Life on Two Wheels

Facebook post from April 13, 2016

Further proof that our kids are going to be ok despite their parents! 

A whole lot of things slide through the cracks around here. This is not a new thing. My kids, 8 & 11, woke up yesterday morning still not knowing how to ride bikes. Embarrassing. So many reasons why this hasn't happened yet, but it's one of those things that leaves a parent feeling like they've dropped the ball somehow. 

Well, Kaia, realizing that self-initiative has its benefits around here, has been trying to teach herself to ride a bike the past week. I was watching her try over and over to get push-off initiated. She was not having much/any success. I left for 15 minutes to go pick up Max. AND WHEN I CAME HOME SHE WAS RIDING HER BIKE UP AND DOWN THE STREET! Whaaat? It seems the magic came from the gentle downhill slope of our neighbor's driveway that gave her the needed momentum. (Denis just makes everything on our street better, now even bike riding apparently. It's no wonder my kids call him the lord of the neighborhood.) Well, Max wasn't going to let his sister have all the fun. So he got on her little bike and once he got the Denis Driveway Magic, he was riding a bike too! 

So you're welcome kids, for the gift of discovering what you're capable of doing when you set your mind to it. For the joy and pride that comes from that personal victory. There will continue to be things we drop the ball on. And there will be lots of times where we make sure we don't drop the ball (and some of those times it'd be ok if we did drop the ball). This parenting gig is tough. We do the best we can, knowing what we know, and being who we are. But you are each pretty great, all on your own, independent of anything we've done for you. God made you your own special person, but it sure is great getting to watch your ride.