Summer Fun and Bicycling with Children

Happy cyclist!

We live in an area that has four distinct seasons. This lets us explore different outdoor activities. The summer season always makes me excited for bicycling. You get to see your neighborhood at a different pace when bicycling as opposed to driving your car. We began sharing our love of bicycling with our daughter at a young age. She first experienced bicycling as a bike trailer rider. We tried pulling the trailer on dirt roads near our house and quickly realized her little 10-month old head was bobbing up and down quite a bit! Maybe that type of road might not be the best for her age (as a licensed massage therapist by profession, I tend to be a bit protective of that central organ, the brain!). All was good as we biked the paved roads. She enjoyed being a passenger and sometimes would bring along stuffed animals and dolls to ride with her.

On her own energy she began to pedal a tricycle, then got the hang of a two wheeled bike with training wheels by the time she was two or three. When she was about three or four, we got a tag-along (trail-a-bike, third wheel – they have numerous names depending on the brands) attached to our adult bike, and she rode behind either my husband or myself. This bike attachment was pretty safe yet made the adult feel like they were riding with a drunk…as our daughter loved to lean from side to side as she pedaled! 😉 Most of the time we made it safely through our town doing errands or riding just for fun.

Dad and daughter bikers pulling into the driveway after a fun ride...

Sometimes my husband would create what he and my daughter called “the triple rig”: she would ride along on the tag-along which was attached to his bike, and the bike trailer would be attached to her bike. This way they could pedal to our local gardeners’ farmers’ market and bring home lots of veggies, fruit and other treats! We were amazed that the years passed so quickly and before long, she was pedaling her own two-wheeled bicycle along with us. It’s been a fun process that we hope becomes a life-long pattern of exercise and enjoyment for all of  us!

Where are you in the stages of bicycling with your kids – trailer, tag-along, tricycle, or 2-wheeled bike?

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Summertime Baseball (this) Fan Favorite: Oakland A’s!

On Monday, I talked about some of the fun and discounted family specials the Seattle Mariners are offering this summer. You can read about it here. Today, the team up is my FAVORITE team, the Oakland A’s:

Oakland Athletics (did I mention they are my favorite team!?!)
The Coliseum
7000 Coliseum Way
Oakland, California 94621

Price Range: $9.00 – $48.00

$2.00 Tickets, $1.00 Hot Dogs presented by BART: At every Wednesday home game you can purchase Plaza Level, Plaza Outfield and Plaza Reserved tickets for only $2.00 and hot dogs throughout the park are only $1.00.

Fireworks night: Fireworks night at The Coliseum is so much fun especially on summer nights. After the game is over (and hopefully with an A’s win!) fans are allowed on the outfield grass to watch the show. So, bring a blanket and relax and enjoy the lights with the family. Next fireworks night is Friday, June 26th. Game time @ 7:05 p.m.

Root Beer Float Day presented by Pepsi: Not only will you get a refreshing treat to enjoy during the game, but you and the kids will get to meet some of the players! (Yum! Oh. Wait…”yum” to the root beer float, not the players!)  Thursday, August 6th at @ 10:35 a.m.

Giveaway Days:
Backpack day – Sunday, August 23rd @ 1:05 p.m. (First 7,500 kids, 14 & under)

So we’re almost done with the West Coast teams on my list…can you guess which Major League team I’ll be talking about on Friday??

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Earth Day Today

What are your Earth Day plans with the kids? Planting a garden, a tree, a windowsill herb “garden” (for those apt./condo dwellers)? Even babies can get involved because remember, babies know dirt! I hope the White House garden that Michelle Obama planted with area kids might get some attention today from kids from another D.C. elementary school. Happy Earth Day!

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An Early Valentine Kiss from Eber Jeeber in Overland Park, KS

Shop the le•top collection of baby and children's clothes at Eber Jeeber...and also join in on the fun!

Amy has the perfect personality for a baby and children’s store — she knows how to have fun! She runs Eber Jeeber, an upscale baby store in Overland Park, KS (a great, southern suburb of Kansas City). Her creative and entertaining ideas bring her customers in and show them a great time, both young and old! She is gearing up for a Spring full of events, starting with a Valentine’s Day box-decorating extravaganza! Just $5 outfits your child with a customizable heart-shaped box and a myriad of color paints for budding artists to have a blast decorating it. And when the Easter Bunny comes hoppin’ around this April, you can be sure Bunny will be shaking its whiskers at Eber Jeeber for a major photo-op with the kiddies. A local photographer will be on hand to capture the whole scene (and provide your family with a special snap for the Rogue’s Gallery). Check out all these fun events and our le•top Spring Collections on Amy’s newly redesigned Website, (www.eberjeeber.com). If you’re nearby, Amy would love to see you, so drop in to see what’s happening and browse the great wears: Eber Jeeber: 4937 W. 119th Street, Overland Park, KS. Phone: 913.663.3237.

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