Sunday, October 02, 2011

Lo Hicimos! We did it, Hooray!


Well, here I am - with an update.  I could tell you all why I haven't blogged lately but it is the same old excuses.  So we'll just skip it.  :-)  So many BIG things have happened this week I have to post.  First of all:  ELLIE CAN RIDE A BIKE NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's been a struggle because she has this thing where she doesn't want to do anything unless she's already perfect at it.  She didn't read in front of mom and dad until she already had it figured out.  She came home from first grade with her reading assignment and busts out the whole thing on her own.  Uh . . . okay, Ellie.  Apparently she likes to figure things out on her own?  For bike riding that translates into her not wanting us to let go until she knows she can ride perfectly.  See a problem here?  We have been trying to teach her for two LONG years.  Yep, we took the training wheels off the summer before Kindergarten.  So for two summers we've been busting our backs hanging on to seats and handlebars and arguing with a little girl that thinks her parents don't love her when they let go.  Secretly we knew she pretty much had it down, but when she got going it scared the bajeebers out of her and she'd freak and yell at us.  We didn't know how to get her over being terrified of riding on her own.  At the start of this summer in Poky we decided to take a break on the bike and focus on swimming lessons and get over her fear and have her gain confidence in the water.  Her K teacher told us she needed more confidence (knowing she can do hard things).  So we get swimming down.  And then we move.  Then we get settled in and really in the last week we've been taking some real good rides around the loop.  We know she's getting closer so we go out more because we don't want to lose our momentum.

And do you know what was the straw that broke the camel's back?  A boy.  There are two bus stops on our loop.  Apparently a little second grade boy named Jacob lives on the other side and, according to Ellie, is SO handsome!  I think she's been doing her flirty thing with him - which drives me nuts.  And one of his friends told her Jacob didn't like her.  So she told me her crush on him was 99 drops but she was trying to make it go away.  The latest update is her crush on him is only about 10 drops.  Well, he's decided to be friends with her on the bus again and he told her which house was his - so she started getting right off the bus after school and walking over to her bike to go for a ride (with me holding).  No going inside for a snack, looking at her folder, or just chilling?  Nope.  This girl has focus when it comes to boys.  Every day after school and then later after dinner with daddy she wanted to make the loop.

We ride over to Jacobs house one day after she gets off the bus and she wants to knock on his door.  I don't want my kid to be the stalker-girl, so I convince her to just ride up and down this part of the street.  If Jacob wants to come out, he will.  So as we're dinking around the neighbor dad across the street comes over and offers to teach Ellie how to ride.  They have a huge driveway in front of their house and their house is like kid-central.  He's the nicest guy and we visit and he tells me how he's taught 5 of the kids on this street how to ride.  So I figure we might as well let him take a shot.  Ellie agrees, and right away he lets go and she's riding her bike like a pro.  She doesn't yell at him or nothin'.  But I was so excited I didn't mind.  Plus I'm so happy we're making friends in the neighborhood and getting to know more families with elementary kids!  The next day we worked on stopping all by herself, the last thing she needs is learning how to start and then she's 100% set.  We are going to be so glad to have this behind us!!!

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