The next couple of weeks are horrid with meetings, deadlines and volunteer work but I’d be remiss if I didn’t squeeze in this little gem.
Four-year-old Bode has been ready to ride his bike without training wheels for over a year now.
The problem has been convincing him he’s ready.
From the very moment he rode his first tricycle, I knew biking would be his *thing.* He had a seamless transition to training wheels and loved to perform kamikaze tricks like riding with his feet on the handlebars and swerving around a break-neck speeds.
Basically stuff that gives mothers heart attacks.
We tried to transition him to a two-wheeler late last summer for the sole fact that some of his stunts were not doable on training wheels and he’d often tip over.
But he wanted nothing to do with it.
We didn’t push him on the matter but on Friday night, we had 30 minutes before we needed to be somewhere so I suggested to Jamie he take Bode out for another try.
Five minutes later, Jamie nonchalantly called, “You’d better come out here. He’s doing it.”
He’s doing what exactly? Now let me preface this by saying I was in charge of teaching Hadley to ride her bike, which is exactly why I delegated the responsibility this time around to Jamie. (For those who need the not-so pleasant refresher: It’s Like Learning How to Not Kill Your Child as She Learns to Ride Her Bike.)
Sure enough, I went outside and Bode was riding his bike. Not even 2 minutes after he figured it out, I heard him proclaim, “I want to hop the curb.”
Excuse me?
(Please disregard my high-pitched, squeaky voice in this 15-second video. When experiencing extreme duress or excitement, thus is my fate. 
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMUxYSO0iVg?hd=1]
And this, my friends, is the difference between mothers and fathers. Had I not been distracted by filming him, I would have rushed out there and prevented him from the potential catastrophe and fall-out of face-planting mere moments after learning.
Jamie, on the other hand? “I figured why not? Best let him figure it out himself.”
And he has. I’ve been shocked how, in just a few days, he’s hopping the curb, as well as learning to start, stop and turn. These things took Hadley months to master (and she still has yet to meet a curb she likes).
On Tuesday, we went for our first ride around the neighborhood and Bode did great in all areas except for one.We live near the top of a large hill so navigating up and down is tricky, especially since some of the downhills also involve sharp turns. I was thrilled to see my little dare devil turn cautious as I helped him around the steep bends. Such discretion gives me hope he’ll survive long enough to celebrate his fifth birthday.
And the hope that he’ll be competing in the 2022 Olympic Games.
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. 