Our “Little Flyer” – Ryan’s First Tricycle Ride

Much to my surprise, one unseasonably warm afternoon in early April, Ryan donned his bicycle helmet, dragged his tricycle to the “starting line” (where the sidewalk meets the front stoop), mounted his tricycle, enthusiastically (and dramatically) announced, “on your mark, get set, go!” and began feverishly pedaling. He even executed the 90-degree turn in the sidewalk unassisted and without incident. Once he reached the downhill portion of the driveway and started unexpectedly picking up speed, a look of sheer panic replaced the mischievous dimpled grin and he nervously insisted, “Catch me, Mommy, catch me!”

His ride couldn’t have lasted more than 30 seconds. But during that short period of time as I witnessed his growing independence, I wrestled with the competing emotions of pride, joy, and sadness – pride at his courage for mastering a new skill, joy at seeing his satisfaction and hearing him giggle with complete abandon, and sadness at the realization that Ryan is growing up much too quickly and won’t always need me to “catch him.”

Author Sloan Wilson once said, “The hardest part of raising a child is teaching them to ride bicycles. A shaky child on a bicycle for the first time needs both support and freedom. The realization that this is what the child will always need, can hit hard.” Ryan’s first tricycle ride gave me a brief glimpse into this common struggle of parenthood – knowing when to hold on, and when to let go. It was also a reminder that the road through life can be filled with wonder and delight, but can also be laden with bumps and unforeseen potholes. Luckily, for now, Ryan still needs us to help guide him around unexpected obstacles, tend to scraped knees and elbows, celebrate his accomplishments, and encourage him to get back on his bike when he falls. I suspect he’ll always need this support and guidance from us, although it will likely take different forms over the years. We don’t know where this journey will take us, but we plan to enjoy the ride!

Simple Moments Make the Best Memories

If the past three years have taught us anything, it’s that the season of parenthood is all too brief. Countless people have advised us to slow down, to enjoy every moment, and to savor the fleeting, sometimes exhausting, yet always heartwarming, years of childrearing because our kids’ childhood will pass so quickly. This reminder has encouraged both of us to rethink our personal and professional priorities. We now realize that our careers do not define us and that the house doesn’t always have to be immaculate (in fact, dust protects the furniture, right?), the laundry can wait another day (or two!), and store-bought rotisserie chicken and pre-made sides do constitute a home-cooked meal. Hopefully, by adopting a “family first” philosophy and reframing what is important to us, we won’t look back on our parenting years with guilt or regret because we were inaccessible either physically or emotionally while our children were at home.

Our family website, particularly the title, “Moments that Matter,” was inspired by the discovery that the most memorable moments aren’t necessarily the milestone events, but rather the simple, everyday moments. We’ve found that the little gestures or simple moments such as picking dandelions, playing hide-and-seek, holding hands while reading a bedtime story, eating ice pops on the deck, feeding the ducks at the local park, and dancing together in the family room are often the ones that make the biggest impact and leave the most lasting impression. So, while our children’s “firsts” deserve to be documented and celebrated, we also wanted a way to capture the simple, everyday moments that touched our hearts.

I’ll leave you with one example that is particularly near and dear to my heart. When Ryan was about 9 months old and embodied that precarious combination of newfound mobility and endless curiosity, we decided it was time to childproof the house above and beyond the customary outlet plugs and toilet and cabinet door locks (although “childproof” is a misnomer since they can always find something hazardous to get into!). Given Ryan’s adventurousness and desire to explore, Mike decided it would be wise to remove the Fisher-Price Ocean Wonders Aquarium toy from his crib so he couldn’t use it as a way to launch himself out. Armed with his tool box (since assembly and deconstruction of baby toys is never as parent-friendly as one would expect), Mike got to work. Immediately, Ryan clumsily crawled into Mike’s lap, snuggled in, and wrapped his chubby little baby hand around the screwdriver to “help.” Mike looked up at me with tears in his eyes and said, “It’s moments like this that I hope I never forget.” And, it’s moments like these that we want to preserve and share with all of you, because we believe the richness of life lies in the simple, everyday moments.