Charlotte, I want you to know that your Daddy and I searched online and in stores for one whole weekend looking for a purple bike for you. We found only two possible options and they both were not made as well as we would like and we were afraid that you would outgrow them very quickly or they would fall apart on our, sometimes in disrepair, road. So after searching all weekend we talked with you and asked you if a pink bike would work if we couldn't find a purple bike. Once we showed you a picture of the bike that we were thinking of you were very amiable to that choice and told us that you would like a pink bike. Over the next month or so you did occasionally mention a purple bike but also remembered sometimes that we couldn't find a purple bike.
A few weeks before James' scheduled arrival we decided to bring out the bike. When we woke you up from your nap we told you that you had a present outside and you got so excited! We were very excited to see your reaction and you didn't disappoint!
Learning how to ring the bell!
After the big reveal we moved it down to the parking pad to take a try at riding it. For a while she wasn't interested in getting back on it and just wanted to touch it and show it off.
In order to get her out of the sun (and at her request) we moved the bike to the shaded grass next to the street. It still took her a long time before she would get on it again, but eventually she did! She still didn't want to try and ride it though, just wanted to sit on it.
We had brought her helmet out but decided that since she wasn't going to be riding it herself most likely since she didn't know how that she didn't need it at first. But she eventually spotted it and asked to wear it for a few brief minutes.
Finally, she decided that she was ready to ride over to Tucker's house (across the green space) so she set off with Daddy's help! She did great keeping her feet on the pedals but did have some problems steering. I'm not sure if it was just that she didn't get the steering concept or if the handles were too heavy for her to turn.
Giving Papa a first bump
Overall, it was a great afternoon with a fun, new present. Hopefully she'll get the hang of pedaling and steering fairly quickly and will love her new bike. One thing is for sure, she doesn't approve of it being called a "trike". She quickly corrected Papa when he called it a trike and told him in no uncertain terms that it's her bike!
*Note about finding the bike: It's hard to tell from reviews which bike is going to work and which one is not. The box and specs for this bike technically says that its for kids 28-36 inches or height (or something similar with 36 being the tallest). Charlotte is right at 36 inches tall right now and with the seat on the closest position, her feet are just barely reaching the pedals. I'm not sure how their calculating those heights but if she were any shorter the bike would be too big and it will definitely work for her long after she grows a lot more! The bike is made very well and is all metal with rubber wheels so should be pretty durable.
Thats a really cute bike, I bet she loves it!
ReplyDelete