"Maybe they're at the beach!"

Rolling with new adventures

Thursday we took our first family bike ride.  All four of us on our bikes. We set out to OSH hardware store in search of hooks for Josh's new tool shelves.  (Man oh man it feels good to be getting that garage organized.)

So there we were embarking on first venture and we had our water, snacks, Kleenex box for my girl's epic runny nose, yep we were ready.  The sun was bright and the air crisp. I was so excited to be back on my bike. As soon as I hopped on I realized how much I love to ride it. Riding as a family was oh so fun and offered yet another opportunity to take things slow and really notice the beauty of our little neighborhood.

Riding with kids gives you joy as:
* you watch the sunlight dance through new streamers that Santa stuffed into Ellie's stocking,
* they stop to take another drink of water from the super cool water bottle mounted to your big bike,
* you get a peek back from your daughter saying, "You right behind me mama?",
* your son slows down to say, "I want to ride right by you.",
* you notice an egret and pair of ducks in the creek that you didn't remember was even there,
* you stop for another drink of water from that cool water bottle,
* you stop to share some crackers you packed in your bike basket,
and the list goes on.

Our quick trip to the store was a grand day out and I just loved it.

The way home was a challenge for my girl.  She had pedaled her little legs off and was wearing down.  Daddy and Mason's lead stretched out in front of us until we could no longer see them.  Ellie informed me that we should have just walked because her legs were too tired.  Could I just walk her bike for her?  She began singing as she skipped along and then would find a burst of energy, hop on her bike and pedal like mad until, "I am done riding."  And off she would go singing, imagining, announcing, "When we get home will you help me find my doggie ears? I am a doggie now."

As we made our way along, she announced, "Where are Daddy and Mason? Why don't they come and pick us up?"  We decided to take a picture and send it to them and ask them where they were.

"Hi Guys, where are you?"

The sent us this back.

Ellie looked at it and said, "I think they are at the beach. That picture looks like they are at the beach. Come on Mama, let's go see." And with that, (and the lack of awareness that although we once bought surf shirts with our town's name on them for our east coast friends for laughs, we live nowhere near the beach,) we rode like the wind to find our boys at the beach.

To her surprise we didn't find them at the beach, but we did find them waiting for us at good ol' Mr. Pickles.  Our friendly neighborhood sandwich shop and landmark extraordinaire. So although it wasn't the beach it was a gem of a place in her eyes. We caught them and Ellie announced, "One home is a rotten egg."

It wasn't long before I was strolling with two bikes and watching my little doggie skip merrily along. I won the prize of rotten egg, but it is pretty grand!