Major Accomplishments

I have to update quickly while everyone is eating dinner. First, Shaun's doing great at school. He's happy and excited to go. There will be a class shuffle next week likely but he's okay with that and is happy he'll be back with a lot of friends from last year once he switches. Second, out of the blue he learned how to pump a swing this week. He's been terrified of swings for years. I think something happened to scare him when he was much younger and until spring of this year, he's flatly refused to even sit on one. He'd ride it on his tummy, yes, but never on his bum. And if he was sitting on a swing on his bum and you were to walk behind him, he would be so worried you'd push him he'd quickly turn around or get off. Anyway, we stopped at the park on the way home from school yesterday and while I was pushing the little kids on the swing he climbed on his own. When I offered to push him he said, "no, I can do it." And he did! From a dead stop to really swinging... all on his own. I couldn't believe it and I couldn't stop smiling for at least half an hour!

Mostly I wanted to say that he can ride a 2-wheeler! Finally!!! We bought him a new bike last Christmas and he and I went out on Easter Monday so I could teach him to ride it. We went to an empty parking lot with a slight incline in it. Shaun did great until he toppled and then it was all over. He was shaken and discouraged. We've tried here and there since then and each time he's all gung-ho to try but as soon as he so much as wobbles he gives up and usually leaves his bike in the middle of the sidewalk a few houses down from ours. Yesterday he was watching a kids' show where a little boy was learning to ride a bike in real life on some grass. That put an idea into Shaun's head that maybe that is the way to learn. Contrary to everything my Dad told me growing up about teaching a kid to ride a bike on a hill so that they have momentum, I agreed with Shaun and we tried today in the backyard. Not only was he able to do it on the first try, he actually TURNED AROUND AND CAME BACK TO ME.

Call it a fluke, or that trying on the grass the first time is a good idea, or maybe it was the reassurance the grass provided that if he fell he wouldn't get hurt; which was just the boost of confidence he needed to get his feet on those pedals and go. He hasn't been on the sidewalk yet but after watching him in the backyard I think I'll have to get on my bike tomorrow so we can go for a ride!