Bike Riding

We are currently in the throws of Spring Break.

As history has taught us I’m usually unable to really accomplish much during this break. It’s like life comes to a stand still and someone hit pause on all the motivation I had summoned. Instead of fighting it, I’m just going with it.

Yesterday was a go with it day. I’ve been battling allergies, and loosing, the past few days. And so I’m a lot a little on the grouchy side. And so I’m not much in the mood for anything.

But then yesterday happened.

Yesterday this girl joined the ranks of two-wheel riders. It makes me giddy for her. Even more so, since a week ago I was fairly certain that her riding her bike, sans “false confidence” wheels, was not ever going to happen. Never. Ever. Going. To. Happen.

Let me tell you the story.

The story of how MT taught herself to ride a bike.

For some time she has expressed the desire to really learn how to ride a bike. She’s had her bike for a couple of years. And since that time has used the little extra wheels that came with it. On this side of her learning I’m convinced that “training wheels” don’t train anyone to do anything.  It’s like the giving the man a fish instead of teaching him to fish concept. But maybe that’s just me.

A year or so ago we tried taking them off but had no luck, so back on they went. In the past months she has continued to talk about wanting to learn so a week ago we took them off again. I would stand behind her holding on and we’d start out. Everything I told her to do her body would react in the opposite direction. She would blame the bike. Not believing me that she was in control and the bike was doing her bidding. It quickly became a spectacle of both of our lacking the patience to listen to the other person.

I thought there had to be something I was missing. So I did what any self-respecting mother does. I took to Pinterest. I quickly learned about a balance bike, and how I could turn hers into one in minutes. It took lowering her seat and taking off her pedals. Lowering her seat was a non-issue but I did have to You Tube how to take the pedals off, but once I got that figured out it was easy peasy.

It allowed her to walk her bike, get some momentum, then she’d bend her legs up and just glide. This allowed her to get the feel of balancing the bike with the ability to easily put her feet on the ground if she lost her balance. It also meant that I was removed from the “learning to ride a bike” equation. So she took to our circle practicing. Initially all she would do is walk her bike around so I of course had to call out “pointers.” But that ended up in me frustrated and her in tears so I had to walk away and she had to come in and have her “moment.”

Eventually she went back out and about 20 minutes later she came in saying she was ready for the pedals. I told her “no.” I felt like she needed to practice balancing for a few days before we tried it with the pedals. And eventually, she accepted that. It worked out better for us for me to not even watch. My need for sharing “pointers” was too great while I watched her. Which didn’t really help either of us.

Yesterday she went out in the morning to ride her bike. I stood at the window watching her. I just felt the urge to see what she could do if we put the pedals back on. So I went out and called her up to put her pedals back on. Then she walked her bike back down to the circle, while I stood at the top of the driveway.

And then. She took off. All on her own. Without my help. Without my pointers. All I could do was laugh. I was so excited for her and so proud of her. It was just incredible, in a word.

We quickly had to then ride/walk to Granny’s house, to show off her new skill. Especially since Dad was there. As we got close The Boy took off ahead of us, while I was staying behind with LM “riding” a tricycle and MT still working out the kinks of the various terrains while on two wheels. When The Boy walked in to Granny’s house without anyone else it sent Granny, and Dad, into heart failure for the minute it took us to catch up. Which was funny to me but not as much to them. All of that was dispelled, though, when I got them outside and MT rode by on her bike. Without help, without anything but two wheels.

So yesterday, the go with it day, turned out to be pretty epic.