6 Miles, 4 Kids, 2 Bikes

... and 2 bike trailers, of course.

It's been a while since this family has been on a bike ride. We can make all sorts of valid excuses involving real logistical problems--but we really want to be a bike family again. We dusted off the old bikes, and supplemented  our one trailer with another from a friend, and voila, a Hood Bike Caravan.

For our first trip, we went to Riverfront Park, which has a path that runs 3 miles each way down the old Columbia canal. Here are some pictures:

Amy and Sara (yep, it's a little tight)

Claire and Mikala

Amy: Happy to be out of the Trailer at the End of the Trail

Lunch at the Canal Lock (yes Heidi was with us too, we fixed up an old bike from the shed that was just her size)

Kala Performing on the Stage

Sara, Otterly Excited

The Big Mo

We went to the Big Mo to see Up and Night at the Museum 2. Amy's been on this "Thumbs Up" thing lately. So, let's see how the kids rate the trip:

An hour and a half in a little van with my 3 crazy sisters?

THUMBS DOWN!

A little extra caffeine to keep us up until 1:00 (AM)?

THUMBS UP!

Daddy says no rides!

THUMBS DOWN!

Playing Connect Four with yourself--you can't lose!

THUMBS UP!

Front Center Parking Spot

THUMBS UP!

Will Work For Food

Ahh, the childhood rite of strawberry picking! It's only natural that children, who are so good at picking (and eating) things, are drawn to this ritual . . .

Look at our hard working team! (shown here with friend Heidi) A couple of minutes later, Mikala will complain that her basket is "too hebby" and Mommy will have to carry it the rest of the way . . .

Sara is shown here eating a strawberry that's apparently a little sour, but she will eat it anyway because she is a human garbage disposal. This is why she has to be strapped to Mommy's back for strawberry picking--at least until she's out of the dirt-eating phase . . .

Claire apparently doesn't care that her parents take it upon themselves to dress her like a New Kids on the Block groupy. She was a pretty good worker.

So, that's a sampling of our recent strawberry picking trip. Hopefully we tricked the kids into experiencing a little work.

A Walk in the Dark

It's difficult to go out in the evenings as a family this time of year. It's also diffcult for 4 little ones to be couped up in the house all day, so we took a walk along the river in the dark. The three older girls loved it, while Sara was bundled up and fast asleep in the stroller. The highlight of the evening was a large line of cyclists riding by. Amy and Mikala cheered them on like it was the Tour de France. We had to fudge on the bedtime a little bit.