New Forest Bike Ride

Ted has watched far too much TV recently, I don't really approve. Needs must at times of course - toddlers and gloss paint don't mix (I've had to paint the skirting boards), plus two thirds of our downstairs has been out of action with the new floor being laid - but even so, I don't like it. I see a marked difference in his behaviour when he has too much screen time; he's grumpier, and much more prone to whinging.

So today we decided to head out for lots of fresh air. Rob is on leave so we loaded up the bikes and Ted's seat and headed for the New Forest. We parked at Fritham and cycled some of the trails we usually walk, although of course we managed to go much further on bikes than on foot.

August is definitely the best month to visit the New Forest as the heather is out in all its glory. Today there was a carpet of mauve almost as far as the eye could see. We wished we'd brought our DSLRs but it's an extra weight to carry on a bike already loaded with 12kg of toddler, plus you can't just stop and take photos easily when you have up hold the bike steady to stop said toddler toppling into the brambles... So some iPhone photos had to suffice.

I often cycle with Ted on the roads, it's only 10 minutes ride on quiet country lanes to the next village where we go to Playschool, but I'd never been off-road with him. I worried it would be too bumpy, but he seemed perfectly happy, keeping up a running commentary as we passed the various livestock that graze the Forest: "cow... moo! Cow poo! Ee-oor! Neeeee!" (That last one was a horse neigh!). He even fell asleep during the last 10 minutes of the ride, so all that fresh air, plus running around while we had our picnic, obviously did him the world of good.

It did me good too.