The Gift

It was just barely dark Sunday evening when we got home from the trip but Julian could not wait any longer to show me his latest accomplishment. He learned to ride his bike while I was away!

If you've been hanging around my little blog for a while, you may remember an entry a while back that mentioned what a long hard time we've had getting him to learn to ride a bike. It's been a rough ride, so to speak.

But never underestimate the determination of a nine-year-old and his father. While I was gone, Joal decided that mobility deserved one more really good try. He took Julian to Target and they picked out a brand spanking new bike! They picked out a new helmet and knee pads. Jules was pumped up to say the least. :)

Joal said he fell a few times before he got the hang of the pedal brakes...and Grey got a little smooshed between the car and the brother-on-bike once (G learned that lesson fast)...but otherwise it's smooth flying now.

He loves it! He's a different boy. I know it's cliche' but he really does seem more confident and proud that he's conquered this bike thing. I can't tell you how proud I am. When I saw him take off on that bike, my heart was in my throat. The internal mommy-cheerleader was doing a dance in my head...and chanting "Please don't fall...please don't fall..."

And ya know what??

He didn't.

Had the girls not still been here when he took his ride around the yard to show me, I probably would have cried. I did cry later. It's that big a deal. He climbed the mountain. He stormed the beaches. He didn't quit. He compensated for his shortcomings and now he can fly.

Sometimes being the mommy stinks. And then sometimes it's a gift. Seeing my boy ride his bike around the yard...hearing him laugh and yell "Look mom!"...that was a gift that may never be topped.