Riding a bike has been something I've wished for Kayla to be able to do since she was born. It is one clear memory I have from those early days after her birth - asking Joe if he thought she would be able to ride a bike.
I've been chronicling this journey for the past few years. She was almost 10 before she even started riding a bike with training wheels. She just had no interest or motivation.
The next step was to take an I Can Shine bike camp and then she won a Strider Balance Bike.
It was such a blessing when she won the Strider bike. She really liked this bike - she didn't have to worry about pedaling and she felt more comfortable on it. The best thing was she could once again be independent and ride her bike around with Lucas and the other kids.
She still enjoyed our bike rides using the tandem bike, too.
We put her other bike up and let her focus on the Strider bike. It's been about a year since she's been using that one. On Monday we went for a ride on the tandem and I asked her if she wanted to practice on her other bike when we got home and surprisingly she said yes.
True to her word, when we got home she got on the old bike from bike camp and I held on to the handle. We started going and it felt like she was pretty well balanced so I let go of the handle to see what would happen. She stayed balanced and she pedaled for longer than she had in the past. I was shocked! She probably went the length of about 3 houses by herself without me holding on.
She agreed she would show Joe when he got home from work. So after dinner we went out to show him what she was able to do.
I let go of the handle expecting her to go a few houses down again, but she didn't. Instead she didn't stop, she just kept going. She kept pedaling and pedaling. My slow jog turned into a run. She saw a group of kids down the street and rode her bike towards them yelling, "Guys! I'm riding my bike!"
Most of the kids have seen her 2 years ago trying to practice with this very bike and not get very far, they've seen us ride around on the tandem, they've seen her on the Strider. I think it didn't register at first, what she was doing, but then one girl started clapping as she got closer and then a few other kids started joining in.
I was chasing after her, stunned that she was actually doing this, she was riding her bike totally independently! I had to hold back my tears.
When she stopped to turn around she said "I want to go again!" She rode back through the group of kids "Watch out guys!" and someone's dad was out bouncing a ball. The ball bounced up and hit Kayla and she rode through and he yelled out "Oops, sorry!" Without missing a beat Kayla kept pedaling, it didn't even throw her off stride, and she yelled back, "That's ok!"
When we went out to show Joe I was not expecting her to ride down the street stopping only to turn around. She hadn't been on this bike in a year. How was she doing this?!
But she was, she was doing it.
Words can't convey how excited and proud I am of her reaching this new milestone.
If the video doesn't work try clicking this link - it should go directly to the youtube video.
Showing posts with label milestone. Show all posts
Showing posts with label milestone. Show all posts
Friday, June 05, 2015
Tuesday, March 05, 2013
His Own Bike Milestone
I've been neglectful.
I excitedly posted a video and blogged about Kayla finally riding a bike; it was a milestone that felt like a long time coming.
But Lucas had a bike milestone back in October that I haven't yet mentioned. And his was just as exciting.
He started riding a bike without training wheels.
He had been trying off and on a few times in the months before that, but he didn't seem to feel sure of himself without the training wheels. Then in Oct we were at a birthday party at a park. Someone brought a few kid's bikes ... none of which had training wheels. Lucas saw a couple of his friends up on those bikes riding around and decided to give it another go - and that was it. He was off and riding without any training wheels. The training wheels came off his own bike as soon as we got home.
While I was very excited for him ... and we let him know how excited and proud we were of him ... there was also a tinge of sadness.
Sadness because he was 4.5 and the training wheels felt like the last symbol of that young toddler/preschool age. It just felt like he was growing up too fast.
There was also sadness because he was 4.5 and riding without training wheels and Kayla was 9 and not even riding a bike with training wheels. I didn't want him to pass her up so easily, or so soon. Things already come so much easier and naturally to him. Reading is another area where he is doing this, too.
So while I wasted no time in blogging about, and posting on FB, Kayla's riding accomplishment...I hadn't yet gotten around to Lucas's big bike riding milestone. With Kayla I felt like everyone would understand what there was to celebrate, but with Lucas I felt like it was just natural and expected of a typically-developing child to meet those milestones.
Yet even though it is natural, and did come easy to him, it's still a milestone to be celebrated. I have two children who will be, and are, reaching milestones at their own pace and in their own way. One may struggle and take a longer time to achieve those accomplishments, and the other may not have as much trouble with the natural progression of milestones.
But they both deserve to be celebrated.
Lucas got a new bike for his birthday since he was getting too big for his first bike. So, finally, a video of Lucas riding a bike without training wheels. This kid, growing up too fast.
I excitedly posted a video and blogged about Kayla finally riding a bike; it was a milestone that felt like a long time coming.
But Lucas had a bike milestone back in October that I haven't yet mentioned. And his was just as exciting.
He started riding a bike without training wheels.
He had been trying off and on a few times in the months before that, but he didn't seem to feel sure of himself without the training wheels. Then in Oct we were at a birthday party at a park. Someone brought a few kid's bikes ... none of which had training wheels. Lucas saw a couple of his friends up on those bikes riding around and decided to give it another go - and that was it. He was off and riding without any training wheels. The training wheels came off his own bike as soon as we got home.
While I was very excited for him ... and we let him know how excited and proud we were of him ... there was also a tinge of sadness.
Sadness because he was 4.5 and the training wheels felt like the last symbol of that young toddler/preschool age. It just felt like he was growing up too fast.
There was also sadness because he was 4.5 and riding without training wheels and Kayla was 9 and not even riding a bike with training wheels. I didn't want him to pass her up so easily, or so soon. Things already come so much easier and naturally to him. Reading is another area where he is doing this, too.
So while I wasted no time in blogging about, and posting on FB, Kayla's riding accomplishment...I hadn't yet gotten around to Lucas's big bike riding milestone. With Kayla I felt like everyone would understand what there was to celebrate, but with Lucas I felt like it was just natural and expected of a typically-developing child to meet those milestones.
Yet even though it is natural, and did come easy to him, it's still a milestone to be celebrated. I have two children who will be, and are, reaching milestones at their own pace and in their own way. One may struggle and take a longer time to achieve those accomplishments, and the other may not have as much trouble with the natural progression of milestones.
But they both deserve to be celebrated.
Lucas got a new bike for his birthday since he was getting too big for his first bike. So, finally, a video of Lucas riding a bike without training wheels. This kid, growing up too fast.
Wednesday, February 06, 2013
Progression of a Bike Rider
Almost 2 years ago I wrote this post about Kayla not riding a bike. It was about where we had been so far in that journey (i.e. never rode a tricycle), my hopes/wishes/dreams for her to ride a bike, and the sadness I felt because she wasn't doing it. Not only was she not doing it, but she wasn't showing any interest in wanting to ride a bike.
For almost 2 yrs her bike (which used to be my sister's, and which I thought would motivate her - "This used to be Aunt Kelly's bike! Don't you want to ride it?") hung in our garage. I had finally backed off (read: gave up) on encouraging her to try riding that bike anymore. It sat unused in the garage, taking up space on the floor. I finally hung it from the hooks in a feeling of defeat.
On that post 2 yrs ago, a blogging friend left a comment with a link to this WeeRide Co-Pilot Bike Trailer. That product sat in my Amazon Wish List for a year and a half. I looked at it every so often and debated whether to finally order it or not. I was hesitant to spend that much money on it because what if she wouldn't get on that either? What a waste of money it would be if it just sat, unused, in our garage as well. If she wasn't motivated to get on a bike what made me think she would get on this?
They (whoever they are) say that having a child with special needs/disabilities makes you a more patient person, but that's not been the case with me. Honestly, I was frustrated. Frustrated that she didn't try. Frustrated that she didn't want to. Frustrated because I still longed for her to enjoy bike riding. Frustrated because I didn't know the why of it. Frustrated because she would move the pedals back and forth instead of continuously rotating them around in a circle. Frustrated because I didn't know what was causing the block with her riding a bike. I felt like she was fully capable of doing it, but didn't know where the connection was missing.
Over the past few months she slowly started showing some interest in getting on Lucas's bike. She would pedal in our driveway (but it's slightly sloped so that helped her feel like she was going somewhere), but it was mostly the same story. She would pedal a few rotations and be done. Or she would go back and forth on the pedals going no where. When she did go a little ways in the driveway she wouldn't make any effort to steer and would just go off the side to the grass. Then she was done riding. I would ask if she wanted me to get her bike down and it was still a 'no.' I praised her for any amount of pedaling she did.
When I placed an order through Amazon this past Christmas, I finally placed that bike trailer in my cart and checked out. Joe put it together a few weekends ago. Kayla seemed excited about it, seemed willing to try, and I held my breath. We live on a loop and Joe rode around the loop with her. She giggled pretty much the whole time. They pulled back in the driveway and she immediately said, "Go again!" And they did. I think they even went a 3rd time. I was so happy - at least with this we could finally go the park and take a family bike ride.
When she got off the school bus the next day, the first thing she said was "I want to ride my bike around the block!" She was referring to the bike-trailer bike - and she was so enthusiastic about it - so we did. Then I carefully broached the subject of trying to ride her own bike. (Which had previously been taken down and tried again; and which Lucas was riding because he was too big for his bike.) She actually said yes. She pedaled it in the driveway. She said she wanted to go around the block. I didn't think she was quite ready for that so I told her to try going down to the bus stop. She didn't make it that far. She kept looking down and not steering. She would end up in the grass and have to be re-directed back to the sidewalk.
She started getting on Lucas's old bike more often; then, last Friday she rode her bike down the street to a friend's house. It was the farthest she's ever gone, but it was slow-going. She said she wanted to "go slow" and she went painstakingly slow. I sounded like a broken record, "Keep pedaling, c'mon Kayla, you need to go a little faster than that." We finally made it to their house.
Then, on Sunday, she rode Lucas's old bike - which if it's too small for him now, it's too small for her (but she seems to feel more comfortable on it) all the way around our loop (I think it's about 1/2 a mile). For the most part she was steering pretty well, too. She did it. I couldn't believe she finally rode that bike a meaningful distance.
As I posted on FB when I shared this video, "Yes, she's 9.5 yrs old. Yes, she is too big for the bike. Yes, the bike has training wheels. But, she is riding a bike!" I've waited, what feels like, a long time for this milestone.
And I was reminded of that saying, She'll do it in her own time; she'll do it when she's ready."
For almost 2 yrs her bike (which used to be my sister's, and which I thought would motivate her - "This used to be Aunt Kelly's bike! Don't you want to ride it?") hung in our garage. I had finally backed off (read: gave up) on encouraging her to try riding that bike anymore. It sat unused in the garage, taking up space on the floor. I finally hung it from the hooks in a feeling of defeat.
On that post 2 yrs ago, a blogging friend left a comment with a link to this WeeRide Co-Pilot Bike Trailer. That product sat in my Amazon Wish List for a year and a half. I looked at it every so often and debated whether to finally order it or not. I was hesitant to spend that much money on it because what if she wouldn't get on that either? What a waste of money it would be if it just sat, unused, in our garage as well. If she wasn't motivated to get on a bike what made me think she would get on this?
They (whoever they are) say that having a child with special needs/disabilities makes you a more patient person, but that's not been the case with me. Honestly, I was frustrated. Frustrated that she didn't try. Frustrated that she didn't want to. Frustrated because I still longed for her to enjoy bike riding. Frustrated because I didn't know the why of it. Frustrated because she would move the pedals back and forth instead of continuously rotating them around in a circle. Frustrated because I didn't know what was causing the block with her riding a bike. I felt like she was fully capable of doing it, but didn't know where the connection was missing.
Over the past few months she slowly started showing some interest in getting on Lucas's bike. She would pedal in our driveway (but it's slightly sloped so that helped her feel like she was going somewhere), but it was mostly the same story. She would pedal a few rotations and be done. Or she would go back and forth on the pedals going no where. When she did go a little ways in the driveway she wouldn't make any effort to steer and would just go off the side to the grass. Then she was done riding. I would ask if she wanted me to get her bike down and it was still a 'no.' I praised her for any amount of pedaling she did.
When I placed an order through Amazon this past Christmas, I finally placed that bike trailer in my cart and checked out. Joe put it together a few weekends ago. Kayla seemed excited about it, seemed willing to try, and I held my breath. We live on a loop and Joe rode around the loop with her. She giggled pretty much the whole time. They pulled back in the driveway and she immediately said, "Go again!" And they did. I think they even went a 3rd time. I was so happy - at least with this we could finally go the park and take a family bike ride.
When she got off the school bus the next day, the first thing she said was "I want to ride my bike around the block!" She was referring to the bike-trailer bike - and she was so enthusiastic about it - so we did. Then I carefully broached the subject of trying to ride her own bike. (Which had previously been taken down and tried again; and which Lucas was riding because he was too big for his bike.) She actually said yes. She pedaled it in the driveway. She said she wanted to go around the block. I didn't think she was quite ready for that so I told her to try going down to the bus stop. She didn't make it that far. She kept looking down and not steering. She would end up in the grass and have to be re-directed back to the sidewalk.
She started getting on Lucas's old bike more often; then, last Friday she rode her bike down the street to a friend's house. It was the farthest she's ever gone, but it was slow-going. She said she wanted to "go slow" and she went painstakingly slow. I sounded like a broken record, "Keep pedaling, c'mon Kayla, you need to go a little faster than that." We finally made it to their house.
Then, on Sunday, she rode Lucas's old bike - which if it's too small for him now, it's too small for her (but she seems to feel more comfortable on it) all the way around our loop (I think it's about 1/2 a mile). For the most part she was steering pretty well, too. She did it. I couldn't believe she finally rode that bike a meaningful distance.
As I posted on FB when I shared this video, "Yes, she's 9.5 yrs old. Yes, she is too big for the bike. Yes, the bike has training wheels. But, she is riding a bike!" I've waited, what feels like, a long time for this milestone.
And I was reminded of that saying, She'll do it in her own time; she'll do it when she's ready."
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