biking — Blog — The Wee Wanderer

"It's a Sweater!"

In 1986, when I was nine, my mom took me and my brother to see the movie The Three Amigos. I think you had to be between the ages of 7 and 9 to appreciate this gem of a film to the extent that my brother and I did / do. Almost everyone else thought it was so-so. But all of you 44-to-46-year-olds out there know what I’m talking about. “In-famous?” “I think it’s a male plane.” “You killed the invisible swordsman!” “Would you say I have a plethora of pinatas?” And my personal favorite line: “It’s a sweater!” If you try hard enough, you can make any piece of literature relevant to your current situation. There are zero connections between parenting and The Three Amigos, but for some reason, I keep thinking about this ridiculous film lately, and how it pertains to my life as the parent of a 50-pounder. Read on if you somehow have any remaining interest. (I’m lookin’ at you, Uncle Josh!)

Sarah MenaulJuly 26, 2023parenthood, skiing, outdoors, biking, nature

Comfort Zone

The first weekend in July was notable for 2 reasons – it was both our nation’s birthday, and the Menaul Family’s first camping trip since last Labor Day, which will be forever remembered in Menaul Family History as “the trip that broke us.” Readers of this blog will remember that Levi rounded out the 2018 camping season at Sequim Bay State Park, where he transformed our formerly idyllic 3-man tent into a veritable torture chamber. Suffice it to say that we approached this first camping trip with more than a bit of trepidation.

Sarah MenaulAugust 13, 2019baby, camping, hiking, biking

10 Miles To Tulip Town

When you become a parent, the concept of “vacation” changes entirely. Before Baby, a vacation meant that I was “off.” Of everything. After Baby, one or two things (money-job, laundry, or meal preparation, say) might stop happening for a few days, but the main thing – the all-encompassing life-or-death responsibility that is parenting – is still there. That never goes away.