Right from the start Nick was always a more "independent" child. I may at times have used the iron fist/velvet glove analogy. Nick is all sweet dimple smiles and tenderhearted meltdowns. You think from the outset, after meeting Jake, that Nick is probably a little mellower, more maleable or pliable. And if you thought this, you would be wrong. He isn't necessarily loud or unmanageable. He just has an iron will that is not generally recognizable upon first glance.
Today would be a prime example. He learned to ride his bike, without training wheels. By himself. Don't get me wrong, I offered to help. I ran along side with the cursory explanations and hand on the seat. But then he just said, "I can do it myself". And I said "ok, then let's see it." And he did--he figured out how to ride the thing by himself. It was the easiest transition from training wheels you can imagine. It pretty much just involved taking pictures and cheering from the sidelines.
I suppose that there is some great parenting analogy that I should be getting in all of this. Like letting them make their own mistakes, or case in point, their own successes. Maybe some lesson that God is trying to work on with me, like being willing to take my own training wheels off, and trusting him....
But, really. Wow.
And as I said this evening, "Nick, buddy, it's all you!"
