Birthday Bike

Our baby Jed hardly seems a baby anymore. He has big strong boy legs and a low roaring voice. He speaks full sentences (garbled, but definitely there. "AhwangowaSIDE!" and has the giggliest sense of humor. He taught himself to cut with scissors and scribbles with vigorous enthusiasm. His uncanny ability to figure technological tricks out terrifies his mother - yesterday he figured out how to get the 9 volt battery connected to the carbon monoxide detector. He kisses his mommy when she bangs her finger or lays down for a nap. He tenderly cares for his Gitty and Munkee. His is a beautiful, perfect, loving child.

For his birthday, Jed got his dream come true -- matchbox cars, a tiny "hewichopter", a ball, and a big-boy bike. After trying out every trike, bike, and tractor at Walmart, he was absolutely bike insane that night. We didn't get the bike put together before his little party, so yesterday morning when he woke up, he ran out of his room towards the box shouting "My bike! My bike! Open peas! PEAS!!!!" He jumped and banged with box with overflowing enthusiasm as I cut it open and pulled the wrapping out. "Bike, bike!" I pulled out a wheel. A quizzical look crossed his face. "Bike?" Another wheel. This wasn't the bike he dreamed of all night. He noticed a crossbar sticking out the box and pulled furiously, grunting to get it out of the box. I popped out. "Bike." His face fell. I thought the kid might cry for a minute. To be trite, it was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO cute. Michael laughed over the phone and said that now we know why parents stay up all night assembling bikes on Christmas Eve.

Last night Jed helped daddy put the bike together, running around and around his dad and peeking underneath to see just what dad was doing.



And at last! MY BIKE MY BIKE MY BIKE!!!! He can't use the pedals yet, but we can push him around by the parent push bar (it steers, too! Brilliant!) and scootch around by his feet. He insisted on riding it into the bathroom to visit Dad. Look at that grin.