Headgear and wheels

Hidden expenses.  They're so ubiquitous that I should see them piled up around me.  And yet, whenever one pops into view, I am surprised and have to scramble to get my finances packed up and ready to leave me. 

Ya's school held a Trike-a-thon to raise money for St. Jude.  It's a nobel fundraiser as St. Jude provides treatment to children batteling cancer, conducts cancer research, and provides for families dealing with overwhelming medical expenses and emotional turmoil.

Unfortunately, in order for Ya to do his part in the Trike-a-thon, the safety patrol required a helmet.  A helmet to ride a bike that is so close to the ground that his feet scrape the pavement as he pedals.  And though I originally said he wasn't going to participate, I couldn't picture him sitting on the sidelines contentedly watching his classmates ride their bikes for a half hour. So we made a trip to WalMart. 

It took an hour for Ya to choose between Toy Story, Spiderman, and Cars helmet designs.  Chi has finally caught her head size up to her body (we were very worried, as she's always had a tiny noggin). This, of course, meant picking out a new helmet for her, too.

 

She'd not tried to ride her bike for more than a year.  After a random insistance that the training wheels be removed (which I promptly misplaced), she determined balancing and pedaling was not an easy task.  Luckily, Marq - aka official tricycle drop off father - passed through in time to steady her efforts so she could learn to pedal forward (rather than break backward which seemed the tendancy).

 

She did get a few good runs without assistance.  A couple of rotations, a foot skid or a dozen, and a few grass crashes later, she was determined to learn her bike.  So we called Rescue Uncle (Go, Unc, Go) who arrived with his rescue pack to fill the flat tires.

And if we ever clear of this wet weather, she'll mature into quite the biker in no time.

Ya (who has managed to rip holes in every pair of uniform pants he owns) tried out his trike.  After a little frustration, he figured out the pedals and was off! And after the Trike-A-Thon, he was still ready to roll.  Chi's school parking lot had a ready-made course perfect for passing the time waiting for dismissal.

I have realized why helmets are absolute necessities.  When you run through a course like my little one does, it's required safety insurance.