Okay, on Wednesday we had a nightmare with the bike.
But we didn't give up. Instead, we headed off to a friends house and borrowed her bike, which has smaller wheels and she can put her feet flat on the floor. We got it yesterday and even on the way back, with Louise and I holding the handlebars either side, we could tell we were onto a winner.
So Sunday we head out to the car park of Burnby Hall & Gardens which has a long stretch of empty tarmac that should be enough to run up and down hanging onto the handlebars.
Brilliantly, just on the way down to the car park Louise lets go of her side of the handlebars and Molly stays on. I'm still holding on, but only just. By the time we made it to the car park she was doing so well. And after just a couple of runs she suddenly realises I haven't been holding on for a little while yet am still running alongside. (At this point, the comedy thing to do would be to fall off with the surprise. But thankfully she resisted going for the cheap laugh and just stopped).
It took another couple of runs and then she was off on her own, happily cycling up and down all afternoon. We even went as far as riding down to grandma & grandpa's house to show off to them.
Okay, it was criminally overdue and definitely something we should have done 4 years ago, but that doesn't make it any less wonderful. Another parenting milestone reached. We've now done that classic parent thing of holding onto the bike, running along with her and then just letting go. Such a metaphor for parenting in general. Have to go and dab my eyes. They appear to be watering
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