i've moved

Howdy. bikebookbread.blogspot.com is now located at bikebookbread.wordpress.com.

Has it really been THAT long since I updated??? EEP!

I suppose it is time for a real update... it has definitely been too long since I've posted anything here on BBB. My, how the children grow...

Yes, I have been MIA. We have had quite a difficult spring. We thought we were staying in Where George Walked for another two years, but were informed that we are moving to OKC. The move is now two and a half weeks away.

One of our daughters has had some serious health challenges since February, so much so that her physician told us we had to halt homeschooling. We got a medical a waiver from the county so that she would not be truant. She is on the mend, and will be able to go into third grade when we move. She is a bit behind in math, but we plan on doing some work over the summer to catch her up. If we have to hire a tutor, so be it.

Last fall I found out I had a number of kidney stones. About three weeks ago, one of them reared its ugly little head. I've spent the past three weeks running to medical appointments and downing pain meds. I still have four more to pass in my right kidney, but the urologist does not believe they will be passing within the next month. If they hold off until we are settled, I will be happy. I do NOT relish the thought of driving halfway across the country while passing stones.

Our beloved doggie was injured and ended up having more than half of his tail amputated. The injury occurred two months ago, and he still has to wear a cone, a muzzle and a muzzle cup to prevent him from licking.

On the bright side, our little one graduated from Kindergarten a couple of weeks ago. She is quite an avid and proficient reader, and is reading far above her age level, just like big sis.

So, those are the reasons I have been MIA. I don't know the next time I will post. Sorry.

Welcome Chase Biscuit!

After about two months of background checks, a home visit and waiting, we adopted our greyhound yesterday, Chase Biscuit. He is loving, affectionate, obedient and playful - an all-around great dog.

Pain, Chase Biscuit and Homeschool

So I've been MIA for a reason. Unfortunately, the last two weeks have been rather eventful. Chad traveled a bit, and while he was gone, got hit with some nastiness: a kidney infection and a kidney stone. I don't recommend either. I believe that I caught something in the ER, as well, and have only today recovered my voice and my strength. Apparently, I still have stones in my right kidney. I am awaiting an appointment with urology at Ft. Belvoir Hospital. I'm really hoping that they will approve the ultrasonic treatment (too bad the good Doctor (aka Doctor Who) couldn't just pull out his sonic screwdriver and zap 'em).

I haven't been able to teach Ingrid for an entire week... on Monday and Tuesday I was simply in too much pain. Wednesday through Friday I had no voice -- not even a whisper. It was rather pathetic.

A couple pieces of great news: our doggie adoption day has been set! We will be picking up our greyhound on November 5. Here is a picture of our dog. His race name is Chase Biscuit. We are contemplating whether or not we will re-name him. Chase is sort of growing on us.

Another good piece of news: Ingrid has started swimming with the home school swim team affiliated with the masters swim team which Chad swims, Fort Belvoir Swim Team. She is such a natural swimmer. She is the youngest and smallest on the team, and definitely NOT the slowest, and her endurance is astounding.

Chad was also able to take the girls on their very first camping trip two weeks ago over Columbus Day weekend. Our church had a father/child camp out south of here. For the first time since Ingrid was born, I was alone in my own home for a night. It was weird. And very quiet. VERY quiet.

Finally, Chad applied a couple of decals to our Subaru. A sweet greyhound profile, and a funny zombie one. Ha ha ha. I am hoping for a "Police Public Call Box" decal across the top soon :D

Wags & Whiskers

We visited the Wags & Whiskers dog show today and met some very nice greyhounds at an adoption booth. None of these dogs were available for adoption. This was just a time for the girls to actually stop and spend some time with the dogs. Our landlord has approved our request to have a greyhound. However, it remains to be seen whether or not we will be approved by the agency itself.






Posted from Steph's iPad

Explaining My Absence and Some Updates

Okay, I know I have been oddly uncommunicative lately.

Some of the reasons:

• Chad and I spent much of this summer apart - I in Washington state with my parents for the first half of the summer, and he in Arizona and Alabama for work. We are both back home again. He will be on the road again this fall.
• I am returning to homeschooling, and have been planning. And planning. And planning. Part of the problem was I could NOT find a homeschool planner for Mac. I found a web-based solution two weeks ago, and I love it: Scholaric. It is simple, robust and intuitive. Give it a try!
• I've started CrossFit. See previous post. I'm in pain.
• I've been a little obsessed with Doctor Who and have been on another board a bit too often... I'm a geek. What can I say?

I am hoping to keep this blog a little more up to date than I have been.

Updates:

• If you haven't figured it out yet, I'm homeschooling Ingrid for second grade, and from here on out, unless something radical changes. We'll start Monday.
• Ilsa starts kindergarten on Monday at a local church-run school. There are only nine children in her class, and it is half-day. We just do not see the need for full day kindergarten for her.
• We're trying to eat more "Paleo." Chad has tried to convince me it is the way to go, and I'm not 100% convinced. I know people really get great results with it, but I am BikeBookBREAD after all! And it isn't like I am making my bread with shortening and chemicals... I grind wheat, etc. We bought a juicer to help support the Paleo way of eating. That has been a lot of fun... and DELICIOUS!
• We survived Irene. Of course, I'm blogging this, aren't I?
• The rain here in Virginia has been UNREAL -- much worse than anything Irene spat at us.

Well I guess that's all for now.

Bunnies Broke Up

Chad secretly recorded Ilsa singing this extemporaneous song about bunnies breaking up. It is a bit long, but watch until the end. We can't stop laughing.

You may think me insane, but actually, I have come to my senses

I have joined CrossFit Old Town. Yep. Me + CrossFit. Don't know what CrossFit is? Watch:



Yep. I'm doing this. Well, not THIS much weight.

I'll keep you updated... after I can walk again. My quads are jelly, and my back is stiff as a board.

The Apple Store of Pizza-Dom

Found this pizza place in Pentagon Row mall. Naked pizza storefront is clean and inviting. The ingredients are all natural. The crust is 10 grain including prebiotic agave fibre and probiotics. We are sitting here waiting for our order and I am salivating!







Posted from Steph's iPad

SciFi awesomeness

Found at William Sonoma:




Posted from Steph's iPad

Riot Wheel (Re-Invention Of The) wheel.©

This is so Mad Max!

I wonder how it would hold in a hurricane. Looks stout.

Hurricane Irene...

We are now officially under a Tropical storm warning. Ugh.

We won't be hit with hurricane force winds, but our power will most likely go down tomorrow. Dominion Power Has told us to be prepared to be without power for days, not hours. We will be spending today prepping. Chad is off to find dry ice and prepare our Craig's List generator. I am off to buy supplies.

God protect us all.

Posted from Steph's iPad

Virginia - Disaster Central!

So we were sitting in a restaurant on the ground floor of a 200 or so year old building in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia. The room began to shake, dust was coming from the walls, and Chad shouted, "Earthquake! Earthquake! Earthquake! Everybody out!"

Only ourselves and the staff left the restaurant. The rest started laughing and looking up at the ceiling. Didn't anyone notice that we were in the bottom floor? Of an old rickety buiding? With 2 ton beams overhead and walls made of brick and plaster? Wo knows how serious it is going to be... And what about aftershocks and gas leaks? Sure it ended up not being as bad as it could have been. But come on people! Use your brains!

When we left the building, smart people were out in the street rather than on the sidewalks, a smart idea given the fact that the walls of the buildings are lined with bricks. Old bricks. Old loose bricks.

We paid for our food and took it to-go. When we got home, being the good homeschooling mama that I am, I got on the web and showed the girls the science of earthquakes on the computer. (Our phone lines our spotty, but web connection remains good. Cellular coverage is very iffy as well.)

Ilsa drew this picture from what she learned:






Next excitement may be arriving on Sunday: the remnants of Hurricane Irene, but I am not going to borrow worry from tomorrow.

Posted from Steph's iPad

newest offering from apple?

Untitled, a photo by BikeBookBread on Flickr.

Nice people

We are in Charlottesville at the moment. Chad was sent here to take a class at the Army JAG school at the University of Virginia. Every morning on the way to class, we have stopped to buy a cup of coffee and a morning pastry at a lovely shop called Hot Cakes. This morning, Ingrid went in with him and was admiring a little cow creamer. A man asked Chad if he could buy it for her. He proceeded to pick up Chad's entire order -- coffee, pastries, etc. Chad was in uniform... Now I don't know if this was one of the reasons he did it, but it was such a kind gesture. It turns out he was a friend of the owners of the shop.

We went back this afternoon and bought some beautiful desserts for this evening. So if you are ever in Charlottesville, check out HotCakes.




Ingrid excited about the goodies.



Ilsa "kissing" the ladybug cupcakes.




Posted from Steph's iPad

Minot Flood 2011

How soon we forget... the Minot, ND floods

I am suddenly struck by how fast the national consciousness forgets. I forgot. I lived in this beautiful community for three years. And I forgot. Just a short few weeks ago, my former home was overrun by flooding.

I received an email this morning from our best friends who left Minot to start a church in Ft. Collins, Colorado asking for prayer and humbly requesting financial assistance for their trip (they'll be sleeping on the floor of our former church, making their own meals, etc.) back to Minot to help rebuild friends' homes.

I went to our former church's website. I am in shock. They posted a Google map with markers indicating all of the families -- OUR FRIENDS -- who have been "displaced" by the flood. What a humble way to say they lost their homes, our former pastor's family included. His home remains underwater.

Please would you pray for this wonderful community? It isn't a flashy place to live -- North Dakota -- but it is filled with the kindest and most giving people my husband and I have ever met in our entire lives. We have said this over and over and over again since we left. I have rarely cried when leaving a location (I usually cry when we arrive at the new place knowing the hard work of replanting roots). But I wept as we sped past the city limits of Minot, ND.

Here is more information about the flood.

Thank you friends.

Too Late to Apologize: A Declaration

I've been a bit... MIA lately. But I just had to post this video.

Happy Independence Friends!

Ilsa's paper art princess costume

Ilsa is definitely creative. Give her a ream of paper, a roll of tape and a stapler, and she is set for a few hours.