It's the little things

Last night Callum decided that he would ride his bikes in the driveway. By ride, I mean actually pedal. Callum has always enjoyed bikes but would never use the pedals. He was always happy to push along with his feet, this has served him well, even on the big taxi bike at Daycare, lugging another child around. But he decided that he would pedal. First the trike and then his bike that he got for his birthday. I asked him if he wanted to go out onto the road as there was more room to ride than just the driveway. Yes please was the response, so we got his helmet and his sandals ready, got to the open gate and no - tomorrow he would go. I waited a while incase he was processing it all and would change his mind (does often happen like that). A car went speeding down the street and that was the end of that, he would go tomorrow. So first thing this morning, he was off! I had to use the play of I needed him to help me get dressed so he wouldn't be off out the gate before I had a chance to get somewhat respectable. Next time I have to wear my sneakers! He went full throttle down the hill (I thought he would be cautious, silly me). For someone who hasn't been riding long he is very good at it. We went along until we found a footpath, at which I was happy to let him go full throttle. He stopped at the first playground, had a play and then got back on his bike and off he went. I didn't realise they had completed so much more of the footpath (there is a new housing estate behind where we live) since we were last at that playground. In fact, there is another playground further along. So Callum kept riding until he got to that one. And yet the path kept going. We finally were able to stop where some inconsiderate builder (in Callum's eyes, Mum was thankful) had parked across the footpath. Callum ws tired and wanted to walk, there were a lot of hills on that footpath, so I ended up walking the bike most of the way. He did however get on the bike so he could ride through a puddle and send a photo to Daddy. He wasn't happy with the first go, so we had to do it again :) It's such a little thing, but it was so much fun to watch him confidently riding, all the conversations we were having about noises he could hear, asking what things were as he spotted them, pretending he was a train engine and I was in the carriage behind him. I wish these professionals who assess Callum and say that he doesn't have imaginative play or storytelling language would accept a home video - then I wouldn't look like a lunatic making it up trying to make her son sound better than their testing shows :(