Parenting by bakfietsen

Today, I got a message from my friend Dan who owns Headwaters Kayak in Lodi. He was home with the kiddos today and was wondering if we wanted to go for a ride. Since my only other plans involved chauffeuring Big Brother to and from school and possibly finally getting around to vacuuming, I jumped at the chance! As soon as BB with done with school, I scooped him up and we met Dan and his munchkins at East Portal Park to make our way up the American River Parkway to Hagan Park. Any good parent knows that every bike ride should begin and end with a playground, right? 

Dan had brought up his Cycle Truck--one of John Lucas's newest designs with a bi-partible frame and fancy laser-cut name plates. Dan helped build it up with fancy components and big, squishy tires to ensure a smooth ride for Munchkin #2. 

Dan's Munchkin #1 sits perched next to his sister who sleeps peacefully while strapped into the car-seat that's been Thule strapped down. Amazingly, Munchkin #1 stays calm enough and can follow directions well so there's not much worry about him sliding around. My fear with the Cycle Trucks for my kiddos was that they wouldn't sit still without being bungeed to the floor (*ahem* Little Brother *ahem*). Dan hasn't found that to be an issue at all. 

Bakfietsen Buddies!

With about 90% of the ride being along the American River Parkway, it was a really relaxing trip. I wanted to make sure I could keep up with Dan's crew so I pushed myself to go faster that I might normally go on a casual afternoon ride. It felt awesome! 

Off the bike, the boys had a blast running around the playground and the wee Munchkin was an adorable squishy bundle of sweetness. 

Hey kids, don't you see the giant playground behind you?

Action shot.

Not one person complained about getting back in the bikes, especially when we decided to put all the boys in one Bullitt basket so they could continue their playtime. 

Sweet wee one was singing in her chariot.

Rub-a-dub-dub, three boys in a tub! (Side note--I think Little Brother needs a haircut...) *Photo by Dan Arbuckle

The boys were so incredibly entertaining. It was especially nice to be able to give them the freedom to play but still be able to keep an eye on their shenanigans. 

The craziness ensues. *Photo by Dan Arbuckle

It was also great training for our upcoming Summer 2014 Tour De Whine & Chocolate! Whew! My legs were screaming by the end of the ride. 

*Photo by Dan Arbuckle

Of course, at the other end of the ride, we needed more playground time so we hung out at EPP for a bit longer until Dan had to go home to make his lovely wife some homemade spaghetti sauce. Seriously. After 20 miles of kid-hauling, I was ready for a nap. Turns out that I wasn't the only one...

The face of a good day.

As a final note, even though the 20-mile ride was pretty tiring and I was certainly not in the mood to do anything this evening, since I'm nearing the end of working out to Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred, I finally forced myself to get up and move. About a 1/3 of the way through the 20 minute workout, I was dripping with sweat and realized how happy I was that I hadn't let myself be a slug this evening. I often have people tell me how awesome it is that I ride my bike and how I must not ever have to workout. However, I've found out that I do need to continue to push myself. I don't ride my bike like a racer, it's just transportation. With my summer trip coming up, I want to make sure that I'm strong enough to carry the kids longer distances each day on my own and with gear. Using biking as my sole form of exercise had not been enough and I'm glad that I caught it before my fitness level had slipped more than it already has. Jillian bugs me like none other but with my tunes cranked up it's not so bad. I have to admit that I am getting stronger.