It's Racing Time, Boys!

About 4 weeks ago, Josie declared that she was ready for the training wheels to come off of her bike.  We tossed the idea back and forth, and thought, "Well, she has gotten pretty good at riding the bike with training wheels, but we just don't know."  After a whole night's worth of begging and pleading, our daddy finally caved and took them off.

Once off, we tried a couple of times to learn to ride.  It mostly consisted of getting on the bike, pushing off, falling one time, and quitting.  So, we had 'the talk'.  "Josie, if you're going to learn to ride a bike, you're going to fall.  You HAVE to get back on it and try again.  The only way to learn is to get back on the bike.  We'll be right here to help you, but this is really something you have to do yourself."  (In my mind, I'm thinking how this same talk will be given so many times in the future, and how I really need to give it to myself sometimes).

So, she heeded the advice.  One day, when we were doing other things in the yard, the determined little thing got on her bike and just started riding.  And she rode, and she rode, and she rode some more.  She got the hang of it!

And now her favorite thing to do is race daddy down the driveway.  Daddy thought it'd be a pretty easy win on his part, but Josie gives him a run for his money.  I think he actually has to put in a little effort to keep up with her :)

But most of all, we are super proud of this determined little thing.  She made up her mind that she was going to learn to ride a bike...and well, she did it.