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In a few short weeks H turns three. It seems to have flown by, as it always does and as much as I am missing and mourning the end of the baby stage I am looking forward to the new stage of being able to explore more and in different ways with the three of them.
H has always been really good at keeping going; he walks and walks and rarely moans to be carried – preferring instead to keep up with his siblings and push on. We are now at the stage where I can leave for a day out with a normal bag! Gone are the days of packing nappies and carriers, changes of clothes and milk. Instead, I just need to make sure we have drinks and we are sorted.
I run a lot at the moment and in the summer I like to run out along the canal. I am fortunate enough to live close to the canal and am easily onto the canal walkways within five minutes of setting off for a run. In the summer months, and especially at weekends, it’s nice to see families making the most of these areas too. I always smile as I see small children delighting in waving as the barges go by, or spotting the majestic grey herons as they are poised at the banks of the canal, ready to dive in for their food.
The towpaths have been repaired a lot over the last 18 months or so where we live, and it’s made them much sturdier underfoot for runners and cyclists and over the last bank holiday, I noticed lots of families out cycling. Daniel is keen to cycle more and more now, and Em too has almost mastered her cycling – she just needs to gain a bit more confidence and she will soon be away.
As much as I miss the newborn and the baby days I am excited about the future and getting out and about more with them on the bikes and for longer walks, exploring different places. I think in the next year or two, Damian and I will invest in new bikes (although I must admit I do fancy one of these tricycles from Jorvik but I am not sure I would be able to lift one down the narrow steps to the canal!). We are so fortunate to live where we do and there’s a real wealth of choices of places to get out and active with the children; and there are some great family cycle routes to try; I think the Manchester Airport Orbital Cycleway will be a particular favourite as it’s a place that’s always popular with the children whenever we visit.
So, as we move into a new phase of family life Instead of wistfully looking back at the past and missing those days, I’m relishing the future and all that exciting adventures it promises for us.
