Our family has been going on evening bike rides when the temperatures start cooling off.
Note: “Cooling off” is a relative term. This Canuck still considers 80+ degrees too hot.
Hadley is doing great on two wheels and barrels down the local hill. Bode is a little daredevil and likes putting his feet up on the bar, zigzagging on the sidewalk and giving me a heart attack.
Even though I think he would be physically capable of riding without his training wheels, he’s just not mentally there yet. Jamie raised his training wheels up as the final step before removing them altogether.
It initially did not go well.
While he was carefree in the past (natch: hanging off the bar), this was a whole new ballgame and he repeatedly tipped over onto the grass. After several failed attempts, he was finally able to cautiously ride.
We decided to test his mettle by biking to the local water tower where we like to play hide ‘n go seek amidst the prickly sow-thistles.
Trust me, it’s more fun than it sounds.
During our return trip, an accident ensued but it was not with Bode. Hadley was closely tailing Jamie when she swerved out of the way to miss an overgrown bush, clipped his foot and crashed. Badly.
Actually, she somehow ran over the back of his leg. He had the tire track to prove it.
She claimed she could not ride so Bode and I volunteered to go on a rescue mission to get the car while she and Jamie started walking home.
In retrospect, taking the wobbly 3-year-old on a rescue mission? Not one of my brighter ideas.
But the kid’s resolve was impressive. With each near-accident, he made an impressive recovery and proclaimed, “Need to help ‘Sissy!’”
After 20 long minutes, we made it back and drove the ambulance to transport our patient even thought they were only a few blocks from home at that time.
Never one to miss a milestone, I took a picture of her following her first bike crash.
And then reprimanded her for smiling. “You just wiped out. Make a sad face,” I begged. In an instant, I got this.
If the professional cycling thing doesn’t work out, the kid has a career in acting.
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I'm a Canadian-born mom of two, former Denver Post columnist, family travel writer, editor of MileHighMamas.com and 9News contributor. Expert on all things Utah, Denver, family and travel. Lover of laughter and life. Happily married to a man obsessed with growing The Great Pumpkin. 