Saturday, June 23, 2012

This week

This week has been filled with full fledged summer days.  Which means .......... staying up late, sleeping in (not quite long enough for me:)), staying in pj's till later than usual, lots of popsicles, swimming almost daily, free summer movies, trips to the library, and lots of play dates with neighbors.    Simple summers in quiet Pennsylvania have become a favorite.



The bike story.....!


We have been a bit on the late side in getting our kids to ride bikes without training wheels.  I must admit......I have felt some parental guilt about it.  We seem to be out of town a lot during the bike riding season....and my kids just haven't been that interested.  We tried a couple of times.....but to no avail.   

Cute Alyssa's best neighbor friend is Austin, a little girl,  Mikey's age.  This past week Austin had been getting lessons from her Dad on how to ride a bike without training wheels.  So Alyssa finally caught the bug, and wanted to learn how to ride without training wheels as well. 

 I have always had this envisionment of my husband teaching my kids how to ride their bikes (I think that comes from the cheesy hallmark commercials, and mormon ads).  I still have a memory of my Dad teaching me at the church parking lot (our driveway and street was too steep to learn). 

I told her I was excited to help teach her, and we would do it when Dad got home, to help us take off the training wheels.  That was not going to cut it.  Alyssa had schemed and figured out her method of learning. She quietly, but very determined found Mike's tool box.  With the help of her brother and partner in crime....the two figure out how to take off the training wheels. 

I knew Alyssa and Mikey were in the yard playing.  With Cath and the baby contained I was just going along with daily business as usual.  Next thing I know....I hear a screams of excitement and Alyssa comes running in the house, Mikey close behind.   They were both out of breath.  At first I thought something was wrong.    Then she yells....."Mom, I am doing it, I am doing it."   I was confused.   "Doing what?" I asked. 

"I am riding my bike Mom.  I am riding my bike without training wheels."  I went outside to find about fifty tools, and the training wheels off to the side of the driveway.  Sure enough determined Alyssa was riding her bike.  I looked down at her legs, noticed blood, and about twenty scrapes.  She was oblivious to the scrapes, and had a smile from ear to ear.

A favorite part of the story is how genuinely excited and proud Mikey was of Alyssa.  It was as if he had just learned how to ride it himself.  He kept repeating when they ran into the house"Mom, you have got to come and see....you won't believe it."  He then continued to tell everyone else that day we saw, even complete strangers, that Alyssa had learned how to ride her bike "without even training wheels." 

I love a lot of things about this story.  I love how humbling it is to be a parent, and how you think you are going to teach your child something they completely learn on their own.  I love the determined spirit that a seven year can have.  I love that Alyssa's younger brother Mikey is by her side EVERY step of the way....always cheering her on.  I love that a seven year old girl can figure  out what needs to be done and then does it.  I love that I learn from my kids every day.  It is amazing to me how resilient children are....when they fall....they simply just get back up.   They have COURAGE!!  I have countless moments when I think I want to do something but don't have the courage to try.  I see every day with my kids, and other kids I am surrounded by huge spirits in tiny bodies.   








3 comments:

Amber said...

Very cute story. You really have an adorable family and a great talent for writing. :)

GeNee said...

What a cute story and how smart is that. She must be very bright. I love the red and white polka dot swimming suit.

DeAnn McWhorter said...

Alyssa is so cute, and so is Mikey. I can totally picture this! Mike probably has some residency guilt. His daughter daughter herself how to ride a bike....hahaha. It took a while to teach Brianna too because Brian was never around.