Saturday, 8am to Noon

Man, time flies by. Just a few weeks ago and Jesse was telling me that he never wanted to take the training wheels off his bike. Now he's begging me to go on bike rides, which is pretty much the best thing ever.

I have been waiting for this for five years.

Of course, I didn't actually remember the camera during the bike trip. That would be have been too organized, too "Chrissy Vance", if you will. I did, however, remember Jesse, which I still count as a minor victory.

Thankfully, my beautiful and intelligent wife met us at the park, and she did bring the camera. And while I regret that I didn't get any excellent shots of her in action, I think these three shots do capture the essential quality of this park visit.

To put it mildly, visiting the park is a much more joyful experience now than it used to be when the kids were younger. Now, our kids basically entertain themselves, apart from the occasional push needed on the swing or the occasional rescuing Robyn from oblivion as she clambers around the structure. It was much different when Jesse and Janna were younger; then, they pretty much demanded our attention the whole time, weeping often. I'm not sure exactly what has happened to bring us to this relative state of paradise, but I'm guessing that it's a combination of the kids just getting older and Robyn just being a trooper.

It's nice, whatever it is.

Not that we don't still have our fair share of drama. Here, Janna has spotted a mosquito. Everyone reacts differently. Janna FREAKS OUT, making a sound that resembles Gollum gagging over and over again. Jesse goes into fight or flight mode and launches himself at the vicious insect, seeking to save his hapless and victimized little sister. Robyn grabs the metaphorical popcorn and twists around to enjoy the show.

Look at this guy. He can start and stop on his own now. We actually biked about 5km, to the library and back. (Unfortunately, I forgot my library card. The librarian looked sympathetically at me as I explained our plight, then said that she'd be glad to look up my account if I had any other identification. Then, seeing my blank stare, she suggested I come back later.

Clearly, I am lost without Chrissy.)

At any rate, Jesse did great on his bike.

Janna looks off into the distance and sees her arch nemesis ambling towards her. All is lost. There is no escaping Robyn when she's excited.

All in all, it was a good morning. The rest of the day - not so hot. I could tell stories of how I locked myself out of the school office, delaying my arrival at home for about half an hour and wreaking havoc on the mental and emotional stability of the household, but... let's just focus on the positives, shall we?

Sheepishly yours,
Until next time...