Woohoo, our family has emerged from the weeks of survival mode! We’re more tired than before, but who isn’t these days? In any case, I’m trying hard (and not managing very well) to shift my priorities back and include more movement in my life.
The youngest member of our family is now nearly 9 months old. In some ways this helps (we can do more things) and in some ways it doesn’t (increased mobility means less ability to just plop him down next to me and do 20 minutes of yoga while expecting him to still be there afterwards) with my exercise quest.
One thing that does help is that he is now fairly good at sitting up on his own, so yesterday we risked putting him in the bike trailer for the first time. Here we are, mama grinning from ear to ear about being back in the saddle and baby looking sceptical behind the yellow star I use to cover his face in an effort to keep his privacy on the Internet:
If that bike trailer looks familiar, it’s because it’s the same vehicle as our jogging buggy, which converts to a bike trailer. But while it’s safe to go running with a baby who can’t sit up on their own yet (provided you follow the manufacturer’s instructions and common sense), biking is a different story due to the speed at which you might fly over obstacles. It requires the little human to have a bit more body tension and stability.
Anyway, yesterday was the day. We strapped on his bike helmet (so cute!), hooked the trailer up to his dad’s bike, and off we went. We didn’t get very far because it started raining, as it is wont to do these days around here. But it was fun anyway! Baby didn’t complain much and even fell asleep at the end. So even if we didn’t go for a long ride, we have proof of principle: the parents had a good time and the little one didn’t hate it, so we can attempt a longer family ride next. YAY!
What sports and fitness activities do you enjoy with your kids, if you have children? If your they are older, what did you enjoy doing with them when they were small – and in particular, what did the kids enjoy?
Great post, Bettina! Send my regards to the little mushroom… 🙂 When my sister’s kids became 4 or 5, I could attach a trail-a-bike to my mountain bike. We’d ride together with them not really pedaling, which made for a good workout for me. My niece Gracie (who is graduating from high school next weekend– how fast it all goes!– used to encourage me to ride over “the bumpity-bumpity” areas. We both got some off-road experience then. Thanks for the reminder of some sweet times…
That sounds amazing – I can’t wait to go over “bumpity-bumpity” areas with him!
Bettina, isn’t that what mushrooms do? Emerge after the rainy, dark periods (literally, and in this case, metaphorically). So lovely to see you and the little one kitted out for your adventure.
Ha! It’s definitely been raining enough around these parts *eyeroll*. It’s in fact raining as we speak, and I don’t think it has any intention of stopping for at least a week. So yes, ideal mushroom weather 😀