No Training Wheels!

I know I posted a video of Asher riding his bike, but I wanted to write about it also. Asher has been riding a balance bike for a couple of summers. He got to be pretty good at it, and would ride his bike all day every day if we'd let him.

A few weeks ago, his balance bike seat broke off the post. This crushed him, so Sean took Brayden's small blue bike and removed the training wheels. He decided it was as good a time as any to teach Asher how to ride a legitimate 2-wheeler. Sean gave him a little pep talk, and started Asher going but held on to the back of the seat. Asher yelled back "Let go, Dad!" so Sean did, and off he went! He was pedaling and biking like a pro. 

I am amazed at how adept Asher is at new things, when they are physical. He has insane balance, judgement on how high he can jump, etc. I'm also amazed at his ability to just brush off if and keep going if he does get hurt. He hasn't ever taken a huge crash, but he has run into the curb a couple times which isn't fun. His favorite thing to do, now that he's been riding 24/7 for a month, is to go as fast as he can off the tallest section of curb. He loves that he can "jump" his bike.

Asher rides his bike every day on our walk to Kindergarten. He rides it even just for 3 minutes until we all get outside to load into the car. He rides it along side me while I go for a run. We load it up in the car and bring it with us when we go anywhere (park, Grandma's, soccer) so that he can ride wherever we are. I have never known a child (especially a 3 year old) to have such a fierce passion for something. It is a great outlet for him, and it is something that he is so confident about. It is hard for him to be so close in age to Brayden and I think he feels that he is always in his shadow. This is something that Asher can do (Brayden does not like biking at all, and won't even ride his bigger red bike with training wheels on it. He'd rather run.) all by himself and better than his older brother. I think it's good for him to have that one special thing that is just his. 

I hope this is a passion that he keeps. He is never happier than when he is on that bicycle!