These are the days to remember....

I've finally mastered (using this term loosely) the "art of pre-positioning" with my children.  After years of carefully pre-positioning possible outcomes with clients so as to make a future experience occur without surprise and/or incident, I've finally started to take this approach with our kids.  For example, one approach might be, mommy comes downstairs in the morning and says, "we're going on a bike ride (while mommy runs), so saddle up (please)".  On the other hand, something like (at the beginning of summer), "you need to plan on being on your bikes an hour each day so that daddy and I can get our runs in this summer", while met with initial groans doesn't come with any immediate consequence and so passes quickly in the moment.  But, the seed has been planted.....

Of course we didn't make them get on their bikes everyday this summer.  But, when we have asked them to do so a couple of times a week, it's come as no surprise and with little to no whining.  Plus, we've found lots of ways to make it fun along the way.  In fact, as the summer has progressed we've found these outings to be our very best times.

Tonight Logan and I had time just the two of us.  He has enjoyed some additional freedom he's earned this year by getting to bike to and from places solo or with his best buddy, Van.  To and from their houses they've gone or to and from soccer practice.  The sense of freedom has been a thrill for them both.  But, I digress.  Off he and I went tonight for what ended up being a 9 mile bike ride to dinner, dessert and then a ride home using headlamps; a fun little adventure in total.  We chatted along...as the pace and time not trying to do 10 things at once makes room for lots of questions, comments, jokes and laughter.  Great gifts, indeed.

A couple of days ago, Logan and Van joined me on their bikes for a 9 mile run.  Yes, I'm not above subjecting my friends' kids to the insanity.....At one point during the run, they seemed to be lollygagging up ahead of me and my first thought was, "The gig is up.  They have finally figured out that they can outpace me on their bikes and are going to start getting bored with these outings."  When I asked Van if I was slowing them down, he responded in his true philosiphizer (This is a word, if you know this boy we love) with "no" and then something about bike gearing and pedals that I didn't understand for the life of me.  I was so relieved.  Maybe it's that they've biked with me since they could and only gradually gotten to the point where they could so easily leave me in the dust that it didn't even occur to them to do so (they always wait a ways up ahead which I think is really sweet) and/or were so enjoying each others company and chatting away as we went that it didn't matter.  But, regardless; the experience was pure joy.  The quiet rhythm of the park, the river and the pace; the carefree chatting and biking I got to watch (and even sometimes got to join in) which comes from years of being best buds.  Another great moment.

Our kids bicker.  Yes, it's shocking I know since I'm sure they are the only ones that do.  Mark and I do not enjoy this.  Get them out biking while one or both of us run along and they generally do this less.  Maybe it's the lack of confined space or the fact that they are otherwise engaged.  But, other than the occasional "she cut me off", I find these outings to be a nice reprieve from the silliness.

I've mentioned before that I dig hills.  I like that it's hard to get up them and how great it feels once you've caught your breath.  My little Elise has become a hill monster.  I asked her to join me last Saturday morning on the run that I try and do as regularly as possible with my sister.  With sis out of commission last weekend, I thought I'd see if she'd join me so we could have some one on one time; figuring competing with Saturday morning cartoons would be a futile exercise.  But, along she came.  I was so glad to have her along.  I told her ahead of time that in the middle of the run there would be three small hills; two a little steep, but all pretty short (notice, the pre-positioning? ;>).  It was so fun to encourage her up them all.  Despite needing a little push here and there, there was no whining and the victory was all hers.  She felt like a rockstar!  Big smile and yes a big cookie for us both at the end!

So, if it's not completely obvious by now, I love having active kids.  Kids who can get into a rhythm with me and spend quality time doing something that we all enjoy and that's really good for us on so many levels.  Who knew that lacing up a couple of shoes and pumping up a couple of tires could do all that?