On my gut, that is!! I've been noticing lately that my low-rider pants have really been riding lower than usual. When I was yanking a belt through the loops of one pair of jeans, I realized I've inadvertantly developed a spare tire, and that's what's been making my pants droopy. UGH. My relationship with food has apparently been getting a little too intense. Soooo...I asked Corey to get my bike out of cobwebs and get it ready for using again.
Believe it or not, I used to bike a lot, before Milo and the dogs came into my life. I fell out of the habit of biking when Quinn was a puppy, and he needed looooooong walks everyday to get his ya-yas out. (I entertained the thought of getting one of those leashes that hook to the bike for Quinn, but then realized that would probably be a very bad idea.) When Milo was wee, I would load him in the stroller and tie Quinn to the handle, and we would all get our ya-yas out with a long walk. And then Lily joined us, so I was really getting a workout, between manhandling the two dogs and the stroller for three or four miles almost every day. Then this past summer, Milo and I stopped going for walks with the dogs. Now that Lily is all grown up, between the two of them, Quinn and Lily are just too strong for me. Between Quinn being ferocious to strangers and Lily just being unruly, I am really scared that we'll have an unfortunate accident of some kind. So I got no exercise whatsoever this summer, and all the muscles I had evidently melted.
Back to point of story: Milo and I have been going for a bike ride every day that we're home, for the past week or so. He really enjoys riding in the bike trailer, and he's figured out how to put his helmet on all by himself. (It's usually backwards, but at least he tries. I do fix it before we go anywhere.) Milo thinks hanging out in the trailer is great. He can eat a snack, and have a drink, all while Mommy is breaking her legs trying to get up a hill. Sometimes I feel like a rickshaw driver!
Yesterday the highlight of our ride was stopping at the high school to watch the band practice. We can always hear the marching band all the way at our house, but we've never seen them before. Milo was thrilled to watch the kids; he was especially enthralled by the drums and cymbals. And then he spotted the flag twirler girls, and he was smitten. We had to get back on the bike and ride straight home, so we could practice being a marching band and flag twirlers in the backyard. I'll bet our neighbors loved that spectacle. Milo was twirling the flag that goes on his bike trailer, and honking on his kazoo at the same time, and I had to march behind him with the tambourine. The dogs of course were going bananas and barking at us, so all in all, we were quite an off-key chorus.
It's quite a different experience riding a bike with a little kid in tow. For one thing, my legs hurt like hell! That 40 pounds of extra weight on the back is the world's best resistance training. For another thing, I notice a lot more stuff than I ever would if I was alone, because Milo is constantly saying "Wow, Mommy, look at that!!" I've also noticed that there are a heck of a lot of hills around here, and I never seem to find the downhill side of them.....
Plus, I'm turning into a bike nerd! I actually wear a helmet, because I have to set an example for Milo, and just yesterday I ordered a rearview mirror for my bike, so I can keep an eye on what Milo is doing back there in the trailer. Next thing you know, I'll be going along honking on an oogah horn :)
By the way, Quinn and Lily still need loads of exercise every day to get their ya-yas out. Thank goodness for our fenced in yard and the never-ending supply of golf balls from the driving range behind us. All I have to do is let the dogs out back, throw Lily a golf ball, and the two of them are off and running. They'll chase each other and fight over the golf ball until they're both completely exhausted. A quick rest, and then they're busy chasing Milo, or birds, or the sprinkler. I wish I could harness their energy; I bet I would make millions!!
No comments:
Post a Comment