It's Like Riding A Bike...

Last Fall, Erin's legs were just a tiny bit too short to reach the pedals of her little pink tricycle. She watched with jealousy as her big sisters careened around the driveway and the street on their bikes, while she tried desperately to rock her bike forward. Now that the warm weather is upon us, the girls are back out on their bikes, and lo and behold, Erin must have grown quite a bit over the winter. She now can reach the pedals without difficulty, but the coordination that is required to pedal a bike still eludes her.

This afternoon we set out for a short bike ride after school, with Brian in the stroller and all three girls on their bikes. As Beth and Amy flew back and forth on the streets, Erin became more and more discouraged.

"It not working, Mama!", she shrieked. She frequently hopped off the bike, and, like a good auto mechanic, she checked the tires, the steering, and the seat.

"That a little bit better now", she would then say. But alas, her repairs were inadequate, and the bike still refused to budge.

I gave her push after push, and as the pedals forced her little feet around, she would shout, "I'm doin' it, Mama! I'm doin' it!!" Then, when the bike began to lose momentum, her frustrated voice would call out, "It stopped workin' again, Mama. Fix it!"

She never gave up, though. Even when the bike tipped over sideways, and she took a nasty fall onto her knees, she jumped back up. "I not cry. I a big girl", she declared stubbornly. Then she tried again. And again. And again.

It won't be long before she gets the hang of it. Before we know it, she'll be flying down the street alongside her sisters. She's quite a fighter. And that's one of the many things that I love about my little Erin.