Kicking the Training Wheel Habit

I've created a bike-riding monster. We went for a bike ride around the neighborhood this morning, while it was quiet, so Bean Dip could get used to riding while I was riding my bike as well. I also wanted him to practice starting, stopping, and paying attention to the rules of the road.

He put up a bit of a stink at first, but once we got going, he had a blast. He had a few minor crashes, but he kept his cool and got right back on. Towards the end, he wanted to keep going, saying, "This is way more fun than I thought it'd be."

As soon as we got home, he texted Win to ask him if he wanted to go for a bike ride when he got home, and so we all went out this afternoon again. Win broke out his rollarblades instead of his bike, and we had a great ride.

Tonight at bedtime, Bean Dip told me what he wants to do tomorrow: "Go for a bike ride, play golf, relax, and watch a couple episodes of Ultimate Spiderman."

Life is good when you are five going on six and can ride your bike.

Last night Bean Dip and I took his bike over to the empty school parking lot to practice riding without training wheels. We are hoping to do lots of bike riding this summer, and it is really time for him to get off the training wheels.

He has been baulking at the idea, but after I showed him some cool videos of people riding, he got inspired.

And what do you know, he took off like a shot. Well, a wobbly, slow shot, but still. He has the balance, he just needs to stop laughing hysterically, keep his front wheel straight, and not not aim for every obstacle he sees.

He rode all over the parking lot. He did run into the Dumpster and over my toe, but other than that I thought he did great. I tried to get him to stop before he had a major crash, but of course, that didn't happen. He fell, skinned his palm, and he was done for the day.

But I'm happy, because he says he'll try again, and clearly, he just needs practice and determination, and he'll get it.