well, we started off the new year up in duluth. we had a great time. then we all came down with the flu. that wasn’t so great. we are all finally over the flu, but it has taken us all a while to get back to our normal, active lives.
in the last couple weeks we’ve had a lot of things happening. the most exciting is that my younger brother, andrew, and his wonderful wife, tessa, will be moving back to st. paul. after years of living in california, we are so pleased to have them back home.
fi has been blossoming into a ‘big girl’, wearing undies day and night and rarely having accidents (maybe once every 4-5 days). she is talking a lot more too, shedding her old ‘baby’ self. it has really been an amazing transformation. she is even READING some of her bob books. amazing. she has had some fun play dates lately with her cousin bea, her friends henry, lexi, and sammy. she has also been mommy to her new baby doll, who she named ‘julianna’. oh, and she has a new favorite train - ROSIE! rosie was a gift from grandpa connell and sandy, and she has been going everywhere with fi lately.
ella has continued to be miss sassy - not that her attitude is bad, she’s just full of ideas about fashion and glamour. she’s still 5, not 15, right? she was sashaying around the house after her new haircut and style tonight (courtesy of ’salon connéll). she continues to read a lot, and write even more, starting all sorts of books, songs, and poems…and notes. she is so ready to be a big kid…its exciting and scary for us, all at the same time. after learning how to finger knit from grandma sandy, she started teaching the kids at school how to do it…and soon mastered 5 finger knitting. she has since learned to knit with needles and crochet, with the help of grandma kathy, malte, mama, and a klutz sewing/crocheting kit from grandpa connell and sandy. her skating has been coming along very well. at a friend’s birthday party, she skated outside and didn’t need anyone with her. she skated for probably 2 hours total on saturday (an hour at class, and an hour outside - despite <10 degree weather). today she tried out cross country skiing for the first time and didn’t want to come in when it was time to go. she LOVED it! i think her exact words were ‘this is so awesome!’
malte recently finished up his first semester of being an american student. though the classes were tough at times, he finished up with a lot of hard work. he also got to attend the cyclists’ banquet, where he had a tour of GPB (quality bike products company), and accepted his award for junior cyclocross STATE CHAMPION! we are so very proud of him. he can’t wait for cycling season to start up again. he also got to try out cross country skiing today, but traded them in for a snowboard after a while. he spent the whole day friday snowboarding with some friends from school (he had a little crash, which is why he has a scratch on his chin, but was otherwise okay).
my big news is that, for the first time in almost 6 years, i’m going to be employed! a few jobs have crossed my path, including one of my ‘do this before i die’ jobs (delivering coffee by bike for peace coffee), but it never felt like the right time. in late february, early march, i will be starting with just one night a week and some weekend hours at COUNTY CYCLES, working more once summer is here. i am starting my 3rd year riding for the county cycles tri team, and bill and malte both ride for the gopher wheelmen, a road cycling team also sponsered by county cycles. we have been so proud to represent a shop that we really love and feel at home at, so obviously i am very excited to start working there. it will also be a fantastic fit for our family, since i will be working more during the summer when ella has more time with me, and less or not at all during much of her school year, when she really needs mama around after school. of course, a new job at a bike shop requires a new bike! since i didn’t want to winter commute on any of my current bikes, i lucked out with this diamond in the rough. this bike was given to me by our good friends and fellow bike nuts, mike & benita. mike and i pulled it out of one of the many piles of used bikes they maintain, and bill helped get her road ready. i am really excited about this new bike, and the price tag was fantastic (FREE! everything it needed, we already had around!). this should be a great bike for riding in the snow. i promise not to collect any new hardware with it.
BEFORE……………………………a n d…………………………….AFTER!!!
bill has started off his year with the goal of biking in every month of the year. so far, he’s good, having already ridden in january…despite the cold. of course, after visiting QBP, we’re wishing we lived closer so if he ever landed a job there, it would be an easy bike commute. he better do some road racing this year, because i can already tell that he wants cyclocross season to start up again…and its months and months away! 
maybe one year the lake pepin 3-speed bike tour will fall a bit father from ella’s birthday, so that we can do that (http://www.home.earthlink.net/~steinborn/3STmainwithframes.htm).
