Training Wheels

Last weekend Susan got Sam a bike from Good Will. $7! And it seems reasonably nice, too, as if the previous owner simply grew out of it. This weekend I added training wheels and oiled the chain, and got Sam a new helmet from Target--and we were off! Truth be told, Sam's really not that interested in it. It was fun for ten minutes with Dad pushing him around, but pedaling is enough work for him that, well, he's not quite there yet.

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Yesterday Sam and I had a guys' night together. After a dinner of frozen pizza we went to a park with a fun, diverse playground. It's only 7 minutes away, in East Rochester, but it feels like a different world--the houses are older, the grass not manicured, and the adjacent high school a little run down. But the park is large and fun to visit. We explored that, racing one another, running around a gazebo, and trying to catch raindrops on our tongues when it started to sprinkle on the back to the car.

On the way home Sam said, out of the blue, "How did Mary know Jesus was in the tomb?" Truly, out of the blue--if we talked about the tomb, it's not been since Easter. It's truly amazing how his little mind remembers things and processes them. Anyway, I told him that her friend Joe (of Arimathea), who put Jesus in his tomb, probably told her, and he seemed satisfied.

Yesterday I also sewed some new velcro onto one of his sneakers. Which isn't particular noteworthy except that Sam was very excited to watch me do it, and to participate (I let him pick out the thead color, and then, when he wasn't looking, swapped it for more durable nylon thread). It's a reminder of how much is new when you are three.5.

Tonight he watched Dumbo for the first time, and also for the first time had unhealthy microwave popcorn. Woohoo!

Finally, Susan and I worked on organizing the garage while Sam puttered around in the driveway and front yard--hence the red-ball photo. He flitted with T-ball set, sidewalk chalk, red ball, trowel & soil, and even played with a large garbage bag, spinning around and excitedly filling it with the wind. (Sort of a kite without string.)

Life isn't perfect. He had various time-outs as he explored where his autonomy met ours. Even so, what a great weekend!

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Tuesday Update: This morning I was reading Sam a story which mentioned in passing a man who has to work at night, and sleep during the day. Sam laughed and said, "So he's nocturnal!" Yes, yes he is. Oh, and Sam learned to say his first 25-letter word. It's from an old favorite board book about dogs, and when they howl at the moon they say, "AAAAAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO". I explained the As and Os and he caught right on. Now, if only there were a canine spelling bee, he'd be ready.