We have been getting out and riding a lot more this spring - like, for fun, not just to get around. I've been going for morning rides most mornings - sometimes on my own, other times with Finnegan. There have been a few afternoons where I've gone out for rides with both kids.
Here are a few pictures of some of the afternoon rides I've gone on with the kids over the last few months. I'll post some more pics from morning rides later.
These first pics are from a ride in early April when we had a few unseasonably warm days. One of those afternoons I said, screw it - let's get out and go for a ride..
Got the kids trying out some new (to them) bikes. Finnegan's riding Amanda's old Soma Double Cross and The Girl is riding the Kona Jake 24 we picked up for Finnegan a few years back. The Soma looked a tad big this first ride, more recently it's looked less big. I'm hoping by the end of the summer it will totally fit.
Getting out of town via Spadina Cres.
We only went as far as Valley Road and turned around... Not bad for their first time out this way on new bikes.
Heading back into town.
Bit of pavement.
Bit of gravel!
Lots of stopping to check blood sugar and have snacks...
Took a bit of a longer route home through Gabriel Dumont park.
Everything so brown and grey - but most of the snow gone!
The girl enjoyed this first outing on the 'cross bike. I'll turn her into a gravel rider yet!
Once again in early May we had a couple of really warm days. One of those afternoons we once again dropped everything and went for a ride! This time we just did a tour of the Meewasin Trail - heading north to the Circle Drive Bridge, across and back up the other side of the river to the new South bridge, and then back home on our side of the river. (There may have been a bit of a detour through campus and over the Dragon's Den Games before rejoining the trail...)
Heading north along the Meewasin Trail.
Crossing the Circle Drive bridge at the North end of our loop.
Heading South again.
Stopping for a break at the Diefenbaker Centre.
Another stop for snacks at Gabriel Dumont park.
Finnegan riding off ahead of us.
The Girl following along behind.
South Bridge in sight!
Crossing the South bridge before heading for home!
This last batch is from just last week - things are considerably GREENER!
Heading out Spadina Cres again...
There was some debate as to whether to take mountain bikes or 'cross bikes... The Girl eventually settled on the 'cross bike as I had her lift both this 'cross bike and the mountain bike and she noticed how much lighter the 'cross bike is!
Ducks.
Geese, goslings, and a crow...?
Some rolling gravelly trail south of the train bridge on our way out to Chief Whitecap Park.
Trails through Chief Whitecap park - mostly used by off-leash dog walkers.
Most of the pictures are of The Girl because she is slow and Finnegan just rode off ahead of us...
Occasionally he stopped and waited for us!
See that little dark dot in the background - that's Finnegan riding off on us again. Don't go thinking he's a super speed demon - when I ride with just him, it also feel like we're going super slow... it's just that The Girl is even SLLLLLLOOOOOOOWWWWEEEERRRRRRR.. if that can be believed...
I do try to be encouraging and not bother then toomuch about trying to go faster... my hope is as long as they have fun, they'll want to keep going for longer rides with me and eventually we'll get going faster... or at least NOT SO SLOW!
Snacks and blood-sugar level checks at the far end of Chief Whitecap Park.
Heading back.
The Girl did complain that these trails were "very bumpy" and wished a few times she'd taken her mountain bike...
There weren't many climbs - but there were two she had to walk - which also made here wish she'd brought her mountain bike (more gears! though, honestly, I'm not sure she'd have made it up with the mouantain bike on either of the slopes she climbed...).
More Geese and goslings - which put a smile back on The Girl's face!
Another Mama goose and some smaller goslings.
Swimming away all together!
This next week we wrap up the last of our regularly scheduled activities with one last violin lesson on Wednesday, a dress rehearsal for Irish Dance on Thursday - followed by the final recital on Friday. Next Tuesday we have our meeting with the Home Education coordinator guy for the kids portfolio and to turn in our summative report and stuff - then we have a couple months with nothing in particular to do... well... no regularly scheduled activities... Each of the kids are going to a Theatre "camp" at Persephone School of Theatre and Finnegan is heading to D-Camp this summer and there's a little vacation planned to Prince Albert National Park - for some mountain biking! Also I have to do some serious cleaning and organizing in the basement over the next few weeks in preparation for the demolition and ultimate renovation of the kitchen... but other than that, we should have some significant free time on our hands - and hopefully that will mean MORE adventure riding!
My plan is to get out for at least a couple rides each week, pushing further and further out of town. Hopefully by the end of the summer we might head out on a few overnighters...?
I hope in the next week or so I'll get to posting all the pics I took on morning and weekend rides with Finnegan over the last month or two and then I'll try to post more regularly - maybe weekly or fortnightly updates on where we've been off to!
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