Wordless Wednesday - Bike Riding with 5 AKA Homeschool PE

Getting Back on the Horse...Er, the Bike, that is

Since before my husband and I had children, we have been avid bicycle riders.  We have been known to pack up our bikes and take off two or three states away just to explore the trails in parts unknown.  So, when we started a family one of the first accessories we purchased was a Burley bike trailer.

Of course, one trailer soon led to two and before you knew it, my husband was out trying to teach my older two children to ride on their own.

I say my husband was out teaching them because my state of panic watching them ride around the neighborhood or even in a parking lot on a Sunday afternoon was too much to handle.  One child would race ahead, while the other would dawdle behind.  I found myself often stuck in the middle trying to keep an eye on both.

Then, we had a third child, and as soon as she was holding her head up on her own enough to sustain a helmet, she was in the bike trailer as the older two were taking off with expert riding skills.

So, this leads us to today...

My husband is a self-employed musician which means he has rarely ever had a weekend off since I've known him.  Well, we are still not quite sure how it happened, but he has now had two weekends off in a row.  So, last weekend we headed out to a state trail called the K-T Trail.

It is called that because it is an abandoned railroad path that the state has laid down limestone gravel on to turn into a bike path.  The trains that used to frequent the rails that once sat on what is now a bike path, ran from Kansas to Texas, hence the name "K-T".

Last weekend, we realized that my older daughter had grown so tall that her bike was now resembling a circus clown bike as she tried to ride it.  Her knees were up in her chest, and her back side hurt when we got home.  So, my husband thought he'd try to raise her bike seat.  There was tape wrapped around the bar that held her seat, so he went to work on a bike she hasn't ridden in awhile.  Success!  The seat raised on the first try, so he had her take it around to our back yard.

The child started pedaling, and then started going so fast that the bike was out of control.  Her feet flew off of the pedals, where she could have stopped the bike with the back pedal brakes, and she tried to stop with her front hand brakes, but they failed her.  She went plummeting at rocket speed down the hill till she came to an abrupt stop in our chainlink fence.

We believe that angels were watching over her as her daddy watched in horror not able to get there fast enough.  We thought we'd be in an ambulance with serious injuries as I heard her scream and looked out my kitchen window to see her limp in my husband's arms.

We're still not sure how she escaped serious injury, but came out of the ordeal with the top bar of the fence nearly missing her jawline and barely scraping her neck.  Besides that, she only really has a couple small bruises.

My husband was quite shaken thinking about what could have happened - She could have been paralyzed, broken her neck or even died - That fast!  But, she was o.k.  Her angels and the Holy Spirit working overtime.  We are still very grateful!

This leads us to this morning...

We had planned to ride on the K-T once more.  This particular daughter is our one child who gets the most excited about riding bikes than any of them.  We weren't sure how she would be after this horrific frightening bike wreck.

To our amazement, but really no surprise as we truly know our daughter - She is the one that was up before the other two kids and insisting that we go on the trail once more.

Nothing like getting right back in the saddle.

This time, we went back to her too-little bike, and my husband managed to successfully raise the seat.  And, she rode like a champ!

Mackinaw or Mackinac? They Both Spell History, PE and Fun

There may be some confusion around the words Mackinac and Mackinaw - both places in Michigan.  They both mean the same, but one refers to the city and the other the island.  According to the official Mackinac Bridge site, the French pronounced it "aw", but they spelled it to end with an "ac".  When the British heard the "aw" pronunciation, they spelled it as it sounded.  The original meaning for Mackinac is great turtle, as the island was thought to be shaped like a turtle.

Last weekend, we had the privilege of showing the island to our three children.  It was amazing!  The kids were very excited, and now old enough to appreciate the island.

The day started with a ferry boat ride to the island, and we had to capture some pictures of the B&B where we stayed!

 When my husband and I got married, we spent part of our honeymoon on Mackinac Island.  For those unfamiliar with the island, it is a magical place where no cars are allowed, and there is a Grand luxurious hotel.  We did not stay at the Grand Hotel on our honeymoon.  We, instead, enjoyed a bed & breakfast called the Bay View Inn, right on the beach.  It was amazing.  When the last ferry boat of the day, filled with daily tourists, would leave; all we would hear is the clip clop of horse hooves on the streets.  What a delightful sound!

We took a carriage ride through the hilly portion of the island, and rode our bikes around the 8.3 mile edge by the seashore.

The kids kept up well, with the youngest in a bike trailer.  We ate at the same hotel where we ate on our honeymoon.

Words cannot describe how magical this place is.  And, among all of the magic, there is tons of history to be learned.  A British battle, the construction of the Grand Hotel which took around 90 days, with 600 workers (not all truly carpenters, but those who answered an ad for a high-paying job - so, some of the this Grand Hotel is actually crooked in structure).  There is a fort on top of the island, and the nation's second national park (following Yellowstone).

And, of course, Mackinac would not be the same without some of their famous fudge.

Things I Learned From My Children's First Family Bike Ride

My older two children have been trying to learn to ride their bikes without training wheels. My husband, God bless him abundantly, has taken it upon himself to be the one to conduct the instruction of this. I tried but very quickly discovered that it was not going so well as I found it difficult to keep my eyes on two children on two wheels trying not to topple over while I was pushing another in a stroller or watching her on a tricycle. One mom and three children on wheels in a neighborhood street are not a good combination for mom's health and mental well being. So, my husband has been the one. He has been taking each child out one at a time without training wheels. He has returned with happy children in one piece upon each journey complete with reports of their status. Today, he believed they could handle a trip around the neighborhood if I came along on my bike with third child in tow behind me in our Burley bike carrier which thankfully she is still way under the weight limit to occupy.

We took off on our neighborhood trek. My husband trailed my older daughter, and I (with other child in tow) trailed my son. I watched him do an excellent job of pedaling up the first hill with gusto. My daughter, on the other hand, struggled with the hills but had excellent balance and speed. Though, he stayed upright, my son tended to wobble and go slow and steady with me behind him biting at the bit to go faster especially down the hills where, for some reason (I think it, understandably, has a lot to do with the fact that his hand brakes do not work leaving him to use his pedal brakes) he panics and slows down. We were almost around the entire neighborhood when I was behind him on a very slight hill going very slowly and carefully. I heard my brakes grab metal against metal as I tried to stay slow enough to tail him and keep him within my view. It was then I realized that this is where maturity as a parent comes into play.

As I trailed him at a snail's pace, I began to think about all the times in his life where I had tailed him allowing him to learn and grow. I was there when he learned to walk and walked ever so slowly behind him until he was up and running. He was very cautious in learning every physical skill he has ever attained. He tends to not attempt things until he is absolutely positively 100 percent sure he can accomplish it with excellence. I was there when he was potty training, trailing behind pushing for the process to move faster. I was there when he learned various other skills, trailing behind him for safety sake and partially doting parental choice in doing so. I began to realize what a sacrifice of personal pleasure parenting really involves. Yet, at the same time, how much utter joy it brings me. But, I began to think about those who have trailed me in my life as I learned new things.

I began to wonder how many times God has trailed me wanting me to learn faster and go faster, pleading with me to obey and simply listen to His voice. It made me wonder how many times God had been so very patient with me as a Heavenly Father trailing behind me, holding my hand as I learned to walk through new situations and slowing down His pace to meet me where I needed to be met and to be there to catch me if when and if I fell.

As we made our first loop around the neighborhood, we opted to go a little bit farther and attempt going back up the first hill, down a hill and over to a local park. From there, we could follow a trail that would be off the road and completely safe from traffic and other dangers until returning home. You know what? We made it! We had a blast! And, on the way back home from the park, I noticed how my son was looking more confident. He pulled those hills with excellence. And gained so much confidence in our first family bike ride!