Willow was in a bit of a sour mood this morning, so we strapped on our shoes and headed to the backyard.
After swinging for a bit, Willow whined and tugged at her constraints. Odd. She'd been swinging only about five minutes (she usually logs about 30 minutes before I pull her kicking and screaming from the swing).
She made a beeline for the deck and the water table it holds. The problem was I wanted at least one day off from her getting wet and caked in sand, so I started thinking fast. I needed something to keep her calm but not remove her from the outdoors on such a pretty and cool morning.
So I grabbed my bicycle with the child seat fastened to the back and loaded her up.
Now I'm not sure how my body is going to treat me the rest of the day because just an hour earlier I returned to the house from a 2-mile run, but for Willow the bike ride was the perfect antidote for a fussy morning.
When she spotted the bike, she lifted her arms into a touchdown sign and wanted up into the seat. Then she clamored for the helmet. Then she waited rather impatiently while I launched my activity-tracking app. We were off.
Willow loves riding on the back of that bike. It calms her as a swing or a pacifier would. Sometimes she falls asleep behind me, her helmeted head timbering over onto the bottom of my back, zzzz.
But Cherish and I know the reason she loves the bike rides so much.
The dogs.
She points, pants and yaps for any dog (or cat) she sees along the way, but her favorite are two Labradors in one of the cul-de-sacs along the way. Those canines chase us along the border of their yard and they bark playfully before tackling each other in a happy cloud of fur.
As we ride away from the yard, Willow waves bye bye.
We rode around most of the neighborhood, about 3.5 miles before I pedaled back up the hill to our house. I was spent, my legs burning, but the ride was well worth the effort.
I think it made Willow's morning.
After swinging for a bit, Willow whined and tugged at her constraints. Odd. She'd been swinging only about five minutes (she usually logs about 30 minutes before I pull her kicking and screaming from the swing).
She made a beeline for the deck and the water table it holds. The problem was I wanted at least one day off from her getting wet and caked in sand, so I started thinking fast. I needed something to keep her calm but not remove her from the outdoors on such a pretty and cool morning.
So I grabbed my bicycle with the child seat fastened to the back and loaded her up.
Now I'm not sure how my body is going to treat me the rest of the day because just an hour earlier I returned to the house from a 2-mile run, but for Willow the bike ride was the perfect antidote for a fussy morning.
When she spotted the bike, she lifted her arms into a touchdown sign and wanted up into the seat. Then she clamored for the helmet. Then she waited rather impatiently while I launched my activity-tracking app. We were off.
Willow loves riding on the back of that bike. It calms her as a swing or a pacifier would. Sometimes she falls asleep behind me, her helmeted head timbering over onto the bottom of my back, zzzz.
But Cherish and I know the reason she loves the bike rides so much.
The dogs.
She points, pants and yaps for any dog (or cat) she sees along the way, but her favorite are two Labradors in one of the cul-de-sacs along the way. Those canines chase us along the border of their yard and they bark playfully before tackling each other in a happy cloud of fur.
As we ride away from the yard, Willow waves bye bye.
We rode around most of the neighborhood, about 3.5 miles before I pedaled back up the hill to our house. I was spent, my legs burning, but the ride was well worth the effort.
I think it made Willow's morning.
Comments
Post a Comment