The long tail of familynomics

With the city moving into an even worse traffic phase for the next three years while they install light rail, I'm trying to think of the best ways to get kids to / from the soon-to-be downtown daycare. The simplest would be to just load them up in the trailer and bike with them. I could take extra stuff (their clothes, etc). We already have all the parts. It will nicely (mostly?) protect them from the elements.

The biggest part, and this is a pretty big part, is that I'm not sure how safe it will be to bike with them downtown. Sure, I can get to the bike lanes, but there is still small stretches that would be on a road. What would I do if I was forced out of the lane by construction (or parked cars) like I often am?

I keep on thinking about getting a long tail bike like a Yuba Mundo. Do I need a new bike? No. Would this be safer for children? Possibly. Would something like a ibert be a better choice? I don't know. With something like an ibert I could take it with me and not have to leave it locked to the bike rack. I don't know how good an idea it would be to leave a 1500 $+ bike sitting outside. I'm actually pretty sure that's not a good plan.

What should we do? Hell if I know.

You'd think that being "an adult" would mean that you'd have things figured out and have an easy time making decisions. That's a lie.

Do I want a shiny new bike? Sure I do. It's been close to 8 years. Despite treating it roughly it's held up quite well. Sure, I've had to replace gears. And a wheel. Two rear axles. A bunch of tubes and tires and some cables and a chain. Oh, handle grips, seats and brakes. Really what's original is the frame and peddles at this point. So don't I already have a new bike, one piece at a time?

*sigh*

Update: Family bike options in Ottawa has been super helpful.

Sleep, what is it good for?

Oh man. The kids are sick. Again. I just don't know when we'll have a normal sleep schedule again. It feels like it's been years. Oie.

I'd like to blog more. I come up with ideas of what I'd like to blog about like 6 times a day, but by the time it comes around, I've forgotten it. Must be brain damage.

On being sane in insane places

Sometimes it's difficult to deal with 2 kids. Sometimes they drive me a bit insane. I think that's by design on their part too. But you know what? They are pretty awesome. They make me laugh every day. They show me things I know in new ways that I don't think that I would have thought of.

Is it a picnic every day? No. Absolutely not. We mostly do picnics on the weekends.

BYOP - Bring Your Own Picnic

I miss Mr. Bunny

There. I said it. I miss Mr. Bunny.

Alice used to play with him a lot. Mr. Bear too. The fact that she doesn't really play with them just means that she's moving to another stage. Doesn't mean I don't miss the old Alice. Doesn't mean that I don't love the new Alice. It's just... well... a bit sad.

I think that tomorrow I'm going to have to lay all her toys on diapers and just see if she notices.

Getting Mr. Bunny into a clean diaper

Without focus and traveling with sadness

I don't know what it is. Maybe the headaches from yesterday and today. Maybe the lack of exercise today. Maybe something else, but my focus is shit. Well, I feel that my focus has been pretty crappy in general lately. Some times I blame it on lack of sleep or coffee. Maybe too much coffee. Either way I've been having trouble focusing on tasks to get them done. I find I do everything like 80% at most and stop.

Then I start to feel blue. Which makes me really not finish. Then I feel sad that I've not finished...

Ugg.

It will be better tomorrow I'm sure.

Tonight had a lovely sunset. Quiet pretty.

A child capable of extremes

If there's one thing about Alice is that she's capable of the full spectrum of emotion / behaviour in a short length of time. Wonderful joys and happy cries of "Daddy daddy daddy!" while running down the street. Also horrible screaming when she's hangry and has discovered that the she has humus, but it's not on a wrap. Or the wrap is rolled rather than folded. Or cut. Or not cut.

You get the idea.

It's sometimes hard not to scream in frustration. But luckily you just have to wait a little bit and she'll probably switch again. It can be tiring though.

Then she smiles and the rest melts away.

A properly snacked Alice

The Daddy Chair

It's awesome that our kids want to sit with us. Alice demands it most days. Now Isaac actually brings books over and tugs at my sleeve to indicate it's Story Time. It's the cutest thing.

Right now I'm feeling a bit under the weather and having the kids sit on me in a bit uncomfortable. But how do I really tell them "no"? I know that this is a really short window where they will want to sit and cuddle. It's hard. I want to balance the cuddles and the stories with feeling okay.

*sigh*

The challenge of trying to take a nice group shot with a 3.5 year old