Big Weekend For Andrew

It was big weekend for Andrew. We bought him his first bike and his first big bed.

We had been waiting for him to show interest in a two wheeler. He had become very comfortable, skilled and daring on his big trike, so we thought it best not to push the issue. We’d talk about it from time to time, and make a few tries at getting him to ride while in a store, but saw no real attraction.

And, since we had just gotten him his first two-wheel scooter, he was already learning something new and had more transportation options, so I had expected it to be a while longer before he was ready to move on.

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But, we tried again as we happened upon the bike aisle and this time, suddenly, it was Cool. He got on and rode it around and around the aisles, maybe a dozen or more times, mostly with Bethany following behind on another bike. He would have ridden it through the checkout and out of the store if I had let him, but instead I carried it. A couple of times people stopped me to ask if I didn’t think the bike was a little small for me. It was a rite of passage for both Andrew and me.

The next morning he took his first ride through the neighborhood. He fell once or twice, but he’s so used to falling that it did not phase him at all. With his need for speed, we will soon have to start riding along, instead of walking; otherwise we’ll never keep up.

Gayle had been trying to find a fun bed for Andrew to graduate from the Elmo toddler bed that was handed down from Bethany. After a lot of searching she ran across an online classified ad for a great loft bed with a slide.

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It is in great shape, owing to it not having great enough appeal to the owner’s daughter to get her to stop sleeping in their bed, so it had hardly been used. We drove over with the kids. The father and I took it apart while the mother and Gayle watched Bethany and Andrew play with their daughter. Got it home and immediately reassembled it in Andrew’s room.

It was a big hit. Like taking them to an amusement park. Later Bethany begged to sleep in it with Andrew that first night. We said OK, but knew from our recent camp out experience, that it was quickly doomed to failure. So an hour later, we escorted her back to her own beautiful bed, vowing to dress up her room in some way to even things out.