Sunday Bike Ride

On Sunday when David and I announced that we were all going for a bike ride, all three of my children burst into tears.

Don't get me wrong, they like bike rides. In fact, I can safely say that riding their bikes is one of their hands-down favorite activities. From the time the weather barely gets warm enough, until well after the first snow fall, my girls are outside, on and off their bikes for hours/days/weeks at a time.

New bikes from Grandpa!

These are physical girls that love to play outside.

Even Marin gives her "big girl bike" equal time as her beloved tricycle. (And please note that in our driveway, our girls don't always wear helmets, but we're religious about it on bike rides.) (And I KNOW they should in our driveway too, but it's frustrating for them to get them on an off, and I'd rather they ride and be physical than be frustrated or avoid their bikes because of the Helmet Hurdle.)

Anyway, on this particular day, they were playing! in! water! for the first time this season, and none of them could bear the idea of being pulled away from that activity. Water play trumps biking... who knew! (They had a bowl full of soapy water and were washing things.) (SUPER thrilling, I KNOW.)

After calmly listening to their protests, we gently insisted that yes, we were still going for a bike ride, and yes they were all coming along. And oh, by they way, we'll also stop at the Drive-in for dinner on our way home.

They had their helmets on in 45 minutes, flat. Give or take.

So we started off. And this is where I realized just how much we forget to explain to our children sometimes, and then how often we get frustrated with them for not understand the very things we didn't explain.

First, we didn't communicate that we had to go around the lake first, before dinner. That dinner was our reward for finishing the bike ride. The Drive-in is quite close to our house, so they were confused by our direction.

Second, we didn't explain that the lake is a circle, and that NO, we don't have to bike ALL THE WAY back around it to get home. After we eat, we are almost home.

My girls are smart cookies, but never having to drive themselves around town, and not having a Map of Tiny Town imprinted on their brains, these things were not obvious to them. When I told them it was about 5 miles to the Drive-in, they thought it would then be 5 miles home. (It's about 6-8 blocks home).

Man, being a kid is hard!

We had to stop half way around the lake to discuss all of this because the MOM MOM MOM's were driving me batty. And I can't really talk to them while biking. Because we bike single-file. Because I don't quite trust them to NOT cut me off and cause a huge bike accident.

(It should be noted that Marin, though pictured riding her bike above, rides in a bike trailer or bike seat- we have both- on these sorts of rides. Her bike is for around our neighborhood only.)

So anyway, we made it to the Drive-in. It's one of those retro old-fashioned places where you pull up and place your order from your car. And then they bring you your food on a tray that clips to your window. Sometimes they bring your tray wearing roller skates.

(Marin and Daddy, waiting for our food. Gratuitous lake view in background.)

Though, since we were on our bikes, we ordered and then ate our food at one of the handful of tables they have for this purpose.

(As usual, more photos on Flickr.)

Corn dogs and french fries and root beer, all under a rainbow colored umbrella... YUM.

By this time, the girls were happy and hungry. They understood we were almost home and didn't have to bike all the way around the lake again to get there. And that their soapy water was waiting for them, right where they left it.

+++++++++++

I've left several responses in the comment sections of yesterday's post about moving.