't be in my neighborhood this summer. So, like an idiot, I posted something on the neighborhood Facebook page. And suddenly I'm organizing the first planning meeting for a Park Hill Viva Streets this summer.

Between consulting commitments, teaching commitments and now this, I'm feeling slightly overwhelmed. As a result, I've decided to cut back on the blog for the summer. It's a reverse hibernation. I'll still post updates about #everydayonabike and the occasional family posting, but I'm certainly going to cut back on garden and food posts for the time being. But if the event ends up happening, you better believe I'll post about that too!

Mother's Day 2013

2013-05-13T21:40:00.001-06:00

My kids are lucky. They are so lucky that I have an amazing mom who has taught me so much about unconditional love, thoughtfulness and appreciating children. My mom's children are now all over 30, but she still thinks of us as her kids - and she will never stop.

My mom has always been my biggest supporter and coach. I never appreciated her enough when she was just my mom. But now that I'm a mom, I realize how much she sacrificed for her kids, how much she loved us unconditionally, how she would have done anything and everything for us. And I appreciate her so much more. She is the most amazing grandmother to my kids (and all of her grandkids). My kids absolutely adore her.

My Mother's Day weekend started off right with a playdate/happy hour with some of my favorite moms from school. The kids all got along (for the most part) while we sipped rose on the patio. On Saturday, we checked out a new restaurant in the neighborhood and I discovered that I love potato pancakes. Nate and I rode our bikes to a friend's birthday dinner 7 miles away (much to Nate's chagrin), which meant that Benny and Lila got to spend the night with one of their favorite babysitters.

I requested a low-key Mother's Day. With all the house work we've been doing, it felt good to stay at home and work in the yard. We took a break for a picnic in the park and finished off the day with Nate's famous beer can chicken and salad greens from our garden.

My favorite moment of the weekend? Benny couldn't wait to give me the gift he made me at school. As soon as I woke up on Saturday (not Sunday), he handed me a paper bag. He made me a lovely bird house. He spent the better part of 30 minutes telling me exactly why he chose to decorate the house like he did. I love it. It's so fun to be Benny's and Lila's mom.

Bike to School Day 2013

2013-05-10T13:52:00.000-06:00

It just occurred to me today that a Bike to School Day is probably happening soon. Turns out, it was scheduled for Wednesday, May 8. Lucky for us, nearly every day is a bike to school day. I don't have any photos of Wednesday's ride, but I do distinctly remember that the bike racks were at capacity and I nearly took a picture of them. It made me so happy to see so many bikes at school.

On Wednesday I did bike to the University of Denver for the first time, so I guess I did it on an appropriate day. The ride was a total of 16 miles round trip and it was relatively easy (light traffic, few hills). I'll definitely be riding to teach more often.

Bike to Work Day is scheduled for June 26 in Denver. I've never had the opportunity to participate, so this year I'm definitely scheduling a meeting away from my home office so I can get in on the action.

I'm also working on organizing a Walking School Bus for Benny and his friends in the neighborhood next year. It's a simple concept - two or more families take turns walking their children to school. It can be as small or as large as needed. The Bike Train is another organized way to get to school - and we already do that on occasion. The only catch? Lila's daycare is two blocks away from Benny's school, so I'd have to make my way there three days a week anyway.

Suddenly, It's Spring

2013-05-07T15:00:00.001-06:00

Birds are chirping, the sun is out, the high is above 55. By golly, I think spring has finally arrived! And just in time. I was getting really, really sick of winter. We have been busy, busy preparing for good weather. Yard clean up, new gutters, new painted trim. All of this work to install a deck in two weeks. It's going to be amazing.

I have been planting flowers and Nate has been planting veggies. A week ago, I transplanted no less than 50 iris bulbs from the area where the deck will be to the beds in the front of the house (that we desperately want to get rid of, but can't quite justify yet).

The trim and the gutters will match after next weekend - a nice forest green. And the garden, which is already producing!

And now that the weather is cooperating, I'm finding that the more I ride, the more confident I get about riding. See how that works? Prior to #everydayonabike, I wouldn't ride more than 5 miles away from my house and would never consider riding downtown or to the southern part of the city. But, as I've become more familiar with Denver's vast network of bike paths, lanes and routes, I'm increasingly comfortable in expanding my radius of riding and testing new directions. As a result, I've been riding to new areas of the city and increasing my daily miles. For example, today I tested out a new route that will allow me to ride to a standing monthly meeting about 6.5 miles away. I was reluctant to ride to these meetings before because I didn't like the bike route that Google naps suggests. So, I plotted a new route. It adds about a mile to the overall trip, but the sense of security is worth it!

Tomorrow, I have my biggest challenge yet: Ride to the University of Denver (a 16-mile round trip) in the morning and then to an event across town in the evening (a 10-mile round trip). When the day is done, I hope to have ridden nearly 30 miles in one day. So glad it's finally spring!

April #everydayonabike Review

2013-04-30T14:04:00.003-06:00

April has been the most of the challenging month to ride of the year. I predicted that we could ride to school everyday this month. That prediction couldn't have been further from the truth. The weather was unpredictable all month - with three (THREE!) snow storms that all hit in mid- to late April. Odd stuff.

And yet, there were more photos posted to #everydayonabike this month than in any of the previous months! Here are the stats:

69 photos posted // 29 posted by me // 40 posted by others // 10 contributors

27 days on the bike // 164.5 total miles // approximately $36 in savings in gas

Thanks to everyone for participating this month, including Melissa at Her Green Life!

@runbobbierun // @shaggybrownie // @simplybike // @thepirpirlexicon // @emfritz

@frauwein // @cathope // @mrsweichbrodt // @allmybrush // @whatwouldanedwear

I also have some firsts this month, including riding with a bike seat. Thanks to Simply Bike for the opportunity to use an iBert! I'll write a little bit about riding with a trailer versus a bike seat soon. There are positives and negatives to both arrangements. I also completed my longest commute yet - 7 miles one way. And it only took me about 35 minutes to ride, which isn't a bad commute at all - although I was TIRED!

I rode from northeast Denver to a meeting in southwest Denver (proper). I scheduled another meeting on the way home to better utilize my commute time. It all worked out really well and I was able to ride almost exclusively in bike lanes or on streets that are designated bike routes, which makes me a much more comfortable. I did have to ditch the bike trailer when I dropped Benny off at school, which isn't ideal, but at least I could lock it up!

final April ride, just after I picked the trailer up // May #everydayonabike image

I'm looking forward to more spring-time riding. Maybe May will boost more foliage and less snow. Here's hoping. Happy riding!

The Great Outdoors

2013-04-29T14:18:00.001-06:00

Otherwise known as our yard. Or at least for this weekend, the great outdoors was our back yard. We didn't have much planned for the weekend, so Nate and I used it as an opportunity to get our yard summer ready. The kids didn't seem to mind.

This spring, we have an especially big outdoor project to prepare for: A NEW DECK!

When we bought this house, we saw all sorts of potential - with both the house and the backyard. The kitchen was big, though dated. And the backyard was also big, but in awful shape. We knew that if we worked hard enough on the house that we wouldn't regret it. We finished a kitchen remodel right before Lila was born and we're so happy that we bought a house with a kitchen larger than a postage stamp. Most of the houses in this neighborhood feature small galley kitchens, which is something that we wanted to avoid.

The transformation of the backyard has been a bit longer in the making. When we moved in, the grass was nearly dead, there was a carport attached to the garage and it took up about a third of the yard, a rose patch took up about a quarter more, and an old chain link fence provided a full view of the alley. AND an rusty corrugated metal awning covered a cracked patio off the kitchen.

In five years, we have removed a lot of concrete - both from the carport and the crumbling sidewalk, installed new turf and a sprinkler system and generally cleaned up the backyard - moving plants around and rearranging the layout. Now it looks like a completely new backyard. This year, we decided to do away with the metal awning and patio in favor of an expanded deck and pergola. In order to do that, we also need to replace the gutters and paint the trim, but those projects needed to be completed years ago as well. So, the backyard and the front of the house will be getting a face lift!

Come summer, we'll be ready for some major entertaining, so be sure to come visit.

Century Ride

2013-04-24T21:17:00.001-06:00

It baffles me that many people ride 100 miles in one day. That's a lot of miles! This month, as part of #30daysofbiking, I've been keeping track of my mileage. By April 22, Earth Day, I had hit 100 miles for the month of April. I could have and would have ridden a lot more if the weather had cooperated, but 100 miles ain't bad for just over three weeks.

Speaking of the weather, I think I can safely say that snowstorms are behind us now. The next week's forecast is sunny and in the 60s and 70s. By next Monday, the temps are supposed to be in the high 70s. Nothing like moving directly from winter to summer!

As a result of counting miles this month, I'm going to start keeping track of miles for every month. It would be nice to know how much I'm riding and then estimating a cost savings. Because, I'm planning on buying a new pair of boots come this fall and I want to be able to justify the purchase! It's always this for that in my mind!

Snowy Earth Day

2013-04-22T19:03:00.002-06:00

It's snowing in Denver. Again. On April 22. Earth Day. I did manage to ride Benny to school before the storm moved in. That just means that I'll have to pack up his bike in the car on the way home. Ah well.

In honor of Earth Day, I thought I'd post a list of things that are better to buy used. It's no secret that I'm a big fan of used items. But Earth Day and this list is are good reminders of how much money you can save and waste you can avoid by buying used items.

1. The first on the list is bikes. I was this close to buying a new bike this weekend. I have some extra money to spend at REI so I figured I'd buy a new bike there. But, I think I'm going to wait it out for a bike on Craigslist. If you know anyone who is selling a women's cyclocross, send him/her my way! Benny's bike is used - purchased from a great nonprofit bike shop in the neighborhood.

2. Textbooks are number two. I'd argue that buying any book used is best. In college, I bought almost all of my books off of a site called half.com. It's a great site to find any used book. Amazon also sells used books from sellers around the country. My book club is also going to experiment with a book exchange in the next few months. I also like the Park Hill Community Book Store - a great nonprofit in the community. Oh, and using the library is the best way to save money and enjoy a whole world full of books!

3. I rarely buy my kids' clothes new. I can count the number of times we've purchased clothes new on one hand. I make trips to Goodwill pretty regularly. I also stock up at the beginning of spring and fall at a great consignment sale called Just Between Friends. There are JBF sales all over the country. You can find great deals on clothes, shoes, toys, strollers, diaper bags, etc. This weekend I spent less than $70 to outfit Lila and Benny for spring and summer as well as some new shoes and a potty training toilet seat. Another great way to score used is to find friends and/or relatives with hand-me-downs!

Ben and Lila wear hand-me-downs or clothes from grandparents almost
exclusively, including both of their jackets in this photo.

4. Used cars are just about the best and they're number four on the list. We've never owned anything but a used car. And we won't be buying any new (to us) cars any time in the near future.

5. Although number five is a great idea, we've purchased our fair share of new appliances (excluding washers and dryers). Our oven, fridge and dishwasher were new when we bought them. And we'll probably never replace them.

6. Buying used toys (number 6) is another weakness. But we're getting better. I have purchased almost every baby cargo devise, including my Bob stroller and my Burley bike trailer.

7. I'm always amazed that people sell furniture because "it doesn't fit in their space." In our entire marriage, Nate and I have bought five pieces of furniture new. And we'll probably never buy new again. Craigslist is our best friend in this category.

8. I'm hoping to never have to buy wedding attire again. However, Nate and I were relatively smart when we got married. My wedding dress was hand-made and Nate still wears his wedding slacks and shirt.

9. Pets. Not applicable (much to Lila's disappointment).

10. Entertainment. Also not really applicable (thanks Netflix!).

11. Buy a used house! I don't think we'd ever consider buying a new house. Ours is most definitely used. And we'll be working on it for the rest of our lives!

12 and 13. I'll combine the final two of jewels and designer duds. I don't buy jewels, so another not applicable. But designer (and all duds) are most certainly better used. At this point, my closet is probably at a 50/50 split. Goodwill is a great place to go. But for more quality, high-end items, I really love the local consignment boutique called Plum. Recently, I scored a Coach clutch and Banana Republic jacket. Both are lovely. I also have friends who clean out their closets and offer great pieces to me. One friend outfitted me for the entire winter with new sweaters, shirts and pants. Yes, I'm a lucky girl!

This great dress is from a friend of mine.

Happy Earth Day to you! I hope it's sunny and springy where you are!

Documenting the Unextraordinary (aka "the Ordinary")

2013-04-22T12:30:00.001-06:00

Now that I'm riding my bike everyday (or almost everyday), I'm finding that the #everydayonabike challenge isn't so much of a challenge any more. The real challenge is taking a picture everyday. My trips aren't usually very noteworthy - to school, from school, to the bank, to the post office. And then, when the ride is noteworthy, I'm too caught up in the moment to document it.

Case in point: On Saturday night, Nate and I rode downtown to attend a fundraiser for the kids' preschool. The event coincided with 4/20. And in Denver, that's a big holiday. Over 80,000 people were gathered a few blocks from downtown to celebrate cannabis. As Nate and I rode closer to downtown, we found ourselves surrounded by throngs of people who were leaving the celebration. As we walked, people began running around us. It was a paranoid, group-think type of run and we weren't sure what was going on.

When we arrived at the event location, we found some bike racks, and I was ready to pose for a shot. It's not often that I wear make-up AND do my hair AND wear nice clothes, so I was hoping to document it. However, the crowd's odd behavior unsettled us. As we walked toward the restaurant, a manager ushered us in and locked the door behind us. Turns out, someone had shot three people at the park and people were fleeing. It was a somber start to the evening.

on Colfax, after Saturday's fundraiser // bike parked at school

using the bike seat as a makeshift basket // one of our many snowy rides this month

But, I digress. Obviously we're OK and the event was fantastic.

Here I am though, still stuck with this challenge of documenting the everyday. And then I review my pictures and I decide that the mundane isn't so bad. Because the collection of photos shows how much I'm riding with my family. The photos also mark the change of season. There's a bit more green showing up in photos now and sometimes I can ride without a coat or jacket. So this exercise isn't only recording my bike habits, it's a great reminder of how much we're embracing the outdoors and our (wo)man-powered ability to get ourselves from one place to another. And that's not so bad.

Cheers to the Sun!

2013-04-18T09:55:00.003-06:00

This week has been one big busy doozy of a week. And it's only Thursday. But, know what? The sun came out today! No snow! Granted, the highs will only be in the 30s, but the sun is out and the snow is melting.

The week started with the attack on the Boston Marathon, which is beyond comprehension. I mean, really, beyond. I cannot wrap my head around it. I've been thinking about my own experience running the Chicago Marathon in 2006. It seems like such a long time ago, but I can remember so many little details about it. One of my favorite memories: the fans and specifically my fans: Nate's mom was there cheering me on. Nate and his parents ran all over Chicago to watch me. After the marathon, Nate's mom gave me a big hug and told me how proud she was of me. It meant so much to me. Less than six months later, Barb died of breast cancer. So, not only am I having a hard time with the attack, but the memories are bittersweet.

The weather isn't helping. April started on such a high note - 60s for a few days. Then a big, awful storm last week that ended up stripping our peach tree of its blossoms and ruining a bunch of stuff in our spring garden. I thought the bad weather was over, but then a storm rolled in Monday that brought with it at least 10 inches of SNOW. And then more snow. We'll have some sun and decent temps for three days before another storm is predicted to roll in early next week. While I love the moisture, I wonder why we can't enjoy spring RAIN showers rather than SNOW storms.

I hate to talk about the attacks on Boston and the bad weather in the same post, but they both have left a big dark cloud over the week. Which is why the sunshine is so welcome today. It's amazing what a few rays will do for my mood.

We're ending the week on a high note: A visit from grandparents. Beer tasting on Friday night. Preschool fundraiser on Saturday night. A busy end to a busy week.

Spring Cleaning/Purging/Cleansing

2013-04-14T20:24:00.000-06:00

Spring cleaning hasn't always been a top priority for me. I have a hard enough time keeping up with regular old house cleaning, so the dust behind the couch, refrigerator, under the beds and everywhere else doesn't bother me a whole lot. I'll get to it some day.

However, this year, I've decided to actually clean out some of my cupboards. For the first time in two years. Maybe I'll actually clean under the beds and wash my windows. Between those tasks and the spring cleaning in the yard, I'll be cleaning right up until summer.

Although I'm not a big fan of the deep clean, I am a big fan of the deep purge. I've already been through the kids' toys and have a pile for Goodwill. Tomorrow, I will clean out my closet and the kids' clothes to make room for new (used) spring attire.

Finally, I'm going to try something new this spring. Cleanses seem to be all the rage. I've never really felt it necessary to take part, but this year I'm looking for something to kick my butt into gear. I'm usually pretty tired throughout the day, only be up for a couple of hours at night. So, to combat this insomnia/fatigue and also to get my body back into shape, I'm instituting a purge today. It's not so much a purge, but more of a moderation of things. Here's what I'm planning for the next two weeks:

1. Cut back on beer and wine throughout the week. (We've been involved in a lot of social stuff this winter and it always seems to involve alcoholic beverages. Although I'm all for libations, I think I could cut back.) So, no drinks at home and one drink per evening at a social event.

2. Cut back on coffee. I'm generally a two (very large) cup per day kind of gal. But, I think I can cut back to one cup in the morning and tea in the afternoon.

3. Cut back on sugars. I'd love to say I'm going to cut processed sugars out completely, but I'm not ready to make that sacrifice. I already failed at this today with a small cup of gelato (it was our first gelato of the season - I couldn't say no!).

4. Cut back on carbs. Although the previous three items will be hard enough, the carbs portion of this "cleanse" will be the most challenging. I love bread. And we make a lot of stuff around here involving some kind of grain - spaghetti, burritos. sandwiches. I do refuse to give up my morning toast with peanut butter and honey. It's the reason I get up in the morning.

So, there you have it. Hopefully by summer I'll be bounding with energy. And maybe I'll drop a few pounds in the process. Oh, and maybe I'll have a clean(ish) house by then too.

Do you cleanse? Do you purge? Do you spring clean? Do you feel an odd pressure to get "ready" for spring?

Not Looking Forward, Not Looking Back

2013-04-11T11:56:00.001-06:00

When I had newborns, kind strangers would offer this advice: "Enjoy them while they're young! They grow up so fast!" I would smile and nod. When I had newborns, I really wanted to fast forward until they could sleep through the night. Of course, I loved my babies, but I had a rough time with newborns. My mom offered really useful advice: "After the first three months, things get infinitely easier." And they did. Things did get easier, slowly but surely. Sometimes the improvement was so slow, I didn't know it was happening until I paused to realize that Wow! This parenting thing is quite enjoyable.

And now I have a five and a half year old and a two and a half year old. Sometimes I wonder How did we get here!?! Time does seem to fast forward. I have nostalgia about when my kids were younger, but I no longer look forward to the future. I like my family right now.

I love that Benny is in kindergarten and is so curious about life. I love that he rides his bike and laughs with friends and drums whenever there's a beat.

I love that Lila is in preschool and making new friends. I love that she still enjoys a good snuggle and loves to be chased and dances like no one is watching.

I love that the two of them have become playmates - friends even. Although I don't always love their shenanigans in the moment (boy oh boy, they can be loud!), it's such a pleasure to watch them make each other laugh, make up games, have conversations.

So, I find myself in a position where I don't want to look forward and I don't want to look back. I want to stay right here for awhile and absorb these phases. Because they don't last forever.

Book Review: Catching Fire

2013-04-10T08:32:00.002-06:00

I wasn't kidding when I said I was ready to read for fun again! I finished Catching Fire in near-record time. As nearly the entire world already knows, it's the second book in the Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. I'm a little late to this party.

For me, the Hunger Games trilogy isn't notable for its quality writing, seamless story line or even likable characters (although, there are some of those). It's notable because of its subject matter and its overwhelming popularity. It's about a revolution and the ability of people - no matter how repressed - to challenge the authority that is repressing them. Although we don't live in Panem, some people around the world live in conditions that are strikingly similar (and throughout history, Panem has existed almost everywhere). And throughout history, many people have risen up to take back their lives, their families, their communities.

Because the books are so popular and geared to a younger audience, they could be the beginning of some great discussions about revolutions and the importance of grassroots organizing.

Although I've heard the third book isn't as good as the first two, I'm excited to finish up the trilogy.

#everydayonabike in Iowa!

2013-04-09T21:29:00.002-06:00

It's only appropriate that I interview S. from Simply Bike for the April #everydayonabike profile.
I remember stumbling on S.'s blog a few years ago and was nearly instantly inspired to get back on the bike. She seamlessly transitioned from a commuter biker to a family biker (who still commutes!) and has great tips for other mamas who would like to do the same.
I've had the privilege to meet S. and I'm looking forward to taking a few rides with her this summer when we're able to meet up again.

ss // What do you ride?

sb // I ride a 1970s Peugot mixte that I picked up on Craigslist. I made a number of upgrades to it (added a chain guard, basket, panniers, better grips and more upright handlebars as recent improvements to help with my back pain. I think the frame is the only thing actually remaining of the original Peugot bike. It's a gretle Frenkenbike - it looks like no other bike in town and it rides like butter. As of last fall, I have been hitching my Burley trailer to it for my daughter to ride along with me. Before the weather cooled, I used a front mounted bike seat (the iBert) for her ride in.

ss // How long have you been riding?

sb // I rediscovered biking as an adult about three years ago. I started out shaky and unsure of myself but before long, I was addicted. I loved the freedom, fun and exercise that riding my bike provided. Three years ago, there were only a handful of cycling blogs being written by women (most notably Dottie and Trisha's Let's Go Ride a Bike, Sarah's Girls and Bicycles and Meli's Bikes and the City). There were all a huge inspiration to me. Before stumbling across them, I didn't really think of biking something other than an activity relegated to parks and weekends. These women opened my eyes to using a bike as a daily mode of transportation.

ss // Where do you typically ride?

sb // I usually ride anywhere in town. I use my bike to get to campus (where I work), to shop for groceries, to go to the library with my daughter, or to meet friends for drinks in the evening. Once a month, I organize a community-wide ride for families and children (our own branch of Kidical Mass). It's been my first time attempt at anything akin to bicycle advocacy in my town and it's been incredibly fun.

ss // How has becoming a mother changed your riding (if at all)?

sb // It's changed my riding the way it has changed everything about my day: I now have to account for nap times, carrying extra items around with me (diaper pouch, snacks, books) and for the moods and wants of this other little person along for the ride. But we've fallen into a great rhythm together and biking together is one of my favorite things for us to do. I think my daughter would agree as she's usually pretty content to be in her bike seat or the bike trailer.

ss // Why do you ride?

sb // I ride because I always feel better after getting off my bike. Even on rainy, cold days. O don't get that feeling after stepping out of a car.

Thank you, S., for sharing a bit about biking!
Please check out Simply Bike for great stories about biking and parenting and many other great topics!