Now There's a Big Shocker . . .

It's amazing to me how such different children can come from the same parents! As I watch my girls, in their strengths and weaknesses, it is a huge testimony to me of God's fingerprints on His creation. They are all so different (especially the two oldest) and have been, literally since the day they were born. I often hear people comment on how much my girls look like one another (not that you would actually confuse one for another, but I often hear "Yep, she looks like a Patton girl.") While their physical characteristics are so similar, it's very obvious to me that God knit them together with unique personalities. Yesterday was one of those days where those differences were made abundantly clear.

We are getting ready to move to a house with a gravel road (it will be paved eventually, but it might be a while.) My girls have still never learned to ride bikes without training wheels (yes, I know that's sad, but we just don't do bikes often). So, this spring we are feeling an urgency to get them riding those bikes, so they can learn while we have a road to practice on.

Yesterday I told Ali and Emma that it was time to ride bikes.

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Ali got her bike out, but was probably thinking "Why won't she just let me go inside and read a book?"

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Emma ran over to her bike jumping excitedly.

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Ali got on her bike and started riding like a senior citizen, out for a pleasure stroll. Slow and steady, why rush?

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Emma got on her bike and zipped up and down the street 2 or 3 times in the time that Ali went once.

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Ali then asked if she could be done (I said no)

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I told Emma that it was time to take training wheels off. I helped her start 2 or 3 times and that was it. She's riding all over the place . . . turning, starting by herself, etc . . . She feels like she has conquered Mount Everest.

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Ali is still riding slow and steady. So slow in fact, that there's no way she could balance without training wheels. She started crying at the suggestion that she wasn't really trying to go fast. In fact, she was in tears many times throughout the afternoon.

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Now here we are today . . .

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I had to tell Emma that there will be no bike riding for her today (as a consequence)

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I'm sure that Ali is hoping that she can get through the day without having to touch the thing! : )