Remembering Memorial Days

On week-day holidays, we like to do "special" stuff with the kids.  Things we normally don't have the time to do.  In the summer, it's often a bike ride, which they love.  This is quite the feat with 2 kids who don't ride by themselves yet.  We have a tag-along bike for Theo.  It's a one-wheeler that attaches to the seat post of Tim's bike (see photos from 2007 below), complete with handle bars, which don't steer anything, and pedals.  Theo is big enough this year to ride that.  Then we have a trailer that hooks onto the back of my bike for Drew. 

Here are photos from July 4, 2007 when Drew was too small to ride in it (so he stayed home with a sitter) & Will was still using the tag-along.  

Here's Theo in the bike trailer - July 4, 2007

William's on the tag-along,  July 4, 2007

Last year both boys rode in the trailer, but Drew wasn't a big fan of it (he doesn't like elevators either, I wonder if he's claustrophobic), so we didn't do it often.   Here's a photo - it may reveal why he didn't like it so much!  :)

When you get 2 BIG boys with 2 BIG bike helmets on, there isn't much room left!

So, back to Memorial Day(s).  Memorial Day 2006, we decided to embark on a ride to see the Memorial Day parade.  This is about 3 miles from our house, which is not a bad distance at all. Problem is, it's about 80 degrees out.  So we pack plenty of water, it's all good.  We make it to the parade and get re-hydrated.  Everyone's enjoying themselves.  We head for home.  We're looking for somewhere to have lunch.  Tim cuts through a park to get to a different street.  You know those cement pylons they put up to keep cars from driving OUT of the parking lot and INTO the park?  Yea, well, they're too close together for a bike trailer to get safely through, so I try to go a different way.  I "curbed" it and received plenty of ribbing for that.  We press on and find some lunch.  We head for home, again.  It is now 90 degrees, by the way.  I curb the trailer, again, on a narrow wheelchair ramp onto the sidewalk and that was all the trailer could take, apparently.  I made it a few more feet before realizing that the trailer had a flat.  The options were to sit there in 90 degree heat and wait an eternity for Tim to return with a vehicle, trying to keep Theo occupied and happy (Theo is extremely sensitive to the heat, by the way); OR suck it up and drag the trailer & 35# Theo 2.5 miles back home.  I decided on the latter.  I was beyond fatigued & HOT when we got home.  I dropped my bike in the garage, pulling my clothes off as I walked and stood in front of the fan for a good 10 minutes.  Lizzie and Will still talk about me standing in front of that fan after our bike ride!  A memorable Memorial Day, for sure.  Here is a photo of the kids while watching the parade in 2006:

You can tell it was hot - look how flushed their cheeks are!

So after that experience, I'm not sure what possessed me this Monday to suggest another bike ride to the parade, but I did.  I DID look at the forecast beforehand - 75 degrees & breezy!  :)  It was a much happier ride:

Watching the parade in 2009 - look how big Lizzie & Will have gotten!

They enjoyed the bike ride and the parade.  But more important than that, they are learning to respect our country's flag and those who have sacrificed their lives for our freedoms.  They haven't yet experienced the death of a loved one.  I'm not looking forward to those lessons to be learned.  But we are trying to instill a sense of patriotism and gratefulness toward those who serve.  In fact, William has said for a year now that he wants to be in the military when he grows up.  We would be proud.