Let’s Go Ride a Bike (or two)

August 17th, 2007 | jchaager | kids

Bethany’s relationship with her bicycle has been a little complicated. We bought the bike for her birthday last summer. A brand new Dora bicycle, complete with Backpack bag on the front to carry stuff in. She loved it. So much in fact that she rode it twice, fell over both times, and decided that she didn’t want anything to do with it anymore.

Fast forward to this summer. She again started asking to ride her bike, so down it came for her to try out. It took some time, but finally about a month ago she really started getting the hang of it. The big breakthrough came while her Grandparents were visiting in July and GrandDad taught her how to use the brake. With that skill mastered, she was ready to go and has been traveling ever faster up and down the hills in front of our house. And she’s even learned that when you fall down, you have to get up, get a few kisses from mom and dad, and get right back on the bike.

With Bethany out on her bike, Christopher wanted to go riding too. We had picked up a tricycle for him at the community garage sale last summer. But the front axle was broken and after a dozen attempts to repair it, we finally tossed it out. So we hit Wal-Mart and bought him a new tricycle.

The tricycle lasted all of 2 months. Oh, it still runs fine, and the paint is still in good shape. But Christopher started taking to riding his sister’s bike whenever she got off it. And he was doing pretty well, too! So a couple weekends ago, we visited target and picked him up a brand new big boy bike. A Diego one to go with his sister’s.

He likes it alot. And he’s even ridden it a few times too. Mostly because he’s usually riding his sister’s. And she is riding his. I’m not sure what it is about Christopher’s bike that attracts Bethany, but when we go out to ride bikes in the evening, he grabs hers, and she grabs his. Oh well, one day they’ll get it all straightened out.

For now, they’re enjoying the freedom and speed of riding around with their friends from the neighborhood.