It's as easy as riding a bike

Who ever said that has not met my daughter. She is a challenge with new things. N at 5 is much more ready than his sister I think. But at 8 years old she is totally capable of this. I told Don yesterday that he is shirking his dad duty because both kids still have training wheels on their bikes. I told him it is in the Dad Handbook that he should have been out running up and down a sidewalk by now holding onto the seat of a bike. I remember my dad doing this with me. He remembers his dad doing this with him. It is a dad thing. 

So, today he took off the training wheels and we went across the street to the school parking lot and took turns practicing on their bikes. 

N fell down immediately and ran off screaming. I got him calmed down and ready to try again. H tried twice and said she was done. I told her she was not. I had to compare it to when she learns lines or a song or a dance for a play -- that she keeps trying even though she makes mistakes. She was not entirely convinced. 

On N's next turn he started to find his "Wheeeeeeeeeeeeee!" His bike is so low to the ground though that it is very uncomfortable for Don to run scrunched over with him. He is so short though that he can't do a bigger bike. H kept grudgingly give it another try. When N kept giving it longer tries and showing more success I had to plant the seed...such a mean mom..."How will you feel when you 5 year old brother can ride a two-wheeler and you can't?" I'll let her chew on that a while. We'll keep practicing. After all practice makes perfect right?