Buying Time

There was a time when we would go for walks as a family. Almost every weekend we would go to Green Lakes and walk the trails, until Victoria outgrew her stroller. Then she had to walk, and her walking meant that we were going to hear her complain, and it has been a while since we revisited that family activity.

Nowadays, we’re busy. The kids are at swimming lessons on Mondays and taekwondo on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturday mornings. Christine is triathlon training. Keith is … well … he’s working on doing something.

But there isn’t a lot that we do together. The kids do their things, the parents do theirs. This summer that will change … hopefully.

This week, we purchased Austin his first road cycle. Victoria has now inherited his mountain bike.

Until now and for the last 5 years, Austin and Victoria have been riding to the top of the cul de sac to play on their bicycles, but Austin’s bike is now too large and too fast to do so safely in such a small space. If and when Austin wants to ride his bike, it is going to necessarily be on the streets in town, not doing laps at the top of our road. We have an opportunity now – one that was always there, but never materialized – to establish a schedule to ride.

Austin will need someone to ride with him on the roads. Victoria will need someone to accompany her on the road until she can access the trails, where you’d never want her to ride alone just because it is so isolated. Both Keith and Christine enjoy cycling and have a bikes suitable for either road or trail, so this is a wonderful chance to start to do things together again, even if initially apart.

Tuesdays and Sundays should work nicely.

We’ll see what happens.