All Grows Up

I know I've titled blogs like that before, but this time I REALLY mean it.

This morning I made the kids pancakes for the last mid-week pancake breakfast before school starts and then we went to the river. I packed their bikes in the back so they could ride the flat trails along side the water while I walked/ran with them. The last time I did this was probably late May, and the rocky, uneven ground was too much for either of them. Today, Eli had no problems whatsoever.

Eli took off from the second we got on the trails and looked like a pro. He had no problem handling the rocks and he was able to turn on a dime. I told Eli he could ride ahead, but to check back with Maddux and I periodically. He was amazingly obedient. Not only did he keep swinging back around to check on us, but I never had to remind him of it. And a few times we caught up to him; he had parked on the side of the trail and waited for us. It was like I was dreaming.

My favorite part of Eli's experience was at about the halfway point. He was really enjoying his freedom, you know the kind you can only find on your bike as a kid, and he got ahead of us. He waited just around a corner by a big-ish field of weeds and crickets. As I approached, he looked at me (still on his bike, with just a leg supporting him on the ground) and said, "Mommy, listen to those grasshoppers. That's beautiful. It's like they have their own rhythm." Then he tried to imitate it. All of this was done with a face full of contentment and wonder. I thought my heart would overflow.

I did fear I'd 'lost' Eli towards the end of our trip. Maddux and I hadn't seen him in a while and I was starting to get nervous. We passed a cool wood bridge that both kids really loved, so I took the girl and paced up and down it a few times, calling his name. No luck, so we returned to the main trail and picked up our speed. Just as he was supposed to be, he was turning back to find us a moment later. My heart took a while to calm down after that one. It's a real internal struggle when they are growing up and you know you need to extend their boundaries, but it's oh-so hard...

Maddux did not fare so well on this trip. Her bike is harder to maneuver due to the training wheels, even though she's a speedster on it. Add to that the whine factor that has been her existence for the last two weeks, and it made for a pretty miserable time. Honestly, if it hadn't been for the great experience Eli had, the trip would have been a wash. Maddux and I agreed that next time we'll bring the BOB so I can push her while Eli rides.