Friday, May 8, 2009

Kolby loses his training wheels

Ok it's been too long since our last post which was pretty much our debut. Obviously we are not doing a very good job keeping this blog updated but we plan to change that. Kolby has now mastered the art of shaky-handle-bar bike riding without training wheels and is now progressing and well on his way to reaching the smooth rolling confident biker status. Katie and I finally decided that he was never going to reach the milestone until we took his training wheels off and threw them in the trash. Once he understood that training wheels were no longer an option he started putting in real effort and soon had me running next to him in my flip-flops suffering from severe exhaustion and looking like a total idiot as you will see in the video, trying to be there incase he lost his balance. The next challenge was start-offs. It took me a day or two to finally remember how I used to use the curb on the side of the road to push off for a little speed as I also was unable to reach the ground with more than the tips of my toes 20-something years back when I was once a kid. Once I gave him that tip, he was suddenly able to get himself started without help. Whats really cool is the discovery of how much easier he can gain speed and maintain it. We never realized just how inefficient the roll of those training wheels was, how much harder and constant Kolby was required to pedal just to keep a mediocre rather boring speed. Without them, he glides and coasts effortlessly down the street or sidewalk and is amazed at how much faster he can suddenly go. Bike riding has a whole new meaning.

The moment Kolby realized he was able to ride his bike without our hands on the seat, his face exploded with the biggest smile I think either of us have ever seen. Kolby's excitement immediatley radiated to Katie and I as he threw his bike to the ground and ran to his mommy for the hug of all hugs and the sharing of pure satisfaction.

Something that once seemed impossible to Kolby is now a walk in the park. Katie and I feel that this has been a great learning experience for Kolby and a lesson in perseverance. Kolby has learned that throwing a fit and giving up is useless and that afterall, when learning something, we all fall many many times and it is just a part of learning. He does not have to be afraid of challenges and falling because he now knows the great joy that surges through him when he has met a challenge that seemed like something he could never do.

Enjoy the video!

1 comment:

  1. Way to go Kolby !!! Dad , it sounds like you need to start jogging in tennis shoes so that you can get in shape and keep up with him... good for you health too... A good lesson learned for persistence.. Never , ever, never give up... and always give them positive encouragement for trying.. but you have already learned this...congratulations to Kolby's parents... He can do anything , that he sets his mind, to do..

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