Extreme Forced Family Fun
Summer escapades are not for the faint of heart in our family of six; further evidence we never do anything small! A family of avid outdoor enthusiasts, we participated in Sunday Parkways last weekend in North Portland, an 8.8 mile loop bringing out cyclists of all persuasions from Storm Troopers and Unicyclists playing the violin, to dogs on bikes (my own included). Sunday Parkways in Portland is family friendly and the Forced Family Fun (#FFF) our family has grown accustomed to!
As parents of two teenagers, ages 15 and 13, not to mention an 11 and 8 year old, sometimes we have to force the family fun, with less than eager participants. It becomes 'Extreme' when we load on the miles or level of difficulty, for us as parents that is.
North Portland is quite a distance from our SE Portland hood, and the exact length of the 24-mile trek was not something we initially divulged to our children as they ventured out along the Springwater Corridor, wind at their backs and smiles on their faces. Sun shining, this mother of four was soaking in the vitamin D and enjoying the moments of peace without children arguing or touching each other in pestering summertime fashion.
Inevitably, by the time we reached OMSI, about four miles into the journey, my eldest teenage daughter broke the silence with her desperate inquiry, "how much longer until we get there," reminiscent of painful family car travels across country. With social plans later in the day, my daughter was desperate to stay on course in a timely fashion, lest she miss out on any social fun with friends. While additionally naming each body part beginning to burn, from her buns to her left hip, I decided my endorphins needed faster accumulation to stay positive! Luckily our loyal Schnoodle in my rear basket provided ample noise distraction as she also whined for me to pedal faster to reach our children in the lead. Whose sick idea was this Extreme Forced Family Fun anyway?
Catching up to my youngest next, I marveled at his endurance as he sped in high gear keeping up with his older brothers. Always rising to the challenge, he proves a worthy competitor despite his small stature and young age. From Portland's Bridge Pedal in August to the monthly summer Sunday Parkways, he's mastered them all and proven you should never underestimate the ability of children to attain what parents expect of them!
My middle two sons raced to our first destination at the start of the loop, and while entirely different bikers, the fresh air and freedom seemed to enable their new camaraderie, or quite possibly the promise of free samples from park vendors awaiting every pit stop from Peninsula to Columbia Park. What better incentive to keep the kids pedaling en route? Family bonding to warm a mother's heart!
Thankfully the free goodies were plentiful at our first stop, as the 'Extreme' togetherness over the 8-mile uphill journey began to wear on our endurance as parents. Honestly, once we reached the 8.8-mile North Portland Sunday Parkways route, nary a negative word was uttered, and even the dog appreciated Benson Bubblers hydration stations and attention along the way. Forced Family Fun success!!
As seasoned parents, savvy enough to hold out on dessert until the end of our ride, we sweetened the downhill journey home with the promise of ice cream in the end and awarded ourselves ‘extra points’ for persistence, with alone time at a local brewery afterwards.
The river front Eastbank Esplanade never fails to disappoint from an awe inspiring scenic and cultural standpoint (Keep Portland Weird!) and we raced home, relatively unscathed, and in record time to please even the most critical of teenage daughters!
I encourage you to try some of your own Forced Family Fun outside this summer. Nothing worth doing is ever easy and we guarantee extreme family smiles in the end!
As parents of two teenagers, ages 15 and 13, not to mention an 11 and 8 year old, sometimes we have to force the family fun, with less than eager participants. It becomes 'Extreme' when we load on the miles or level of difficulty, for us as parents that is.
North Portland is quite a distance from our SE Portland hood, and the exact length of the 24-mile trek was not something we initially divulged to our children as they ventured out along the Springwater Corridor, wind at their backs and smiles on their faces. Sun shining, this mother of four was soaking in the vitamin D and enjoying the moments of peace without children arguing or touching each other in pestering summertime fashion.
Inevitably, by the time we reached OMSI, about four miles into the journey, my eldest teenage daughter broke the silence with her desperate inquiry, "how much longer until we get there," reminiscent of painful family car travels across country. With social plans later in the day, my daughter was desperate to stay on course in a timely fashion, lest she miss out on any social fun with friends. While additionally naming each body part beginning to burn, from her buns to her left hip, I decided my endorphins needed faster accumulation to stay positive! Luckily our loyal Schnoodle in my rear basket provided ample noise distraction as she also whined for me to pedal faster to reach our children in the lead. Whose sick idea was this Extreme Forced Family Fun anyway?
Catching up to my youngest next, I marveled at his endurance as he sped in high gear keeping up with his older brothers. Always rising to the challenge, he proves a worthy competitor despite his small stature and young age. From Portland's Bridge Pedal in August to the monthly summer Sunday Parkways, he's mastered them all and proven you should never underestimate the ability of children to attain what parents expect of them!
My middle two sons raced to our first destination at the start of the loop, and while entirely different bikers, the fresh air and freedom seemed to enable their new camaraderie, or quite possibly the promise of free samples from park vendors awaiting every pit stop from Peninsula to Columbia Park. What better incentive to keep the kids pedaling en route? Family bonding to warm a mother's heart!
Thankfully the free goodies were plentiful at our first stop, as the 'Extreme' togetherness over the 8-mile uphill journey began to wear on our endurance as parents. Honestly, once we reached the 8.8-mile North Portland Sunday Parkways route, nary a negative word was uttered, and even the dog appreciated Benson Bubblers hydration stations and attention along the way. Forced Family Fun success!!
As seasoned parents, savvy enough to hold out on dessert until the end of our ride, we sweetened the downhill journey home with the promise of ice cream in the end and awarded ourselves ‘extra points’ for persistence, with alone time at a local brewery afterwards.
The river front Eastbank Esplanade never fails to disappoint from an awe inspiring scenic and cultural standpoint (Keep Portland Weird!) and we raced home, relatively unscathed, and in record time to please even the most critical of teenage daughters!
I encourage you to try some of your own Forced Family Fun outside this summer. Nothing worth doing is ever easy and we guarantee extreme family smiles in the end!
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