Maia's Bike

Maia's preferred mode of transportation so far has been a Dora Trike her Aunt Liz bought for her last summer. As beloved as it is, she seems to have outgrown it. The tires are made of plastic, so she has a hard time getting traction with them. Plus, it seems like every other four year old on our block is riding a real bike. Did I mention Maia is turning four this month? The time seemed right, and yet we were holding out for the "perfect" bike. Obviously, it would have to be girly to meet Maia's high expectations. Most stores have princess bikes for around eighty dollars, but that seemed like a lot to spend for a bike she would outgrow rather quickly.


In the midst of all this contemplation, we happened to go to a garage sale where we found the perfect bike. When I decided to become a stay-home-mom, I dreamt of moments like this. When Maia saw the princess bike, she said, "That's someone's bike. It's not for sale." I looked at the five dollar price tag and said, "Yes, it is. Would you like to buy this bike, Maia?" The look of pure joy and excitement on her face is something I never want to forget. It was amazing.

The gentleman running the garage sale noticed Maia's enthusiasm and desire to ride the bike immediately, so he went into his garage and came out with a pair of training wheels which he put on for us. She was able to ride it back to our car, and though I worried that she might fall, she managed just fine. She's such a big girl now!

The first thing we did when we got home is dress in appropriate bike-riding clothes and shine the bike up. Here, you can see Maia spraying it down.

Maia is a very meticulous cleaner, and it takes her a long time to finish a job. I think she may enjoy the spray bottle a bit too much!

Can you see the joy in that face? Did I mention the bike is a princess bike? It doesn't get much better than that for Maia.

And she's off! So much for wearing pants. She changed into a skirt pretty quickly, and I decided not to argue with her. After all, she's wearing knee and elbow pads. I guess the pants wouldn't make too much of a difference if she were to fall.

She rides a bike like a natural. I'm having a hard time keeping up with her on foot and usually have to scream things like: stop, wait for me, watch out for the street, etc.

As I write this, I'm feeling rather sentimental. How can it be that the little girl who I cradled in my arms just yesterday has grown into a bike-riding four year old? As I hold Tai, I fondly remember how sweet Maia was as a baby. Sometimes life can pass so quickly! I tell myself to remember this feeling the next time I long for a night on the town or to carry a fashionable hand-bag without diapers and changes of clothes. Those days will come soon, and then I will regret not having savored every part of Maia and Tai's childhood. Ah, but isn't life like that?

Sweet Maia (looking very much like Tai) when she was about 6 months old.