Spring Walk

Last night was a beautiful night. It is one of the first nights of the spring season where the weather has been pleasant and I have had time to go for a walk on the bike path. One of my favorite things to do in the spring and summer is to go for an evening stroll. I love having the opportunity to get in a little exercise, reflect upon the happenings of the day, sometimes even pray as I walk. And every spring and summer since I have had children, this has been possible. I strap them both in, we sing songs, point at the foliage, and unwind our weary bones. It is both a great relaxing time for me, and bonding time between my daughters and I (and sometimes my hubby).

However, this spring I was curious how I would handle going on the path, when I have a 3 1/2 year old that just won't tolerate staying in a stroller anymore. Sure, we could just let her walk, but let's face it, those little legs just can't seem to keep up with my long legs. And while it is okay to go on a slow walk and make it 1/2 block every once in awhile, I wanted to go farther. I decided to see if she was up to taking a walk anyway, and she wondered if she could ride her bike. Immediately, I thought it was a bad option. Afterall, she doesn't know to stay on one side of the path, her whimsical personality could decide she is tired after a block, or she could become plain tired. But how was I to know, unless I took her for a trial run. So, we did!

My hubby explained to her that she had to stay to the right side of the path, and that we had to look out for roller bladers and bike riders both in front and in back of us. It took a few reminders in the beginning (because of course she forgot about the people behind her and kept thinking it was clear to ride in the middle), but she caught on quickly. Then we kept asking her if she was getting tired, because I sure didn't want to carry that bicycle back. The answer of course was always "no." Soon, we decided to start heading back, because even if she wasn't tired now, our venture back was going to take us as long as we had already gone. Before we knew it, we were back. And we had traveled 2 miles! That is quite a hike for a little girl. She was so proud of herself, and so was I. In her own words, "I am doing a great job Mom, I really am doing great. See I can do it!" Yes, you can, Kyra. You are certainly growing up fast.

And if that weren't enough, Kyra and her sister played at the park for 20 minutes immediately following our trek. Let's just say she slept well.