September | 2017 | itsawonderfilledlife

Archive for September, 2017

Biking … with Kids

Posted in FAMILY, life, The Kids, WONDER, tagged #bikingdisasters, #bikingwithkids, #hehitme, biking on September 10, 2017| Leave a Comment »

biking

Since I recently admitted my physical out of shape condition in the post What Doesn’t Kill You, I thought I would share about the last time I was on a bike, fifteen years ago. Perhaps it will provide understanding as to what might have kept me off the (dreaded, uncomfortable) bike seat.

My kids were three (B), five (C) and ten (B2). It was a sunny Friday morning, and we were riding our bikes to school, as we were a one vehicle family.

Actually, it was my oldest daughter and I who were biking, the younger two were in a bike trailer, facing each other. On this particular ride, I was in the front, with C & B trailing behind and B2 picked up the end.

The pair in the trailer (C & B) seriously loved each other, they also fought like banshees. Which is exactly what they were doing that morning.

We were barely half way to our destination of school, when the memorable situation occurred.

“Moooommmm, B hit me,” said C (with a whiny voice).

To which I replied (with motherly wisdom), “B, no hitting, please.”

It continued …

“Moooommmm, B hit me again.” This time with more whining, more pleading.

To which I replied (with restraint), “B, hitting is not acceptable.”

“Moooommmm, B hit me again.” Now with cries of pain.

This time, with no restraint whatsoever, (but much motherly frustration), “hit him back!”

To which B2 cried out, “Mom did you just tell her to him?”

Now, you need to know that, though C was quite able to get her brother (B) in trouble, she did not, does not, have a physically violent bone in her body. So if she were to hit him back it would be the equivalent of whipping someone with a wet noodle.

We continued on.

“Moooommmm, B hit me again.”

This time I could barely hear her words, for the belly sobs coming from within C.

In total and complete frustration (and the secret wish within me that I was dropping off the two of them to school, along with their sister), I yelled back, “Hit him back, and make sure it hurts!

We did eventually get to school, and drop off their sister (who, no doubt, was shaking her head as she went into the school, having lost any respect for me as a mother that morning).

I am certain that I found a private spot, got off my bike and threatened B to never, EVER, hit his sister again.

And that was the last time I rode a bike …

until last weekend …

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What Doesn’t Kill You

Posted in life, WONDER, tagged #outofshape, #whatdoesntkillyou, biking on September 7, 2017| 9 Comments »

bike-lane

I am not sure that I am stronger, but I was certainly feeling like the experience might kill me in the midst of it.

A friend had been posting pics and details of her bike trip in an fairytale, far-away land. She and her sweetie were peddling 30-100kms each day, so I thought,

“I think I should go for a bike ride.”

About fifteen years ago is when I last remember peddling a bike (other than a stationary one).

So, I bribed my son to go for a bike ride with me … to get ice cream (really just to be there if I needed help … not that I would).

For the first time in 15 years, with not as much as a yawn for a stretch, in thirty degree temperature, I boarded my bike (you really don’t forget how to bike), looking classy in my sunglasses inherited by my daughter.

It was great! The feel of the breeze in your face, the power in your leg muscles, the feeling of freedom …

ok … that lasted, maybe, five minutes!

Then … reality … the salty sweat pouring into my eyeballs, the huffing and puffing, the feeling that my lungs were parched from inhaling so much dry air, the numb feeling in my hands with the igniting of carpel tunnel syndrome, the BURN in my legs and the work I had to do just to (sort of) keep up to my son.

When we, finally, made it to the ice cream shop, I realized that it was not really bribery for my son, it was ALL for me!

I am pretty sure that I was visually entertaining for anyone in the shop, as sweat poured down my forehead (when pressed, water poured like a fountain from the pads in the helmet). Even those classy sunglasses couldn’t improve my appearance!

With every lick of the ice creamy relief, the voice in my head kept saying

“we are only half way … this is impossible”

Sure enough it was time to get back on that ~~horse~~ bike. Oh my goodness, that hurt. What are bike seat makers thinking? Are they cruel? sadistic? Seriously, bikes have been around long enough that that kind of pain should not be necessary!

Away we went, teenage son peddling leisurely peddling in front, with puffing and panting, sweat pouring off of her, (leaving a wet trail like crumbs in a forest) manic mom following behind … way behind.

I think my son was a little worried about me, because he kept looking back (probably expecting to see me laying down, tapping S O S on the road). He kept asking, “you ok?” (which was kinda getting on my last nerve).

So I responded in the only way I knew that would keep him from asking me questions (when I didn’t have enough oxygen to breath, let alone answer redundant questions) … I sang:

“What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Stronger“

Then we had hills ahead … up hills. I had been feeling the burn since … five minutes in. Now though was the biggest hill … a long forty-five degree hill. With each pedal I was certain that death was near.

My son stopped and offered to walk up with me. And that is when the monster inside, leapt from within. I stopped my bike, looked (through the fountain of sweat pouring over my eyes) at him, and said, in no uncertain terms, that I would NOT be walking my bike, because “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” AND I AM NOT DEAD (yet). I told him I would meet him at the top.

then I regretted every word, and wished I had had the strength to say what I really wanted to …

“please carry me”

Now, don’t you (reader) get so high and mighty … I pushed his massively big head out of my body and, as all mothers know, that means he owes me!

What seemed like tortuous hours later, I made it to the top.

He smiled … I did not … all energies were needed to get the rest of the way home!

I suggested he go ahead home, so that he wouldn’t have to wait for me … but to keep his phone nearby … in case the ambulance driver, who was surely in my near future, needed to reach him, to tell him what hospital or morgue in which to find me.

He peddled away, hesitantly.

The rest of the journey is a blur … because I couldn’t see through the waterfall of sweat in my eyes.

I reached home, crawled up the stairs (no, not literally, but my soul was crawling) to the front door, being held opened by my smiling son. I stumbled to the couch, where I dropped … without an ounce of grace.

I think that I resembled a dog who just had a bath, and feared that, if I shook, I would splatter sweat all over the house.

So, that is done.

And what did I learn?

Bike lanes are a brilliant addition to roads (I felt safe on them … except for the pending heart attack from the exercise). Bike seats are evil (and their makers are evil-er).

I am now in the market for biking shorts … with the most padding available!

I’ll get back on that horse bike, really soon (but not when it is thirty degrees out), cause what doesn’t kill you …

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New School Year Prayer

Posted in community, life, WONDER, tagged #backtoschool, #begintheyearwithprayer, #newschoolyearprayer, #thankgodforschool on September 5, 2017| Leave a Comment »

For twenty years the first Tuesday of September has been a first day of school for our household.

Though I have smiled broadly, while passing back to school supplies in stores, we do still have a daughter in part time studies, as well as myself and two daughters going back to school as a workplace.

So, we pray:

God, who oversees all, and is in all,

Thank-you for the freedom and ability to learn, whether it is to learn how to greet a person or how to perform the most challenging mathematically problem.

Thank-you for the transportation to get to school, whether it is a sidewalk, a car pool parent, or a faithful bus driver.

Thank-you for the buildings, the infrastructure where we can learn, whether a centuries-old university, a classroom in a portable, or the dining room table.

Thank-you for water fountains from which to drink, bathrooms cleaned by humble hands and entrances that are monitored for safety.

Thank-you for those who teach, whether the one called teacher, coach, EA or student.

Thank-you for those who oversee learning, whether they be administration, a board of education or the administrative assistants (who really run the schools).

Thank-you for peers, whether they show us how to live, or how not to.

Thank-you for sports, art, music, drama, automotive and woodworking, and how they bring balance to our lives, both in and after school.

Lord,

may we rely on you when we are successful and struggling.

may we seek to make our world, our neighbourhood and our classrooms better places.

may you guide us to look out for each other, to protect each other, to love each other, as you love us.

May we work hard, play hard and love hard … all year long.

Amen

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