freedom is... VROOM VROOM!!!!

This morning my friend Piratey-me dropped off the bike we had loaned her last summer, as Serejane was rocking the tricycle and not quite ready for it.  Within minutes of seeing the bike sitting there in the spring sunshine like a gleaming hotrod, Jane was gussied up in her finery - a plaid skirt, yoga pants, tall boots, and a muscle shirt - and ready to take to the streets.

The initial mount was a little shaky.  There was the usual fidgeting with the coaster brake and whether to pedal forwards or backwards.  She of course wanted to watch her feet, which is a recipe for disaster.

Now, having gone through this process three times before, I was fully prepared for the same frustration, crying, tipping over, and giving up (for a few days anyway) that seemed customary for her three older siblings.

After a bit of a coaching, a couple of pushed to get her un-stuck, and the offer to let her run over us if she could catch us, she was off like a rocket.

She rode all the way to the corner store to get gummy worms, and back.  And then asked to ride some more, so we went to the end of our crescent, and back.

She learned about stopping at alleyways to check both ways for traffic, and  the importance of dismounting to go across busy streets and parking lots.  (Daddy helped steer.)

She wasn't interested in watching her feet for long.  There were random toys dropped on the grass, puppies and other cyclists, and all other sorts of things to look at.  Head up is the best way to keep your kids from toppling over their handlebars, and it usually takes a LOT of convincing...

I was astonished at how easily she took to it.  She instinctively rocked the bike to get moving, used the top of her boot to move the pedal forward and to the top, stood on the pedal to gain momentum, and planted her feet on the ground when she needed to get unstuck.  One spill - she let go of the bike and toppled almost gracefully to the ground, brushed herself off, righted the bike, said, "I'm OK."  And off she went again.  We figure she'll be on two wheels before summer is over.

My baby is growing up so fast.  ~sigh~  Bill and I agreed that as nice as it was not having a summer-long fight getting her to ride, the fact she took to it so naturally and easily is maybe an indication that she is going to be harder to handle than the other 3 combined...