Rise and Shine --- Two wheels!

Good Morning and welcome to the week before Halloween!

One of the things we like to do in the summer is ride bikes. So, with everybody getting a little bigger, two new (actually used) bikes were purchased last spring. The problem for one was that meant no more training wheels.
So, we tried in the spring. We tried at various times throughout the summer. We tried before school started. Still, the one couldn't get over the fear of falling.
That's OK, I kept saying, you'll get it. Until then, we'll put the training wheels back on your little bike.
"No," was the answer. "I'm not a little kid. I don't need a little bike."
So, the Not Little Kid used a scooter instead. Road up and down in front of the house. Mile after mile throughout the early fall.
Then on Saturday, the scooter went away and the bike came back out.
"I can do it now," the Not Little Kid said. "Watch."
So, moments after jumping on the bike (her brother's, but let's not quibble), it was back and forth on two wheels.
"I can do it! I can do it! Look Daddy! I Can Do IT!" the Not Little Kid yelled with joy.
Yeah, you can do it. You're right, you're not a little kid any more. :(

Rise and Shine --- Getting out

Good Morning and welcome to the calm before the storm!

If there could be better weather for a Sunday afternoon, I want to see it.
The temperature was perfect. The humidity was gone. The sun was shining.
So, that could only mean one thing: get out the bikes.
When I mentioned it over breakfast, a big smile grew on the face of a 5-year old girl I know.
Last summer, she was just starting to really enjoy bike riding. Every time it's been sunny since, she's asked to ride her bike.
So, we pulled it out, put some air in the tires and she jumped right on. Within seconds, she was laughing and yelling. "Look, daddy, I can do it all by myself."
So, I told the boys to get their bikes out and get ready to ride. Much to their chagrin, I thought it was better to just go around the block.
"I don't want your sister crossing streets," I must have said about 4,000 times.
The retort every time was: "That's not fair. We want to ride somewhere else."
So, after a few times around the block and a quick lunch, I thought it was a good idea to keep the peace.
"OK," I said, "we're going to ride up to the cemetery."
Now, that might seem odd, but when riding with children aged 5, 8 and 10, it's good to go somewhere without cars bearing down. So, we took off for the cemetery (about a mile ride) and made it there easily. There was laughing. There was racing. There was fun.
Then, it was time to ride home. You would think I was asking them to run a marathon.
"I'm too tired." "My legs hurt." "It's too far." Were just some of the complaints.
So, we battled home with some pushing, some walking and some riding. They pulled the bikes into the driveway and immediately fell to the ground.
Five minutes later came the next request: "Can we go again?"

Rise and Shine --- The air is new

Good Morning and welcome to (what feels like) spring!

Hope springs eternal, or so it's been said.
When it feels like spring, things change.
For the past few months, the early-morning requests were exactly the same: 'Can we watch TV? Can we play Wii? Can we play with the DS?'
It was cold outside. More often than not this winter, it was snowing. There are only so many times (even for children) that bundling up and heading out into the snow is fun.
With the temperatures ticking upward, though, the requests changed.
'Can we go outside? Can we go to the baseball field and practice? Can we go to the playground? Can we ride our bikes?'
That's what spring is all about. Rediscover the air. Rediscover what's important.
Sure, the heat of the summer will be upon us and the requests will change, but, now at least, there's a whole world out there to be discovered.