Matthew's first bike ride

I remember when we took Matthew out for the first time to teach him how to ride a bicycle. It was on the side block by my dad's house with very little traffic. Of course we had the training wheels on the bike so he could develop his confidence. He was initially resistant but with encouragement and determination we were able to teach him some of the basics and he seemed to learn the same way I did when I was a young boy and my dad took me out for the first time. We were cheering him and telling him he was doing great. Maria was right by his side and we made sure he had his helmet and elbow and knee pads on for his safety. The joy in seeing your child do something new for the first time is such a wonderful feeling. Matthew seemed to enjoy the moment and Maria was busy taking pictures as he was pedaling and riding his brand new bike up and down the designated area we outlined for him. I was enjoying the moment also and remembering back to the day when I was riding my first brand new bike with my mom and dad watching. With time and practice Matthew would be riding his new bike without the training wheels and that is a big step and we were looking forward to that time but wanted him to get used to the feeling of riding the bike before we take the training wheels off. My wife was saying how she was amazed how quick our son is growing as he was no longer a baby. She was happy seeing him ride but started to miss the days when he was a baby. I too felt Matthew was growing fast and we wanted to capture all his firsts and celebrate with him.

We remember when we took him to the bike store to show him the selection of bikes and had him pick out his favorite one. He picked out a cute red bike with white trim and thick mountain bike wheels with training wheels and he was so excited.

Maria made sure we also bought all the safety gear and wanted the bike fully assembled at the bike shop. Now that my son had a bike we felt we should also have bikes too so we could take him to the park and ride with him and enjoy a nice family outing. This is the pleasure of raising children and knowing that we are all spending time together doing something we enjoy which makes it extra special. When we go to the park to ride bicycles Matthew also enjoys the playground and can spend hours there and the good thing about that is he is enjoying himself and he is talking with the other kids.

It was a wonderful day seeing our son ride his first bike and feel so comfortable and enjoying it. It was a memorable moment that Maria and I cherish and Matthew seems to take it all in stride. We were so proud of him and let him rest and we gave him a great big hug and told him we were so proud of him and he said he loves his bike and the feel of riding it. I told him he will be riding for a long time and once you learn how to ride a bike you never forget,

It was a perfect day spending it with my wife and son and his very new bicycle with the training wheels!

Now he asks how long he has to wait before the training wheels come off and I told him to relax and not to rush it for he will be riding a bike for a long time. He said thank you for making his day so fun and we told him thank you for making our day so much fun!