Look Mom . . .

Who is that coming down the road?

It's my brave and independent Elizabeth Anne.

The sun was finally shinning and the air was finally warm so on Saturday we took the kids outside to run around and get some wiggles out. As we were pulling the bikes out of the shed, I looked at Elizabeth's bike with the training wheels and thought to myself, she is almost 8 years old, she needs to learn to ride with out these things. So I suggested to Elizabeth that we take off the training wheels and she learn to ride without them. My suggestion was met with great resistance.

Then I put on my smart Mommy hat (or desperate Mommy Hat) and began to negotiate with her as to what I could bribe her with. What would be enticing enough to her for her to be brave enough to try riding without training wheels. I can't remember all of the offers I made, and I made several (all revolving around junk food) but we finally struck a deal. If Elizabeth learns to ride her bike without training wheels she gets 3 big boxes of Milk Duds.

Well first we tried the whole hold the back of the seat and run behind the bike deal. It went OK, Paul and I each taking a few turns up and down the road. But she was very resistant, and kept saying she just wanted to do it by herself. So, we let her. And after many trips up and down the road; lots of little scraps on her legs from the peddles rubbing up against her legs as she would put her foot down to keep herself from falling; and some moments of frustration feeling like she wanted to quit; she finally did it! She taught her self to ride without training wheels!

A trip to Wal-Mart was in order that evening to buy Milk Duds. She can't wait to get out and ride some more!