Pedal, pedal, pedal

Throughout life when we are trying to do something and it's been awhile, people will use the old cliche "It's just like riding a bike.  Once you learn, you never forget."

Grace took that leap this past weekend and learned to ride a bike without training wheels.  She has been wanting to try but, since it was the hotest summer on record in DC, we didn't have many opportunities to spend hours outside practicing. 

This past weekend was gorgeous.  So, Bruno took the training wheels off and we headed down to the park by our house.  Our neighborhood is full of hills so I figured it would be too hard for her to learn on the hills.  We live near a bike path but bikes and runners just fly by people so I didn't think that would be too safe.  So we settled on the baseball diamond at the park. 

I have clear memories of my dad helping me and my brother learn to ride a bike.  I remember the way he held on to our handbars and held the back of our seat and ran along side our bike encouraging us to "pedal, pedal, pedal!" And so, that's what I did... I held Grace's handbars with the streamers flapping in the wind and ran beside her holding on to her bike yelling "pedal, pedal, pedal!"  She got frustrated when she couldn't get it right away but we just kept talking and encouraging her. 

And then there was the moment when I was holding her bike, running along side her, and I let go... and she pedaled and pedaled and pedaled.  It was so fun to watch Grace learn this new skill that she will have for the rest of her life.   

After we practiced over and over again, we walked back up the hill to our house.  We told her how proud of her we were.  And she looked at us and said "I know, I am so proud of myself too!"  She was just beaming and couldn't wait to go out the next day to try again. 

Over the next several years, there are so many skills that we will teach her and some that she will learn on her own.  She will learn to read and write stories. She will learn to add and subtract.  She will learn countless lessons on life.  Some will be tough and some will be fun. 

And this weekend she learned to ride a bike.  It was so cool!