03 Feb
Baylands Nature Preserve
There is something you need to know about Baylands Nature Preserve: It is really smelly. There are some standing ponds right next to the parking area that are very unappealing to be around.
But if you can get past that part, it’s a really cool place to visit! It has a variety of hills (which makes it great for riding bikes), some interesting art installations, geese, and some paths that take you next to the water (not the smelly water). I went running there once (and quickly realized that running during pregnancy wasn’t my thing), and we’ve been twice for bike rides with T1 after he received a balance bike for Christmas.
I picked up a pair of low-cut Hunter boots at Nordstrom Rack, and they’re the perfect shoes for bike riding (because he can drag his feet as much as he wants) but they’re still a bit big for him which meant a lot of pit-stops to put them back on. This annoyed him, but is good for us because that kid is fast and we had a hard time keeping up with him!
Each time we go we invariably stop for a rock collecting break. It is essential that he find some rocks and move them off the road to a pile or hole nearby.
Does anyone else think his helmet is on backwards? I bought it at Goodwill and it’s a bit too big and I need to add in some extra padding, and I think he keeps putting it on backwards. No instruction manual is the drawback to buying used in instances like this.
I'm a farm-raised almost-crunchy stroller-pushing picture-taking lifestyle-blog-writing gastronomy-obsessed divine-seeking thrift-store-combing cheese-inhaling pavement-pounding laughter-sprinkling lover of individuality and taking chances.
Those rolling green hills look so nice! It’s all grey and dead and gross here now – I’m jealous!
The helmet does look backwards…the front should sit low, right above his eyes, and the chin strap should be tight (you should only be able to fit a finger or two under it. He’s probably putting it on backwards because it feels more comfortable. A lot of safety equipment (helmets, life jackets) aren’t really comfortable if worn properly, which is pretty unfortunate.
Also, I’m not positive, but I think buying a helmet used isn’t the best idea. A helmet is like a car seat – if it’s been in any accident then it could be structurally unsound, and buying it used means you don’t know the history. You can buy a brand new helmet from Target for around $20, and some fire departments/local health clinics will give them out for free – (plus they’ll make sure it fits). Just a thought – I wouldn’t want T to take a tumble and get hurt.
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Jenna Reply:
February 3rd, 2013 at 9:02 am
Ahhhh. Thank you! I didn’t know the fire department would possibly do the same thing they do for car seats on helmets.
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Hi Jenna – just wanted to reiterate what Ashley said. A helmet is one of thosethings you shouldn’tbuy uusedssince it is no longer safe after a hard hit. Sorry for the bad phone typing!!
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2It’s so beautiful! I miss California.
I can’t tell if the helmet is on backwards, but it definitely isn’t fitting right. It should be lower over his forehead. If he fell almost half of his head is unprotected! I agree with Ashley that a helmet isn’t something to buy used.
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3Agree with everyone else about the used helmet thing. My husband was in a bike accident in 2011 and came out w no damage despite having landed directly on his head thanks to his helmet (he flipped over). If he hadn’t been wearing one he probably would have had serious brain damage (as the ER docs told him). He is an excellent bike rider and very cautious, but accidents happen: and with a toddler this is even more the case. If the helmet has ever been in an accident it becomes useless (even if you can’t see, the damage might not be visible).
Brain damage is really not something to mess around with, especially at this age when the brain is still developing. I used to volunteer in a children’s hospital and seeing the kids with catastrophic brain injuries is really sobering. Get a helmet at Target!
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4Very cute. I’d love to get a balance bike for my little. It will have to wait till spring since its too cold here.
I think that might be a child’s helmet and not a toddler helmet. We just picked one up for skiing and ours is much smaller. We took him with us to pick it out so we could try it on and it was pretty fun for him. I brought them to the fitting room and he loved all the mirrors. He ended up with a Buzz Lightyear one!
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5Cute photos – I agree that the helmet is too big, but probably not on backwards. Probably best to grab a new one, as others have said. (Usually you can tell what’s front because there’s a little brim tucked beneath the helmet, and the back will usually have a little dial for adjusting the head straps.
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6That’s definitely not the right size, although I think it is on facing the right way. Assuming its a brand still available in stores, you should be able to Google and see what size it’s meant for. My son has a helmet I bought in amazon for about $15 that is adjustable from toddler to early childhood; I’m hoping we have no hard knocks and can use it until he’s 4 or so (we bought it at about 18 months).
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7The helmet is not backwards, but it is too large and it is not positioned properly on his head. Also, you should never buy a used helmet.
When you go and buy him a new helmet that fits, the proper way to position it on his head is so that it comes down over his forehead. The helmet should be about an inch or so above his eyebrows (about two finger-widths). When it is sitting far back on his head like in the above picture, it will not absorb any impact if he falls frontwards and it does not stop him from being injured. If you have trouble figuring out which helmet to buy, ask the clerk for advice and find a good fitting one. They are easily found new for about $15-20. New ones also come with different size foam inserts to help fit it properly.
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