Which is exactly what Cora learned to do today. Like it was no big deal. She will be four this October, and we asked casually today whether she wanted to try taking off her training wheels.
"Yes" she said.
"You could fall. It could feel wobbly. Are you okay with that?"
"Yes" she said.
And so we began. And although she did whine for all of 4 combined minutes, she mostly just hit it out of the park. No theatrics. No tantrums. No big deal. Like the kid had been doing it her whole life. She was probably most excited about telling Evie, who was actually incredibly supportive (in a shocking twist of their often combative roles). Evie even taught her how to start the bike without needing to be held. Huge for my back! Then, the two of them took off on their bikes like they never needed my help at all. It's crazy how quickly this whole growing up thing happens. Yesterday I was taking pictures of all the old baby stuff to sell, and today, Cora learned how to ride a bike. If I were the nostalgic type I'd likely be weeping right about this point. And maybe it'll hit me. But mostly I'm just so grateful I've been able to share all these awesome memories with them.
So, I recognize that the balance bike played a huge role in her ability to catch on so quickly. That said, I was even more impressed by how cool she was in the whole practicing of it. Despite the aforementioned whining, she really just went along with it like it wasn't scary at all. Like it wasn't hard. And then as I put her to bed tonight and asked her her favorite part of the day, she didn't even remember that she'd learned to ride the bike! When I gently coaxed her recollection, she was like "oh yah. That was fun. I think I'll do it again tomorrow."
The difference between Evie and Cora has never been quite so stark as how the two of them handled this occasion. Evie did it with fierce determination. It was likely driven by having seen her friend ride a bike the week before. Her competitive personality was raging as she forced herself to ride. And ride she did. She got easily frustrated and angry at the onset, but once she had figured it out, her confidence soared. She took the bull by the horns and never looked back. She was ready for her next challenge.
Cora was quiet about it. Nothing seemed to be driving her other than curiosity as to if this was all it was cracked up to be. Sure, she expressed some hesitation at first, but she also didn't quit. She didn't scream at us that she hated us or throw the bike down. She didn't storm off. She simply kept trying. When she started to fall, she set her feet down without much ado and then asked us to help her get started again.
Both these girls just amaze me every single day. Sometimes with how obstinate they can be. Sometimes by how sweet. And others by how incredibly capable. Just yesterday I was losing my mind with Cora. I mean, I had to excuse myself because I was irrationally upset with her. Yesterday Evie was screaming she hated us, the dog, her sister, etc. She recovered within 5 minutes and had an awesome evening. This morning she didn't want to go to karate, and today she came home having earned a new belt. To say I love these girls more than anything would be the understatement of the year. I know every parent feels that way, but damn, I just feel lucky.
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