Monday, May 27, 2013

Riding Her Big Girl Bike

Last weekend Hannah had the first opportunity to take her big girl bike on a longer ride.  We’ve been around our complex a number of times but this time we ventured off to visit Auntie Carol and her family.  Hannah loved it!!

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I hadn’t realized some of the things I would need to teach her.  She was still a little challenged about using the brakes even though we’d ridden around our complex a number of times but by the end of the ride she had improved greatly.  I also didn’t realize that when she came to a 90o angle at a corner that she’d attempt to take it at full speed.  Yikes!  I quickly grabbed the seat and it was all good.  She only took one big tumble and that was when one wheel slipped off the side of the road.  She went down and her little leg was caught under the bike but she quickly shook it off and after a couple of kisses she was good to go!  Yay Hannah XiaoFen!

I quickly learned that I needed to ask her to stop about 10’ before a street to give her enough time to get herself stopped.  We followed the rules and walked her bike across each intersection.  Might as well learn good habits right from the beginning. 

Some things never change.  Even when tooting along on her bike flowers grabbed her attention.  She blessed Mommy with a beautiful bouquet of dandelions.  As beautiful as any bouquet of  roses when picked and presented by my little love!

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Showing off her new riding skills to Auntie Carol, Katie and Jacob.IMG_1285

Our first ride was a huge success and I can’t wait to enjoy more with you Hannah!  Once she masters controlling her speed when going down inclines Mommy might even try riding her bike too.  Hmmm, that would require me getting it from Nana and Papa’s garage.  I rode it there one day but then ended up staying until it was dark so parked it in their garage….15 years ago!  Oops!  Will change that soon so that we can enjoy family bike rides together.  Fun times ahead!

Computer Update:  The little netbook I purchased when the power button went on my old one also quit working about 2 weeks after I purchased it.  When I took it back we quickly realized that it just wasn’t powerful enough for me even though I only use it for uploading and editing pictures, blogging and surfing the net.  I upgraded to a HP laptop and have been really happy with it.  So much faster, a bigger screen than I’ve had in a long time and just a great machine.  I miss the portability of the small netbook but reading blogs, looking at pictures and watching videos is much nicer on the 15.6” screen.  The one challenge I’d had was adding Windows Live Writer to it which is the program I use for blogging.  Thankfully one of the guys at our lunch table (we eat with The Big Bang guys) was able to add Live Writer to my computer and also retrieve the pictures that were locked on my original broken computer.  Thanks Cory!!

Now….if I could just figure out stupid Windows 8!

8 comments:

  1. looking forward to getting Chloe a little bike like that, I was going to wait for her birthday but I want her to be able to enjoy this summer! Looks like so much fun!
    I agree on Windows 8 Huge difference and I am not a fan yet!

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  2. I truly laughed out loud about riding your bike to Nana and Papa's 15 years ago.

    yay, Hannah. Such a big girl. Stopping to pick you a posie of flowers is just so sweet and so Hannah.
    It's funny how all the things we take for granted, like brakes and turning all come together slowly. I just realised it all happens again when the training wheels come off. They don't transition on auto-pilot they sort of relearn as they go. weird.

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    1. When we visited Auntie Carol she shared the same thing happens when they learn to drive. Her son had just got his learners permit a couple of days before and they were working through all of these same things....only on 4 wheels and with a motor. Oye!!

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  3. All three of us went for our first (together on bikes) bike ride last weekend. It was awesome! I bought a bike and rode it for the first time since, ahem, 1983!!

    Go, Hannah!!

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  4. Hey Catherine,
    Do you know that there is a free update to Windows8, Windows 8.1, which apparently fixes some of the "difficulties" of Windows8. You can apparently get it at any computer place...
    And, kudos to Hannah for her fabulous bike riding!
    Jules

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    1. Thanks so much Jules! Is 8.1 available? I've heard things about a late June date and before Christmas. It can't be too soon!

      I think Windows 8 was designed for touchscreens so when your computer doesn't have that there are lots of hurdles to jump. Not fun! I hope they bring back the 'start' button. Miss that tons!

      At work we tease and say it's like the whole Coke/New Coke/Coke Classic fiasco of the 80's. They'll bring out 8.1 and say...'Look! We have this great new feature! It's called a START button!'

      Time will tell... Thanks for letting me know!

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  5. Literally the Big Bang guys? Or just super smart scientists? ;)

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    Replies
    1. Close. Nerdy but fun computer geeks and we share great times together at lunches and breaks!!

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