I have a dream.

And that dream is to have a bakfiets cargo bike instead of a second car. Think Emily Finch.

So I'm on day 5 of biking every day. I know that before I can think about buying a bakfiets I need to be fit enough to ride one up hills!

I stalked Craigslist for a good deal on a bike trailer and now I can take the kiddos with me on rides. This is great because it means I can ride when Silas is at work... which is most of the rideable hours in a day.

 We biked to the library the other day which is about a mile and half away. I did really well on the way there... but was feeling faint by the time I got home.

It's all neighborhood roads with little traffic so I feel safe taking them in the trailer, something I would avoid in heavily trafficked areas. 

We got "The Best Bike Ride Ever" for Gideon to read. One of the authors is from Eugene :)

And I picked up "Bike Snob; Systematically & Mercilessly Realigning the World of Cycling". I haven't been reading as much as I'd like to lately but I'm already almost done with this one.

 Gideon loves his helmet but Zeke is not such a fan.

 He much prefers riding solo than sharing the trailer with Gideon. I think because Gideon is constantly poking, kissing, hugging, licking, or otherwise touching him. 

 I made a seat cover for my bike seat since it's being stored outside and I have a gel seat. Note: gel seats do not just dry off. You sit on them and they soak you through your underwear.

 After our first family ride Gideon got out of the trailer, climbed onto his trike, and pedaled. For the first time. I have been trying to get him to pedal his tricycle for almost a year! Apparently it didn't make sense to him until he watched me do it.

  I'll leave you with these thoughts from Bike Snob.

Saturday means...

...lounging around in bed with the kids for an hour or two.

...watching Gideon read to himself while I make breakfast.

 ...drinking coffee slowly.

 ...organizing bookshelves.

 ...driving 45 minutes for a Craigslist deal.

...taking my new bike out for a spin in a thunderstorm.

 ...finishing a quilt. (It will be in my Etsy shop soon!)

 ...making tortillas for dinner.

 ...watching Zeke eat his first burrito!

 ...indulging in homemade sopapillas.

Hope you're having a great weekend :)

Back to cloth diapering!

After struggling with ammonia in my diapers for a long time while we were in Pittsburgh I stopped cloth diapering. I couldn't get rid of the ammonia and Gideon was getting chemical burns because of it. So we made the switch to disposables. It was an expensive switch but we decided it was best. Sadly, I packed my diapers away in a tub. 

When it was time to move to Seattle I just couldn't bring myself to get rid of the diapers. So I brought them with. And recently I decided to do a little more research and search a little harder for a solution. I found that the hard water in Pittsburgh might have been contributing to my ammonia problems.

So I bought some funk rock detergent and soaked my diapers in the bathtub over night. Then I washed and dried them and put them to use. The Fuzzi Bunz no longer fit Gideon but the Bum Genius still work on the biggest setting.

I made a point of trying to change the boys as soon as I thought they were wet. I took the liners out and put them in the diaper pail right away. I made sure to wash my diapers every other day. And SURPRISE! I seem to be winning the battle!

I still have problems with one or two of my diapers smelling but I'm hoping with a couple more soaks they will be as fresh as the others. And on the whole I am very happy with my results!

 My wallet is happy that I've saved almost $20 in ONE WEEK by not paying for disposables. AND now that I'm not throwing away diapers all my trash for one week finally fits in my trash can so I don't have to pay to dump extra trash at the dump!

 And, I mean, COME ONE, that tush is cute.

Easter Weekend (Picture heavy!)

This weekend was pretty close to perfect.

It started out bright and early with Gideon's gymnastics class. It was his first of the new session and it was special because it was his first class without Mommy.

 I thought he might not go out on the mat without me... but no. He skipped off with his coach without even saying bye.

I watched a little teary eyed from the bleachers as he went about his exercises. So big.

 After class we went to meet some of our friends and the UW quad. The cherry blossoms were in full bloom and it was breathtaking. Pictures cannot do the scene justice.

 Gideon always has his trusty sunglasses on these days. He is not a fan of the sun.

Cuppow! Love this thing. Coconut milk chai latte to-go.

On Saturday the weather was BEAUTIFUL! So we decided to take a family outing to Pike's Place to do our Easter shopping.

We bought fish, flowers, vegetables, fruit and lunch.

It was the first time we didn't take the stroller with us. Usually, I carry Zeke in the Ergo and Gideon rides in the stoller and it's very hard to maneuver with all those people! I was worried Gideon would get tired but he did great!

Silas bought me a vegan chocolate chip cookie the size of my face. And it was delicious.

 It was such a clear day! On cloudy days you can't really see the mountains but it was perfect.

I have such a soft place in my heart for street food. I got a lamb gyro and Silas also surprised me with Turkish delight from the Turkish food store. I liked the almond flavor best.

 Gideon could probably have stood looking at the sea for hours. But we needed to get home and start preparing for Easter.

These are the beautiful pears I bought to make Smitten Kitchen's Pear tart + cardamom. Spoiler: it was delicious. 

I finally got around to making cloth napkins and a table runner for my dining room. I've been meaning to do it for ages and I'm so happy with the result. Now I want to make a million more cloth napkins.

 I hid the boys' Easter baskets but Zeke wasn't really into it and Gideon is THE WORST finder ever. Zeke liked his spiky ball and Gideon was enamored with his ring pop.

 Annnnd Easter egg hunt in the front yard! But, like I said, Gideon's finding abilities were not that great.

 Jelly beans for breakfast, Yum. Now off to church!

We spent the afternoon gorging ourselves and hanging out with friends. I felt so blessed and thankful for all the joy from this weekend that it has carried over into today and I had to share. Hope you had a blessed Easter!