On monday evening our eldest returned home from school to find a “first bike” in our back garden - donated by a friend. Although the bike is a little small for her, it also meant her feet reach the ground quickly - saving the knees and elbows of her clothing (and bruises, cuts and grazes).
After a week displaying more determination than we might have expected from her, she can ride the bike. Being a witness to the speed she learned was a stark reminder of just how quickly children learn.
I had to take her for a helmet fitting this afternoon before letting her ride any more. Our first foray onto the road outside the house (we live in a quiet street) saw her cycle off into the distance at gathering speed - with Dad scrambling to catch her up and bark instructions - usually along the lines of “LOOK WHERE YOU’RE GOINGshe is fine. I guess that was the “needed” half a yard we gave her to have an accident in order to learn why we shout “DON’T RUN UP AND DOWN THE STAIRS!” two hundred times a day.
The middle child is testing out W’s patience with food. Having survived for the last year and a half on ready-meals, she is not adjusting to “real food” well at all. Tonight we had spaghetti bolognese, and she carefully ate all the pasta. When asked to try a piece of mushroom, she wretched and almost threw everything back up.
I personally want to set fire to the companies that make convenience foods. The salt and various other rubbish they put in their food has caused our children to become addicted to junk. Of course I probably hated particular things when I was young too, but this is all of them in one way or another… and we know their foster carer fed them a diet of frozen ready meals.
Tomorrow we are off to visit W’s parents for the first time with the girls in tow. I’m hoping and praying that we don’t have too many tantrums to sort out.