bikes

We have lived a stone's throw away from Central Park for over four years now, and it wasn't until this past Monday morning that we got our patooties to the neighborhood bike shop to rent bikes and go for a spin around The Loop.

Well, it was awesome. Better than awesome. Spectacular. The kiddos felt so free and exhilarated, Taro and I were totally invigorated from the much-needed exercise, and it was so great to experience the shift in perspective that comes from hopping on a bike and traveling well-known terrain. We stopped for a picnic lunch in Sheep Meadow and while we ate we realized what we had to do.

We had to have bikes. For keeps. Even though that would mean parking them in the tiny dining area of our apartment (which is really just a table parked in our living room).

So in an act of unparalleled impulsiveness, we bought our own bikes when we returned the rental ones to the shop. We bought helmets and child seats and water bottles and the works.

Today, when Taro got home from work the boys and I were waiting, ready to go, and we took our inaugural spin around the park, arriving back home just before sunset.

We had a blast, as you can see from the photos above, which were snapped as we walked our bikes the last half-block to our apartment.

It's going to be a fun Summer.

Who needs a dining area for dining anyway?

UPDATE: Unfortunately, the original version of this post was deleted during the Blogger Blackout, along with several comments. If you left a comment the first time, I apologize that your words have been lost :( Please feel free to comment again, if you wish.