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Yesterday I carried on my family's tradition of going to the movies. Today we started a new family tradition. It was the first time that all four of us (me, husband, son and daughter) went for a bike ride.
My husband loves to bike – he's a mountain biker. I've been banned from mountain biking (by him) because it gives me tension headaches (long story) but I am allowed to ride on trails and streets. We used to bike fairly regularly when we lived in San Diego and when we first moved back to Toronto. In that long-ago time affectionately known as B.C. – Before Children.
My husband loves to bike – he's a mountain biker. I've been banned from mountain biking (by him) because it gives me tension headaches (long story) but I am allowed to ride on trails and streets. We used to bike fairly regularly when we lived in San Diego and when we first moved back to Toronto. In that long-ago time affectionately known as B.C. – Before Children.
The Trip
Today we rode straight down to a cool new park, Corktown Common. It's a 6-kilometre trip along the Don Valley Trail, and, according to Google Maps, it's a 20-minute ride. Considering that we had to walk down the huge Pottery Road hill and walk up every single incline no matter how slight, it's a miracle that it took us less than 2 hours. Truth be told, since it was my first bike ride in a few years, I wasn't too disappointed that we were taking it slow.
We arrived at the park with only one minor meltdown en route. The only other memorable thing that happened during the ride was stopping every 15 seconds (literally) at the beginning because our son needed to scratch – his head, his arm, his leg. Somehow because he knew he couldn't scratch while riding, he was continuously itchy every where on his entire body. When we finally arrived at the park and took off our helmets, he managed to run around for well over an hour without needing to scratch once.
We arrived at the park with only one minor meltdown en route. The only other memorable thing that happened during the ride was stopping every 15 seconds (literally) at the beginning because our son needed to scratch – his head, his arm, his leg. Somehow because he knew he couldn't scratch while riding, he was continuously itchy every where on his entire body. When we finally arrived at the park and took off our helmets, he managed to run around for well over an hour without needing to scratch once.
Going Home
Luckily we had thought ahead and knew that it would be way too much for the kids to ride home. So my mom came and picked them up and the adults got to ride home alone. It felt like we were way back in 2 B.C. (2 years before children). The only drawbacks - no children to slow us down and I had to at least make the attempt to get up the Pottery Road hill. But, similar to 2 B.C., my husband put his hand on my back and tried to help me up the steepest part of the hill (the first 1/3) and proclaimed "it flattens out here" to which I replied nothing, because I couldn't breathe. But it goes without saying that I disagreed.
All in all, the ride was a huge success. The kids had a great time and so did the adults. I'm foreseeing this new family tradition carrying on until our kids are too cool to hang out with us - so like 5 years?
All in all, the ride was a huge success. The kids had a great time and so did the adults. I'm foreseeing this new family tradition carrying on until our kids are too cool to hang out with us - so like 5 years?