Riding the bike...

This past few weeks, Connor, who has never been terribly interested in riding his bike, has suddenly gotten very into it. He still needs his training wheels, because currently he is riding up and down the sidewalk on our street. And when he goes to my Mom's house (they live on a very kid friendly cul-de-sac) Abby gets to be with him and she follows him up and down the street. I am not sure if any of you have read the "Henry and Mudge" series, but we have read ALL of them. Henry is a little boy, an only child, who desperately wants a brother or sister. His parents instead settle for a puppy- one that grows into a bull-mastiff! His name is Mudge. Anyway, Connor loves these books and we read one practically every night. So he and Abby look like Henry and Mudge as she follows him dutifully as he rides his bike up and down the street. I would let her do that on our street, but it can get busy and I just don't trust her all that much, yet.

And of course he has his Spidey bike helmet too. Don't you think it is so strange when you find yourself doing ALL of the things you said you would never do as a parent before you had kids to even worry about?? I remember when bike helmets were just coming around for little kids and I always said I would never make my kids where a dorky helmet- after all my brains survived learning to ride a bike! I am not so sure they survived Wednesdays at Danny's & Tooties during my senior year of college, but that is really another story, one for when my kids are about 30. Anyway, it is a totally different story when the brains that could be splattered all over the asphalt suddenly come from the child you gave birth to. Amazing, wonder what I will be like when my daughter comes and tells me she just tattooed herself. OOOOHHHH that will be a hypocritical day for Melinda....


And lastly, this is my rose bush. Now I am not at all a gardener. I normally plant and water things only as my Mother and sister direct me. I have no green thumb. In fact my Mom sometimes has to take my only two house plants to her house to nurse them back to health. I am surprised she doesn't make me sign a contract before she gives them back. But this bush I bought for $5 our first summer here and now it is HUGE! It only blooms once a summer, so I have to enjoy now. So proud of my skills...

See ya, Melinda