Riding Bikes

Scott learned to ride a two-wheeled bike with no training wheels two weeks ago. Now he talks trash about how much faster he is than me on a bike. He has no idea.

We got him a bike with training wheels for his 4th birthday last year, but it was just a little too tall (and heavy), so we found a smaller one used listed in the online classifieds (Kijiji.ca) that was way easier for him to handle. He picked it up in a matter of a few minutes. At first, I would help him get started and then let go. He kept freaking me out because he refused to use the brakes, preferring to just drag his feet and coast to a stop. At one point, I went to help Katie because she was crying, so R took over with Scott. Unfortunately, that was the only time that he tipped over, because he got his foot caught up in the bike. Later he told me "Mom pushed me over."

The next day, after a bit of a showdown between him and me, he discovered that he could get started on his own with me helping. Now he is an independent little boy with his own means of high-speed transportation... complete with tachometer and revving sound effects.



Katie has her own little two-wheeled training bike that has no training wheels and no pedals. It is super tiny and super light. She looks hilarious riding it because she is almost always wearing a skirt. She started out pretty slow at first, but now she is getting to where she can motor along pretty well and even lifts her feet up to coast down the occasional section of downhill grade.

Katie also loves to say "Tootie" -- referring to passing gas. She also likes to say, "excuse me I tooted" except that she is usually crying wolf. This is clearly imitative behaviour, but I will not point any fingers (or pull any either).