Come Ride With Me

This next entry is about our friend Marvin. He is quite a character when it comes to riding a bike. Almost even a struggle. The previous year we got him on a bike with Training Wheels. We did have a few successes with him on that bike, to say the least many struggles as well. There were times when he absolutely didn't want to go on that bike. For a guy like me, this is something that I couldn't imagine. How could one not want to ride a bike!!! Tracy and I would try and try and try to get him on it. Sometimes he would go on and other times he just REFUSED!!

I would say at the end of that biking season we did make a lot of progress. Training wheels stayed on, but he was getting on with less and less of a struggle near the end.
So then winter came the bike went away and the seasons passed. When it came time again for the nice weather, we figured this will be easy...lets get him back on the bike. YEAH...seemed as though the previous year never happened and we were starting all over, WAY OVER. So we started the process again. Same thing happened again...it was a struggle.

Then one day at work. I saw a Tag a Long Bike. Something that I've planned on buying in the future. I know this one wasn't the best one out there.....it was $20....I figured lets try this with Marvin. We were lucky it had Marvin's Favourite color ORANGE on it. So we made the purchase and we let him know that we had A NEW BIKE FOR HIM!! He wasn't too excited about it. He for sure wasn't as excited as I was about this new adventure. So the day comes to get him on this new bike. AND OF COURSE....STRUGGLES. Tracy and I fought with him to get on the bike. He did but then would refuse to put his feet on the pedals. So there we rode with his feet in the air...screaming for me to stop. We continued the ride around the block, and then took a break. Next time on the bike, a struggle but progress feet are now on the pedals. THIS IS GREAT!! so there we are riding not screaming as much and he just might be enjoying this now. So we go again this time he is actually pedalling!! this is AWESOME. Now it is go faster CRAIG. At that point I think he FELL IN LOVE WITH BIKING.

For the rest of the season we would take rides all the time. He would always call to ask to go for a BIKE RIDE. It was great he really enjoyed the Tag a Long Bike. He did prefer to ride with me though. When asked why he would reply, "Craig goes Faster than Tracy" I didn't mind taking him on these rides. It was fun for both of us. We took the bikes out to a campground and he had just about anyone willing to take him for a ride take him around the campground. As long as he was on that bike he was Happy.

Tracy and I thought it would be a great idea to show his mom how well he was doing on his bike. So we brought the bikes over to his house and started to ride. To see the smile on his moms face was priceless. Marvin was so Proud to show his mom. Then Marvin and I rode around the neighbourhood. Of course there were kids already riding there bikes and here comes Marvin. Then the neighbourhood kids want to join in on the RIDE. I know there are a lot of times when Marvin has a hard time with playing with other kids because of difficulties of communicating. But this time all that had to be said was "Follow Me" Marvin was the leader people wanted to follow him, this made Marvin so Happy. I know it is the winter now and the tag a long has been put away for the season. But next season is going to be GREAT!!!