let me see if I can make this fast...
the boys are still up
it is way past their bedtime
but... we just took a shower/bath
and well
I am dry and they are still splashing around
lets see what I can throw down before they flood the bathroom
tonight was a pretty good example of how a father who wants to mountain bike manages to mountain bike with two kids
it was known in advance that lisa had a work dinner and that I would be in the mr mom roll
so I planted the seed a few days prior
got a feeling for where the kids were
the seed was the thought of a picnic at the airport
we talked about the bike ride
the sandwiches
the use of the trailer
and the airport
when I got home from work I thought that the neighbor's slip and slide was going to win out over heat and humidity on the bike path in the burley trailer
but I was wrong
the boys were stoked for the adventure
so with the theme of mission impossible in my head I started to get ready with the excitement of trying to defuse a bomb
there was a change in cycling shoes
the swaping of the bikes
the trailer needed to be pulled from the garage then assembled
the boys would need drinks
the three sandwiches cut into thirds had already been purchased on the way home from Potbelly's
there were granola bars
there were capri suns
there was water
lots of water for everyone
while I gather this gear the boys gathered there vital stuff
I assigned the filling of the water bottles to the boys
there were several bottles with ice at grant's side
grant handed them to dean
dean filled them up from the filter on the fridge
there was moderate overflow and spillage
but that is to be expected
once the water bottles were filled I reminded them to get their toys
the same toys that they spoke of two nights prior were the exact toys that they gathered
like good criminals they were sticking to the plans of a well thought out caper
from the backyard the boys watched the slip and slide as I finished hooking the trailer to the bike and getting the right two helmets
it looked like fun
but dean and grant were already excited about the ride in the trailer
with a slow grind we were off
up the alley
across the street
onto the sidewalk
down porter street to rock creek park
and onto the bike path along side of beach drive
the commuters were out along side of the post work workouts
the trail can be thin at times with the trailer in tow and the head-on trail users out of focus of the tasks at hand
we went around the tunnel and through the zoo
up the hill
cross the street
then down the hill
we followed the creek till it got to the river
then we followed the river to the airport
crossing the potomac after a stretch of road on the way to haines point
the tourists were out in full force
it is the start of tourist season... but that does not interest me because I do not hunt
with the children content in the trailer I rolled past the intended picnic area beneath the landing planes
we pushed the bike past the airport towards Old Town Alexandria
but shortly after the airport itself the boys asked to go to the airport
I turned around
with excitement I told them that we were at the airport
they told me that they wanted to have a picnic at the airport
I said we were on our way
moments later we were at park where the planes glide into the landing strip
it was then that I learned that both of the both of the boys thought that we were having a picnic in the airport
there was a small discussion after the slight confusion
no tantrums as hunger superseeded sublties such as location
with sandwiches in hand the boys were content
the planes screamed overhead as we ate our sandwiches
the bicycles rolled by
commuter racing
racers training
couples out on a date
familiar faces then a mountain biking friend from my mountain biking team
after the sandwiches and some drinks we were back on the path and across the river to the awakening at haines point
we shuffled in with the road cyclist training (both the racers and the wannabees)
only to pull over at the scupture instead of doing multiple laps on the road
here the boys got to climb the various apendages of the sculpture
we spent as much time leaving as we did staying
with the son already deep over the horizon we needed to rush home before dark
the boys complained
they wanted to stay
they always want to stay
it was late
the speed and the bumps made drinking in the trailer difficult for dean
so I slowed
I sped up
he spilled
it went that way for the final 35 minutes home
pretty much had to ride through it
arrived home
unpacked the boys and the gear
pulled the bikes and the trailer into the backyard
set the boys up with a snack to occupy them as I put stuff in the garage
then the shower
to the present time
by this time I have already pulled boys out of the tub
dried them off
passed off once child to the wife who walked in from her work dinner
talked to the other while he dressed himself
I am finishing up this entry as lisa sits with them as they read to themselves as some bedtime quiet time
it is late
way late
managed to watch the kids and get a ride in
a good time shared by all
something we should do more often
as it is good for the family
and
good for the legs and lungs
working hard to move slow is a good workout
the boys are still up
it is way past their bedtime
but... we just took a shower/bath
and well
I am dry and they are still splashing around
lets see what I can throw down before they flood the bathroom
tonight was a pretty good example of how a father who wants to mountain bike manages to mountain bike with two kids
it was known in advance that lisa had a work dinner and that I would be in the mr mom roll
so I planted the seed a few days prior
got a feeling for where the kids were
the seed was the thought of a picnic at the airport
we talked about the bike ride
the sandwiches
the use of the trailer
and the airport
when I got home from work I thought that the neighbor's slip and slide was going to win out over heat and humidity on the bike path in the burley trailer
but I was wrong
the boys were stoked for the adventure
so with the theme of mission impossible in my head I started to get ready with the excitement of trying to defuse a bomb
there was a change in cycling shoes
the swaping of the bikes
the trailer needed to be pulled from the garage then assembled
the boys would need drinks
the three sandwiches cut into thirds had already been purchased on the way home from Potbelly's
there were granola bars
there were capri suns
there was water
lots of water for everyone
while I gather this gear the boys gathered there vital stuff
I assigned the filling of the water bottles to the boys
there were several bottles with ice at grant's side
grant handed them to dean
dean filled them up from the filter on the fridge
there was moderate overflow and spillage
but that is to be expected
once the water bottles were filled I reminded them to get their toys
the same toys that they spoke of two nights prior were the exact toys that they gathered
like good criminals they were sticking to the plans of a well thought out caper
from the backyard the boys watched the slip and slide as I finished hooking the trailer to the bike and getting the right two helmets
it looked like fun
but dean and grant were already excited about the ride in the trailer
with a slow grind we were off
up the alley
across the street
onto the sidewalk
down porter street to rock creek park
and onto the bike path along side of beach drive
the commuters were out along side of the post work workouts
the trail can be thin at times with the trailer in tow and the head-on trail users out of focus of the tasks at hand
we went around the tunnel and through the zoo
up the hill
cross the street
then down the hill
we followed the creek till it got to the river
then we followed the river to the airport
crossing the potomac after a stretch of road on the way to haines point
the tourists were out in full force
it is the start of tourist season... but that does not interest me because I do not hunt
with the children content in the trailer I rolled past the intended picnic area beneath the landing planes
we pushed the bike past the airport towards Old Town Alexandria
but shortly after the airport itself the boys asked to go to the airport
I turned around
with excitement I told them that we were at the airport
they told me that they wanted to have a picnic at the airport
I said we were on our way
moments later we were at park where the planes glide into the landing strip
it was then that I learned that both of the both of the boys thought that we were having a picnic in the airport
there was a small discussion after the slight confusion
no tantrums as hunger superseeded sublties such as location
with sandwiches in hand the boys were content
the planes screamed overhead as we ate our sandwiches
the bicycles rolled by
commuter racing
racers training
couples out on a date
familiar faces then a mountain biking friend from my mountain biking team
after the sandwiches and some drinks we were back on the path and across the river to the awakening at haines point
we shuffled in with the road cyclist training (both the racers and the wannabees)
only to pull over at the scupture instead of doing multiple laps on the road
here the boys got to climb the various apendages of the sculpture
we spent as much time leaving as we did staying
with the son already deep over the horizon we needed to rush home before dark
the boys complained
they wanted to stay
they always want to stay
it was late
the speed and the bumps made drinking in the trailer difficult for dean
so I slowed
I sped up
he spilled
it went that way for the final 35 minutes home
pretty much had to ride through it
arrived home
unpacked the boys and the gear
pulled the bikes and the trailer into the backyard
set the boys up with a snack to occupy them as I put stuff in the garage
then the shower
to the present time
by this time I have already pulled boys out of the tub
dried them off
passed off once child to the wife who walked in from her work dinner
talked to the other while he dressed himself
I am finishing up this entry as lisa sits with them as they read to themselves as some bedtime quiet time
it is late
way late
managed to watch the kids and get a ride in
a good time shared by all
something we should do more often
as it is good for the family
and
good for the legs and lungs
working hard to move slow is a good workout