Let's start with Emma, and my terrible confession. We never taught her to ride a bike. Here we were, about to send her into 5th grade, and the poor girl couldn't ride a bicycle. I swear, every summer I put it on a to-do list, then a must-do list, then a bucket list, summer after summer, and it just never happened. This year I decided I wasn't going to let that to-do list hang over me and drag me down again. We were DOING it.
It really helped that June was not super hot. That has always been our big downfall, that summer is just too hot to go out bike riding. June made that easier, thank you so very much Mother Nature! Troy had long been trying to get Emma to master scooter-riding first, because it would really teach her the feel of balancing. He was totally right. Emma and I went to Liberty Park I think only two times to scooter around and she quickly got the hang of gliding along and keeping her balance. It was pretty exciting.
Then one lovely evening we decided to just give it a try. Emma and I headed to the playground with her bike and I spent about 20 minutes jogging along with her (no easy feat for me, just so you know), hanging on to her bike seat or handlebars and trying to get her to balance on her own. She just wasn't quite getting it. I knew it might take a few evenings at the playground. That, or five seconds with her dad. Troy came strolling up just as the sun was getting low in the sky, and spent just a few minutes with her. I don't know what I wasn't doing that he did - probably he just has that magical daddy touch. Seriously, within like five minutes or less Emma totally had the hang of it. She just zoomed around the playground and never even fell once. There was one pretty bad fall, now that I think of it...luckily it wasn't her. It was ME. Somehow I tripped over my own feet going around a bend and just did a big old flip and splat, right on my bum. It hurt but I was just glad I didn't tangle up Emma and make her fall as well. Such a graceful creature I have always been.....
Anyway, what excitement and fun to get Emma bike riding finally. She felt totally triumphant. We went several more times over those early summer evenings until it got hot. Then...progress kind of came to a stand-still. Now that it's all chilly outside we should go again.
The other wheel-lessons that happened a great deal over the summer was Chase behind the wheel of our minivan. I'm just going to say it - the kid started the summer absolutely loathing driving. I had to let him go through the five stages of grief every time I told him we were going driving. I started out the summer trying to combat each stage as it came on - the anger, the depression, the bargaining...but soon I learned to just sit quietly through it and he'd finally come to acceptance, if somewhat reluctantly. I get it - poor kid - we live in a busy city with lots of drivers of all calibers and I know it was nerve wracking. But he really improved so much over the summer, even confessing to me late one night as we cruised through the peaceful streets on our way home after he had been hanging out with friends, that he was starting to kind of like it. There have been many ups and downs since then, and he still doesn't have his license as of the end of September, but he is doing incredibly well and I'm super proud of him. I've enjoyed the hours we have had together, listening to his music, watching him gain confidence. I have not enjoyed sitting in the passenger seat having no control over my car as it's being steered by a nervous teen, but those horrible feelings have subsided and I'm almost relaxed now as he drives. Almost. Sorry, no photos of my son driving were permitted.
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