richmond rides

Nothing beats doing something together as a family for Father's Day!  I'd heard about Richmond Rides and loved the idea of riding downtown with a guide, with someone else's bike, and with a stop for gelato! 

Diego and Joaquin brought their own bikes, which I definitely recommend.  Your own bike is more comfortable and something you're used to riding.  I don't own a bike, so I was happy to be riding at all.  Well, I'm lucky I still remember HOW to ride a bike.  There was a little incident with me running into a building, but I don't think anyone is interested in that.

Carmen rode along in this trailer with her giant bear.  She looks petrified here, but it's more shy than anything.  Neither JP or I took our cameras, so our friendly guide, Joseph, took all of these shots with his phone.  Thanks, Joseph!

Isabela did an amazing job pulling her most of the way...even down narrow ramps and through the flood wall!  She switched with Dad just at the end, and he admitted it was tough to tow her along.

We got to see some beautiful sights of Richmond, rode along the river and by the new LowLines garden (built under the railroad tracks), Rocketts Landing, and even met up with the paved trail that leads to Williamsburg just for bikers!

This is a monument to Henry "Box" Brown, a slave that escaped to freedom by mailing himself in a box.  This was Isabela's favorite part, and we had just read more about this story a couple of days earlier!

Diego said his favorite part was the stop for ice cream and the free Pac-Man video game we played while waiting for the gelato.  *sigh*

I don't care...it was an amazing day and worth every penny!

little dancer

I'm pretty sure I remember going kicking and screaming to my first ballet class when I was eight years old.  We all know how that turned out.  (For those of you who don't,  ballet became my life for the next eight years.  I spent summers in far away cities dancing at renown schools and every hour after school at the Richmond Ballet.)

And Carmen started off in much the same way.  She cried at the trial class and had no intention of ever going back.

I'm not sure what changed, but one day she wanted to go to dance, which takes place in her same school, where I work.

These are photos from the final recital.

OMG.  Is she a mini-me or WHAT?

Carmen loves a rub-on-tattoo.  We're lucky there's only two on her hand.

She also took tap.

Her amazing smile wasn't going to last long.

Just like mama... performing in front of people is just so stressful!

Two seconds after this last picture, I knew what was coming.  I put down my camera and opened my arms.   She came running over, tap-tap-tap, and leapt into my lap bawling.  We all comforted her and lavished her with praise, while the other girls finished out the song.  I will always remember that hug.

The following Tuesday while getting ready for school, she exclaimed,  "I have dance today!" 

So resilient, that spirit of children!

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memorial weekend

Hello, Kiptopeke.  We're back!

The grand idea was to go camping for Memorial Weekend, but with the weather outlook, I didn't want to risk a stormy night in a tent.

JP convinced me it would still be great to go for the day.  And it was.

The kids were immediately attracted to the beautiful seaweed...

...and the soft sand.

The water was still a little chilly, but it's only knee-deep, so not enough to hit that spot on your back that makes you tippy-toe as you wade in.

Remembering when Isabela almost got her teeth knocked out by a wave, we're not cut out for ocean surf just yet.  The Bay has amazing scenery and calm water, perfect for all ages.

There were several families catching nets of crabs.  I didn't see a single one when I was in the water.

I put SPF 50 on us when we arrived.  We were there for 2.5 hours in the heat of the noon sun.  I don't think any of us even got a hint of a tan.  That stuff works!

Just asking for more days like this, Summer!

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