Friday, August 14, 2009

The story of the $3 bike

When we went camping a couple weeks ago (which I will blog about one of these days) Emma rode her friend Brooke's bike the entire time, while Brooke rode Emma's Dora big wheel. Emma rode that little bike all over the place - up and down the road, in the grass, she loved it.

I wanted to get her one, and thought I could find a deal at a garage sale since we didn't know how long she'd ride it before outgrowing it. I found one last Saturday (next door to our old house, actually) for 3 bucks. And a Dora bike at that. I saw the training wheels were busted but knew I could get those pretty cheap. There was also a hole in the tire. Now this I didn't see until after I'd gotten Emma out of the car to come look at it and try it out. And there was, of course, no going back then. But a new tire, no big deal.

I found training wheels at Dick's for $9.99. At the bike store, Michael got two new tires since the other one didn't have much traction left, $12.99 apiece. We got home, he started working on it, and discovered the tube in the tire with the hole also had a hole. New tube - $5.99.

Here's Emma, on her $3 $45 bike.



She was so excited about this bike. Couldn't wait for Michael to finish so she could ride it. And then when she could finally get on it, she got right back off. She was scared. Our driveway slopes and she didn't want to go fast. We told her we'd hold on to her. Didn't work. We took her to the bike trail where she rode it for a bit and then that was it. She was done. Didn't want to ride it anymore. In fact, she generously offered to give it to her friend Bree. And this bike is the same as Brooke's, just Dora. We've even tried some of our best bribes (because yes, sometimes you have to bribe your child. You know, "Emma it's time to go in and get ready for bed now. But if you ride your bike you can stay out and play more!") But she wants nothing to do with it. And if you ask her why she doesn't want to ride her bike, she gives her answer for everything she doesn't like/want to do - "Because I just don't." Explains a lot, that answer!
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1 comment:

Marie said...

just give it time-it will come. lily would much rather ride abby's princess bike than her red flame...i mean LADY BUG bike. great.