VIDALIA, La. &045; Sydney Jackson’s father took her to the Natchez Wal-Mart recently, apparently turning on the bicycle aisle just on a whim.

&uot;If you were going to get one, which one would you want?&uot; Chris Jackson of Vidalia said to his daughter.

The choice was clear: A silver, blue and purple bike with purple pedals, just the vehicle for today’s fashionable almost-7-year-old. And on Sunday, her seventh birthday, Sydney finally got to ride that bike &045; until it seemed, by speeding up and down it, her hair flying in the wind, that she would burn a track in the pavement itself.

It was the perfect activity for Sydney and her family and friends, the smallest of which were riding their bikes right alongside her.

The day was brilliantly sunny, but the large oaks lining Laurel Avenue provided enough cool shade to keep them comfortable for hours.

Bike riding wasn’t the only activity Sydney enjoyed for her birthday, however. She and her friends enjoyed a sleepover at Comfort Suites in Vidalia Friday, complete with two trips to the pool. &uot;They received ‘plaints about us being too loud,&uot; Sydney said, adding that they quieted down after that.

Her grandmother gave Sydney her favorite present, a stereo. And later Sunday, she would be treated to a meal at Ryan’s Steakhouse.

in Natchez.