In an attempt to enjoy the outdoors and exercise I thought I would take my kids on a bike ride. Our last bike adventure was a great success – Big E and little g got along even in the confines of a tight bike trailer. We enjoyed a relatively flat trail with a waterfall, trees and a river to look at. The bike ride went to a park where we had a picnic. Overall last time was a perfect experience that I was looking to repeat.
However…
Biking with kids takes much more preparation than other activities. I first had to switch the car seats from our car into the truck. Then I packed a picnic, got all of us dressed in warmer clothes and loaded everyone in. Finally I went to load the bike and trailer. It was only then that I saw my flat tire. After searching out the pump and wrestling with the attachment I got my bike pumped up. By now it was 40 minutes later than I had wanted to be, my kids were sick of the car, we hadn’t even left the driveway yet and I was frustrated. We finally got on the road headed toward Bridal Veil Falls.
In the parking lot I unloaded our bike and trailer and realized how cold it is in the shadow of the mountain. Provo canyon, while beautiful, is a canyon after all and the temperature was around 50 degrees. No problem, I thought, I had planned a picnic blanket after all, that could keep the kids warm. Hooking up the bike and trailer of course took some time. Little g did not want to sit in her carseat anymore and Big E wanted a snack. While trying to keep kids happy I noticed that I had neglected to check the air in the trailer tires, both of which were of course flat. So while Big E and little g ate and cried I tried pumping up the trailer tires and one just wouldn’t work.
It’ll be fine, I thought and loaded the kids. Pushing the bike up the steep beginning section (with 50 extra pounds of children and trailer) was enough to convince me that it would not be fine. The tire was flat, little g was cold and crying, I was also cold and also close to crying. The time had come to recognize my defeat. We returned to the car, now dangerously close to lunchtime and the crankiness that precedes it. I suggested a quick walk on the trail instead of a bike ride but Big E just said, “I want to stay in the car.”. Little g said, “WAAAAaaaaa!”
That was it. My great waste of a morning. I tried my best, and isn’t that really what motherhood’s all about?
PS- The photo of my kids happy in their carseats was taken after sitting in the warm car eating our picnic lunch for 20 minutes. Not my idea of a great outdoors moment.
