A Day of Firsts

Today was a day of firsts for me. Some good. Some bad. I took Reese and dropped her off for Cousin Camp and switched cars with mom so she had room to cart all of the kids around. Driving a minivan is something I do out of necessity. I love the room and the fact that it does not drive like a truck like the suburban did, but it is just not the coolest car on the road. Anyway, I was enjoying mom's little Accord and I was jamming since there were no kids in the car and I got pulled over. This was the first time I have ever been pulled over for speeding. I got a ticket for no seat belt when I was 16 but that was when I was sitting in the line at a drive through. This time the cop was clocking on the side of the road and I got busted. I was only going 70 in a 60 so I was a little surprised he pulled me over. That was one first.



The next one was my bike. For the last 2 days Pete has been upgrading my bike with bar end shifters and a new sprocket and new brakes and all kinds of cool racing stuff. Today I rode it for the first time using my new bike shoes for the first time and it was my first time to ride the Paluxy Pedal route. I was very nervous to try the new shifters on this route. It is known for its MANY hills including one called 'the wall'. We rode 45 miles of rolling hills and my bike didn't miss a beat! Thanks, Pete! Another first on the ride was the rain. We ran into quite a bit of rain and I have not ridden in any rain before. It didn't cause problems except with my glasses. They fogged up and I needed windshield wipers for them. I am not confident enough in my riding to let go long enough to take them off while I am riding and wipe them off, so I just let them slide to the end of my nose and looked over the tip like an old lady. Oh, I also broke 40 mph for the first time. What a rush! It was a very exciting ride for me. I have been wondering if I could ride that route and now I know I can! It was really fun. Pete and I do not get a lot of chances to ride together because of the kids. It is our favorite date night activity. Tomorrow he is going to take me on my longest ride yet. It will be easier than today because it is flat, but I will have to endure 60 miles on my bike seat...ouch. I am excited!









When I dropped Reese off I got a glimpse of what the big kids have been up to. I must say that my parents are the coolest grandparents ever! My dad made a treasure map on a piece of canvas. It was a great drawing of their house and yard. He took the kids and taught them about reading maps and even about overlays for maps. Then he gave them their first clue and sent them on a treasure hunt. The clues were nursery rhymes with missing words. When they figured out what the word was, that was where the next clue would be found. For example, rub a dub dub, three men in a ___. Tub is the missing word so the clue was in the tub. Sometimes they would come upon an overlay for the map and they would have to place it correctly on the map and read the next step. When they found the treasure chest it was full of fun loot and a coupon for a trip to the local ice cream store. I thought that was really cool. They have decorated umbrellas and bandannas and they went on a nature trail and collected frogs, butterflies and insects that I did not recognize. This morning dad cut out the pieces for 6 bird houses and the kids got to assemble them with nails and hammers. When all of the kids are there tomorrow they will each paint one and choose where they want it hung. They are having a blast. Pete and I are enjoying our kidless evening, too!