My Own Bicycle

Yesterday, Brandon and I went shopping for my new bike. I've been asking for one for about a month now. I guess, a month is long enough that my hubby finally believed I was serious. So I picked out the one I liked at the store last night. Brandon was a little hesitant to get it.

"Are you sure you don't want one with gears? Or hand brakes?" he asked. (Actually, I have no idea if that's what he really asked since I don't know what the things are really called, nor do I know how to use them.)

I assured him that this was indeed the bike I wanted and that I didn't know how to use any of those fancy new technology bike things and would be more than happy with my beautiful, but simple, bicycle. So we bought it.

Last night, I was so excited as I rode it around in the parking lot at our complex. I was also a bit terrified, since I hadn't ridden a bike in ages and now, not only was I venturing out into the world on one, but I was taking my one year old son with me. I even practiced riding the bike with the baby carrier hooked up to it. We got a front one, so Caleb will ride between me and the steering wheel, which means that you have to ride with your legs out a little wider than normal. It's a little weird, but no big deal. I haven't ridden a bike in so long that it's not hard adjusting to this new way.

So today was the big day. Even though I was excited for our maiden voyage, I put it off until later this afternoon/evening. I wanted Caleb to take his nap first, and wasn't too excited about the blazing sun shining down on us. We left our house around 6:30 and at first, everything seemed fine. The only small hiccup was that the helmet we bought Caleb was way too big and he really didn't like wearing it since I strapped it on too tight and it kept falling backwards anyway.

We rode over to the library. In case you've never been to Roseville, or paid much attention while you were here, it is one super hilly place. My legs burned and the bike threatened to completely stop every time we tried to go up the hills. It was seriously killer.

By the time I got to the library, I was so dead. I just wanted to sit and sit and never get up again. But the library was closing in five minutes, so we had to move on. Which is when the real drama began. Caleb did not want to get back into his seat. He screamed and screamed and clung to my neck for dear life. I hadn't even attempted to put his awful helmet back on. Just to sit him down in his chair.

Once I finally unhooked his death grip and forced him into the chair, we only went as far as the train park, which is in the same parking lot as the library. Caleb cried the whole way. We ended up staying at the park for a really long time, just so he'd calm down. When it came time to leave, we saw some other people on bikes, including a dad with a little girl in a baby seat behind his seat. I think that helped calm Caleb a bit, because he went into his seat without any complaints.

I dared to get dinner while we were out. Maybe I should have just gone straight home. On the way to dinner, the tears returned. After dinner, on the way home, the tears were so intense, I had to stop riding. Caleb kept reaching for the handles, jerking us in one direction. Or he'd reach for my hand and try to pull it off the handle, jerking us the other direction. He pushed on my knee, trying to get me to stop. So stop I did.

I took his evil helmet off, thinking that maybe it was causing all the misery. That only made things worse, since now he could look up and see me. He kept crying the rest of the way home, and eventually I got back on the bike and peddled us home. He was turning around in his seat, as best he could, trying to get to me, tears streaming.

Finally, we got home. Well, to our complex at least, and I took him out of his seat. He grabbed on to me for dear life. Seriously, you would have thought he'd faced death the way he clutched me with all his might. It was bad. He wouldn't let me put him down again. If I tried, it was all out screaming. By that point, my legs were so exhausted from all the hills, I could barely move. Yet somehow I still managed to carry my baby and wheel the bike the rest of the way to our apartment.

I guess, in a way, it's a good thing Caleb didn't like biking so much today. Because I'm way too tired to try it again tomorrow. But hopefully, he'll like it better the next time we do try.