Ride, Sally, Ride

I was going to try and get a picture of Daphne riding her new bike. It's pink and purple and so girly and cute. It has streamers off the handlebars and a matching horn. Isn't that what every little girl would want? And it has training wheels and a handle for an adult to push her in the back. Well, this is how it went the other day...

Inside the house, I asked Daphne if she wanted to ride her bike. She said yes, we scrambled to get our shoes on (and to find the camera) and she ran to the door to go out. We walked out to the garage where her barrage of riding toys are - stroller, wagon, Cozy Coupe, doll stroller, toddler ride-on toy and yes, her BIKE. She heads straights for the doll stroller. I ask her again if she wants to ride the bike and she just goes about her way and pulls out the doll stroller. So, we start a walk with the doll stroller and she makes it down the driveway and onto our sidewalk for about 10 feet and then she looks up at me and asks, "bike?". So we turn around, head back on the sidewalk and up the driveway and put her doll stroller away. Then, she points to her bike and I pull it out and ask her "Do you want to ride it?" to which she shakes her head and starts walking down the driveway. I try to leave the bike in the garage, thinking that she may want to just walk. But no she won't walk unless I am pushing the bike. She keeps pointing to the bike, until I take it and follow her. You may think that's an easy thing to do, but the bike doesn't steer well unless you angle it so it's doing a pop-a-wheelie while you "drive" it. So I follow her and frequently ask Daphne, "Do you want to ride your bike?" to which she shakes her head and constantly points to various rocks and cracks and grasses and flowers and asks, "Whassat? Whassat? Whassat?" We walked our entire street with bike in my hand and Daphne walking. Good news though, the second day we did this, she hopped on the bike twice and rode it for about two sidewalks each time (that is - two sidewalk cement slabs) and then demanded "Up! Up!" It's a good thing I was out with Daphne and not Kevin because he won't pick her up now unless she says "Up, please!" I guess I give in too easily. And that's why there are no pictures of Daphne on her bike, yet.

Although Daphne is home for the summer with Kevin, she will be going back to "School" (daycare) in the fall when Kevin goes back to school. The daycare owner loves kids and really loves Daphne - maybe because they share a birthday. So, Daphne was invited back for the daycare's water days. Kevin and Daphne have gone twice and the daycare has posted pictures on their website. Kevin says she's a little timid about going up and down the slides but she is enjoying the pools. You can check out pictures of Daphne and Kevin on their website. http://www.tlcacademy.com/2008-07-11/index.html

And, yes, Kevin, you can critique this blog with its dangling participle and prepositions without objects and probably other poor grammar examples, but this is written in my words and you aren't my teacher! So, just enjoy.