five for five

Traveling Well has taken on a new definition this month. As I mentioned in my last post, we’ve committed (all of us, from the 4 year old to the 49 year old) to riding our bikes each and every day this month. But we took it a step beyond. Not only are we cycling every day, but we are NOT driving at all. We’re committed to walking, cycling, or taking public transportation to get every where we need to go this month. This is an idea we’ve toyed with in the past, but were never sure how it would work in actual practice. Well, 30 Days of Biking has given us a chance to find out!

The kids are on spring break right now, so all my rides are reflecting the fact that I’ve got a 4 year old attached to my hip… or thereabouts. Shorter rides, low-traffic routes. Not that I’m complaining. Riding in traffic is uncomfortable for me, as I was born and bred in the sticks. These first two weeks are prep for the rest of the month

Where we’ve cycled thus far:

Nice trip to the parc to inaugurate the month. It was a little cold, but bright and sunny. A good time was had by all. Until we stopped on a country lane on the way home for me to snap this pic. It was supposed to be a pic of all my guys standing in front of all our bikes. But Harry took my “go stand by your bike” to mean “go lean on your bike”, which tipped over his and my bikes, which led to exasperation on some grown up’s part, which let to tears on Harry’s part. Hence, a picture of Liam alone.

Casual ride out exploring some country lanes. Getting more comfortable with the tagalong, and with traveling as a pack. Pictured above is our obligatory stop at “the faces” statue in the local Friends of the Blind establishment.

Harry and I made a roundabout trip to the shops in the middle of the day for some fruit. This was my first time taking him and the tagalong out into actual traffic. Getting a little more comfortable. In the evening we went out on our side street so Harry could practice coasting on his own little bike (pedals are off) and had Liam practice his braking skills in game-like fashion with Jesse.

No pictures from day four. The weather turned bleak, so Harry and I headed out for a quick few miles before the rain hit. No worries for the rest of the family, though. Jesse is as stubborn as they come, and wouldn’t let a bit of rain turn him from his task. And Liam is dedicated enough to 30 Days of Biking that he did a kilometer on the stationary bike in our garage

Today? Has been a tough day. Harry, the cute little tyke in glasses, can be so very, very sweet. He can also be such a… well, a handful. And today was a handful kind of day. I was desperate for some time alone. I suppose it’s obvious: we’ve been glued to each other every single day since school let out on Friday. We both needed the break.

My darling husband took time off from cleaning up his newest bike (an abandoned one he’s planning to use as a beater) so I could take a ride by myself. Not enough time for many miles, but thirty minutes was all I needed to change my outlook.

We’ve also used the bus daily to get into the center town. But I’d be doing that anyway. I’m not crazy enough to try and park in the centre ville

I’m hoping the weather improves and this next week is a little more accommodating to our biking plans. Liam will be home as well and I’m envisioning some picnic lunches at the parc. We’ll see.