Do you remember the first time you rode a bike? I do. The nervousness in my tummy, afraid that I'd fall or go too fast and lose control. But more than that, I remember the thrill, the feeling of autonomy and freedom. The "wooo-hooo!"
We bought Hayden a bike for his 4th birthday last July so he could feel the wind in his hair, too. But he wanted no part of it. As in, he refused to even step near the thing, except to have his photo taken
on the day he got it. We decorated his red bike with Spider-Man stickers and a Spidey bell to make it more appealing. We let him pick out his own helmet. We bribed him with ice cream! But every attempt to get him to ride ended up with Chris frustrated, me annoyed, and Hayden crying.
So imagine my surprise when a few weeks ago, almost a year after the bike had been shelved in the garage, I looked out the front window and saw my son riding down the sidewalk!
As with every other major milestone -- crawling, walking, potty training -- Hayden had to do this in his own time. But now he can't get enough of that bike. Every day he begs to ride, rain or shine. Yesterday, our little friend across the street came banging on the door, asking those magical words this mommy has waited to hear: "Can Hayden come out and ride bikes?"
And the entire time Hayden and his buddy rode their bikes up and down the sidewalk, even though they were only riding about 500 feet per hour, my big boy yelled "Wooo-hooo!"
Wooo-hooo, indeed, my love.
We bought Hayden a bike for his 4th birthday last July so he could feel the wind in his hair, too. But he wanted no part of it. As in, he refused to even step near the thing, except to have his photo taken
on the day he got it. We decorated his red bike with Spider-Man stickers and a Spidey bell to make it more appealing. We let him pick out his own helmet. We bribed him with ice cream! But every attempt to get him to ride ended up with Chris frustrated, me annoyed, and Hayden crying.So imagine my surprise when a few weeks ago, almost a year after the bike had been shelved in the garage, I looked out the front window and saw my son riding down the sidewalk!
As with every other major milestone -- crawling, walking, potty training -- Hayden had to do this in his own time. But now he can't get enough of that bike. Every day he begs to ride, rain or shine. Yesterday, our little friend across the street came banging on the door, asking those magical words this mommy has waited to hear: "Can Hayden come out and ride bikes?"
And the entire time Hayden and his buddy rode their bikes up and down the sidewalk, even though they were only riding about 500 feet per hour, my big boy yelled "Wooo-hooo!"
Wooo-hooo, indeed, my love.
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