Do they really use that bike?

Last week, we got a new bike.  While I was a little intimidated at first, we are now totally hooked.  Yes, we really are using the bike.  All. The. Time.

First things first, both E-Bear and G-Bear have learned to ride their own bikes without training wheels.  E-Bear could hardly stand it that G-Bear was doing it herself.  He had been practicing on Buddy Bear's strider bike (awesome birthday gift from MoMo and Papa), and we noticed that he was already able to balance it by himself.  So, with a little encouragement from T,  E-Bear was riding his own bike in one Sunday afternoon.  This past week he rode his bike to school three days in a row!

E-Bear learning to ride his bike with help from T

 With the big kids riding their own bikes, the Mundo is much more manageable for me.  We have J-Bear on the front in her iBert and Buddy Bear on the back in the Peanut Shell.  The two big kids can easily fit between the monkey bars, but the bike gets heavy for me and harder for me to get on when they do.  T can easily drive the bike with all four kids aboard.  For me as a beginner, I prefer it with only two or three kids.

J-Bear, loving the iBert!

And we're off!  This was our first week with the Mundo:

Thursday: T takes G-Bear to school on the bike for the first time!  Super speedy, even faster the driving the car because he didn't have to go through the drop off parking lot.

Friday:  Mom takes all the kids the school on the bike, with the help of the chariot trailer.
We made it!

Saturday:  Mom's at a conference, so what did T do? Bundle all the kids on the bike (sans trailer), head to the splash pad.  When the splash pad is closed, he takes everyone across the neighborhood to get smoothies.

Sunday:  Rain, rain, go away.  We totally wish we could bike to church.

Tuesday: A special dinner night out!  We bike to the restaurant, E-Bear and G-Bear on their bikes, and then go for a 6 mile ride home down the river.  Wow!

Wednesday: Our Sienna minivan is in the shop!  Oh no! What to do?  We have so many things to do today!  Bike to school in the morning, then take the boys to their haircuts on the bike, drop E-Bear off for his last day of school and later go to his graduation sing along -- all on the bike!

Thursday:  To school and Mass on the bike for the last day of school!


Wow!  That is quite a first week.  Hopefully, we have many miles in front of us this summer!