Wheels of joy...

Wade and I rode bikes once upon a time. I spent the majority of my childhood on one, and after we married we even bought semi-matching ones. But after the triplets were born, and the boys were diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy, we quit riding, choosing to donate our bikes to our students at the University of Chicago before moving to Minnesota.


When the trio were about three, they received tricycles for Christmas. Claire would sail around the over sized patio we had in our backyard in Minnesota while Benjamin used his as stable seating to watch his brother and sister play outside! Mason wanted to pedal so desperately. We worked for hours. I would hold his feet on the pedals and he would push with all his might. He developed quite a skill for going backwards but just never could get the forward motion to his satisfaction (Mason always sets his standards high!).


Sweet Claire pedaled the stew out of that tricycle. Bless her heart, Wade and I did not want to frustrate the boys further and she did not know any better....so she was seven before she got her first REAL bike. She was so proud of it. I was so proud of her. And the boys wanted to ride. Benjamin -- always my content soul -- was happy to zoom around chasing her in his chair. But Mason just wanted to ride, too. And my heart broke for him.


Wade and I met a representative from a company called Freedom Concepts while at a Cerebral Palsy meeting in the Fall, and we both KNEW this was something we had to try.

Yesterday was the big day. The bike arrived.



Bless Mason's heart, FedEx had called to schedule the delivery -- giving us a four hour time block and then not arriving until the fourth hour! I thought he was going to spontaneously combust!



I am not sure I captured the pure joy on his face when he first felt the pedals and made this wonderful bike move! But I tried...


Cate wasn't about to be outdone...she raced pedal for pedal with her big brother!!

This was one of my favorite shots of all -- a parade of Shraders! How delightful to see all my monkeys having fun together on their wheels!

My happy boy -- complete with his new helmet!

This smile is a blessing on wheels. An absolute blessing!