King of the World

keep thinking about writing a post about bike-riding. In it, I would include beautiful pictures of my bike in a field of clover or my bike leaning against a moss-covered tree or a picturesque view of the city from my bike or me looking lovely (and not sweaty) on a bike. I would attempt to show you through photographs how amazing it feels to be on a bike.

Alas, I have not yet been brave enough to take my $500 camera on a bicycle, so this is the best I can do for you:

"I'm king of the world!"

It's true. When I'm on a bike, this is how I feel every time, every single time.

A friend emailed me the other day to say that she'd heard I'd gotten into running. "Don't you love it?" she wrote.

Well, no, actually. For the past nine months, I've been trying to go running two or three mornings a week. I run about 3 miles. It takes me much longer than it should, and ever time, every single time, I think to myself, When is this going to get easier?

I leave my house, walk about a quarter of a mile, and then start running, and as soon as I switch from walking pace to jogging pace, every time, every single time, I start thinking, Can I stop yet? And then I spend the next 35 minutes cheerleading: Just make it to that stoplight. Just make it down that hill. Just make it across that street. You can do it, you can do it.

When I'm on a bike, I hit my first hill and my legs are pumping and I'm inching, inching, at a snail's pace up, up, up, but the thought that runs through my mind is almost never, Can I stop yet?

Instead, I'm thinking, I can do this. Look how strong I am. With just the power of my legs, I am pushing me, and a 40 pound bike, and a 35 pound child up a hill. I am awesome.

And then I get to the top of the hill and begin to coast down, and I feel like I'm soaring. I think, "Wheeeee!!!!!" And if Rylan is with me, we say it outloud. "Wheeee!!!!" People walking past give us concerned looks, questioning our ear-to-ear grins.

I think some people feel that way when they run, but not me. I am not a runner, but when I'm on a bike, I'm king of the world.

Music Lessons: Of Monsters and Men

Normally, I do these music posts on Fridays, but I wanted to make sure you didn't miss this:

NPR is streaming Of Monsters and Men's debut album this week.

New to this band? Here's their most popular song:


This is good stuff, people.

OF MONSTERS AND MEN OFFICIAL
website
facebook
myspace

(P.S. NPR also did a story this week with Dry the River. Apparently, NPR and I have the same taste in music.)

A Day with Rylan

his morning, Rylan said to me, "Your hair looks really bad today. Have you taken a shower yet?" I told him that I had already taken a shower, and he said, "Well, did you forget to comb your hair?"

**********

After we dropped the boys off at school, I reminded Rylan that he would be playing at Seth and James' house that morning while I went grocery shopping. Seth and James are cousins, and James spends most days at Seth's house. Rylan corrected, "I wish you would stop calling it Seth and James' house. James doesn't live there. It's only Seth's house."

**********

When I picked Rylan up from Seth's house, he asked what I'd bought at the grocery store. I started listing, "Milk, eggs, zucchini-"

He cut me off. "I want zucchini for lunch."

I said, "It's not for lunch. It's for dinner."

He insisted, "I want it for lunch!!!!" Then he threw a half hour long temper tantrum because I wouldn't let him have the zucchini for lunch.

**********

In the afternoon, we rode my bike to pick up Cole and Eli from school. When we got to the school, I took Rylan out of his bike seat, and he started panting. "Phew! My legs are tired," he declared.

**********

At dinner, he asked, "Why are there only four tomatoes on my salad?"

I said, "You can have as many tomatoes as you want. Go get yourself some more."

He brought back the whole container. "Can I have them all?" he asked, and then proceeded to eat an entire thing of cherry tomatoes.

**********

Good thing he's cute.

Meal Plan Week 4

Cole is currently obsessed with soup.

eek 4 of the Peters Family Band 15-Week Meal Plan

Breakfast Options:

• oatmeal, granola, toast, grits, english muffins
• yogurt, smoothies, or milk
• cold cereal on the weekend

Lunch Options:

• cheese sandwich, tuna sandwich, egg salad sandwich, peanut butter sandwich, or quesadilla
• apple, banana, clementine, peaches, or applesauce
• water or watered down juice

Dinner

Monday:

• deep dish pizza
• salad

Tuesday:

• vegetable chimichangas

Wednesday:

• eggs on english muffins
• asparagus

Thursday:

• black bean soup

Friday:

• fried rice

Saturday:

• I don't cook on Saturdays. We typically eat leftovers, pancakes, or order take-out.

Sunday:

• spaghetti with sausage
• salad

Rylan Says

On Sunday (the one day of the week that I wear make-up), Rylan said, "Momma has on her pretty earrings and her pretty necklace and her pretty eyes."

Meal Plan Week 3

eek 3 of the Peters Family Band 15-Week Meal Plan

Breakfast Options:

• oatmeal, granola, toast, grits, applesauce muffins
• yogurt, smoothies, or milk
• cold cereal on the weekend

Lunch Options:

• cheese sandwich, tuna sandwich, egg salad sandwich, peanut butter sandwich, or quesadilla
• apple, banana, clementine, peaches, or applesauce
• water or watered down juice

Dinner

Monday:

• pizza (pizza tips)
• salad

Tuesday:

• seven-layer bean dip

Wednesday:

• omelets
• toast
• cabbage soup

Thursday:

• multi-mushroom stroganoff
• salad

Friday

• vegetable soup
• biscuits

Saturday:

• I don't cook on Saturdays. We typically eat leftovers, pancakes, or order take-out.

Sunday:

• kadu with beef

Music Lessons: Top 5 Desert Island Rock

I just finished re-reading High Fidelity, so Michael and I have been discussing our Top 5 Desert Island Rock Bands.

His
(in no particular order)

1. REM
2. Sunny Day Real Estate
3. Hum
4. Jimmy Eat World
5. Jawbox

Hers
(in no particular order)

1. Jimmy Eat World
2. Eisley
3. Death Cab for Cutie
4. Stars
5. Skipping Mad

Skipping Mad was Michael's band in college (when we met). I had to include them on my list because (a) they really were an awesome band and I still listen to their songs all the time, (b) the fact that Michael was in a band was pretty influential on my interest in him, and (c) if I were trapped on a desert island, it would be nice to have Michael there with me.

What are your Top 5 Desert Island Rock Bands?