Hailey Finally Relearns How to Ride Her Bike!

Hailey, Hailey, Hailey. We taught her how to ride a bike when she was in kindergarten or first grade. I'm sure the post is on this blog somewhere. Well, fast forward about a year or two and she needed to go to the next bike level because she grew and she couldn't pedal with her knees up to her chest. 

She's got this!

But, she refused. She did not want to ride the new bike and give up the old one so she simply chose not to ride a bike anymore. She missed the 3rd grade bike rodeo at her school (where they need to pass to ride their bike to school). During winter break during her 4th grade year, we told her that our Disney Adventures trip to Australia included a bike ride around the Sydney Harbor and over the bridge. You'd better learn, we said, because we all wanted to do the bike ride. She didn't listen but she tried when we were in Sydney and the guide promptly pulled her out because she was a danger to herself and others. Luckily, it was a Disney trip so the awesome guides took her back so we could enjoy the ride. 

A few months later, we were in the Maldives for spring break and the primary mode of transportation there is bikes that every villa gets. We had to order her one with training wheels so she could ride with us and not hamper our daily activities. She didn't care that she was 10 years old and riding a bike with training wheels.

Fast forward to the 5th grade - there were no trips to require her to ride a bike but there was a phone that she wanted and friends that were now making plans to meet up at the park or at each other's houses. Relearn how to ride your bike, we said, and we'll get you that phone. I guess that's all it took because just a few days later she went out to practice and quickly relearned how to ride her bike. Sure she got a phone but really she got something a lot more valuable than that - freedom. 

She now rides her bike almost every day to her friend's houses, to the park, to town. Thankfully, she relearned how to ride at just the right time so she could enjoy her summer with her friends. And she sure is!

So easy!

Her sister and her even went for a bike ride to the park