One of the things that I want to do more of this year, and then I let slide a bit last year on the blog, is to capture our precious family moments. After all, they’re the main reasons for starting this blog in the first place over two years ago, and wanting to have all of these memories stored up in one little internet space of mine.
And what better moment than to capture the first bike ride?!
For Christmas, Freddie and Sasha asked Father Christmas for a bike. Sasha in particular was REALLY wanting one (it was the only thing she asked for, bless her), and after going to road test some in Halfords (for the purpose of telling the big man, of course 😉 ), we secretly put an order in, and picked them up to store away in our garage until Christmas Eve. Freddie didn’t mind what bike he had, but S was quite specific with her request “A Hello Kitty Bike, please!”, but both bikes had to have a bell, and little seat on the back for their teddies/dolls.
Christmas day was too wet to take the bikes out, but come Boxing Day we were all in dire need of some fresh air and to burn some energy off (despite the fact that S wasn’t feeling 100%). En masse, we did a few laps around the block, whilst the kids took their new wheels for a spin.
Sasha really surprised us with how good she was at managing the peddling and steering, and was soon hurtling along in front.
Freds did a great job too, although he struggled slightly to get going with the peddling. For a while I thought he’d inherited my dodgy bike riding gene (I couldn’t ride one without stabilisers until I was 8 and a half!!!!), but we’ve since found out that his back wheel has been extra tight and not going round properly, so the poor fella was finding it ridiculously hard work without really knowing why!!
Both F and S have started to get a little competitive with each other, and there was lots of “I’m the winner!” and “You’re not the winner!”, something which i’m unsure as to whether or not we should be quashing, or if it’s all just part of growing up. I wasn’t expecting it this young though! Aaaah, the joys of a 15 month age gap…
My side of the family (minus one brother, sister-in-law and niece who had to go home Boxing Day)! We had a fabulous Christmas 🙂
Watching my children learn to ride a bike is something I always imagined doing as a parent, and I think it always feels weird, and somehow seminal, when the moment then actually happens.
My little loves, on their bikes.
Here’s to many more family bike rides in 2016!
*On a different note, I’d love any UK holiday recommendations where there is great, off-road bike riding, and the flatter the better, so that we could go biking with our two as well? Thanks!
Linking up with Katie and her ‘Ordinary Moments’.
Fantastic! Our Kara has that exact same bike and loves it. There are few things our kids love more than playing around outside our house (we’re lucky enough to live at the end of a cul-de-sac) on their bikes, pedal-karts and scooters with our neighbour’s kids.
It’s great to capture these little family moments – it’s one of the main reasons why I blog too.
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Thanks Tim- our girls obviosuly have the same great(ish) taste 😉
I think getting a bike for Christmas will probably be a forever a childhood memory for your children. I don’t know how Santa keeps these secrets leading up to Christmas. Your photos are wonderful and capture the fun day you had. Best wishes in 2016! #TheOrdinaryMoments
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Santa had a hard time keeping them secret! Hoping you have a great 2016 too 🙂
Cheeky Chap got a bike for his birthday a couple of years ago and has recently learned how to ride without stablisers, it’s such a key moment isn’t it and how lucky are we to have blogs to record these memories on? Such a lovely post again. x
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Aah, thank you Rachel 🙂 x
Aw such cute photos and doesn’t everyone have photos of themselves with their new bikes from christmas? I know I have a fair few stored away in our garage. LL doesn’t have a bike yet but Mads has one, I think we need to try and get her to stop riding with stabilzers soon though. x
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I don’t have any *waaaaah*! probably because it was such a painful memory for my family 😉 x
Ah bless them, they both look so chuffed and proud of their new bikes. I know another little girl who’d go crazy for that pink ‘Hello Kitty’ bike. My husband in his wisdom (?!) got Poppy a balance bike and now she’s refusing to use it. Lili on the other hand is doing well on her bike and went out for her first proper “daddy and me’ bike ride today. Lovely post hon xx
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It’s interesting you say that about the balance bike, H- we got Sasha a wooden one for her birthday in May and she hated it (I think ti was too heavy), but has taken to a pedal bike with the stablisers like a duck to water! x