So learning to ride a bike is a lot like life

Today was just a normal, regular day. Full of the usual fun and frustration. Until about 1pm, which is when Chris asked Ainsley if she wanted to try to ride her bike without training wheels. And her response "I've never done it before, but I'll try." And it was so interesting- to see her learning to ride a bike was a microcosm of everything in life.

the false bravado (or at least unknowing excitement) at first to mask fear....

The try and try and try agains...

The inevetible falls and set back... which is so hard for Ainsley (and me) to accept as part of the journey, and not failure but a guidepost to success...

wanting to give up, but being reminded"you're stronger than you think, smarter than you know" and we will always be here to hold you ...
but most important (and hardest for us as parents) that moment where Chris had to let go, never far behind, but let go and let her ride...

and boy was it a ride!

And then, as will be true for Ains for most of her life, having a little sister, watching her do her best and wanting to try. And the proudest moment of the day for me, came when Ains cheered her sister on as well. Because, as she said "It will be so much better when Emma can do it too!" What a fantastic, wonderful, normal day!

"Stories about Love" by Emma and Ainsley

So we love Kids Place Live on XM, and Mindy (the afternoon show) is advertising a Valentine's Day story writing contest- write a story about love, and the Story Pirates may "steal" your story, put it to music, act it out, etc. Below are Ainsley and Emma's contributions. The rules only that it's about love and that your parents can't help. I've also translated Emma's below hers.

Ainsley

The Skrrll (by Ainsley Foca)
There was a skrl who loved nuts so much she did nutheing but eat nuts. Her fother said you ned excrlis ("excercice"). She said I can't do it. She did not know wut to do. The skrl did wut her fother tolled her to do. So she jumpt tree to tree. Then she ate. The end.

Emma
The grl hoo luved hr blankit
one da a grl had hr blankit. One da she lust hr blankit. She couldn't find it hr sistr wit outsid she found it. hr sistr wit too see. she wus hape. the end

Translation: The girl who loved her blanket
One day a girl had her blanket. One day she lost her blanket. She couldn't find it. Her sister went outside. She found it. Her sister went to see. She was happy. The end.

There you go story pirates, steal that!