"I Want To Ride My Bicycle...

I want to ride my bike. Bicycle! Bicycle!" Queen...what a funky bunch of guys singing catchy tunes.


We bought bicycles for the kids for Christmas. Maybe it was a funny time to buy bikes, since the kids wouldn't be able to ride them in the snow, but we did it because I have the most vivid Christmas memory I call "The Year of the Ten-Speeds". My mom and dad always left the Christmas tree lit all night long from Christmas Eve to Christmas morning and it was so magical to come down the stairs of our darkened house in the light of the softly glowing tree. One year we snuck downstairs at some insanely early hour to snag our stockings off the banister and shake a few presents, but were stopped in our tracks by the shiny bicycles glinting in the light of the tree. My oldest siblings had been given wonderful ten-speed bikes...it was so exciting! I always wanted to recreate that scene for my own "some day" family so this past Christmas we bought the bikes, hid them at Jeannine's house and then had a serious Christmas Eve discussion about whether we should have the bikes by the tree. We had a concern that the kids would try to ride them indoors and end up falling down the stairs or something (not a concern my parents had to deal with) so in the end we decided that we should pull the cars out of the garage, set the bikes up there and then take the kids out to them; that way they could ride them a little too. It turned out to be a great decision because they were so excited (judging by their whoops and shrieks...Grant was holding a dinosaur toy and totally chucked it in a corner as he ran to his bike) and were able to get on and ride a bit. Maybe they'll want to recreate that scene for their "some day" family.


Well, the bicycles have been much admired but unused until recently. The spring rain and snow has curtailed our outings, but every Saturday with sunshine has seen the kids riding along in the church parking lot. Bicycle! Bicycle!

Bicycle Love!