Training wheels....Letting go

It was late afternoon on this last Saturday of the month- April 30 2011. Caleb had decided he wanted to bring his bike (with training wheels) and Ava's bike too to Shakopee, so they could take a bike ride to the park when we got there. So, I packed up their bikes and other overnight gear, and we drove to Grandma Mary & Grandpa Albie's for their sleep-over. As we were driving down their street, Caleb began talking about the bike with no training wheels in Grandma & Grandpa's shed in their backyard, and how he wanted to see it when we got there. To back up for a moment...Caleb has been very vocal the last month here that he loves his training wheels, and wants to keep them on his bike forever! To which I would reply that as we get old enough, and strong enough, we then learn to ride our bikes without training wheels. I had the intention, that this would be the summer that I would start to teach Caleb to ride without training wheels. However, whenever we would see someone riding their bike (kid or adult) down the street with no training wheels, Caleb would declare "But why don't they have training wheels....I don't want to do that...I want my training wheels forever!" Something changed this Saturday on that drive over to Shakopee... Caleb had decided that he was old enough, strong enough, and brave enough to try to bike without training wheels. As we pulled in Grandma & Grandpa's driveway and got out of the truck, Caleb went straight to the backyard to the shed. I took the bike out not knowing for sure where this was all going to go. Before I knew it I was helping Caleb back and forth down the sidewalk on my parent's street. It was on this exact sidewalk that I learned to ride my bike without training wheels at Caleb's current age of 5 going on 6. Caleb would say "Let's go Mom, okay let go of the bike now!" At first I'd let go for a second and then grab back on quickly...But Caleb was determined, and kept asking me to let go. And so, I finally let go of my little boy and did not grab back on as he requested. How very proud he was and I of him, as he would bike on his own 5 feet at a time, then 10 feet, and then 15 feet, and more by the last few tries! Every time he would come to a stop or gently fall to the ground, he would get right back up and say "I did it Mom! Let's do it again!"

I realized this day that letting go of Caleb's bike and watching him go on his own without training wheels, I truly was letting go and witnessing my brave big boy enter a new chapter of his life... and I can't wait to see and be with for all the fun rides ahead!