Sweet milestones......

Last night I was trying to sort out the hundreds of photographs that were supposed to go into various blog postings, when I stumbled across a video that I took a couple of months ago.

It was a video of Izzy on the day she first learned to ride her bike without stabilisers. I remember it distinctly.

Izzy's dad, Steve, called me at lunchtime with the news; "Izzy is desperate for you to come over, she wants to show you that she can ride her bike."

"Great stuff," I said, "I will come round whilst I am taking Naughty George on his drag."

As I walked up to Steve's house, I saw Izzy sitting at the top of the driveway, poised for action on her bike.

"She's been like that for 15 minutes, waiting for you," Steve said. Awwwww, how cute?

Izzy saw me, and instantly became animated, "Mummy, watch me, I can ride my bike," she shouted excitedly.

"Go on then, show me what you can do," I said. 

"No," she replied.

"Why not?" I asked her.

"Because you haven't said 1-2-3 GO!" she retorted. Ah .... the things that are important to four year old minds.

"Ok. 1-2-3 GO!" I repeated. And so she set off on her wobbly, slightly out-of-control journey around the carpark in front of the houses, with her legs rotating furiously because the pedals were too short. 

Vid.No.1.Izzy's maiden voyage on the good ship 'Barbie Bike'

She pedalled determinedly up the hill and swooped and turned, narrowly missing parked cars, and tall kerbstones, before pulling up in front of me.

"Izzy, that was absolutely awesome," I said to her, clapping my hands and trying to shut up Naughty George who was barking vacuously for no reason at all. She swelled with pride and had trouble containing herself.

"Shall I show you again?" she asked.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," I said.

"Well go on then," she replied.

"What?"

"You haven't said 1-2-3 GO!" she added indignantly. Hey girl, is that a bossy streak I see in you?

So that was how I spent the subsequent hour, and it was great. 

I tell you, there is nothing better than witnessing your own child's achievements. Well maybe that was bit rash; a Hot and Spicy from Domino's comes close. And Pimms with Soda.