Confession Time

I have a confession,

I asked my husband for ANOTHER bike,

and he got it for me!!

Thank you craigslist!  You made my dreams come true!

If only the owner of this pretty bike had decided to sell it a few months ago when I was hunting for one.

My previous trailer/bike seat arrangement works, but not everyone is happy with it.  Cayden does not really like the bike seat and neither does Gracie for different reasons.  Cayden didn't like being strapped in so securely and Gracie didn't like that the bike seat tipped with the bike, she always felt like we were going to fall over.  Once we got going it was fun to have them near enough to talk too, the trailer is too far back there.

Both of them like to ride in the trailer, IF I give them the iPhone to watch, but the baby started to really dislike it.  The straps to hold him in were not comfy, plus all sorts of road grit would fly off my wheels and through the mesh that was supposed to protect him.  I would end up with a grumpy, dirty little baby.  I didn't really enjoy pulling the trailer that much either, and would look for ways to avoid it.(I even found another seat for the front of my bike to put a kid in so I wouldn't have to have so much weight in the back of the trailer).

While this new bike, the Madsen "bucket bike",  is not going to change the fact that I will be pedaling three or more heavy children around, it will hopefully be more enjoyable for all of us.  Just yesterday I put the three middle guys(Emma7, Gracie3, and Cayden2) in the bucket while the baby was away on a visit and we pedaled to the kids' school to play on the playground.  It was a bit heavy and my legs were feeling it, but the bike has great gearing.  I just put it in the lowest and just kept trucking up the hills.  What I really enjoyed was hearing them chat with one another and pass snacks back and forth.  It was also easier for Ellie to keep close.  It wasn't me, the trailer, and then Ellie.  She was able to stay right on my tail and we could talk together a lot easier too. 

The baby is still a bit small for this bike.  I need him to be able to sit uprightly and to be able to hold his head up when wearing a helmet, but next school year when I want to do the preschool pick-up this bike will be perfect!  

We certainly didn't need a bike like this to enjoy getting out on the road, but as my friend says, "Everybody needs a little spoiling in life." And I am grateful for a husband who understands my wants to keep healthy and to make heathy habbits for my children and spoils me a bit.

Adam really likes it too.