Feeding the Ducks

It was a beautiful day a few weekends ago. Tim was training for his 1/2 Marathon at Berry (which he did very well in and looked very cute while running.) So Canaan and I loaded up the bike-with-the-kid-seat-attached-in-the-back and biked around Berry College.

This is Canaan in her "Getting Ready to Bike" attire--big hat for sun protection, yellow jacket for rain protection.

This is Canaan in her "I'm on the Bike and This Helmet is Too Big for My Peanut Head" attire.

The pacifier was totally needed--when the helmet and pink hat shimmied over her eyes, she needed a little reassurance that her mother was still there on the bike and that she was not falling out of the seat and she was still strapped into the five point harness on her bike seat--despite the fact that she felt like someone turned out the lights on her.

And we're off! As you can see, I was not setting a good example for her by NOT wearing a (very uncool) bike helmet. I hope her three grandmothers aren't reading this. If so, the bike helmet fell off somewhere along the way...

We finally make it to Swan Lake (seriously...that's what it's called.) Canaan is prepared for some very close duck/goose/swan encounters. Helmet and hat are off, peripheral vision is on, organic cereal is ready to be dispersed...

The first lucky geese arrive for their tasty treat--Canaan is enthralled! Her legs are furiously kicking, her arms are pumping, and she's squealing, "eeeeeee!!!"

"Closer, closer..." she's thinking. "I've put one right here for you...just a little bit closer..."

After a while, we decide to get even closer to the ducks--who seemed to be a bit more "excited" about the prospect of a small peanut who kind of looks like a duck in her yellow jacket, with a big bag full of yummy (and healthy) cereal.

The ducks begin to surround while Canaan's not looking...

And they attack. Just kidding.

This one became aggressive, though, so we decided to call it a day. While all fingers were still attached to tiny little hands.

Canaan's first "Duck Feeding Experience"--successful. Ducks have been fed healthy, nutrient rich cereal; Canaan's cognitive development reached a new level ("Ohhhhh, so this duck is the same as the duck on my exersaucer that makes the 'Quack, quack' sound and lights up when I press it hard enough. This duck is a little louder and more aggressive, though."); and Canaan learns an important lesson on bike safety (Even though the helmet won't fit for another two years, and even if it doesn't look very cool, I'll have to just toughen up and wear it, even if I can't see anything half the time.)