Wednesday, April 25, 2012

It's just plastic

Our little house has been overrun with toys and trinkets for the tiny humans. Their closet has been filled to the brim with boxes of matchbox cars, squeeky soft baby teethers, an unopened walker still in its box, and a sea of Legos and Little People dotted with Cars memorabilia. I had long ago snapped the lid on that bin of baby bibs and burp clothes when a pair of tiny red shoes fell on my head as I pulled it from the top shelf. (She had only worn those once.)

I fought back the desire to purge the house of the extra, the fluff, the excess that we keep tucked away, out of sight, out of mind. I want to hold onto to every little thing that those tiny fingers touched and hide away the memories of their little years away in my heart. I want them to stay small, to stay mine, for time to stay still.

But time does not listen and little ones grow up. My, they grow up so fast!

It's just stuff, I say to myself as tears fill up my eyes. It's just plastic and the memories are mine.

I think I'm struggling with getting rid of their things because it means that our baby years are behind us. My head says it's right but my heart just can't commit to moving forward. It means accepting that moments are fleeting, and unfair as it seems, time keeps going on.

My babies will grow up. We're edging closer to F-O-U-R and T-W-O. And what we have to look forward to!

So, yes, the most epic yard sale in the history of parenthood takes place THIS SATURDAY at the Ritz house. Please ignore the cry-face lady in advance. K? Thanks.

P.S. I'm keeping those red shoes. 

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

bicycle

Last year my husband bought me a bike for birthday. At the time I was on this crazy fitness kick, somehow thinking that if I peddled around my neighborhood a few times a week that my body would magically morph into Mila Kunis.

Turns out, that is not so.

Biking is hard, dude. While it maybe true that you never forget how to ride a bike, it doesn't mean you won't always be an awkward mess that resembles a drunken school kid trying to ride in a straight line.

But nonetheless I would ride my bike up and down the streets of Timberland Estates. In order to limit the humilitation of being seen in public I started riding my bike after dark. But I rode that bike that it was my job.

As you can probably guess I fell off of the bike bandwagon pretty quick once winter came around and my precious cruiser sat in the garage tucked to the side. Sometimes she would catch my eye and I'd mutter something about needed to get back on that, but the weather was cold, or I was tired, of the kids needed to eat dinner and it was quickly forgotten.

I've been a total slacker about exercising lately. Totally eating like there won't be any consequences. Cake, brownies, hamburgers, french fries, name it and I've scarfed it down with a large diet coke. Well yesterday we had some extra time in the evening right after the kids' bedtime so I opened the garage door and pulled out the old girl for a spin.

Just as I was about to jump on my neighbor drives up to her house. Instead of going about my business like a sane person, I decide to push the bike down the street a little further to avoid any awkwardness.... Because looking like some shady weirdo bicycle theif running away is NOT awkward at all. I'm a smarty, I tell ya.

So I finally get to a place out of sight and hop on. I notice that it's a little harder to pedal than I remembered, but chalk it up to one too many chicken nuggets on the couch in front of an episode of Toddlers and Tiaras. I continue to push through down my street further and further, but man am I really breaking a sweat now and my legs are burning. My fat ass is sliding off the seat and it's pushing into my babymaking parts (and not even in a good way).

This shit is starting to hurt!

At this point I'm clenching my teeth and practically having a heart attack in the middle of the intersection when I look down and notice that the stupid effing wheels have no air. What a #*%&#$@)!#* idiot I am.

Now I have run a half marathon, I have hiked up and down mountians, I have birthed two babies, but that bike ride was the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. I would have called my husband to have him come pick me up but I left my phone at home. I would have left that stupid bike on the road but I'm too cheap to do that.

I hate that bike.