Rachael's First Solo Bike Ride

Last Friday, Rachael did it! After weeks of practicing in the schoolyard, Rachael brought her bike-riding experience home and performed her first solo journey without training wheels. In the beginning, at school, she'd ask Mom to watch her bomb down the curved brick path -- crashing or taking out anyone in her way. Dad even got the chance to witness her tenacity.

So, today, she asked (for the 100th time) for Dad to remove her training wheels. Dad agreed, broke out the socket set and pulled the wheels off for good.

Here's the raw, uncut footage of Rachael's first bike ride without training wheels. We shot this in the alley behind our house. About 20 minutes following this video, Rachael and Dad did a glory ride around the block. Now she's got to learn to use the brakes instead of her feet!

We're excited (and a little terrified), to say the least.