Bear's Bicycle Bonanza

"You know, once I was thinking about quitting when I was diagnosed with brain, lung, and testicular cancer all at the same time. But with the love and support of my friends and family, I got back on the bike and I won the Tour de France five times in a row. But I'm sure you have a good reason to quit."

(I am really into the 'B' alliteration with my titles lately.)

So here's an example of how Husband and I are garbage parents.

When Bear turned five, we did what any good parents would do and we got her a bike as her birthday gift. We went to Toys 'R' Us and picked out a cute, pink and purple number with removable training wheels and a zip-up pouch on the handle bars. She was thrilled. We strapped her in to her Barbie helmet, knee pads, and elbow pads and let her zip around.

Our driveway. A few times.

Over the course of the next four years, Husband took her out to practice in the street maybe three or four times, and once we walked as a family to the store and let her ride her bike alongside. What I'm trying to tell you is that my nine year-old was incapable of riding a two-wheel bike because Husband and I are so paranoid and also perhaps a little bit lazy and selfish that we never really took the time to teach her.

Every summer we made a big vow that we were going to buckle down and really work with her. And every summer we opted instead to stay inside our air-conditioned home and read or watch tv.

But you know what? That's okay, because the kids who live in the cul-de-sac picked up our parenting slack and taught our kid to ride a two-wheel bike in two days. Two days in a row she went outside to play with them and the next thing I know, she's calling me outside to show me how she can zip around on one of their bikes, no problem.

Yep. A group of kids ranging in age from eleven to fourteen just schooled me. And I'm fine with it. Sometimes nature picks up nurture's slack, you know? So now my little girl is outside on her own bike, which we had to dig out of storage, de-training wheel, and pump up with air.

Bear's bitty bicycle

And you know what? That sucker is WAY too small for her. So it looks like she'll be getting a new one for Christmas. We owe her that much.