More pictures from the Bike Camp. Matt and Pablo were great, and Alli is riding the tandem bike they had there. Since we found out she can ride for a relatively long time (20 minutes pedaling herself on Day 4!) we ordered a "tag-a-long" trailer for her through e-bay this weekend. It will attach to my bike, and has two wheels (like the rear of a trike), which will provide stability for me, and weighs a lot less than what I have tried using before! Currently, we have her Specialized Trike set up to be pulled in tandem with me. It weighs close to 60 pounds, and Alli is around 130 pounds. That is a lot of weight for out-of shape me to pedal around. The new trailer weighs 24 pounds, and should have a lot less drag as well. Wish me luck. I don't know when we will be testing it out. I am not riding when it is over 105 degrees! We were at 112 yesterday, so we did cool off from 117, but I still am not riding!

I quit! Two weeks ago our high was 65 degrees or so, and yesterday it was 117! Enough is enough! Yes, we were all tired of rain, yes ,we all wanted summer to hurry up and get here, but this is ridiculous! I spent most of yesterday hiding in the house. I had Alli in the pool twice, and probably should have put her in the third time right before bed time. It took forever for her to go to sleep, and since she had been in the pool twice, and was exhausted, it was either the heat or just over-tiredness!

I did get some more pictures back from Bike Camp.

Matt and Pablo were great, and there is a picture of Alli on the tandem bike. She seemed to really like riding the tandem.

What a difference a day makes! On Tuesday, after forcing Alli to ride the bake at Bike Camp (and I mean running along beside her holding her foot onto the pedal type forcing) - on Wednesday, she road like a champ (with the assistance of Matt and Pablo - who put her on the bike and walked along side her and guided her.) I think she only protested a couple of times, and that was only a mild protest - as compared to screaming pretty constantly on Tuesday. I joked with a couple of other Moms there that I brought a different kid on Wednesday. I don't know that I would go so far as to say she "liked" to ride the bike, but she is doing it now, and not protesting (too much - It was over 100 yesterday, and the gym isn't air conditioned. At the end, we were all hot and tired!)

Pictures coming soon! I took a couple of pictures with the digital camera on Tuesday, but most of the time I was required to run with Alli to keep her on the bike. Yesterday, I didn't even take it in, because I figured I would be in for more of the same. I did have my "good" camera with me, and took some pictures, but have to finish the roll and turn it in for developing.

Well, I survived my first day at Alli's Bike Camp. She is doing better than I am. She doesn't want to be there, and doesn't want to ride the bike, and "if you want me to do it, Mom, you are going to have to make me." is her philosophy. The bikes are really cool. The back "wheel" is like a rolling pin, which provides stability. There is a handle on the back so the helpers can help control the kids. Our biggest problem is keeping Alli on the bike long enough to ride anywhere. After the first half hour, they put straps on the pedals to keep her feet in once we had them set. Of course, the first thing she did was fall over as soon as they put them on. Good thing she was wearing a helmet (and has a hard head!). I spent most of the hour and 15 minutes standing on my head, keeping her feet on the pedals, or if she actually got going, holding her chin up so she didn't look down at her feet and take her feet off the pedals. Did I mention it is a school gym (un-airconditioned) and it was over 100 yesterday? I went back to work just a little disheveled!

Work decided to have a few disasters while I was gone too. I walked in the door and was immediately bombarded with problems and questions. Not a calm day for me! Maybe today. They changed the time of Alli's Bike Class to 12:30 to 1:45 (from 1:45 to 3:00) so it might be a little cooler. I am also going to try to keep a different expectation level myself, which may keep my stress level down too!

Here is the garden - I should have taken before and after pictures!

I also finished the doily - here it is pinned out after washing.

Happy Father's Day! I was good this year, and planned ahead and everything! I am notorious for hand delivering presents (weeks later, when I actually get up to Susanville) rather than plan ahead and mail presents. This year, I did good and got my Dad's present to him on Saturday - just right!

I am now on the last row of the doily, and I may be here a while. I hate the last couple of rows - it takes forever to go around the doily. This last row is all picots and cluster stitches - lots of stitches that don't go anywhere fast.

I would have had more done (really!) but I put some time into the garden yesterday (and it needs a lot more!) and some time in at work and, a little time shopping! AJ is supposed to help me weed today, so hopefully I will finish the garden. Ralph has done some work out there, but I haven't touched it since it was planted. The weeds are taller than the tomatoes. I "found" a cucumber I didn't know was growing even. It was definitely time! I just need to do it in the a.m., since I'm not used to our heat yet (60 degrees last Monday and raining, - and over 90 degrees yesterday) Our high yesterday is low for us, but since we have been so cold this year, I haven't built up my tolerance yet. Since the weather changed so fast, the pool hasn't even warmed up enough for me to use it. The kids will, but I'm a chicken! I sit in the shade and make sure no one drowns.

Next week is another busy one for us. Alli starts summer school, and her bus will be her at 7:00 a.m. to pick her up. She gets out at 12:30, and the bus will take her to her daycare at 12:45. At 1:00, Ralph or I will pick her up and take her to Red Bluff (30+ minutes south) and take her to a "Learn to Bike" class, set up specifically for Mentally and Physically Disabled kids. Her class is from 1:45 to 3:00, and then back she goes to daycare, so Ralph or I can go back to work. Ralph is taking her Monday and Friday, and I have her Tuesday thru Thursday. AJ also starts his summer program - Camp Kickin' It next week. His Camp runs from 7:30 to 5:30. Add to this, Monday night AJ has Order of the Arrow and Tuesday night he has Boy Scouts, and....we have a leaking water tank, and have to schedule the plumber sometime to come and fix it. Somewhere in there, Ralph and I have to put in a good 40+ hours each with our employer, and I would like to get some exercise in, as well as a little craft time. There just aren't enough hours in the day! (though I can cheat on the craft time - I will be waiting for Alli for an hour in Red bluff each day, and waiting for AJ for a couple of hours at scouts - there's my craft time! If I was rally good, I would use some of that time for exercise time, but since I have to go back to work from Alli's class, I think I will stick to crafting. Scout time might work out okay, the school where they meet has a track I can walk on.)

The doily is almost finished - two more rows. (More than that needed in the picture - I did some more work on it since then.






















I thought about making bookmarks for the 4th of July, but haven't committed myself yet. The one on the right is supposed to represent fireworks. It might need a little embellishing to make it look like fireworks!
















Since we did AJ's new bedroom in Tiger Stripes - I found a tissue cover in plastic canvas to do for him.

AJ's room still needs some work, but the bed was put in last week-end. I want to paint the walls, and add a little more "art" to his room, with a wallpaper border and/or some pictures. Ralph got an end-table for him today at our neighborhood-wide garage sale, and is out looking for a lamp now (any excuse?). This picture was taken before the end-table came in. His (supposedly for homework) desk is now at the foot of his bed. If he doesn't use it much, we may take it out of the room entirely.

Both pillows are done! AJ now has a set. It took a lot less time than I thought it would to finish up the "J" as a compared to the "A". I also started a new doily, but haven't worked on it a lot. I spent the last boy scout meeting working on just one row! I think the next meeting will be spent walking around the track at the school though. One of the other Moms asked if I had "good" shoes with me last meeting (I had sandals on), because she wanted to walk the track. Next time!

I got a lot of compliments on my "Well Traveled Bag" this week. One friend from work wants one done for here in browns. Maybe someday! I don't mind doing the work for this person, as she appreciates the handwork that goes into things. I just don't know if I want to start the same project again so soon. (It gets boring! Just round and around and around!)

I finished my pillow this week-end. I had the "easy" part done - the crochet! I got material for the back on Saturday morning, and got it put together Saturday afternoon. The color doesn't go well with me "new" couch, but it goes well with my "old" couch, so that is where it is now. I had great plans to get more than that done, but....the best laid plans! I have the two parts for the "J" pillow done, but not put together. Maybe later this week? I also got the pocket sewed into my felted bag last night, and started a new doily. (The Giants were on, and actually winning for a change. I had to stay up and watch!)

This weekend we got a new bed for AJ - and so had to clean his room up before we could move things around in there. Ugly! Not to mention the mattress was stashed outside in the garage, behind a multitude of boxes! I think it took longer to get it out than it did to set up the new bed! AJ and I went shopping Monday after school for bedding, and he found - surprise, surprise - leopard print. Unfortunately, I wasn't watching him as closely as I should have been - he picked up twin, not queen size bedding. I get to go back today and trade it in! He picked out queen for the mattress cover, so I guess he just wasn't looking carefully enough!

Finished! (well, almost!) Ralph put my eyelets in for me, so it is done, except I want to add a pocket or two to the inside. I have to crochet those and felt them, and then sew them in, but for now, it is finished!

Before felting, it was 7 X 15 X 17, and after felting, it is 6 X 11 X 12. Now my "knitting bag" is handcrafted too! I also finished one side of AJ's "J" pillow, and have started on the second side, so that should get (hopefully) put together this weekend.

I found a new doily book last weekend (with 40% off coupon!) so my next project may be a new doily. Decisions, decisions! I still have Alli's afghan 1/3 (or really only 1/4) done, and bookmarks to be finished, and those are only the things I can think of off of the top of my head. I know I have a lot more projects either started or ready to start. I keep collecting patterns, but never get around to making everything!

The kids have one more half week of school after this week. Both get out of school next Wednesday. Alli has summer school that starts mid June, and AJ has day-camp and Lifesaving classes that start about the same time. We had Alli's annual meeting (IEP) at the school this week, and it looks like she will be changing schools next year, and will be going to Turtle Bay School, which is in town. She will have the same teacher she had for K-2. I really think her current teacher has been good for her, but she is not going to be teaching autistic kids next year (not her choice - rearrangement of school districts/special needs districts, and she is now going to have mentally disturbed children.)