Bad Biker Mom

I feel terrible. Yesterday, I had a "trial by fire" parenting moment with my daughter and it went all wrong...terribly wrong.

For the last year or so, C has been off of training wheels...enjoying the new-found freedom of a faster ride, but only allowing herself to stay on flat roads with predictable, big turns and lots of safe spaces to practice her stopping.

About a month ago, the first real warm weather weekend - the spring teaser - arrived. It coincided with my "romantic getaway" with my hubby - so after a lot of couple togetherness, we showed up on the parental doorstep again and decided to make the most of the rest of the weekend together - making up for lost family time...so to speak.

I was the perfect mother - I took C out to practice her biking skills and ran alongside her as she tested her abilities down hills, over bumpy bridges, between poles, around toddlers and strollers and dogs and saw her expression of fear turn into glee as she realized she could coast down a hill and enjoy the wind in her face. I was a good mom, no. I was an AWESOME mom....I should be proud of my biking parental prowess and all should take notice.

Since then, every chance we've had, I've taken the opportunity to take her back out and keep on building up her confidence. So much so that I had to just sit and watch her - BORED - since I couldn't keep up with her physically and felt good about how she was maneurvering around everything.

It was time to take the show on the road.

Then, yesterday - another glorious spring day arrived and I was compelled to take it to the next level. It was time to dust off my own bike and take C for a bonafide trail ride. We packed up the car with bottled waters and knee pads and bicycle helmuts. We were ready for a full-on trail ride.

And we did good. Awesome in fact. I was riding high - my little girl was a full-fledged bike rider because of me! We were naviagating all sorts of obstacles and having the time of our lives! We would have countless adventures riding through DC and doing it together and enjoying the beautiful scenery, weather and each other!! I was the BEST MOM EVER!!!

Then, I got bold. I became a kid. I forgot that I was a mom and that my child's abilities weren't my own. I was irresponsible. I was an IDIOT.

She wanted to go on the "bumpy" part of the trail again and the easiest way was to backtrack the way we'd come. Despite having to walk up a section of the trail, it didn't occur to me that going down that section would be risky. I just got over-confident. thoughtless and stupid.

We started going down the hill and I immediately knew it was a bad idea.

What... was... I... thinking??!?!??!!!

It was bad. We were headed towards the creek...thank god there was a railing to block us from sliding into the water...but how could I get her to navigate the turn? Should I speed up in front? Crash into her? Guide her through the turn and hope for the best?

And then, there he was.

A lance armstrong wannabe biker turning the corner from the opposite direction. In his neon yellow glory - headed right towards my little girl. He saw her and maneuvered around her. She - like the good little amateur biker that she is - maneuvered around him! We almost had it!

Then she hit the ground. FACE PLANT! I lost it as in, L-O-S-T, lost it. All I could think to do was STOP and I purposely ran into the railing to make it happen fast. I ran over to her. She was bawling...I was FREAKED. Lance-guy stopped; was helfpul and then left us be. She wanted her daddy. Great.

There was no way to get to him without riding the bikes back. So, that was a good thing. She had to overcome her fear and ride...thankfully on a flat surface. All the way to daddy who wouldn't have let this happen. Daddy her superhero.

In the end, she was fine. Lots of mini scrapes and bruises, that in their entirety were worthy of a good cry, but nothing serious.

Me? I have a huge ass bruise on my knee. And honestly, today with the limping and the icing and the hideous rainbow colored reminder of my parenting judgement at it's worst...it's not my knee that's really the part of me that's bruised.