Two wheels.

Yesterday afternoon I was lamenting the fact that we'd run out of bread. Being out of bread, meant I had to stop at the store. And I'm tired of going to the store. Erikboy was in the backseat. "Mom?" He sounded shocked. "You don't like shopping? ...ME NEITHER!"

I started laughing. "Erikboy" I said, "I would much rather be riding bikes or playing outside. I don't want to be in the store."

And it's the truth. I feel, some days, that I am perpetually on my way to Costco, or constantly thinking of some way to avoid going into Walmart- yet still get the items we need. Some days we choose to go without. For example we're almost through with our last bottle of hair conditioner and we have zero loaves of bread. 

However yesterday it was forty seven degrees. AND BEAUTIFUL. So instead of purchasing bread or hair conditioner, I took off the training wheels on Erikboy's bicycle and turned around to pick up Squish. I turned back around to look at Erikboy, and he was furiously pedaling towards me with the biggest smile I have ever seen. I think he was almost as surprised as I was, but we were both over the moon. "MOM! I CAN DO IT!" He stopped in front of me and I kissed both of his cheeks. I told him how excited I was. There was no holding onto his seat or running alongside! I kind of knew it'd be this way, with Erikboy especially... but still! He and I were both laughing as I took a couple pictures, and then he kept going, and going and going... 

He rode up the remaining mountain of snow at the end of the street and slipped at the top. I waited to see if he was hurt. He picked himself up and rode back to me. He asked if I'd seen his back wheel fly up into the air as he'd fallen. (I'd missed that detail.) He rode off. He hopped the sidewalk drop-off that he uses as a jump and turned back around on our driveway. And then as he was riding back towards the mountain of snow I saw him pop a wheelie. 

He's four and he's amazing.