another milestone

Quite possibly my favorite picture ever!!!!! These boys are just gorgeous...

So anyway, here are these four monkeys hanging around the park on a blissfully warm and sunny pseudo-spring afternoon!

After some picnicking and some swinging and general running around-ing...

the boys decided it was time to ride!

I confess... there was a bit of dastardly secret planning on the part of the involved adults. 

We figured if we got these four buddies together to ride bikes, the three that are already proficient at 2-wheel bike riding would possibly encourage the one that was still skeptical about taking the training wheels off (ahem, that would be Sam) to get up and go on 2-wheels!

Now, I know Sam isn't one to normally be persuaded by peer-pressure...

and I also know that he will get up and go when he's good and ready!

But I must say, our plan kinda worked!!!

Woo-hoo!

In a matter of about 3 hours he went from training wheels to needing absolutely no help at all to get going... and keep going!

He was so proud of himself - and of course his family was so proud of him, too! 

He couldn't wait to show off to his brother and dad after school:

Just so you know, we have created a monster!
He rode all afternoon... all evening...
he only stops riding his bike to eat, sleep and go to school!

Oh, and just for kicks, I checked back to my very first post on this blog - Hamp's very first "adventure" recorded here was the day he learned to ride his 2-wheel bike!
My, how time flies...