Life, Enjoyed

Yesterday, as I mentioned, we all drove to the Delaware River to go on a bike ride. It was the kind of afternoon I have been dreaming of for the past seven years.

I thrive on the sunshine and good weather. Yesterday was one of those days where billowy clouds punctuated a bright blue sky and the sun framed a gorgeous landscape. We timed the drive out there just right; the kids, full from lunch, sat quietly in the back (Aimee even took a nap, which is always a good thing) and we all listened to the tunes from my iPhone as we made the hour-long trip. Traffic was light, and as we pulled into the 18th Century New Jersey border town called Lambertville, we found a parking spot right next to the bike trail.

As far as trails go, the one along the river is perfect for a family like ours. It was flat and wide and snaked in between two bodies of water – the Delaware River and a manmade Raritan Canal used to move goods (mainly coal) from Pennsylvania to New York City in the earlier centuries. Lining the trail were lush, green trees, brightly hued foliage and a bit of wildlife (mainly geese and their fuzzy little goslings). The air was fresh, the wind was calm and I could not wipe the smile from my face as we rode effortlessly for 45 minutes.

Lily can ride as far and long as my husband and I, but Aimee gets lazy and tired. To solve that problem, my husband bought this fabulous tandem and attached it to his bike. Aimee can either pedal or not, giving her a choice. So there were no frustrated comments (those came later, after we had been riding for about an hour and a half and Lily's back began to hurt) and everyone had a nice time. I have wanted to take off-site family bike rides since the kids were first born. Thanks to the tandem purchase, a hitch on the car, and a new bike rack, we are finally able to go on such great adventures.

We stopped in town and the girls had an ice cream. Aimee said, “Mommy, I’m freezing,” and my maternal bells went off. We were sitting in the sun; I thought there was no way she should have been cold. I felt her forehead but she wasn’t very warm. “I don’t want this,” she said, handing me her sherbet. I just shrugged and tossed it into the garbage. Call it denial (it was) but I didn’t want to let such a gorgeous day fall victim to possible illness. Until she cried foul, I was going to go on with the plan. (Yes, I should win Mother Of The Year.)

So, we all got on our bikes again and rode for another hour along a different path, watching deer cross a stream, birds in their nests and more spring babies with their parents in the woods. When we arrived at the restaurant (a place coincidentally called Lilly’s, which had a lovely outdoor patio and a table for four), Aimee started to frown and say she was cold. I felt her forehead – it was very warm now. She had already put on a fleece during the ride (the temperature was in the high 70s but she wasn’t pedaling at that point so I thought the wind from the ride was making her chilly - again, denial) so I knew she wasn’t feeling well. But the little trooper, with a lot of snuggling and care from Mom and Dad, didn’t complain as the rest of us ate our meal. She asked for some pasta but ate only a bite, saying she wasn’t hungry. We left the restaurant and went back to the car. After a half an hour she was fast asleep in the car.

“Poor kid,” I said to my husband. “But what a champ for letting us do all that today.”

I am often times complaining about the kids and how they test the boundaries, but this was one day where I was the one doing the testing and she passed with flying colors. On these days, I feel lucky to have such a strong-willed child.