Who coined the phrase...

It's as easy as riding a bike?!?

Because they obviously haven't met Miss Aria.
It all started innocently enough on a beautiful spring day with the trees blooming..

When we set out on our little jaunt, Gianna had her helmet on backwards in typical Gianna style, the dog was barking at the neighbors, the twins got their first wagon ride,and Aria had training wheels on her bike for the very last time.
(Unbeknownst to her.)
She started out hesitant, but comfortable with the notion that Daddy would spend the rest of his life running next to her and holding her upright.

Until he let go, that is.
And, oh the DRAMA...


And much to her chagrin, he let go again.

And again.
Let's just say that she was not pleased.

Daddy gave her the Pep talk.
It consisted of....
"Have you ever seen a 4 year old still in diapers?
No of course not, because they are too big for diapers.
Almost 7 year old girls are TOO BIG for training wheels, and it's just as silly."
(Please no flames from moms whose kids still have training wheels on their bikes
I'm just telling the story in all it's sordid detail.)


She may or may not have been heckled by some cute bystanders.


Gianna is VERY content to watch from her outgrown tricycle.
What she doesn't know is, it will be passed to Sofia on our next bike ride.
She is moving on up.
Believe me when I say, I am thrilled at THAT thought.
Or not.

"Hey Mommy, I think Aria is crying over there."

"Can I puleeze just walk my bike home?"

Aria learned yet another life lesson today.
Cl@xton girls aren't quitters.
We keep trying, even if we are failing miserably.
It's the Cl@xton way.

And so, she wiped her tears, and we switched runners, and I held one arm and made encouraged her to balance herself.
She was smart enough to know that Mommy couldn't
keep her upright by only
holding onto her arm,
and so....

The little bird who was pushed out of the nest started to fly!
(And we have absolutely no pictures of the momentous occasion because
Mommy had the camera on her shoulder the whole entire time.)

Much to Aria's dismay,
Her bike was hung in the garage sans the training wheels.
She vowed NEVER to ride a bike again.

Ahhh, the joys of parenthood.




Comments

  1. SueFebruary 28, 2011 at 12:23 PM

    We are such mean parents to take our kids out of their comfort zone. We went thru that with Monika, the other two didn't struggle with falling off, they just got back on, but Monika was so emotional over it, but the first time she was successful, the smile was absolutely priceless.

    ReplyDelete
  2. HeidiFebruary 28, 2011 at 2:00 PM

    Ha! We had a similar experience this weekend, but my 6 yr old doesn't even like her bike WITH training wheels. She peddled about as fast as an infant can crawl, with tears streaming down her face, while her 2-yrs-younger sister whizzed past her, laughing... I wonder if she'll ever want to drive a car?

    ReplyDelete

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