To start out the day, I got up early and went out into the garage to work on my old motorcycle (Well- I guess they're both old. I'm talking about the Honda 750 here.) This has become my Saturday routine- I have decided to completely take apart and then put together every component on the bike in an attempt to learn something. It has been a good experiance so far and I at least feel like I'm not going to break anything now when I work on my other bike or my car.
Anyway this is all totally beside the point. The thing I wanted to get to was that when I went into the garage, it looked like this:
Notice the relatively open area on the left. That is where we normally keep our bikes. Instead, this is what was there.
Yep. Stolen. Both of our bikes, Evelyn's bike seat, and our bike trailer. All gone. And it's not like we hadn't taken precautions. Not only were these items in the garage, but they were locked up as well. Some people will stop at nothing. It's really frusterating also because it was all second-hand stuff that wasn't worth much anyway. Whoever has them will get maybe $100 for everything. But what it took from us was worth so much more.
Those were our evenings and Sunday afternoons. Evelyn loves "her bike" and regularly asks for bike rides. It was our tradition (mine and hers) to go out to the garage and she would "help" me to get everything ready for these rides. It was so cute. Jack and Addy would smile and be content in that stroller despite the worse of days, and Rachel and I could ride side by side and talk without interruptions. Those things were important to us, and they took it all for a lousy $100.
Oh- and the timing was great also. Our plans for yesterday included a trip to Cuyahoga Valley where we would ride our bikes down the trail and then take the train back up to the trailhead. It would've been fun, I suppose, but I guess we'll never konw.
But I'm not bitter.
Instead we took a walk and our kids liked that almost as much and we still got to talk, so it all worked out. And who knows? Maybe it's for the better. Maybe if we had gone on that bike ride a tree would have fallen on me, crushing my right hand and causing me to be a crippled almost-dentist. I would then have to fall back on teaching high school (no offense Dad) and working nights waiting tables just to pay off my dental loans and our children would grow up without having a father-figure in the home. Or worse. At least that's what I like to think.
That night, however, got better. Rachel and I got to go to a late night movie. Yea, to those of you who don't have three children who constantly need your attention this might not seem like a big deal. But it is to us. It is so nice to be able to get out every now and then and go on a date, just us. We saw "How to Train Your Dragon" and thouroughly enjoyed every minute of it.
So, yesterday pretty much makes up the highlight story for the blog this week. Here are some other random bits that you may (or may not) find interesting:
I got a new phone. Rachel lost hers but it was time for her to get a free upgrade so she got a phone but then decided that she liked mine better so we traded and now she has my old one and now I have this sweet new phone that is a 5mp camera, ipod, and phone all in one. In fact, all of the pictures on this post were taken with my phone.
Evelyn has decided that the babies no longer deserve to carry their own identity, and instead she refers to them both as "Addyjack." Like when she prays- "bless Mommy, Daddy, Addyjack, Austin..." or when we ask her what she did during the day- "Play Luke, beep boowoah (swimming pool), play Addyjack, my bike..."
Evelyn can't decide what she thinks about fireworks. When you ask her she'll tell you they are pretty and that she likes them, but when Rachel brough her to see them she screemed bloody murder and actually took a running dive head-first into the back of the car. It was actually a pretty spactacular move. It turns out we have quite the athlete on our hands given the right circumstances.
Jackson and Adalie are also very cute. Jack has been getting teeth, so every once in a while he transforms into this horrible whining monstrosity that bears slight resemblance to my son. Whenever he makes his screaching noises I am tempted to recite the script from the princes bride because that is exactly what he sounds like:
"Do you know what that sound is, Highness? Those are the shrieking eels! If you don't believe me, just wait. They always grow louder when they're about to feed on human flesh!"
...but overall they are all just happy, talkative, sweet children.
Here we are eating at the mall.
This is Evelyn's hat. She loves it and wears it all the time. I don't even know where she got it.
I think Rachel is gonna post some more pictures later today, so check back in and see if we've updated.
That is so sad about your bikes! I admire your strength and perspective regarding the situation.
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