Speedy Wheels, sort of...

After several weeks of begging for a new bike (he realized he was in serious need of an upgrade after one of our trike-riding playdates) and sleeping through the entire night ALONE...FINALLY; Max got his first bike on Sunday! It's fully loaded: tassles, waterbottle, bell, covered chain and training wheels...and...it's ORANGE. Dan and I had been preparing him the night before for a possibility that there might not be an orange bicycle at the store. Of course, we get to the store and the only 12 inch bike they have is orange with a big tiger on it! ROAR! Max then says to Dan, "See, Dad, I TOLD YOU they would have an orange one, Dad. I told you. You were wrong!" Indeed and Halliluyah! Max proceeded to get on the bike and ride it around and around and around the store. He only got off for a brief moment while the mechanics checked it out and put his bell on, then it was back on! He wanted to ride home and explaining to him that we lived too far away (about 20 miles) was not easy.

The first thing he says now when he wakes up is, "I want to ride my bike." It's ALL he wants to do... so off we go to the bike path along Clear Creek. So far, it hasn't quite been the experience I had envisioned in my mind...me running and pushing Alex in the jogger while Max rides beside me. I know, what a shock, eh! It's more akin to a walking wreck waiting to happen....a very slow one at that...yet another shock!!!! Max pedals and pedals...then brakes...pedals and pedals...then brakes...pedals some more and then veers across the path..."Stay to the right, Max!, here comes a biker."...he comes to a complete stop in the middle...the bikers ring their bells...he rings his back..."Hey, nice bell!"...they pass..."Come ride next to me, Max!"..."Okay, OKAY!"...he finally moves back to me and starts the pedal brake process again....complete stop again....water brake...okay, here we go...pedal pedal pedal...across the path again..."Stay to the right, please!"...he comes back...brake..."Let's go, Max."... "I just want to check my bell."...bell checked...pedal pedal pedal...he's finally got a groove....now some bikers are heading towards us...he comes to a complete stop again so that he can ring his bell..."Nice bike, there!"..."Thanks, do you see my bell?"..."Alright, Max, let's keep moving."...pedal pedal pedal...brake...and so on and so on and so on... When he's not heading towards the raging river or bumping into trees, it's actually lots of fun. Maybe in a couple of months and a thousand more pleas to "Stay to the right!" my vision will be realized...