We had such an awesome time with Sami and baby I.! There was plenty of biking to do in this gorgeous February weather and our kiddos were happy to come along. 

We did eventually get a little worn out. It had been nonstop talking, planning, riding, playing, and just a wee bit of crazy thrown in over the last four days. 

But overall, it was a great time! 

Our Oregon friends had taken the train down so on Tuesday, they headed back up by train again. Unfortunately, this train departs at 11:58pm. We borrowed my parents' car to make it easier (so I thought) on us all. Baby I. fell right to sleep (of course). Then we learned that the train was over an hour behind schedule (common). Luckily, Sami was prepared. 

When I got back to the car, it wouldn't start. It wasn't the battery because the Prius dashboard would light up but then malfunction. I had never seen anything like it before. After talking with my parents', we decided that it would be best just to leave the car and take a taxi home, it was after 1am already. I learned that a 4 mile taxi ride home costs about $18+ tip, something totally worth it to have a safe and easy ride home from a difficult situation. Sometimes cars cause more trouble than they're worth. As an added bummer, my parents' extended warranty just expired in January. However, this morning, my dad was able to drive the car back home and it's been working okay ever since. 

Because I had been planning on having the car in the morning and I had left our bike (with helmets) at my folks' house, my day was already thrown off right from the start. I had some bike juggling to deal with, I needed to return the trailer to Practical Cycle, it was raining but I hadn't ordered Little Brother's new rain suit yet, and we were all pretty tired from our long weekend. We also had a couple of annoying car drivers on the way over to get our helmets. My nerves were frazzled by 10am. 

The Bullitt was soaking wet because we didn't have the cover and the rain showed up earlier than expected. Once again, neither Little Brother nor I was very prepared for the weather. 

We got to Little Brother's music class, we rain into our friends at the park. I complained a bit then had to get LB to class. When we came out, this was the cheery sight waiting for us: 

I decided that it was only appropriate to stop for coffee and disgusting sugary treats. Little Brother agreed. 

So despite our crabby morning, enjoying a walk in the sprinkly rain was the perfect antidote. I think we'll have a quiet couple of days coming up to replenish. 

After months of back-and-forth emails and calls filled with plans and ideas, Sami made the trek down south from Bend with baby I. in tow. They took Amtrak down yesterday (they actually left Friday but the train gets into Sac on Saturday morning). In proper Bustamante fashion, despite the early arrival time, I went out by bike to pick them up. 

You might remember Sami and her family from our trip last year up to Negro Bar. She wrote about it recently on another website, Adventure Family In Motion. Obviously, these guys are lots of fun and adventurous and put lots of blind faith in my silly plans. 

I pulled up to the station right as their train arrived, despite it being 45 minutes early (I had a feeling since it tends to come in early often). Sami and I. were in happy spirits and ready to ride. I. was cozy in the Bullitt and Sami ride the Mobic. It was a clear, quiet morning--a perfect welcome to Sacramento! 

As soon as we got home (about a four mile ride), we had breakfast then immediately started getting ready for Kidical Mass. We were on Doughbot duty and had to be on time. Sami switched over to my mom's Breezer which is a perfect fit for her, and I switched over to my trusty Mundo for the ride. I. came with me in the Peanut Shell and took the place of my boys who had gone with Jose to their grandparents' house. 

Jarrod, of 8legs2wheels, had organized our Kidical Mass ride this month to the Crocker Art Museum. We met up, chatted over coffee, hot cocoa, and Doughbots while checking out some amazing new cargo bikes and made some new friends. 

After the short ride over to the museum, a fun kid-centered look at a few exhibits, and a delicious lunch, these ladies still had enough energy to head over to Practical Cycle to rent their Burley trailer and pick up a new stylish helmet. We then took the long way home along the American River Parkway! Thankfully, after a 27 mile day, we were all ready for a quiet evening of business discussions. 

However, this morning, we were up again bright and early (thanks, I.!). We didn't waste any time riding back over to the Amtrak station to hop on the next train heading to Davis. We arrived right at final call for boarding and when the conductor saw us rolling up with the trailer, she immediately looked horrified. Thankfully, she kept her composure and asked if the trailer broke down, which we said it did (that way, we could get away with it being considered a stroller). This train route does offer bike roll-on service. The last car (which is where she recommended we go) was empty so we had plenty of room to fill it up. The ride to Davis is only 14 minutes long so we didn't have much time to settle in. 

It only took us a few minutes to roll our bikes and gear back off the train, load up and ride off towards Winters. It was an easy 15 mile ride and I was so happy to be able to show Sami around. Davis has some great bike trails and routes. The last few miles of this trip is along quiet back roads where we saw more bikers than drivers. 

After some playground time, we rode back to Davis. 

Davis is very well known for being a bike town. One look at the UC campus and you can see why. There are bikes every where, really nice and clear infrastructure, and bike stations all over town (however, the one pump I tried to use was broken). 

There was some more playground time and lots of "concerts" by I. Even though she had already been in the trailer for hours, she was still in great cheerful spirits. 

As we were packing up, I checked the time for the next train--it wasn't for another hour and a half! So even though we were already pretty exhausted, we decided to bike home the final 18 miles. Thankfully, Sami picked up some more food that we enjoyed midway. 

Right as we were riding into Sacramento over the I st. bridge, we heard our train come into the station. We had just a few more miles home and the sun was just going down. It was a 55 mile day. I am beat! Tomorrow will be a much quieter day! 

Even though I get my weather forecasts from a groundhog, I've decided that it's time for our home to get a little tidying up. I've taken this opportunity to organize and clear out our space, one room at a time. Recently, I've become obsessed with selling things online, through Craigslist and FaceBook groups. It's been a blast! Cloth diapers--out, too small snow suits--out, random glass things--out! And, I made enough money to get Little Brother a new rain suit from Ducksday! This morning, I enlisted my dad and his fantastic Travoy's help to cart a bunch of packages to the post office. I had both boys with me because they've been sick this weekend and I kept Big Brother home one more day to rest up. 

The day before, I packed up three big boxes to take over to our local coffee shop to meet the buyer. Since it was filled with fragile things, I walked the bike three blocks and then rolled it all right up to her car for easy loading. 

I have a few more things still lingering around the house but it's already feeling like a much clearer space. I even have a desk to work at in a clean, organized office, just in time to start buckling down and getting some real work done. Speaking of work, could you take the time to answer these questions. It only takes a couple of minuets and it would really help Sami and me with our upcoming exciting business plans. 

Speaking of awesome ideas, have you read the latest Sacramento News & Review? 

Now, who wants to buy some cloth diapers? 

Many people ask me when their kiddo can sit on deck and out of a baby seat. Big Brother moved to the stoker bars just before he turned 4 and took to it quicker than I had expected. He would still ride in the Peanut Shell on longer trips or when he was close to nap time. Many kids are mature enough to sit in a hooptie or monkey bars around three years old, but it all depends on their personality and how well they listen to instructions while sitting calmly. I know many kids who stayed in their seats until five or older for a variety of reasons--comfort, distractibity, narcolepsy.

Little Brother tries his hardest to do everything like his big brother. This morning, he was in a particularly sweet and patient mood so when he asked politely to sit on deck, I tentatively gave in. He had to keep both hands on the handlebars and sit quietly.

You can see that he didn't quite follow my two-hand rule but he did sit calmly the whole two miles home.

On the way back home from picking up BB, both boys sat together on deck. LB is certainly not ready to be out of the seat but it is pretty cute to see my kiddos growing up. its nice to know that our Mundo will continue to grow and evolve with our family.

Twelve miles in a steady downpour is a good way to figure out just how waterproof my gear actually is.

Turns out--they're not very waterproof. My pants held out until the last four miles and the fleece tights underneath kept me warm throughout. My jacket was waterproof last rainy season but it didn't hold up at all. Maybe a waterproofing treatment will help extend its life.

The boys, on the other hand, stayed toasty and dry. Thank you, Blaq Designs and Splendid Cycles!

After about 14 months without a decent downpour, Sacramento finally has rain! We're expected to have a whopping two inches this weekend! That didn't stop us from getting out and about. 

We got to experience wind with the Bullitt canopy up for the first time, too. It has the tendency to act like a sail, which is nice when you have a tailwind but not so handy with a crosswind. 

Today, I went out in a downpour and in my rush to leave with the BionX Breezer, I neglected Jose's suggestion to take the rain pants. My SmartWool leggings didn't hold up to that much rain and I was drenched and freezing. After warming up and drying off at my folks' house this afternoon, I rode home with less assist to stay warm. 

For those who actually understand how to prepare for rain, I have a question: does one use a seat cover to keep your saddle dry until you sit on it or do you take the cover off with you when you go inside and replace it when you're about to get back on the bike? I'm asking for a friend...

Finally, considering the amount of twitter feed @SacTraffic is taking up lately, this leads me to believe that people have forgotten that certain weather conditions require changes in their usual driving habits. I noticed many drivers rolling around without their lights on in the rain, speeding around downtown with super slick roads and limited visibility, and generally driving as terribly as usual--probably even more so. Does the rain cause you to forget how to use your brakes at stop signs? Remember, rain is not dangerous. Dangerous drivers put everyone at risk by not adjusting to the conditions. Slow down and enjoy this beautiful weather! 

Today has been a buzz of excitement--starting with a business phone call for an exciting new direction for my career and ending with a house full of friends and munchkins. 

Bekah flew into town for work this afternoon and in typical Bustamante fashion, the boys and I hopped on the Mundo to go pick her up. 

Once we got our balance, we rolled over to my folks' house for a visit. Big Brother had a terrifying experience when he slipped backwards on our way out the door and fell headfirst down their steep staircase. The first thing he said to me as I scooped him up (I was pretty confident he didn't have a spinal injury since I had seen him fall) was "I was NOT wearing my helmet!" Despite the bump on his head and the scrape down his back, within a few minutes of icing, he was running around as if nothing had happened (although I'll probably be sleeping with him tonight). 

Bekah rode the Linus back to my house, not that I wouldn't have continued on with her on the Mundo, but I wanted the Linus back at home since it's been stuck at Practical Cycle for a tune up (then I needed to figure out a way to get it home with some sneaky bike-juggling and an eventual pick-up by the Prius). Plus, Bekah is part Linus owner because I was holding her raffle ticket, as well as my mom's and mine, when we won the bike at Bike Fest. 

Once we were home, the boys were excited to have some friends come over for dinner and then another set of friends popped over when they saw everyone as they were walking by. It was pretty funny to see them connect through what they've read about each other from the blog. It seems that at this point, I don't even have to talk to my friends anymore because they stay up-to-date with everything I write online. (Hi guys!) It was really nice to catch up with such fun people and even better that they helped wear out my children (who are already fast asleep. Thanks again, guys!). 

Yesterday, I was putting Big Brother's helmet on when one of the pads came out attached to the Velcro. I noticed a crack on the side and then a few more. It was time for a replacement helmet.

We went over to Practicial Cycle today to look for a new one and BB fell in love with the Nutcase Glo-Brain. I wear Nutcase helmets and love them. This helmet is big enough for his head to keep growing and I like the full coverage as opposed to the lighter "racer" style, especially since we can be kind of rough on bike equipment in this family. It's nice and visible and it's something he'll wear happily.

I know that helmet use is a highly debated topic but for our family, we've weighed all the pros and cons and we choose to wear them (it's also the law for anyone under 18 anyway). Surprisingly, in the 2 years I've had this site up, I've only had one person tell me I'm wrong to "force" my children to wear helmets. I get pretty annoyed at anyone telling me what to do with my children, however, I'm very secure in my decision. I figure that both side of the pro/anti helmet folks have good arguments for their reasons to wear/not wear a helmet. I like that my helmet is fun, it keeps my head warm, the sun out of my eyes, and it's probably not going to hurt me. Plus, if my kids have to wear them, I'm going to lead by example.

Most importantly, Big Brother looks pretty darn cool.