Retired

This little bike has served my family well. Eamon was the first to ride it. With confidence he would pedal along the street. We finally convinced him to take off the training wheels, and with trepidation he rode while Dave and I ran along behind him. He would check his shoulder to make sure we were there; when we weren't, he kept riding.

Aine didn't need the training wheels for long. She was so young when she set off on the path near our home, flying down hills and racing along the straight aways. Not wanting to be left behind by a brother on two wheels, she quickly adopted her own.

Benton just finished his tenure on the little blue bike. He hung onto those training wheels. He asked for them to be removed once and quickly changed his mind when the idea of balancing a bike seemed too much. When we returned from Virginia last fall, I convinced him to try again. With reluctance he agreed. While I was putting the wrenches away, he climbed onto the bike and rode away. I don't think he ever looked back.

This week we pulled out Eamon's recently outgrown bike. Benton has had his eye on it for quite some time. After putting some air in the tires and adjusting the seat, he climbed right on and all three kiddos were off. The need for the little bike is gone in our family. All five of us can ride together. I even took the child seat off of my bike. Big changes are afoot, and so much excitement. If you need us, you can probably find us on the bike path.