summer of biking: update

Our handy dandy $9 Wally World bike odometer has recorded 93.4 miles of summer bicycling. The calendar on the fridge is tormenting me by announcing there is only 7 more days until school begins, ending our quest for 100 miles ridden on our bicycles verses driving in a car.

I'm certain we have ridden our bikes over a hundred miles by now, but I have very strict guidelines as to what constitutes 'summer of biking' mileage.

• The purpose of the ride is for business only; no mileage added for just riding around all willy-nilly.

• If we would have used a car to get there, we can add the mileage. At least one child must accompany me in order to qualify the mileage.
  

• No 'made up' trips just to bump up and pad the mileage.

• And, just for Madison, no; we cannot use mileage of you riding to your friend's house to play. Why? Because I would have made you ride you bike even if we DID have a car available.

So, 6.6 miles left to go. I think we can make it happen.

In other news, we are growing weary of our neighborhood swimming hole. Even though the weather has been cooler and we have not been swimming as much, we are all a little fed up with the crowds at the pool.

Today was hot and sticky, so after our morning errands (on bicycles!) I set up the following in our backyard and let the kiddos do what they do best: be silly and free.

Supplies needed:

• 1 plastic tarp
  
• 3 large buckets, emptied of toys
  
• hose and sprinkler
• ketchup and mustard bottles; emptied of all condiments
  
• swim goggles
  

Games played:

• See who can sit in the bucket of cold water the longest
• Spray your sibling with the ketchup/mustard bottle until Mom yells at you
• Stomp in the puddles of water made by the dents in the tarp
• Plastic ball race by squirting it with water and seeing whose goes the farthest
• Pretend the tarp is a slip-n-slide. Realize no hill = does not work
• Squirt Mommy with the water until she goes inside to get us fudgecycles
• Make 'water angels' by laying down on the tarp and flapping your imaginary wings
• Turn on the sprinkler, run around in circles until you get dizzy and fall down
• Invite the neighbor kids to join you and allow them to put all of your dry towels in a tub of water
• Repeat many times

We are soooooo ghetto.

summer of biking

I have declared the 'Summer of 2009' to be our season of biking.

Hahahahahah. Uhm, no, not that kind of biking. The Harley in the photo belongs to my father, who purchased this speeding-death-trap a couple of months ago. Ah, another post for another day.

We will stick to the peddling kind thank-you-very-much. Hubby's car needs repaired and we decided not to fix it.........for now. The kids are out of school and activities for the summer and I am purposely unemployed. Since we live in a fairly small community, why not use our bikes for transportation?! It's great exercise, eco-friendly and forces the kids and I to scale back on outings that often turn expensive. We are able to ride to the library, the pool, the grocery store, friend's houses and, like this morning, to the kid's dentist appointment.

M rides her bike, E has her training wheel free bike, and B & I ride my bike with an attached trail along bike. Similar to:

I even added a wire basket, but in white:

If you see us around town, give us a honk or a wave and definitely a wide berth. Our posse takes up some serious pavement.