Our new cargo bike

We have been thinking and researching and drooling over options to carry the two kids around for some time now. The option that we felt suited us best was the Dutch Bakfiets however they are very expensive to import to Australia and they only have three gears which would be difficult in our hilly suburban surrounds.

We considered a wee ride on the front plus a seat on the back, we were consistently told a trailer was our best bet but we really didn't want one. Safety, manouverability, communication with the kids, the fact it's a pvc sweat box were all downfalls in our opinion and even though you see them advertised everywhere we haven't seen many being used in our travels and the people we know who've had them say they're horrible.

So when Tavis came across a bloke in Ballarat doing his own import of what looks very much like a Bakfiets but with 8 gears at about a third of the cost it didn't take us long to place our order and the glorious "big bike" has already arrived and been built.

I love it, Tavis loves it, the boys love it (so far). I can see a lot more cycling in our future and a lot more blog posts too :)

Change

My baby (12 months old) started daycare today. Rohan (3 yrs) has been going there since he was 13 months old and loved it from day one, he was excited this morning to be going back to 'school' and was happy to now be in the big kids' room (3-5 yrs).

So today Angus just went in for a few hours for orientation, he was an angel the whole time we were there and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I left the room for half an hour or so at a time so he got a chance to know the carers which was great. At morning tea he enjoyed sitting at the table with the other kids, in a special little chair rather than a highchair, and he fed himself chunks of fruit. At lunch he was happy to be fed by one of the carers and ate three helpings of lunch and two of dessert! Then I whisked him home and straight into bed as he usually has a morning sleep. Three hours later and he is still asleep!

I have the day off work to take Angus in for orientation so during this unheard of only-one-child-at-home-having-an-amazing-three-hour-sleep thing that's happening today I made a padded seat cover for our neeeeeeeew bike! The seat part is only half the job, I need to do a backrest as well, so I can't say I've completed my January project yet but I'm half way there. Here's the seat cover. More on the bike later.