pedalpedalpedalPEDAL!... and more!

Another blog post.  Another chance to catch up a bit, and to show the tip of the iceberg of fun we are having these days.

Last week, we headed down to NC to visit Grammy and PaPa.  Seeing as how PaPa is very into roadbiking; has always loved bikes and the childhood freedom attached to them; has a great long, paved and downsloped driveway; has been hanging on to two kid bikes which he found at the dump over a year ago; and mainly, seeing as how Alder has been riding his balance bike very well for over a year... he decided to try a little something out.  While the boys were out in the driveway kicking around on the balance bikes, PaPa pulled out the dump bikes.  Alder wanted to use the tools to help take the training wheels off the one of his choice - the cinderella one, which had one homemade wooden make shift training wheel and thus was a rickety ride.

Then Papa took him to the top of the driveway, told him to pretend like it was his red balance bike, except pedal, and viola, Alder began riding a big boy bike.  Just like that.  And the excitement was obvious, time and time again.

Of course this would be one of the times when the video camera was not accessible, but these pics capture it quite well.

Since then, Granna and Grandad came to visit and we went to the running track at the nearby middle school.  This provided great opportunity to build some endurance, and we are even seeing this as an opportunity for Mommy and I to add some running miles to our weeks.  Major bonus there!

Granna and Grandad brought Alder a hand-me-down 20 inch bike at Halloween which is just a tad too big for him.  So, Papa and Grammy gave him a 16 inch for Christmas this year.  Alder is so proud to be 4 and a half and riding a big, big boy bike.  And of course, as would any 4-year-old, he loves to be cheered on to go farther and turn in more and more circles, etc.

Let me take this opportunity to place a huge plug for balance bikes.  Its so hard to believe that the norm has not always been to start with these, rather than training wheels on a pedal bike.  When a little one, as young as two, can first master the rather natural concepts of balance and catching themselves when they lose their balance, then the challenge of pedaling is not as daunting.  Alder got his balance bike at age three.  Heath got his at age two, and at the rate he is going, Heath will likely be pedaling without training wheels before he is four.  We can't wait till we can all ride together, independently!

Heath, by the way is sweeter, and more fun everyday.  Such a constant bubbling of love he is.  Here are a few funny pics, where I asked him to pretend like he was:

angry,

surprised,

sad, and

just happy.

Oh, wait, no that's Dad in 1978.  Crazy, huh?

He likewise loves his independence: "Iya do by-ya my-ee SELF."  He got some solo time driving PaPa's tractor/train.  To adults it is a way to haul lots of firewood to the back door.  To Heath and Alder, its the ability to be the conductor on a trip to see the chickens across the road.

Heath continues to be obsessed with music and we feed it however we can.  Both boys have enjoyed assembling (with my help) and jamming on drumsets lately as well.

Much much more to come.