Yesterday Bonnie was outside with Isaac having another go at trying to teach him to ride his bike without training wheels. After a little while, Isaac excitedly comes in my office asking me to come outside to watch him do something. "Dare I hope he's actually got it this time?" was the essential question running through my mind as I walked outside. And it's hard to describe the feelings I felt as I then watched him take his first "pedals" on his own without support of any kind. Pride, joy, satisfaction, RELIEF probably were all mixed in there together.
Then this morning Isaac is all keen again to go riding once more. So we go in the front yard and practice again for a little while. Then we decide to go for a family ride together. There were a few stops and starts along the way, but honestly both Bonnie and I couldn't stop commenting to each other how well we thought Isaac was doing. It probably wasn't even a 5-minute ride to the park we rode to, but once we got there, we must have spent an hour or so just riding around on the baseball diamonds, the grass, and the bike park (complete with jumps). Isaac was quite excited to go to this bike park as he'd seen the big kids ride and jump there on previous visits. Isaac rode in between the jumps along the level parts, while I SLOWLY rode up and over the jumps. I know my limits believe me! We met a family friend in the parking lot on the way back home and Isaac quite proudly showed him how he could ride on his own now.
After Bonnie left for work this afternoon, Isaac and I rode our bikes to another park where there was a soccer tournament going on. So we watched the game for a while and then Isaac met some new friends and proceeded to play and even share his bike with another little 5-year-old who went for a ride as well. It's been quite warm here lately (in the 30's), and so we didn't stay that long at the park before we rode through town, down Main Street and then back home.
Quite a lot for his first full day of riding. But he told me at dinner when I asked him what the best part of the day was, that "riding my bike" was indeed the best. 
Curtis and I enjoyed our weekend away. Prince Rupert was beautiful, and the seafood was delicious. So many people told us before we left "Prince Rupert is beautiful - when it's not raining", but being from the Fraser Valley, I can appreciate the beauty despite the rain. It actually didn't rain that much while we were there, anyway. Our B&B hostess was very helpful, with ideas of where to eat, and what to see. We didn't see everything, of course, so that we could return again someday. I saw lots of things to show to Isaac, like a Firehouse Museum, the container port, the Cannery in Port Edward... (now there's a place I could spend a few hours exploring.)
Last weekend Colleen, Glen, and their kids were here, and Isaac really enjoyed spending time with his cousins. At one point, Isaac was buried up to his neck in his dirt box by Jamie and Adrian - apparently he was having a "dirt bath", according to Jamie.
Soon afterwards the boys enjoyed a regular bath!
Other activities we enjoyed together were: a picnic supper near Twin Falls (the mosquitoes were not so enjoyable, though!) followed by a visit to the Moose Hut, our local ice cream shack; the local Farmer's Market (for the girls) and quadding (for the boys); lunch at Curtis' parents' place; Tyhee lake so the kids could have a mid-afternoon dip in between rain showers; and a stroll down Main Street.
After working the last five evenings, it's nice to finally have more time to spend with my family. We went to Curtis' parents' place for lunch, then a little stroll down by the rivers in Telkwa. You could tell it was a warmer day for a change, as several teenage boys were jumping from the top of the bridge into the river to cool off!
Enjoy your long weekend, those of you from beautiful BC!
