I took the kids for a drive and picnic up along the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Mr F called and wanted to give me some tips from the magazine about things to do along the way. I said "2 small children, early spring, bears... yeah... we're not going to be doing anything along the way."
I took them for a hike at the Botanical Gardens instead. I haven't been there since last year and Baby has made a huge leap in endurance and I didn't have to carry her at all (yay!!).
Yesterday I packed up the kids' bikes and took them to some flat paved trails. Baby was a little too distracted to steer down the path... so... that was a maddeningly long bike ride with me constantly dragging her back on course, and eventually taking over and using her trike as a scooter (hello bent over back pain!).
But, hey, at least they can't say I didn't do anything with them.
I even helped them climb trees. Until Baby decided to just throw herself off of a branch without warning me, nearly breaking all my ribs as she knocked me to the ground.
In other fronts, I changed that lightbulb in the hallway yesterday (remember 10 foot ceilings, 5 foot Mrs F). I honestly wouldn't have changed it if our house wasn't on the market and that hallway wasn't so damn dark. Have I ever mentioned I'm afraid of heights (and hence ladders)? And that to change that bulb I had to stand on the top step (which clearly says not to stand on it)? And that this ladder is crazy rickety and 12 years old (I know because I bought it in NY)? And that to remove the light fixture I HAD TO BALANCE WITHOUT HOLDING ON TO ANYTHING WHILE THE LADDER SWAYED WHILE I USED ONE HAND TO UNSCREW THE FIXTURE AND THE OTHER TO HOLD THE LARGE GLASS SHADE (which is the size of my head not my hand)?!?! Even Mr F gets me to help him when he does this. I was shaking and so scared that my hands started to not work (you know?! Like in one of those bad dreams). Seriously. I had one screw undone and then my hand wouldn't move to unscrew the others. I thought I was going to die. I couldn't stop or I'd drop the glass shade. It was horrible. And then as if that wasn't enough, after changing the bulb I got the pleasure of doing it all over again to get the shade back on. Amazingly I did it. And, you know how everyone says you'll have some triumphant surge of adrenaline when you concur a fear? Nope. I never need to do that again.
On an ultra positive, and completely unrelated, note we got a special delivery this weekend:
Mr F took some food photos for this dinner delivery service a couple of months back. He traded his shots for food for me. Yay! Everything is frozen and ready to heat and eat. I had already done a major grocery shop so I've been using that up... but I'm excited to start adding in some low cook days into my week.
We even got a pineapple upside down cake which we began enjoying immediately.
That's all I've got. It's cold and rainy and I'm giving myself the day off and the Disney Channel the day on ;)
17 comments:
We are having a Disney Channel day, too! I know how you feel about the light bulb thing. I am only 5'2", and our ceilings aren't nearly 10 feet, but I still have my husband change the bulbs. Balancing while removing our light fixtures majorly scares me!! Also, I love the Blue Ridge Parkway. There are so many great things to do. We haven't been in a while because we have some trails and things that are a little closer, but it's a really nice day trip in the spring and summer.
Have a nice day off!!
I now understand why the first thing on Kid's menu was pineapple upside-down cake. Enjoy your day!
Baby is the absolutely cutest thing on three wheels! Chris and I both adored that picture of them riding their bikes. You're way braver than I am. I'm terrified of the Blue Ridge Parkway, because I'm scared of heights. The pineapple upside down cake looked marvelous. Thanks for that, because now I am dying for one. Guess I'll have to drag myself out of bed and check to see if I have the ingredients...:)
Michelline,
re: the parkway... you and me both! We got up on the parkway and I immediately remembered why I don't like going on it. I couldn't enjoy it since I had to focus straight ahead the whole time fearing I might careen us off the edge!! I'm never doing it again. Not worth it.
Loralei,
yup that's why. They had never had one before... and they loved it.
Kelly,
It's one of those things that usually falls to Mr F to do that I didn't think about having to do myself. When that light blew I was like "jesus! I don't even know where the ladder is!!"
Kelly,
You did it, girl! You made it through the first weekend. Also, you are so awesome that you changed that lightbulb. Mr F is going to have to pick up his game.
How fun with that those ready made meals.
Hearing about Baby's antics remind me so much of my Murphy. You deserve a Disney Channel day to relax a little.
yay on the light bulb, I fear the Blue ridge pkwy Im not afraid of heights but serioulsy Im afraid I will fall off an edge. Cool on the food a little break from cooking and yummy upside down pinaeapple cake.
Nice pictures. Yep, definately bear bait. In defense, today (Sun) Mr. F left to drive to Chelsea to check out houses (about 1hr, 15 min drive,) then was going to swing by office to do some work, then home to CougarVille (1 hr drive back.) That counts as work.
mrs f. so glad to hear some good times for you and the girls...needed i know.
OCD has been rearing its ugly head for my little one
our OT basically said she can't help us anymore due to the fact that she has too much anxiety
our pysch said he can not start cbt due too much anxiety
so meds is on the horizon
fun stuff
but first we will go to disney and hope that we kick OCDS ass for a few days
CM,
yeah, yeah, yeah... but what about me? ;)
trifitmom,
Oh I'm sorry to hear it. FYI (although you probably don't want to hear this) Disney magnified Kid's symptoms and was where we finally had to take a good look and say "Houston we have a problem!" Just be prepared for the over-stimulation. Disney had not been a problem for her before this trip though... so maybe you won't see anything extra special. hang in there!! I know it's really difficult. Good luck and have fun!
OMG... I totally blocked out the memory of me hanging over my stair railing on the top of a ladder just like that, trying to remove a huge piece of our Murano chandelier right before we moved from Portland. Your description brought it all rushing back. I have never been so scared for my own life. Big kudos for doing that! (The lightbulb changing, not the reminding. That I could have done without.)
julie,
One down, two to go! And just one more weekend... so it's doable. The next weekend we'll be driving, which will have it's own challenges but also be a contained activity and strangely restful (I'm hoping).
Andrea,
free food is good to start... free cooked is even better!!
Deb,
Yowza! I couldn't have done it. At least if I dropped this I could get another one at Home Depot. Although now I'm reminded of how happy I'll be to have our chandelier up in our new house... never had a spot for it here.
Let me make it perfectly clear to everyone that that ladder is a wobbly piece of shit. I was at first amazed and impressed at Mrs F's high wire act, but in retrospect, I am now shocked and appalled—I can't believe she did it, and I can't believe she didn't fall.
It was waaay too risky. I wish she called me, we have a perfectly safe and sturdy 8-foot fiberglass ladder she could have used...
I am going to smash that old wooden thing into kindling next time I'm home to make sure that can't happen again.
Bike rides with PJ-Girl and Blue Ridge picnics over Band Hero for me, please.
Those pics make me want to cry for missing that stuff.
Your light bulb story is my worst nightmare. At first I thought you could put one hand on the ceiling for balance, but then you said you were holding the shade and all my own anxiety kicked in just reading about it! This weekend my husband and oldest son were away and I was trying to get down our deck chairs from the space over our garage. This entails me balancing on a creaky pulldown staircase/ladder while grabbing the iron chairs (requires two hands) and maneuvering them through the small opening. I still feel nervous thinking about it!
On the other hand, the picnic and bike ride looked so cute. Your girls are so adorable!!
Gigs, I think of Gary's ladder accident every time I am on a ladder, and it's partly why I got freaked out later about Mrs F misadventure.
Seriously dangerous, even only five feet up.
Mr. F. - Gary's ladder accident!! That was a terrible disaster via rickety ladder for sure, and the two broken arms were NOT worth it. He still does not have full range of motion in his arms. Mrs. F., do be careful!
When I was pulling the chairs down this weekend I couldn't decide if it would be smart to have Kev at the bottom holding/steadying the ladder, or if that would be more dangerous, as when I fell or dropped the chair, I would definitely take him out... I had him keep his distance...
Post a Comment