'Seeing everything through her eyes for the first time, it’s beautiful': Dad and daughter bike, play piano in Oak Bay
When Alex started cycling today, he never expected to do something he’d never done before.
“It was really about taking some fresh air,” he says. “And enjoying this beautiful day.”
He enjoys just being on his bike with a compartment attached to the front for his baby, Amber, to ride in.
“It’s the most wonderful thing to be with her,” Alex smiles.
To see how she not only responds to the world around her, but his face above her.
“She’s trying to replicate the [expressions] that I’m doing,” Alex smiles, showing how he looks when he’s exerting himself up a hill and how Amber attempts to scrunch her face to copy him. “It’s cute.”
It’s like she’s watching a compelling movie on the big screen. But instead of popcorn, Amber snacks on her sunglasses.
“It’s an adventure for her,” Alex says. “And it’s a good time for me.”
But then — like a movie — an unexpected twist occurs.
“It’s actually the first time,” Alex says after noticing a brightly painted public piano in a green space overlooking the ocean. “I didn’t see that before.”
It’s an opportunity to do something new together.
“It’s kind of cute how she sees the sound and figures out what’s going on,” Alex says as Amber holds on to her dad’s hand while he plays a series of songs on the keyboard.
Unlike Simon and Garfunkel, this song-writing team has no troubled water to bridge. Unlike Jagger and Richards, they got satisfaction. More like Lennon and McCartney, Alex and Amber are composing ‘A Day in the Life.’
“Seeing everything through her eyes for the first time, it’s beautiful,” Alex says before gently tapping his daughter’s nose and kissing her hand.
And when it’s time to go home on their bike, Alex will smile with gratitude for the moments they shared. Amber will respond by raising a bare foot in the air. Dad will smile again. Daughter, encouraged, will grab another handful of toes, which will only make him smile more. And combined with an unexpected bump in the road, Amber will break into a big smile, bursting with joy.
“There’s many things that are complicated in life,” Alex says. “But the simple things are the ones we really enjoy and keep memories for a long time.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
RCMP uncovers alleged plot by 2 Montreal men to illegally sell drones, equipment to Libya
The RCMP says it has uncovered a plot by two men in Montreal to sell Chinese drones and military equipment to Libya illegally.
Demonstrators kicked out of Ontario legislature for disruption after failed keffiyeh vote
A group of demonstrators were kicked out of the legislature after a second NDP motion calling for unanimous consent to reverse a ban on the keffiyeh failed to pass.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
Government agrees to US$138.7M settlement over FBI's botching of Larry Nassar assault allegations
The U.S. Justice Department announced a US$138.7 million settlement Tuesday with more than 100 people who accused the FBI of grossly mishandling allegations of sexual assault against Larry Nassar in 2015 and 2016, a critical time gap that allowed the sports doctor to continue to prey on victims before his arrest.
Man wanted in connection with deadly shooting in Toronto tops list of most wanted fugitives in Canada
A 35-year-old man wanted in connection with the murder of Toronto resident 29-year-old Sharmar Powell-Flowers nine months ago has topped the list of the BOLO program’s 25 most wanted fugitives across Canada, police announced Tuesday.
Doctors ask Liberal government to reconsider capital gains tax change
The Canadian Medical Association is asking the federal government to reconsider its proposed changes to capital gains taxation, arguing it will affect doctors' retirement savings.
Keeping these exotic pets is 'cruel' and 'dangerous,' Canadian animal advocates say
Canadian pet owners are finding companionship beyond dogs and cats. Tigers, alligators, scorpions and tarantulas are among some of the exotic pets they are keeping in private homes, which pose risks to public safety and animal welfare, advocates say.
Thieves use stolen forklift to rip cash machine out of U.K. bank
Police in the U.K. are searching for a group of suspects seen on video using a forklift to steal a cash machine from a bank.
'There was a lot of black smoke': Crane operator sounds alarm while trapped during highrise fire in Halifax
A tower crane operator alerted emergency crews after noticing a fire on a construction site in Halifax Tuesday morning.