A few weeks ago, I was gearing up for the most intense bike ride of my life.
We’re talking the ultimate bike ride–a full-on bike train, if you will, that consists of one adult-size bike, one “junior” tag-along bike that attaches to the big bike for Ada, and topped off with a trailer hauling the remaining two children to that.
It’s about, oh say, 40 pounds of wobbly “help” from Ada on the tag-along and an additional 50 pounds of deadweight from the trailer.
And it makes for one killer ride.
Normally, when we bike, we split the kids up between us; Ben on the big bike with the tag-along and one in the trailer, me with Jake in the baby-seat on my bike, or one of us with the trailer.
Like a lot of things in parenting, we work as a team.
But not today.
As Ben prepared to mow the lawn and work around the house, I decided it was time to brave the bike.
All by myself.
It’s a short ride over to my mom’s house, just a few miles down the road (where she lives with a pool, I might add), but the hills are killer and to be perfectly honest with you, there are times when I’ve stopped and walked just riding by myself. Lance Armstrong, I am not.
Needless to say, the thought of embarking on the uphill ride, with all three children in the summer heart, all by myself, for the first time ever, was daunting.
I sat on the front porch with Ada, tying my shoes and trying to talk myself into the ride that lay ahead when I started to lose my motivation.
“I don’t know, Ada,” I said. “I”m nervous about this. What if I’m not strong enough to make it?”
Without missing a beat, my five-year-old put her hands on her hips and peered at me resolutely under her bright pink Barbie bicycle helmet.
“Mama,” she reprimanded me sternly.
“What if you are?”
I made it all the way without stopping.
And back.
Photo credit: Stew Bean/paalia
Oh my goodness, Chaunie! I LOVE this! Isn’t it amazing the wisdom that comes out of the mouths of little kids sometimes? There is so much truth wrapped up in your daughter’s simple response and it is true for SO much of life.
I know, I was pretty ashamed and dumbfounded at the same time. Dang kids being all smarter than me! 🙂
What if you are???!!! Dang! All that time you thought she wasn’t listening, and she fooled you! Not for the last time, either. 😀
So sweet. I’ve never met Ada, but she sounds like a wise little soul. I feel like I know her from the descriptive way you write 🙂