Training Wheels

Last May Rick and I were going to take Zachy for a bike ride while we ran. Rick headed went out to the garage to get Zach's bike ready and was caught red-handed raising the training wheels in an attempt to get Zach off of training wheels and riding. After 30 minutes of screaming and crying along with two neighbors coming out to see if Zach was being abused, Zach refused to ride his bike and neither of us ran. We dealt with this attitude for the next two months until the day before we left for vacation Rick and I decided to give in to Zach (yes, we caved as parents and will no doubt live with this mistake for years to come) and lowered his training wheels.

While on vaction, Zachy rode his bike several times with lowered training wheels and proudly annouced that he would be taking off his training wheels. Flash forward to today, our next door neighbor's grandson comes over to see if the boys want to ride their bikes. After being couped up inside for a few days because of 103 degree weather the boys jump at the chance. I got the boys bikes out and realized that since returning from vacation we haven't put the training wheels back on. Rick told Zach he would put them on at which point Zach announced that it is ok, he will ride without them. Rick and I followed Zach to the street and watched as Zach got on his bike, wobbled for a little bit, and then took off down the street to meet up with his brother. It was as if he had been riding his bike sans traning wheels for the past 6 months.

Rick and I can't stop talking about Zach's new skill tonight. He is such an interesting and challending little guy. He will sit for hours and watch JT at a task such as a Wii game or baseball, refuse to play, and then one day he will he decide to play and he knows exactly what to do. I know we are in for lots more battles with Zach and I both dread and relish them.