Learning Trust and Bike Riding at the Same Time

Lucas speeding down the drive. Hope he has more control with a car at 16! These two picture are reversed, after many crashes Dad decides to explain the finer points of braking - "ya think!"

After a gloomy, hazy, cold week Friday and Saturday have turned out to be unseasonably warm for Iowa in late November and what else should 8 and 9 year old boys on an acreage with a rock drive and lumpy grass learn to do? Ride a bike of course.

Once again, Mike was unattended when this started and from the Manila pool incident we know the results. Man am I glad boys are resilient and "bounce" really well.

I was doing laundry and came into the kitchen to see Rachel and Sydney looking out into the driveway - this too was explained earlier the girls generally could care less about the "outside" so I walked over to see what they were looking at. And what to my horrified (yes, I am still adjusting to boys and their durability) eyes do I see. Lucas going down hill on our rock drive as if he had a pack of dogs on his tail and then I see Eli wobbling on a bike only to lock up the brakes and go tail over handle bars onto the grass. Yep I hit the door rather loudly. Again to be met with 3 male faces looking at me like, "What, we're having fun, I'm ok, what, they're ok, look all body parts are attached" and then you know what? They all 3 laughed - mainly at me and mostly cause they were having fun.

Explain how face planting (repeatedly), gravel in hands and knees, and being impaled by handle bars is fun? At the end of the day, because this did go on ALL day - Lucas and Eli hit the shower and giggled all the way to bed. After drinks and good nights they asked if they could BIKE tonight? (They reverse the words tonight and morning) So this morning they hit (literally) the drive way again. Miraculously they stay away from the road - I know, I know - that to will pass.

You may notice that the boys are learning on the girls' old bikes. Luckily they can't read and I'm sure later in life they will have something to say about the bikes labels of "Glamour Girl" and "Pink Power". Sorry guys, mom needs pay back for the heart failure you gave me!