Sam's Growth

I knew it was only a matter of time.  This week was a milestone of sorts.  First of, Sam rode his road bike with me yesterday from Duarte to Santa Fe Dam and back for 21 miles -- the longest he's ridden ever.  He's a natural just like his mother on the bike, effortlessly pedaling along, talking endlessly it seemed.  He hasn't ridden since school started and I had to raise the seat on his Specialized a full 2 inches so he stretched his legs fully.  It will be a while before he builds up his aerobic capacity to ride hard but it's all up to him and only a matter of time if he chooses to do so.  The other thing that's tough to swallow is this growth spurt that he's had this fall.  I've been hesitant to measure him to see if he's passed my 5'6" height but tonight, looking at the closet mirror in his room, it's obvious that he now just a tad taller.  He's only 13 but well on his way to probably 6 ft or more (not a stretch given that his maternal grandfather was 6'4"). Just not sure where time went but the little boy in the photo above (April 2002, Oahu) above now seemed like a very distant memory.  Even more distant is the toddler who started riding his tricycle as soon as he could walk (below).