Biker

A few weeks ago, I saw an ad for a free used bike. We planned to get Beatrice one for her birthday, but this one looked brand new, plus it was FREE so I grabbed it. Beatrice was not as excited as I was about her new bike. Blue is her favorite color and this bike is pink and purple. I was so bummed that she didn't like it (and kind of mad that she was so ungrateful), but I knew that if I could get her on the bike, she would fall in love with it.

I was right. She loves her bike. We go for a ride every night after dinner. She is pretty cautious, never wanting to go too fast. Each day she gains a little more confidence though and peddles strong and steady until she's at a swift pace. She feels brave and big on her bike.

She falls almost everyday. The first few falls really freaked her out and she would shriek and scream and declare that she didn't want to ride her bike anymore. But now, after about 20 falls, she gets up, brushes herself off and says, "I'm okay. Sometimes people fall off of their bikes."

She talks to herself a lot while she rides. She says things like, "I'm going faster than the moon!" which is adorable, but makes no sense in regards to bike riding. Or she'll pretend we are strangers who meet on the sidewalk, riding bikes to work. She's a babysitter and I'm a mom with a baby named Penelope. I always say, "nice to meet you, lady. Enjoy your bike ride." She says, "nice to meet you, Aly. Your baby named Penelope is so cute. Goodbye."

She absolutely loves her bike. She tells me that it's perfect and that she wouldn't want a blue bike or any other bike. She loves her pink and purple one. I knew she would.