Don't Yell at Me

     The other day my kids and I had a fantastic time at our local lake.  It was a hot day, but I was excited for the first afternoon of summer and a family bike ride.  We made it there fine. It was not a bad ride at all, even though my 11 year-old was sure it was too hot out to be riding.  We zoomed right past the parking lot attendant without paying a thing, and we had a great easy time at the lake and in the sand. I didn't even have to worry about bringing towels.  Everyone would just wind dry on the way home.  Our only trouble was the big left turn we needed to make on the way home.  Emma(my 9 year-old) did not get started as soon as the driver behind us wanted her to and he yelled something out his window to me like, "Get your kids off the road during traffic."

What a scuzz.

Does he expect me to stay clear off the roads during the hours of 5-10am and 3-8pm each day?
Are my children to stay safely in homes playing video games their entire lives?

Do you know that it is always, always old men drivers that yell at me and my kids on our bike(s)?
(just something I've observed)

And of course, it's not all old men that yell.  Its just when there is yelling, its coming from an old man.

But I shrugged it off and home we rode.

Or so I thought.

Today, we wanted to go to the lake again.  It was a beautiful day. Simply gorgeous.  It would have been beyond perfect to ride there today, BUT...... I hemmed and hawed and thoughts kept coming....

"What if we get yelled at again?'
"What if there is more traffic on the road?"
"It is high school graduation day."
"What if the roads are full of crazy graduate drivers celebrating and texting while driving?"
"What if their impatient dads are on the road too trying to hurry home to get the graduation party going?"

"What if they are all so impatient and distracted and reckless that they don't see my little Emma trying to get her bike pedaling across one of their intersections?"
(of course I am right next to her the whole time in my bright yellow big butted bike, but still...)

I wasn't able to shrug off that yeller as I liked.

We drove to the lake, and now my car seats are wet and covered in sand and I have a large load of sandy towels to wash and dry AND I didn't get to ride my bike today.  I love riding my bike and I love having my kids do it with me.

Old man driver who yelled at me, I repeat, "You are a scuzz."

People of my town. You have only one road through town. We don't have much choice of routes.
***Be alert, watch for bikes, share the road, and have some gosh darn patience.

And my cuties will wave and smile at you,
Kayla Marble

30 Days of Biking

I am a big blog reader.  I love finding people that are interested in the things that I enjoy.  While on my search for ways to get my family biking(read here, and here, and here). I ran across a treasure trove of biking family blogs.  I was amazed at their set ups, how they got their kids to love being out and about, and most amazingly, how most of them chose to slow down their lives just a little to fit in bikes for nearly all their needs.

As I was reading these families stories, I kept hearing mention of April's 30 days of biking and how once one participated in such a challenge it was common for the "biking bug" to take over that leaves you constantly looking for ways to use your bike in the regular everyday rather than just biking for weekend recreation.

After owning my big bike for nearly a year, I was ready to see what I could really "DO" on these two wheels, and so I committed to 30 days of biking. I used that nifty Instagram to keep track.  Here are our days.  See if you can see the ways we were changed.

*You'll notice that I didn't include Sundays. In our family we value our Sabbath.  We try to keep them holy.  We attend our church meetings and spend the rest of the day together, usually at home.  We try to fill the day with acts that remind us of our Savior and Creator.  To read more about our Sabbath Day Observance and other commandments we value visit http://mormon.org/commandments.

1/30: Preschool pickup. 3 kiddos. 4 miles.2/30: Chilly morning so just quick errand. Trying out Dad's setup for two kiddos, one behind and one in front. 2.4 miles. 3/30: Hat, scarf, gloves, coat, and a pout. Is April getting colder each day? Preschool pickup and milk run. 3 kiddos, 2 gallons of milk, and a box of donuts to chase the frown away. 4 miles 4/30: Digging our toes in the sand by the lake on a perfect spring day. 3 kiddos. 5.6 miles.Thanks for getting me out of the house #30daysofbiking !!This was the highlight of the week.  Never before had I spent a quiet morning at the lake with my kids so early in the spring.  I had never really thought of it.  Lakes are for swimming and sand is for summer.  But because it is nearby by bike and we were looking for something new to do, we made a great morning.5/30: Downgraded to sweatshirts today. Getting warmer. Preschool pickup. 3 kiddos. 4 miles.6/30:After a busy Saturday, it's nice to get in a relaxing bike ride:) 1 mom on a kiddo bike down the driveway hill. 0.01miles.Surprisingly to me, Saturdays were the hardest days to make sure riding happened.  Too, too busy. 

8/30:  Visiting the trains before preschool pickup. 3 kiddos. 4 miles.  9/30:  Perfect afternoon for softball practice. 2 lone riders and 1 babe in the bucket. Only time in the whole month I only had one kid in the bucket.  Every other trip was 2 or 3. 10/30: The hardest part about biking to school? Not the sweat, not the tired legs, not the grumpy kids, not the crazy drivers, it's that I have to be ready to leave my house 10 minutes early. It's nearly impossible but totally worth it:). Preschool AM drop off. 3 kiddos. 4 miles.11/30: Going to the grocery store with three little kids on a bike is still going to the grocery store with three little kids. ;) 3 kiddos. 2 miles.12/30: That is my brand-new-came-in-the-mail-today front hub electrical assist. After being snubbed out of every "pedaling" bike shop nearby for even inquiring about them, we ordered it online through Clean Republic and my hubs and I installed it this evening. So excited to be able to bike out of this 4 mile bowl I live in with my kiddos.Per Totcycle's review and Hum of the City's Rundown I ordered the Clean Republic Hill Topper Kit13/30 Big plans for these guys. 1 minivan can swallow a Madsen, mountain bike, hybrid, and trail-a-bike.Spring break time with an 8 hour ride from CT to VA. 2 cars. 1 full of kiddos and the other with bikes.

15/30: Today was spent at the National Arboretum. Lovely paths throughout the entire park. What a way to see spring! 10miles. 16/30:Silly in front of the Capitol Building. 12 miles. My favorite part of the day: when we pulled up to get a good view of the White House and all the Asian tourist turned around and started taking our pictures. 7 people on 3 bikes with 2 cranky little boys can create a lot of curiosity. 17/30:I rode a peacock and Gracie a seahorse on our last day of vacation at the National Zoo. No biking, but we did sit in a saddle. You can read all about our DC spring Break here. 18/30:Trying the "easier" hill today. 2 kiddos. 3.7miles. 19/30:I/we made it up the BIG hill today! And I can still walk! A big thank you to my little electric assist. It helped a ton, but it was still SO hard. Preschool pickup. 3 kiddos. 6 miles.  20/30:This is how we nap on Mom's slow upward ascent towards home after big sisters' softball game. 3 kiddos. 2 miles.

22/30: Dropping off a forgotten flute to my forgetful middle schooler was today's bike errand, that I used to do by car. 3 kiddos. 3 miles. 23/30:Stopping to call to the alpacas on a neighborhood ride. 2 kiddos. 2 Strider bikes. 2 miles. 24/30:We did the preschool drop off and then swung by my husband's warehouse to pick up a lollipop and my stolen rake. 3 kiddos. 1 red rake. 7 miles. 25/30: Out with the old, rusty, sad, but serviceable front basket. I've got a new shinny rack. Now to find the proper bolts to put it on. Confession; I did not ride today. Gasp! I didn't need to go anywhere. I did cleaning and laundry and leaf raking and toddler playing. 26/30: Couldn't miss another day to ride, but without my new rack installed I had to bungee my battery to my frame so we could do the preschool run and still make it back up our hill assisted. 3 kiddos. 6 miles. 27/30: Another missed Saturday :(

29/30: Hubs caught me stopping for treats this morning. I always make those DD people giggle when we do the drive through. Then we followed him to his warehouse to help him load up for the day. Big day for us. Home,preschool, warehouse, preschool, home. 12 miles. 30/30: How 'bout that rack? Off to ride our last five miles to get to 100 biked miles in April. Later: Made it to the pond to dig in the sand, throw rocks in the water, and lie in the grass until my legs aren't jelly anymore. Thankfully the way back will be easier. 2 kiddos. 7 miles for a grand total of 102 biked April miles.

Stats:

Miles biked = 102

Gas saved = 6 gals

Parking fee saved = $40 in DC for 1 day

Cost of Bike accessories = $917

($800 for the e-assist, $40 for an Iphone holder,  $70 for rack, $7 for basket)

:)

Time spent biking/exercising = about 15 hours

Cost of gym + babysitting for 15 hours = $50 + $150 = $200

Weight lost = 0 lbs :)

Increase in dessert intake = Oh yeaH.

Pretty soon all that gym and babysitting I am saving will add up to the cost of that e-assist.  

Changes/Lessons learned:

• I now keep my garage door clicker in my purse rather than my van visor.
• I was amazed beyond amazed that it never rained on us.  We've had a super dry April; bad for the yard, great for biking.
• I have never been outside this much in April.  With my big family, there are always, always chores to be done.  I send my kiddos outside everyday to play in the backyard, but sometimes I don't make it out there myself.  It sure is a shame that I let things like laundry and dishes keep me from enjoying spring properly.  
• My house work has suffered a bit.  I started a huge project of organizing the boys clothes that has sat taking up half the basement playroom for the entire month, but whose to say that the bike is to blame.  I am most likely subconciously avoiding it.
• I have spoken to more of my townspeople than ever before.  No one can help but smile when they see three kids in the back of a bike.  I've recomended the bike shop in New Haven, Devils' Gear Bike Shop, that origionally sold my bike to it's previous owner.  They don't carry Madsen's anymore, but they do carry other long-tailed, cargo carring bikes like the Yuba Mundo and Boda, Boda.
• I have learned that not all bike shops are equal, and hardly any of them know anything about biking with kiddos.  A big thank you to those bike blogs.  Without them I would be lost and frustrated.
• I have learned that location is nice(we loved our trip to DC), but not a determining factor in finding places to ride.  We live at the top of an incredibly(to me) steep hill.  Biking up it with my load was impossible and my biking world was a wee bit small because of all the hills I couldn't make it up, so I shopped around for help and found an electrical-assist.  Now we can climb our hill and get to so many other places.  
• I learned that I really, really enjoy biking my daughter to preschool.  It is a perfect outing.  It is a short ride but it makes our day so much more exciting.  No more shoving sleepy pj-clad children into carseats as my preschooler crumbles her breakfast toast all over the back seat.  We get up, eat, dress, and get ready for the day-pjs do not cut it on the bike when it's 50 degrees outside, because it feels a bit like 35 and if we want to eat breakfast in the bike, no worries, the cumbs fall by the roadway.
• I have learned that I can do hard things.  Biking is a bit hard sometimes, physically, but that was probably the easiest challenge to overcome.  The hardest part was getting out of my comfort zone and leaving our daily routine.  I am carting around three young kids whereever I go.  They all have fall birthdays so they are halvsies right now at 4 1/2, 3 1/2, and 18 months.  Going anywhere with them is a challenge no matter how we get there.  It takes planning and snacks and super duper timing to get everyone on board with an outing.  Having this biking challenge got us out of our tiny home each day and I learned that my kids can actually handle more than I give them credit.  I used to be afraid to leave my house after 11 in the morning because it was too near out 12:30 naptime and my boys would fall asleep in the car, be super grumpy when we arrived at our destination, and not take an afternoon nap when we returned home later. That is not really an issue with the bike.  If I keep them well fed and hydrated, they can last much longer on our bike errands than ever in the car.  They are out experiences the world a little bit closer and moving at a much slower rate. They get to "see" so much more.  I love to hear my little one pip up with "train" every time we see any vehicle pulling a trailer of any sort.  

So, in conclusion..  Loved my Biking Month. 

My favorite biking family bloggers:

Full Hands x3

Tiny Helmets

Family Ride

Honorable mention:

Totcycle

Hum of the City

A Simple Six

Here are some of our other beginning biking adventures.

Biking Vacation to DC

Adam and I have a soft spot for Washington DC.  

We spent a lot of time in that area the first summer after we were married when Adam and I worked the summer for Coverstar EastCoast.  And when we decided to make it a permanent move after another year of school, we lived in Frederick MD, and hour away from the capitol, and that is where our Ellie was born.  Ellie and I would often tag along with Adam on Saturdays repair jobs to see the area and explore a bit.  Even after moving to Connecticut Frederick and DC were still popular spots for us to visit since Adam often had to travel back down to Maryland for work, and when I had an uncle and aunt move back to Virginia after spending 15 years in San Diego we finally had family close enough to drive to and visit.

Now, why take our bikes along?

Ever since starting on my kiddo biking adventures, I couldn't help but be jealous of those who live in more bike friendly areas.  I would dream of wide, flat roads with plenty of room for bikers and easy going car drivers that shared the roads with ease.  It is a far cry from my very hilly town with one road through it that drivers can't help but speed on and that has hardly any shoulder room not to mention the portion that runs along a rock cliff.

While there are some really adventurous families out there that tour by bike across the country, camping along the way, we are not there yet;) I wanted to start small, and DC gave us the perfect opportunity.  We could stay just outside the city and bike along some of their great trails to get to the sites we wanted to see.  I was really surprised when my husband was excited about the idea.  He jumped right on the internet and found us a great hotel with a two bedroom suite that could fit us all, complete with a full kitchen, complimentary breakfast and dinner, and an indoor pool, right next to an entrance to the Mt.Vernon Trail, and only two miles to the 14th St bridge and 3 from the Arlington bridge.

Check list before leaving;

1. Install my new electrical assist for my front tire.

(I'll have to write a post all about they WHYs and HOWs of this amazing little machine soon).

But just to point out, it can't do all the work, it is not that strong, but it sure can help.

2. Pack up the clothes.

I let my big girl pack for this trip.  She did pretty well at keeping track of what had been packed, only she had some poor fashion choices for a few of her younger siblings. I, of course, double checked her work, but it was super helpful to have most of the stuff gathered.

3.  See how many bikes really can fit in the back of a minivan.

Turns out, 1 Madsen, 2 Mountain bikes, 1 Hybrid, and a trail-a-bike is no problem at all.

We had a decent ride down.  It always takes far longer than hope.  We bypassed NYC and headed West through Pennsylvania. It was so fun to literally see Spring happen as we drove.  Everything kept getting greener and more and more colorful.  We arrived at my uncle and aunts house for a quiet Saturday evening and relaxing Sunday complete with Sunday Smith traditional gooey-rolls.  The kids played outside with their cousins, went on a few walks, and built a few forts in the basement.

Before bedtime on Sunday we headed over to our hotel and made ourselves at home.

Monday was our day with my good friend Mel.

She and her boys met us at the National Arboretum on the North Eastern side of DC.  It was a bit too far to bike to, plus DC can get a little sketchy on that side of town, so we opted to drive to the park and then make use of our bikes to see the many acres of gardens and foliage.  It was a fun day.  The park was beautiful, a bit scruffy in places, but still beautiful.  The paths were deserted, so we could let Emma ride free.  She is still a bit wobbly on the road.

These large columns were one of the main attractions of the park.  Twenty-four of these sandstone columns used to stand next to the Capitol building before a renovation in which they were replaced with marble replicas.  Somehow, the department of Agriculture transported them here and here they stay.

The reflection pool was of more interest to the kiddos.

We found some rose bushes in the Asian garden that were bursting with roses and just asking to be gathered up and thrown into the air.

Here's what Ellie found interesting in the Bonsai exhibit.

(she managed the camera, while I managed the tired toddler)

These little trees were amazing. One fact I learned was that Bonsai trees are not a special kind of dwarf tree, any regular tree can be used.  Its the art of training and cultivating them that makes them the artwork that they are.  

Mel is a big adventurer.  She is constantly on the move to find places for her and her boys to explore.  She has taken full advantage of living so close to DC for the past two years, and is full of tips and tricks to the sites.  It was her idea to try the arboretum and it was a great one.

Thanks Mel, for helping us see a bit of DC that we never would have thought of.  It was a perfect little oasis in the middle of the city.  The kids had a great time together and it was nice to catch up(although when do friends ever get "caught" up).

After our day with Mel, we headed back to the hotel, because let's face it, my boys were done.  We are a family with toddlers, and sometimes toddlers win.  After a bit of R&R in our room, we were ready to venture out again.  We hit the pool, ate some dinner, and hopped back on the bikes to search for the Mt.Vernon trail entrance that we would use the next day to get into the city.  We searched and searched, taking at least three laps around the Pentagon in the sunset hours before we finally gave up and decided to head home with the knowledge that at least we knew where it wasn't.  After getting everyone in bed, Adam and I poured over the maps until we felt confident that we would find the trail entrance without any problems the next morning.

Our next morning went smoothly, we dressed and ate and were on our bikes before 9.  We found the trail head as easy as could be and headed North.  I really enjoyed the Mt.V trail.  It was so nice to be separated from all that traffic.  We clipped along and made it over the 14th Street bridge which dumped us off right at the Jefferson Memorial and the Tidal Basin.

My favorite quote of his winds around the top of his memorial.

I need to be more vigilant in my fight against the evils I see around me.

Then off to the next adventures.

We were too late to get tickets for a tour of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, we'll have to add that to our checklist for next visit.  But we had a blast riding around the Mall and eating lunch.

We stopped in front of the Capitol Building to take some pictures and run around.

Again with the reflecting pool.

(Washington Monument in the distance).

The rest of the afternoon is a bit picture-less.  We had a goal of seeing two Smithsonian Museums, first the American History Museum-because none of us had ever been there, and second the Natural History Museum-because those giant dinosaurs never disappoint.  But our boys were melting fast.  After a hurried tour of the American History we tried to rally them with ice cream, but it was a no go.  Back onto the bike for the ride home.  

We had to ride by the White House too since it was on the top of Emma's to do list and really a trip to DC isn't complete without a White House siting.  As we pulled up with toddlers screaming and girls whining to go to the bathroom, we must have looked and sounded a site because all thirty Asian tourist that were standing in front of the White House turned around and began snapping picture after pictures of us.  They were not subtle about it at all.  It was a bit overwhelming.  We tried to be friendly but really the only thing to do was to get back on those odd looking bikes and head out with our enormous family.

By the time we made it to the Arlington bridge the boys had sacked out.

We did a little drive by of the Arlington cemetery, because they didn't allow riding in the cemetery and we couldn't venture very far from our sleeping boys.  Another thing to add to our future list.  From this point we thought about riding North a bit and seeing the Iwo Jima monument but Ellie(our lone kid rider) voiced that she was tired.  She had been a trooper all day and we think we put in about 12 miles,  so away we went down our familiar Mt. Vernon trail towards home.

It was a good day.  It seems like a day more filled with things we didn't get to see than those we did, but one can only do so much.

Our quiet ride home with the city just on the other side of the river.

Our last day, we went to the National Zoo.
If we would have had the whole day, we would have biked to the zoo, since it wasn't too far away and there is a perfect bike trail that takes you right up there, but we needed to make the 6 hour drive home that afternoon so the girls could make it back to school for Thursday and Friday(stinky snow days) so we packed up and drove to the zoo.

The kids thought the zoo was the best part of the vacation, besides our awesome hotel.  I really liked it too.  We are a bit zoo deprived in northern CT, so this zoo was quit amazing to us.  Since we had limited time, due to the drive home we needed to make and due to the fact that we knew our boys couldn't last the whole day, we stuck with the big animal exhibits and skipped over the small stuff like the reptile, bird, and monkey houses.  Even then, it took a promise of a carousal ride to get the C man off the floor of the tiger exhibit.

After a super quick stop at our Washington DC temple in Kensington for some clothing items, we found the nearest Chipotle to fuel up for the ride home.  And who should we meet there?  Four sister missionaries!  A rare site to us.  Our ward is in a pretty tough area and we only get the "boy" missionaries, as Emma likes to say.  Ever since our church leaders announced the age change for missionaries(from 19 down to 18 for boys, and from 21 down to 19 for girls) Adam has been adamant about our girls being able to serve missions too and it was fun to have them see these sisters as examples.

Then jiggity-jog all the way home.

Exhausted.

Notes to self about what to do differently next time:

1. Buy a suburban and pull the bikes in a trailer.  

We tried to get a hitch put on our van, but our mechanic didn't recommend it.  We ended up driving two vehicles, one full of bikes and the other full of kids.  I was the follower and Adam, the "never merge until the absolute last minute driver", was the leader.  Driving separately did have some advantages.  Ellie and I got to ride together and we got some good "girl talks" in.  That left Adam with the "fun" kids.  We see a larger car in our future sometime, but for now, it makes more financial sense just to suck it up and drive two cars on those rare occasions when we'd like to haul something.

2.  Stay longer.

You'll never see everything, but just one day in the city was not enough.

3.  Stay in the city.

We loved our hotel.  We loved our suite.  But it would have totally rocked if it was actually in DC.  It would have been so nice to be close enough to the sites to have someone be able to take the boys back for their naps while the other stayed out with the girls and then go out later in the day with everybody again.  Leaving the hotel for the city was pretty much an only once a day thing.

4.  Plan meals a bit better.

Our hotel offered a great breakfast.  Everything any of us wanted.  We were pleased that they offered dinner service too, and while Adam and I found it sufficient(meatloaf and veggies one day, and baked potato and chili the next) the little kids had a hard time finding something they wanted to eat.  I didn't realize until the last day that our hotel was only two blocks away from a Costco.  How perfect would that have been?  With our full kitchen we could have stocked up on a few frozen meals or a rotisserie chicken and the kids would have been in heaven?

5. Make sure everybody is completely comfortable on thier bikes.

We had never ridden this far as a family and Ellie had a few seat issues.  She is riding my old bike now and it has a very cushy seat that is a bit too big for her little bum.  Also is would be nice if we adjusted it just a tad lower for her.  Adam also had a few issues with his racer style seat.

Things that were exactly perfect:

1. The weather!  I could not believe our luck.  We had tremendous days.  Perfect temps and usually a bit overcast.

2.  Our Hotel. Residents Inn Arlington Pentagon City.  The two bedroom/two bath suite was so perfect.  We could put the girls to bed in their bedroom, the boys to bed on the pull out couch, and Adam and I could still watch all the HGTV we wanted in our room.  The second night, we put the little ones to bed and rented a movie to watch with the big girls.

3.  Our bike set up really worked.  It has taken me a lot of time, and a bit of money, to get my family biking, and I say this trip really said how it was all worth it.  My bucket bike, with the addition of the electrical assist performed beautifuly, hauling all our stuff and the kiddos without tiring me out too much.  Emma was safelty attached to Adam's bike so she couldn't wander off or get left behind, and Ellie showed her independance well by keeping up with the pack.

4. Biking in and around DC was a ton of fun!!  Riding took away so many worries about visiting DC, the parking, the long walks between sites, or figuring out how to ride the metro.  Hurray!

I am so glad we pushed through, saved our money, and made this little vacation happen.  Adam's busy time is just ahead of us and it was nice to carve out some family time before the long Cover days swallow him up.

What will our next biking adventure be?  I'm not sure yet, but I've got some ideas brewing for this summer!