Biker's Anxiety

Last Friday, for the first time this year, I biked with all the kids home from school.  We've done this ride now in one form or another since Will's first day of Kindergarten.  I never (well, almost never) regret it, but there is always anxiety.

The anxiety du jour is John:  How long will he last in the burley?  Or, if I get him out, how will I ever get him back in?  But, there have been many biking anxieties to and/or from school over the years:

• How will we ever make it on time at this pace?
• I think I'm going to crash into traffic if Will keeps dancing in his trailer bike seat.
• I hope we make it home before Clara and June beat each other up in the burley.
• I hope June falls asleep, rather than cries the whole way home.
• Poor Clara is so cold she's crying.
• If I have to stop every five pedals to answer questions that I can't hear, we'll never get anywhere.
• Why didn't I bring more food?
• I hope we make it home before someone gets struck by lightening.
• What am I - CRAZY?

On Friday, I left the house at 10:30 am, picked the kids up at noon, and made it back home just after 5:00 pm.  Our trip involved a picnic, one stop at a park, one stop at a Cottonwood graveyard, one detour on the Boulder Creek, one stop for snacks, and one stop for dinner! 

There were many anxieties along the way.  But, honestly, there are always anxieties.  And there are often breakdowns.  So we might as well be riding bikes!