Their First Bikes!

Today was a very big day. We took Ashagre and Elsa to the store and bought them their first bikes. They have been asking for bicycles since they learned the English word for them. For what ever reason, we weren't quick to jump on the idea. They had their scooters and that gave them a chance to gain some confidence and learn a bit about the rules of the road.

And then we needed a really big motivator for Ashagre. You see, Ashagre was NOT cooperative at the dentist. He was quite the opposite. He refused to open his mouth and even hinted at being combative if we tried to push it. We took him to the dentist three times shortly after he came home along with Elsa who needed three visits to get her teeth all fixed up. Not once could we even get him to open his mouth so the dentist could count his teeth. Not even in the waiting room after she took off her white lab jacket. Not after we brought a mirror home and practiced every night. So we let it rest. Despite the poor condition of his teeth we all agreed that time was what he needed (and maybe a really big carrot).

One day on the way home from his first school he asked if he could have a bike and I came up with the dentist idea. You see, at that point we had already seen Ashagre overcome so many things that really frightened him and we knew he could handle the dentist. There was no way we would have set him up to fail on this one. He wanted a bike badly and we wanted to get him one and there was no way we would have made the bike contingent upon his successful dentist visit if we would have thought there was even a remote chance that he wouldn't be able to do it. Fortunately, the dentist was also very busy so once we set the goal up for him he had quite a bit of time to get used to the idea.

When the first visit finally came around, despite his declaration that he was going to the dentist and was not scared, he faltered a bit at the door as we left the house. I think I may have carried him to the car. On the way to the dentist he fell asleep; I think he was resetting, giving himself another opportunity to get it right. When we arrived at the dentist, in typical Ashagre fashion, he walked right in and waited for his name to be called (and played video games while he was waiting - we have the coolest pediatric dentist). When it was finally his turn, he hopped up and walked straight back to the dentist chair. He asked me to hold him, but seconds later asked me to go sit in the chair nearby. After that there was no going back. He opened up his mouth and the rest was history. Two more appointments, including an extraction and some serious cavity filling, and the dentist told him he was finished.

We're starting to learn how Ashagre works. One thing we know is he's either off or he's on. If he's off, he's off. It's not worth pushing it until a later time. Once he decides he's on, he's on and he never looks back. He can have a lot of initial fear about new things, but when he decides to commit himself it's full speed ahead and he tackles whatever the challenge may be like a master. He needs time to think (probably to figure out how to tackle the challenge) and to commit. Outside influence doesn't make a difference; it will be on his terms alone if he does it. Sometimes its hard to let him work through his process. You want to try and push him or even just encourage him, but it really is truly better to let him take the time to commit in his own way. The pleasure he gets out of finally taking a challenge head on is awesome to watch.

And so it goes too with learning to ride his bike. He was very clear that he did not want training wheels. He's committed to learning to ride his bike his way. He almost got it today in just one afternoon. I wouldn't be surprised if he's riding his bike on his own tomorrow and flying down the street by the end of the week. That's just the way he rolls.

(Oh, and Elsa was cool with waiting for Ashagre to meet his challenge before she got her bike - she can have a graciousness far beyond her years. She was also just fine with training wheels.)

It was a lot of fun chasing them up and down the block on this gorgeous day. I remember feeling freedom in its purest sense while riding my bike as a kid. Today Ashagre and Elsa were working a little too hard to probably feel it much, but they'll be there really soon and I can't wait to witness it.

Getting started.

Yes, her first bike has streamers and a basket that
her monkey can ride around in? Didn't yours?

Just a little help from daddy.

She was cruising pretty much instantly. It took a little longer to remember
how to work the brakes.