Your actions in the last few days have inspired me to post again. Additionally, I left a couple things out of the last post that I should have included. You've started to get the hang of your runner bike in the last week. You have been having a speech issue recently. I'll comment on your new enthusiasum for the bike first.
Your sister has recently made friends with a couple of brothers up the street. They showed up one day when we were out on our bikes in the driveway and sidewalk. Seeing your sister get all that attention and seeing the extra independence she got by being able to ride her bike really inspired you. All of a sudden you've decided that this bike riding thing might be fun. And you've been making a lot of progress. Until the last few days you would only throw your leg over the bike and basically walk with it between your legs. Now, you'll sit on the seat and pick up your feet a little to coast a few inches at a time. Each day, no each minute you get a little better and a little more confident.
It's our conversations about your bike riding that brings me to this story. When I was 4, not quite 5, we were spending the summer in Corvallis where my dad was attending graduate school. Just before we moved there my big brother Terry had been given a new bike. I thought it was really cool and wanted one. I asked my dad, repeatedly, if I could have one. Graduate students with a four and six year old and a newborn living in a small campus apartment can't afford much. My dad chose to silence the begging by saying he would get me one if I could ride Terry's bike which he thought was too big for me.
For the next week every time Terry put his bike down I pounced on it. I tried over and over to stand it up by the curb and sort of leap on to it. I developed a good set of scrapes and bruises. Finally, I was able to land on the seat and keep the pedals turning with my toes pointed like a ballerina. I was pretty proud of myself. My dad, who really didn't have two dimes to rub together, found a way to make good on his promise. I'll never forget the feeling of accomplishment. Or the respect that I have for my dad after I became old enough to understand his sacrifice. I thought I should share my version in case you never get to hear my dad's perspective on those events.
Fast forward to the new generation. A couple days ago you were riding around the driveway and sidewalk and stepped over to try to pick up your sister's bike. I told you to leave it alone because it was too big for you. You said you wanted a bike with pedals. I decided to show you the pedal bike you will ride when you are ready for it. It's right there in the garage, the one Sidra first pedaled on. It's hanging up high so you can't get your hands on it. I said when you were good enough on your runner I would get it down for you.
But I think there was a disconnect between your hearing "good enough" and my meaning of "mastery." Each time you would make another turn around the driveway and hear me tell you how well you were doing you would come back in and ask for the pedal bike again. Finally, I resolved to take your mom's advice and tell you that you can't use the pedal bike until you are 4. I don't doubt that your determination will match mine but I hope to coax you to your first pedaling experience with a little less injury.
Here's another anecdote that describes your persistence and your love of dogs. At your sister's soccer class last week someone had brought a black lab puppy. You kept repeating, "I want to hold him." There was no strain in your voice, just an incessant mantra. Even after you had had a chance to hold him you would restart the chant. When you were reminded that you had held him already you cooly changed it to "I want to hold him again."
Now to the speech issue. You've been stuttering a little. I think some days you stutter a lot, and some days hardly at all. I did some checking and found that it's not that uncommon and your age and that it often disappears in a year or so. Chances are, you'll never remember having done it. But it's one of those things parents worry about.
Stats: Age 2 yrs, 9 months, 38 3/4 in tall, 33.5 lbs.
Learning to balance
Driveway Laps
More soon,
Love, aba
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