Last year three bikes were sent from MN to PAP on a container. Because we were in TX we asked my Dad to pick them out and get them to the container for us. We had never purchased new bikes for any of the three musketeers. Finding decent ones on the street here is not that easy, and the prices are kind of redic.
We're not above bribery. We wanted to have a really awesome gift sitting at our house when we returned with kids that had just spent close to a year enjoying all of the luxuries and options of America. We wanted them to get home to Port au Prince and have a fun thing that they didn't have in Texas.
Isaac and Hope already knew how to ride. They had learned out at the mission we worked with in the early years here. They got right on their new bikes in January and have been biking loops around our house almost every day for six months.
Noah didn't know how to ride. His fancy red bike sat gathering dust while he used the little tricycles that the two youngest girls have.
He has been resistant to learn. Our all cement yard without any space to run next to him made it a bad place to learn. The one paved street in our neighborhood gets a little busy with traffic. With two nine year old siblings it seems that our seven year old gets down on himself for not knowing everything they know. He had some semi-valid excuses to leave his bike gathering dust.
Yesterday we noticed that the nearby soccer field was unlocked and empty. That is a rare and unusual occurrence. We asked Noah- "Are you ready to do this thing?!?"
He was hesitant as we headed for the field. For Noah there is just one hair's-width between "I am never ever ever going to be able to do this." and "I rule the universe and am the most totally amazing and awesome boy alive." (it is amusing at times, but not all that endearing)
ready ...
