Showing posts with label bicycle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bicycle. Show all posts

Friday, 11 April 2014

#CountryKids Cycling to Wray Castle

Country Kids from Coombe Mill Family Farm Holidays Cornwall

I have been struggling to get us out as a family cycling happily due to the contrasting levels of confidence and ability that a 3 year age gap makes. Having to watch one shoot off into the distance whilst the other constantly stops is a nightmare. So I was very happy to acquire a second hand tag a long yesterday to try and make cycling more enjoyable. We took advice from the Go Lakes web site on cycling in Cumbria and headed over on the ferry to the western shore of Windermere:

Waiting at Ferry Nab

It adds to the fun to take the ferry and at £4.30 for a car its cheaper than the car park! Once over the water we made use of our National Trust membership to park for free at Harrowslack. Then my daughter and I assembled my son's new mode of transport:

Tag a long on adult bike

My daughter looked very professional in her cycling gear:

Thursday, 3 November 2011

Reasons to be Cheerful XIV ( #R2BC )

Reasons to be Cheerful at Mummy from the Heart

Michelle on a blog break at the minute so this it being guest hosted for 5 weeks! Today's hostess with the mostest is Emma at a Matter of Choice.

Things feeling pretty positive for me again this week so here is what is making me smile:

1) Family Fun

We rounded off the school holidays with a 3 generation trip on the bus to Keswick to try out the leisure pool up there. It was a bit of a shame that it was a very wet day so we couldn't see the fabulous views properly from the top of the bus but it was a good fun change:


The pool itself was great for all of us for a splash around (not cheap at £15 for 4) with shallow sloping beach type bits, a wave machine and a black hole flume. My 8 year old and I had quite a few goes on the flume but the others stayed jumping in or playing catch with a beach ball. Think we will go back again sometime but save it for a special treat.

2) Halloween/Bright Lights

My children once again went to the free party at our church St Thomas Kendal and had hot dogs, cakes, party games and fireworks. Then they were allowed their first ever trick or treating in our street. Being a family estate all the trick or treaters going round seemed very nice and it was a lovely atmosphere so guess I'll let them do it again next year!

Best dressed house in the road

3) My son

He is so very nearly 5 and growing up fast. At swimming this week he swam quite away unaided on his front and is getting more confident with floats on his back. At parents' evening I was told he was settling in well and was doing his best to obey class rules. His phonic starting sounds are really coming on and we just need to work on his fine motor skills.

4) My daughter

Her cycling is carrying on getting better and despite a big crash resulting in a bloody nose she is loving to be out on her bike as much as possible. She even managed to cycle all the way to church and back on Sunday with very little fuss. Her parent's evening report was that she was very enthusiastic and knowledgeable. For reading she is about 6 months ahead of her age and her spelling has improved. Just need to practice those times tables and joined up handwriting...

5) Operation 3rd bedroom

Apart from the fact the front room, landing and bedrooms 1 & 2 are chocker block with temporarily homeless items this is coming on well. My dad took out the fitted shelves and plastered the holes over making enough room for a bed. I had a lucky moment in Morrisons and spotted an ad for a second hand cabin bed going cheap so that will make the transition much quicker. Next step is to construct the bed in place and then move his stuff in there from his current bedroom.

6) (late update) Diet

I finally lost weight again this week after wobbling for most of October! Only a 1lb but hoping that its all a start of a downward trend to last until Christmas... I've joined up with the Twitter #NoAlcoholNovember pledge so hope that has the same result as last year. Not necessarily the booze that's the problem but the reduced self control to snack after a glass of wine!

Click on the linky to see who else is smiling:

Sunday, 22 August 2010

As easy as riding a bicycle?

Not as far as my kids are concerned!!


It all started off so well a fortnight ago when I decided kids could cycle the less than a mile to our new church as they were looking so confident... Then DS managed to fall off/crash 4 times in the first 1/4 mile... made him lose all confidence and I carried his bike for much of the way there. DD faired much better and arrived in one piece.


The journey home was better for DS with no accidents but DD misjudged a driveway on the pavement and took a minor tumble. She had no ill effects and shot off so fast she took a wrong turn on our estate and went round in circles for quite a while.....


So back to today time to try again. This time both keen to go but DS whined all the way there and made me either place a hand on his back or the handlebars all the way there. DD a bit too cautious at road crossings after her previous spill and dismounted every time.


Just before church there is a yellow box junction crossing with traffic lights across main road into Kendal. On previous trip kids had cycled safely across diagonally before lights changed. Today DD decided she needed to push hers... resulting in her entangling the stabiliser from her bike in brother's wheel stranding us smack bang in middle of road! At this point she ran off abandoning me to untangle bikes and remove DS to safety. Another dad did run out to rescue us as it looked quite hairy.


Return trip I had to again give DS a hand all the way back to our estate. DD was looking off centre and I kept trying to get her to sit with her bottom in the middle of the saddle - but she wouldn't listen. Eventually she did straighten up and it made her much more stable and she shot off confidentally. DS only let me let go once we were back on our estate and then sailed off quite happily:



Here's hoping that it's 3rd time lucky in a fortnight when we try and cycle there again!