But I was thinking today, as JH and I were out and about in our little town, peddling along, about how amazing it felt the first time I rode without training wheels, and the first time I rode without a parent nearby (not that that will ever happen with Joe-Henry - he'll be trying to shake me off his bumper when he's twenty). It made me feel a lot like this. Like I owned every inch of sidewalk, and I didn't have a care in the world.
I loved this song as a kid, and when I came across this version, with all those fab colors, I couldn't resist. They reminded me of his bike shorts. We got him two pairs, almost three years ago now, as sort of make-shift compression garments. He picked out the colors himself. He got turquoise and this electric pink. He went through a phase at that age where everything was pink: he had pink converse sneakers, pink striped rainboots, and when he heard at kindergarten that pink was a "girl color", he stopped wearing them. But today, today was different. He pulled on those pink bike shorts (with other shorts over them), and peddled his little butt all over the place. He wanted me to take his picture in them tonight, and I was only too happy to oblige.
Have a great weekend, everyone. Wear your favorite color, and ride, baby, ride. Ding ding!
10 comments:
the happiest 02:26 of my day! (except that part about pink being an exclusively "girl color".) i agree: wear those shorts proud, boy, and take it back!
Gosh, your tales of the bike almost make me want to ride a bike again.
Almost.
At age 10 or 11, I forget exactly, I was knocked over the front handlebars of my bike by a 14 year old who is currently in prison for manslaughter, I believe. He hit me from behind at such speed and I flipped over so fast that I didn't have time to put my hands up...and landed chin first on a manhole cover.
23 stitches and 6 broken teeth later, I am permanently traumatized when it comes to bike riding. Shakily rode a bicycle in the ensuing years a few times before giving it up altogether (haven't been on one in at least a decade)
It's sad.
Oh, MM, I'm so sorry! When I was about JH's age, I saw a friend of mine on her bike, speeding down the road (back in the days before helmet laws) to visit her grandma. She hit the curb and went flying, landing face first up against the curb. All the neighbors came rushing out and she was taken immediately to the hospital. She had stitches in her face and almost lost her eye.
I know that those things happen, and I can only imagine what it must have taken for you to get on a bike again. Good for you for at least trying it again. I'm not sure I would have been so brave.
I had a bad spill off of a bike once.... I got gravel stuck in knee.And I still have a scar from it!My experience wasn't nearly as traumatizing as the ones you guys have described....but it still sucked...lol;)
And JH,OWN those pink shorts,boy!!!!:):):)
P.S.~
Did you get my card yet??
I periodically think about getting Thumper a bike seat and little helmet so we can ride together. Then I think it'll just be another thing I bought and never used. But it would be a good way to get out of the house in the evening, especially once the face-melting summer is over. Maybe he needs pink bike shorts, too.
I just spent last weekend looking at old photos with my sister. my knees are skinned in all of them from falling off my bike on the gravel left over from winter.
love those shorts! and the facial expression with them.
Amber - YES!!!! I got it today! That picture of Isaac in his outfit is so damn cute!
IRodius - We had a seat for JH when he was a baby. It was on the back of the bike, and we used it a lot, even in LA! It was a great way to go, and he loved it. Then we graduated to a sort of tandem thing that attaches to the back of another bike, and he can sit and peddle and "ride" by himself. We got that when he was 4, and I used it to ride him to preschool (in LA!) and we still use it here if we all want to go on a ride that is too big for the boy to handle. I'd recommend it.
The look on JH's face is hilarious! And would you please stop pawing through my parents' record collection!!! This makes three of four Headsongs that have been spot-on favorites of mine. I still know all the words to this one plus England Swings, Chug-A-Lug, You Can't Roller Skate in a Buffalo Herd (which must be do for an American Idol remake soon), One Dyin' and a Buryin', Dang Me...
I gotta get a bike. Even if I have to put it in the truck to get to bikeable road.
Now I thimnk I'll have King of the Road stuck in my head all night. Kudos to JH for his sense of adventure! It must be so much fun watching him challenge himself and venture beyond the safety of training wheels.
Rodius - the boy can have pink biker shorts IF he asks for them. Nothing at all to do with boys and pink. Just my own issue with pink. You know how I feel about pink...
Annie - his smile looks just like pics of your smile! What a gorgeous guy!
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