Look Mom! No Training Wheels!

One of the wonderful (when its not infuriating!) things about Marian, is that when she sets her mind to something, she goes for it.  The problem is that it occasionally takes her a while to decide she wants to do something.  Take Potty Training, for example.  She knew what to do, and how to do it, she just wasn't going to do it.  She stayed in diapers for probably a year longer than she needed to.  One day, shortly before she turned 4, she decided she wanted to wear underpants.  And that was it. In 24 hours the kid was diaper- free and accident-free.

This year Dan and I thought Marian was old enough for a big girl bike, so she got one.  She got it on her birthday, which was nearly 6 months ago.  Marian refused to ride it.  Dan took her out a few times, but she wanted nothing to do with a bike with no training wheels, and preferred the old bike with the extra wheels.  Unfortunately, for her, that bike developed some serious issues, and went to the big bike rack in the sky.

This week, something switched on in Marian's brain.  I do not know what.  I do not know why.  All I know is out of the blue, I look up and here is my daughter, wheeling her bike out to the front and giving it a go.  We had some trouble with the chain coming off, which was really annoying.  Thanks to a wonderful and more knowledgeable neighbor, we got the chain thing fixed, and there was no holding her back!

She started a bit wobbly.  She needed to use the driveway slope to get started.  And then she was off!  She road up the street!  She rode down the street!  She pedaled slowly at first, and then she went faster!

And now, this is all I see of her.  8 am yesterday and 8 am this morning she was out there.  I sit in the house and watch her zoom by going one way.  2 minutes later, she's zooming by the other direction.  Dan took her on his run this morning and said she did great!  And yes, Dan does make her wear a helmet!