And They Rode Off Into the Sunset

I write a lot about our main beach transportation--by bike. There's a certain freedom spending a summer in a small town with a low speed limit and lots of sidewalks. At home, the kids could never ride around the block--our neighborhood is just too close to a nasty intersection--even though we live within walking distance of a coffee and ice cream shop. When we're in Ocean City, there's something kind of exciting, liberating even, about hopping on our bikes and going somewhere.

With Will on his dirt bike and Charlotte and me on my cruiser, Carter has been dutifully following behind on a smaller version of Will's bike with training wheels. Carter is the most competitive kid I have ever met and trailing behind him just kills him. Crossing intersections is hard, too. Sometimes, those training wheels just get caught on the curb and I have to maneuver my bike, with a baby in the back, while pulling a pouting Carter on his own.

We have spent the summer with this arrangement. That is, until yesterday, when Carter announced that he wanted his training wheels off. If you have ever met Carter, you know this is a child who speaks in truths. When he says that he is or is not going to do something, he means it. He is seldom rude, but matter-of-fact. Still, when he told me to take his training wheels off, I just wasn't sure.

The wheels, first of all, were on incredibly tight. I had trouble getting them off. I assigned Will to pull Charlotte around in the wagon as I struggled and struggled to remove the wheels. My fear was that Charlotte would not cooperate as Carter needed a few days of extra attention to teach him to ride his bike. Or, that I'd get the wheels off and, after falling off the bike, he's ask me to put them back on--and I wasn't sure I'd be able to.

Once the wheels were off, Carter and I stood in the back alley, as Will and Charlotte sat in the makeshift wagon bandstand. I held onto the back of the bike seat as he began to pedal. He told me to let go. I did, half expecting him to topple right over. But he didn't. He kept going. All the way around the block.

And that was that.

Of course, the event was not without drama. Carter is a dramatic kid. He never really fell off his bike, but he has problems starting and stopping. Every so often, while trying to start or stop, his bike would fall over. Carter would then throw himself over, rolling around in the grass, much to the alarm of passers by, who would run to his aid. He always gets up with his jack-o-lantern grin, never a tear. Carter made a friend of an old lady who is renting the corner house. She pulled Charlotte in the wagon while I ran to keep up with Carter. She, too, was in awe of his new-found skill.

Carter's only request of me today was to go on a bike ride. After errands and planned activities today, after dinner was the only time for us to go. As our summer comes to an end, night comes quickly. We watched the sunset as we rode our bikes around the block. Carter rode ahead as Charlotte and I trailed behind. In true Carter style, he chatted the entire time he rode. Since I was behind him, I could hardly hear him, but peppered into his conversation of one were phrases like, "I did it! I'm doing it! I'm riding my bike."

At nightfall, we pulled our bikes back into the garage. Carter pulled off his helmet, looked up at me and smiled. "I think I'm the best 4-year-old in the whole world. I can ride my bike." We think so too, Carter bear.

I want to ride my bicycle, I want to ride my bike. . .

Ocean City is such a great place to bike. Last year, at the end of the season, Craig bought us used beach cruisers from the bike rental place on 34th street. (Most of the bike rental places do sell off inventory at the end of the season.) My cruiser is a cheerful yellow with orange on the inside of the tires. I've been eagerly awaiting the first of many family bike rides.

My inaugural bike ride this season was over Memorial Day weekend. Will, Bud and I rode our bikes down the boardwalk to the Hula Grill so I could pick up some of their delicious Hawaiian barbecue sauce for dinner. The sun was shining bright, but there was a cool breeze off the ocean--perfect conditions.

We bought Charlotte a seat for the back of my bike, and a pink helmet with bunnies on it, for her first birthday. I'd been researching bike seats for months and was so excited to take her for a ride. Craig installed the seat, we buckled her in and put on her helmet. She took off her helmet. We put it on again. She took it off, this time with a screech. We put it back on, this time securing it a little tighter. She pulled at it again, now full out screaming, and was now really mad because she couldn't take it all the way off. So, the bike went in the garage for a month and Charlotte and I accompanied the rest of the family on their bike rides stroller-style.

She's a baby with some strong opinions and I knew it would take some planning on my part to get that helmet back on her. I let her play with her helmet for a while. I let her play with the boys' helmets. We made a huge fuss when she'd put it on her head. So today, after a few weeks of helmet practice, we were ready to try it again.

We had a mission today--boardwalk for mini golf and water ice. Operation helmet was successful. We rode down the back alley between Central and Wesley so we could avoid traffic on the way down to 14th street. Like a duck family, we shooed the family down town. Craig lead the way and Charlotte and I brought up the rear.

Every so often, Charlotte would remember that we'd tricked her and would make her objection to wearing her helmet loud and clear. To soothe her temper, I'd point out things we saw along the way and talk to her as we rode. Our convoy did attract some attention, so I do hope that people noticed the baby on the back of my bike. Otherwise, what I must have looked like, pedaling away, and, in my best mommy voice, saying, "Weeeeee, look at the big girl on her bike!"

We took the kids to Congo Falls mini golf for 18 holes. It was a fun time, as long as Craig and I overlooked the rampant cheating. Carter plays golf like he's playing pool and hockey at the same time. It earned him a hole-in-one, so what do I know?

From golf, we went to TLC's Polish Water Ice on the boardwalk, between 10th and 11th street. I'd never had water ice until I met Craig and until now had thought there was none better than the lovely Rita. The Polish must be on to something because this style of water ice is really creamy, like ice cream. Yum! Charlotte and I are mango fans and the boys usually opt for something florescent blue, like cotton candy or blue raspberry mixed with soft serve vanilla. They give good-sized free samples, so we never leave without the boys sampling the flavor they will have the next time.

Now refreshed, we went back to our bikes for the ride home, a happy parade down Central Avenue. Mission complete.