sans training wheels

Today was warm and beautiful and Ella wanted to try riding her bike without training wheels.  So we took them off her bike, loaded everything up and went to a big empty parking lot near the house.  When we got there we realized we had forgotten her helmet.  Yeah, I know go ahead and elect me now for parent of the year.  We decided to give it a try for a few times even without the helmet. 

Matt helped her some and I got her going a few times and she was doing great!  A little shaky but doing pretty good for her first attempt.

She was pedaling and staying balanced.  She fell a few times, but nothing too tragic.  She was really doing it! Until suddenly she wasn't.  We all watched as she veered toward the curb.  She ran right into it and hard.  So hard she crashed really spectacularly with her little shoes flying right off her feet.  Wish we had a picture of that...  Once we ascertained that she was all right, we all had a good laugh as we remembered those shoes flying in the air. 

Though she wasn't really hurt she did manage to split open a cut she had gotten earlier that day and it was bleeding again.  It was then that we realized that in addition to no helmet we also had no tissues, wipes, napkins, or anything to help with the bleeding finger.  So we told her to hold it in the air and we drove back home.

Guess we'll try again another warm day.  This time I'll do my best to remember the helmet and a first aid kit or at least make sure there are some napkins in the glove box.