It's spring (almost) and the weather occasionally reflects this. I've been trying to get our kids out and about on those beautiful days that make you forget about winter coats and hot chocolate and instead think about swimming and bicycling. We recently spent an hour at nearby bicycle safety town after school. Katie is working to get rid of the training wheels. We are a little slow at this because the kids can't really ride their bikes in our driveway (our street is too busy to take the chance they might go down hill toward it by mistake). So we rely on periodic trips to parks to practice our cycling skills. She was starting to get the hang of it the last time so I'm hoping I'll be able to stop running after her before I have to have my back put in traction! The first few times we tried, when Katie thought she was falling, she would suddenly let go of the bike and grab my arm with both of hers. This almost sent us both flying a few times before I convinced her that this was a bad idea. Now she is beginning to stay focused and is feeling a little braver.
I don't know about all of you, but I have observed that in my children the act of learning to ride their bike by themselves is fundamentally connected to their self-esteem and feeling of independence. It is really a turning point for them to trust themselves and to manage the power of speed and maneuvering, as well as deciding where to go!
Speaking about getting outdoors...After many years of putting aside our backpacks and opting instead for the mini-van, family sized tent, coolers filled with milk and apple juice, and the kids favorite--Smorz Cereal (which we only buy for camping trips because it's basically sugar-coated sugar!)...we are trying something new this summer! An overnight backpacking trip!!! I know some of you are wondering WHY any sane person would do this on purpose. We can't explain all the details, but I think we just need to try it with our kids (who are now hopefully old enough to carry a backpack a few miles with out crying "Mommy, carry me!") We are waiting for the weather to get a little warmer and plan to start out close to home and not go too many miles out. We'll see how it goes...
Maybe, just maybe this is the start of something! Maybe, one day, you'll be reading a newspaper article about a family that hiked the Appalachian Trail and you'll look at the picture and say, "Hey, I know them!" Whatever! :-)
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