In case you needed any more proof that our Julia is growing up, just take a look at her on her new two-wheeler big girl bike! We hadn't given much thought to getting Julia a new bike...her birthday isn't till August, she never took to her fancy Ketler trike, and her "wish list" has never included any type of conveyance vehicle. The immediacy of this purchase came with the parental realization that the fourth of July was fast approaching and we had a little matter of "getting back in the saddle" to contend with.
For the past several years we have spent the fourth of July with our friends the Harpers at their neighborhood BBQ and shindig. The festivities start with a sweet bike parade in which kids proudly ride their decorated bikes, trikes, scooters, etc. around a track with a vintage car leading the way while xcited parents cheer them on from the sidelines. Last year, we readied Julia's trike for the event and figured if she didn't want to peddle the entire route, Daddy could push her using the trike's handy parent pushing pole attached to the back. All would have been fine except for one major miscalculation...upon the start of the parade Julia informed us that she was too big to be pushed with the pole. Big problem: Julia had never been able to ride for more than a block at home and try as she might, she was not able to make it very far along the parade route without Daddy's help, which she steadfastly refused. We tried to play the situation down as no-big-deal but she was extremely disappointed in herself and we could tell her self-esteem had taken a hit.
Fast forward to this year and the upcoming parade...she still didn't ride the trike well and hardly ever wanted to go for a spin. We got to wondering if a two-wheeler might actually be easier for her to ride and figured it was as good a time as any to check it out. With little time to spare, we spent about 3 minutes on the web searching out a few options and decided to forget that and head to an honest-to-goodness bike store for advice. I asked 2 questions: first, why should we buy a pricey bike from a fancy shop as opposed to a cheaper model from Target and, more importantly, did they have anything without a Barbie logo? Having received satisfactory answers to both questions, they helped us suss out the right size frame and an acceptable color (choices: pink or dark pink).
All we needed to know now was whether or not Julia would actually ride the thing. We carefully placed Julia on the white leatherette seat, whispered a few words of support, and held our breath to see what would happen next. Julia cautiously tested one peddle then slowly gave it some weight. Staring intently at her other foot, she looked as surprised as the rest of us to notice she had shifted force and was continuing the cycle. With extreme conscious effort, she continued to peddle, then peddle some more. About then she looked up and remembered to steer, adjusting the handle bars like a pro. A couple more peddles, followed by a quick check of the breaks and...ta da, she was off!!!
Ten minutes later we were out of the store with fabulous magenta bike, fully loaded with a stylin' basket, super sparkly streamers, and a tiny little bell. Just the thing for launching her big July Fourth Comeback!
And so it was.
Julia loved the parade. In fact, long after the other cyclists left the track in pursuit of BBQ and bouncy houses, Julia continued round and round, begging for just one more lap.
And in other news, Mimi is now the proud owner of a nearly new Kettler trike! Look out world:)
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