Riding a two wheeler

Yesterday (Saturday) I discovered that the last time Abraham rode his bike (Monday), I had left it on the sidewalk instead of putting it in the car. The bike was his favorite thing-he could bike for miles on it and was getting very good at balancing. I knew this summer would be the one he started riding a two wheeler. 

Coincidentally, also yesterday, a friend gave us a Huffy Rocket bike she had just found in the trash. This morning we took off the training wheels, lowered the seat and gave it try. Abraham was not used to pedaling-his balance bike is pedal-less. We rode up and down our sidewalk a couple of times, put the bike in the car and went to the playground. We got the bike back out and Abraham was practicing up and down the street at the park. Within about 20 minutes, he was full on riding his bike on a crowded Centre St. in JP. 

We went back out in the afternoon to Forest Hills Cemetery-wide, smooth roads without much traffic and Abraham was off and riding for about an hour and half. I have been in awe of him all day.

Easter 2009

Angelo and Abraham have been sleeping the same room on the same futon mattress (thanks, Geoff and Karen!). This morning they both woke up and were talking. Then I heard whispering and hear Abraham say to Angelo "let's go see if they bunny bought us some good candy." LAst year's whopper eggs were not a hit. Then they started slowly down the stairs without coming into our room. 

Upon seeing the boxed chocolate easter bunny this morning, Abraham exclaimed: "I think that's an esophagus. What's that brown thing in the box?" Of course, he figured out fast what the candy in the plastic eggs all over the house were.

Abraham is displaying here a present from the Easter Bunny (the glasses not the large mouth) and Angelo is displaying a need to bike like his bro. 

Nicest day of the year so far

It was Spring in Boston for a day. We went to Green St. park. The kids played on the playground and then headed to hill to run up and down it and dig holes. 

Wednesday Afternoons

From November until recently I spent Wednesday afternoons working at Abraham's school. Angelo would come with me and we would hang out with the kids for 3 hours. Some dark winter afternoons would drag on but it was nice to be in a cheery space with lots of things for the kids to do. We would brave it outside even on cold days when the playground was covered in snow. Now that the weather is nicer, the kids spend hours out on that playground. Angelo loved being at school and Abraham seemed proud that I was there. It was fun while it lasted but hard work too!

One day at snack time, I put two juice boxes out for my kids. The whole group was sitting around the table. By the time I had gotten out the rest of their snacks, I looked up and Abraham had opened Angelos's juice first and then moved to his own. When Abraham wanted to get my attention on those days, he would call me teacher mommy.

The pig

Abraham is very interested in lots of things. He's very good at asking multiple questions about things I didn't even know you could have questions about. The other night was his introduction to eating ribs-we had leftovers from Lucy's b-day and the Farrells leaving town. I was pulling some of the meat off the bone to give to Abe and Angelo but Abraham requested eating one of the whole ribs. And while eating had some questions-

Q: what kind of meat is this? 

A: Pig

Q: what part of the pig is it from?

A: this part (pointing to my ribs)

Q: is it a leg bone (walking it on the table)

A: no

Q: how did the farmer kill it? did he shoot it?

A: I don't know, they use some kind of device to kill it. I'll look it up. 

Then I was not feeling very hungry so I told Abraham that some people don't eat meat at all. This created another string of questions...

Why don't some people eat meat?

Does anyone we know not eat meat?

Why do we eat meat?

So, two of my cousins don't eat meat but one of cousins does?

From there, the dinner conversation moved to other topics. Abraham decided he didn't want any more pig because it gave him a headache.