Extreme underpants

We received free tickets to go see part of the Dew Tour in Salt Lake City. We could have seen various events but time wise it worked out best to go see the BMX dirt bike challenge. It was held outside near the Triad center in downtown. Truckloads of dirt are brought in and a course is made in the parking lot. We got there a few minutes before it started and found some seats in the bleachers. It was amazing to see all the tricks that were preformed and all the aerial maneuvers. The girls all thought they could do things like that on their bikes and Henry loved watching them go into the air and then land and then repeat the whole process. There were a lot of interesting individuals and the boys sitting behind us apparently did something to warrant M holding up her hands in claw like positions and then growling because I caught the phrase, "Did you see what that little girl just did..." and then I saw their version of the reenactment. M also wanted to know how come we saw everyone's underpants and then all the girls agreed that it was very immodest. But despite the fact that we saw their underwear, it was very cool to see their performances.

One tough little girl

Last night, M kept getting up and coming into our room saying, "My ear hurts." About 11:30 or so I gave her some children's Motrin in hopes that it would help her sleep because by that time the only option would have been to take her to the ER and I wasn't willing to pay. This morning I asked her how her ear was and she replies that it still sort of hurts. I decide that we need to go the doctor as she probably has an ear infection and I new that we have family pictures tonight. We get to the doctor and he's looking in her ears. He says it's the right one and when M agreed he said that it was indeed infected and looked like it was getting ready to burst. I told him that all night and all morning she had simple stated, "My ear hurts." She never cried and she never acted like it was painful. It just hurt. The doctor laughed and said that he was amazed that she didn't complain more. M is one tough little cookie.

A bike ride

The kids are off-track for the next little bit and for playgroup it was decided to go on a bike-ride to a small park. As the big kids will attest the park wasn't the fun part as it was small and geared towards smaller kids; however, they enjoyed the bike ride to the park. We set off at 10:30 am to meet up with another family going. We were soon on our way when suddenly T's chain fell off. I noticed that it was looking a little loose but was hoping it would hold. Luckily we weren't too far from home so T managed to ride/coast home and I hurriedly called my friend up ahead and told her what had happened and that if she wanted to we would just catch up. Now on Saturday I had repaired flats on E, T and my trailer. T's required me to remove the chain and back tire but apparently I didn't pull the wheel tight enough so the chain fell off. I tried tightening it better and thought we did a pretty good job. I took the tools with me this time and we were off. Yet, just around the corner the chain fell off again. I knew T really wanted to ride her bike to the park but I also knew I lacked the man power/strength to physically pull the wheel further back. Then I noticed that the neighbors were out. I new the neighbor girl used to have an old bike and so we asked her if T could use it on our bike ride. Now I also know that these two neighbor kids might also like to go and since we are now using one of their bikes I only thought it appropriate to ask their mother if it was indeed alright for T to use the bike and also if they'd like to come with me. They are eager to go and so now the 6 of us start off again (I think M and H in the trailer were excited to get moving instead of sitting around). So for 2.7 miles we move upwards. The highlight of the trip was crossing Bangerter Highway on the pedestrian walkway so that they could see all the cars below them. We finally made it to the park and enjoyed the lunch that I was also carrying in the trailer. It was a grand time and the bike ride home was very enjoyable as it was now all 2.7 miles downhill. We only had a few falls during the trip and everyone was alright. All in all a very successful bike ride. The girls want to know when we can now take Dad with us--let's see how painful my legs feel tomorrow... But I do know that before they start school again we will be taking a bike ride over to see the buffalo and elk.

Glasses

I got my new glasses today. Last week I went in for the eye exam. It had been 5 years since my last visit--things just came up in life that prevented me from going sooner and to be honest I wasn't in a big rush. I know that my glasses are never cheap and I hate trying to choose frames. The last place I went to wasn't very helpful when I asked them to help me pick out frames; they told me that it was really up to me and what I liked. What!?! Apparently they must have thought that my prescription wasn't that bad and that when I'm trying on the frames without my glasses on that I can see perfectly well. Apparently the coke bottle lenses in my old glasses and the prescription in their hands weren't bad enough to warrant their help. So I did the best I could. I didn't hate them but it's really hard to see what looks good when you are literally inches away from the mirror. When Steve said that I should go get glasses before the year ended to use up the flex spending money I was excited to go but I didn't want to go to the same place as before. We don't have insurance that covers glasses so I wanted a place that was affordable yet helpful. Steve helped me search online for places that were close and had good reviews. I asked friends in the area. We had it narrowed down to two places and I went with the cheaper eye exam place after driving by and making sure it wasn't like our ghetto dentist experience. I had the exam and the doctor was nice and said my eyes hadn't changed too much--always good to hear when you have eyes like mine. Then we went out to look at frames. From 20 plus years of experience I know that I need tiny frames that are more circular to help hide the fat lenses. I found quite a few but then I was in the position I was in before--needing help to see what actually looked alright on me. The lady came back and I asked if she would help me and she said that she would certainly help me and then told me that she would be brutally honest. I told her I liked that because I couldn't see and needed her to tell me what she thought. She hated the first pair (which was fine by me as they were most expensive) and liked the middles ones alight and really liked the last two. She then called over the other lady in the office to ask her opinion. They both thought the ones that I had on were the best option and liked it with my coloring. Today I picked them up and am trying to adjust to the new prescription. It's amazing how different things appear right now--more in focused and vibrant. I remember when I first got glasses I stepped outside the office and I could see individual leaves blowing on the trees something that I had never recalled seeing before. I still find a tree and look at the leaves every time I get a new pair of glasses and am thankful that even though I might not have the literal eyes to see such beauty that I can have the opportunity to have glasses that will allow me to see those things. Each time I get new glasses I donate an old pair so that someone in some country that hasn't before seen the individual leaves on trees blowing for quite some time can now see the sight that thrilled me over 24 years ago and for which I'm continually thankful for being able to see.