So for the past couple weeks, I've been taking the older boys out to ride bikes. LittleBrother rides around on his just a little too small pee-wee bike, and I've been trailing around BigBrother as he learns to ride on two wheels.
At first, BigBrother was really scared, but eager. You could see he really wanted to do it, and he was ready. But he was still anxious. The first time we did it, we went on a baseball diamond. At the end of the first session, he was going on two wheels by himself for 15 seconds. He was immnsely proud, and I was immensely proud of him. The second time, we went to the parking lot, becuase it had more open space, and he could keep going longer. He would self-correct when he started leaning too much.
Then, a couple days ago, in just the third time we went, he really took off. He could slow down, stop, fall well, and turn. He was going in each and every direction, and I literally couldn't keep up with him. I cannot tell you how proud I was of him. So this morning we decided that we would all go to the parking lot and have Mommy see how great he was doing.
DearWife brought the camera and the video camera. BigBrother started going, and voila, he was doing just awesome. You could just see the concentration in his eyes. His self confidence was just growing by leaps and bounds.
Then he took a turn that was a little too sharp. He tried to break his fall with his hands, but missed, and broke his fall with his chin instead. Then he slid a little and scraped up his cheek too. I ran over to him to hold him and calm him down. He was upset. And there was blood all over his chin and face. I held him, but he saw blood on my shirt when I pulled back. And that set him off. He was completely inconsolable. He wouldn't let me see how bad it was, and just wanted to GO HOME RIGHT NOW. He kept looking over at the family that was on the playset.
He was sobbing nearly uncontrollably, until we got him cleaned off a little and in the car. The whole time, DearWife was telling him how brave he was. Which, you know, he's 5 - I don't blame the kid for being as upset as he was. But....
So anyway, we got home, he calmed down eventually, and we had a decent evening. At the end of the night, I had a talk with him about getting back on the bike. I told him everyone falls, and that everyone has to get back on the bike after they fall.
He insisted that it was his decision, and in his words "frankly, I don't think I want to right now."
I just have to get him back on the bike in the next day or two. Poor kid.
