Riding a Bike

 

Peyson is sort of really REALLY scared to try new things.  And. . .he's kinda sorta a lot like me in the fact that if he doesn't achieve success the FIRST time he does try something new. . .he kinda sorta has a melt down.

 

Just getting him to try to ride a bike WITH training wheels was quite the task.  It even frustrated Derek, Mr. I-Don't-Get-Frustrated. . .Ever.  But eventually he got comfortable with that. 

 

With school coming up I decided I should work with him on losing the training wheels so he could be a big boy and maybe ride his bike to school.  Or feel big.  Or proud.  Or something. 

 

So with this bright idea, I, being HEAVY with child, in the Amarillo heat, worked with Mr. Peyson every day for nearly a month.  A mom from church told me about those glider bikes that have no pedals.  And that her 3 year old learned in like a day or something.  And since I didn't want to buy one because we already had a real bike, I used the concept and made the real bike work the same way.  We took off the training wheels, lowered the seat as far as it would go, and we worked on gliding.  Up and down the block, time after time after time.  Maybe 20 minutes every day, or until we were all dying a horrible, sweaty death.  When he felt like he could glide without falling over, we practiced one sided pedaling.  With one foot he pedaled from the top of the range of motion to the bottom, while his other foot stayed down to the side to keep him upright.  When his pedal hit bottom, he would stop and switch feet.  Time after time after time.  Then he just did it faster, putting the same motion to play, with less time stopping in between. 

 

I kept encouraging him and telling him he needed to show Daddy what he could do.  And then one day, literally ONE DAY, Daddy came out and did the whole "I'll hold your seat while you pedal" thing and that was the end of it.  He was riding his bike down the walk.  I was screaming.  Ainslee was cheering.  And he was yelling- 

This is Awesome!

I did it!  I did it!

I rided my bike all by myself!

 

And the best of all. . .

Now I can go to kindergarten!

:)