Just this week, Sarah and I have been practicing riding a big bike without the training wheels.  It is a big step for Sarah. She is like her Daddy and doesn't always like change and it takes awhile to grow on her.  Every night this week we have practiced in our driveway after dinner.  She has slowly gotten better and better every day.  She still gets frustrated very easily - many times getting the helmet on with all her hair!  When I try to help her, I just get the strap stuck and it pulls her hair - then it is all over. 

Tonight was different.  For starters, I didn't help her with her helmet!  I let Mommy do that.  We were riding back and forth just like the previous nights of the week.  But she was doing really well balancing compared to the previous nights.  I decided to let go of the seat.  She did really well and rode probably 10 feet or so without me holding on.  I ran next to her to catch her in case she fell.  We did this a few times.  Then I decided it was time to head to the church to try it out.  We live right by a church with a really large, flat parking lot.  One of my coworkers have me the idea. I thought it was a good one, so we headed over there.  Deanna didn't want to go - she kept saying "my belly is doing weird things about it".  I am not sure if she was afraid that she would fail or afraid she would succeed.  I guess no parent wants to see their child get hurt or fail at something. 

Well, Sarah didn't let her papa down.  We started down one end of the parking lot.  The first few times there was no way I could let go.  She was all over the place and seemed to have forgotten what we had practiced just a few minutes ago back at home.  But then the magic happened.  She started to get it.  She felt pretty stable to me again so I let go.  She was doing it all by herself!   I ran next to her and waited to swoop her up if she was in trouble.  I kept running by her side for what felt like hours.  In reality it was probably only about 5 seconds!  But once she got the confidence of knowing she could do it, there was no stopping her.  We rode again and again - each time she got better. 

The church was a great place because there was no traffic, it was flat, and she could ride for a long stretch without having to turn around.  By the end, she could even stop by herself without any help.  She has not mastered the whole starting part yet - but she can learn that another day.  At one point while she was riding she told me, "Maybe I can be on 'America's Got Talent!'"  I am sure Hasslehoff would love to have her on the show!  I definitely got my workout by running alongside Sarah while she was getting the hang of it.  But I wouldn't have it any other way.