Rip Claw!

Ben has outgrown his bike. Normally, we save gifts like bikes for special occasions like birthdays, but yesterday, his bike actually broke. That is special occasion enough for me!

Ben's new bike is much bigger, much cooler, much more fun, and, most importantly, not broken down! He loves that it is bright orange, but I think his favorite feature is it's name: Rip Claw!

Where people come up with these names, I don't know, but they are clearly in tune with what a 6 year old boy likes. Our driveway is on a slight downhill and Ben keeps roaring down the driveway, yelling "Watch out! Here comes Rip Claw!!"

He doesn't talk about his bike. He talks about Rip Claw, as in "Mom, I'm going out to ride Rip Claw for a while!"

One of the things I love about Ben is that he always shows the appropriate amount of enthusiasm. He is so fun to give gifts to and so appreciative of everything we give him from old cell phones to brand new bikes.

Angry People

Yesterday, while walking with my children, minding my own business and enjoying being outside with them, I experienced quite a verbal attack on my motherhood from some crazy nut.  He was crazy enough that I felt he deserved a spot on my blog!

I was on my way home from Starbucks with my two youngest.  Jack was all bundled up in the stroller, singing away and getting quite a kick out of the fact that he could see his breath in white puffs.  Mitchell was riding his bike for the first time all winter (his idea which he was super excited about!) and we had basically empty sidewalks mid-morning.  It was quite cold, but the sun was shining, we were properly dressed, and just having a great time together.  

Then suddenly, out of nowhere, I hear a car slow down next to me out on the street and some man hang his body half out the window and tell me, "Hey you!  You need to get that kid closer to you!  Don't you watch your kids?"  Now I don't keep Mitchell on a leash, nor do I even want him to ride his bike so close to me he can touch me (that is just asking for toes to be run over and collisions with the stroller are certain) but he was no more than a few yards in front of me.  We were nowhere near an intersection or driveway or alley and I have no idea where this guy came from all of the sudden!

He didn't stop there either.  When I, as politely as I could manage, replied, "Thanks for your concern, but I have this under control," the man went crazy!  He leaned farther out his window and started cursing me and swearing at me and calling me all sorts of things I would prefer not to hear myself, let alone my kids!  He told me I was a terrible mother and shouldn't be allowed to have kids at all.  He drove along side me, not letting up with his angry tirade until the end of the block!  At one point, I told him to mind his own business and go away, which really set him off and he said, "This IS my business, you ******* ****** ****** *****!  When I run over him in my car, then it will REALLY be my business!"  Was he really threatening to run my child over just to prove his point that I am a lousy mother?

Sometimes, I get annoyed or defensive with people for pointing out something to me about my kids, but underneath, realize there is a tad bit of truth to it - yes, they were being annoying.  Yes, he is being quite loud.  Yes, I let him put his candy back in his mouth after dropping it on the ground.  Yes, he is sword-fighting his brother with a large stick.  Those things are not a very big deal to me most of the time and still no one else's business to comment on, but I can understand their thoughts at least. 

This guy, though, was a nut job and his accusations were completely unfounded.  This time, we were simply enjoying some time together outside, all happy, all smiling, all behaving, all chatting away with each other.  While it was happening and after, I kept looking around me for someone to be there to back me up and at least scowl at the man, if not stand up for me, but there was no one around!  I was left on my own to defend myself and my kids, and for once, I actually gave him a piece of my mind.  It seemed to make him more irate for sure, but man, someone ought to give him a big, fat, punch in the nose!  I'm pretty sure Matt would have walked out into the street and done just that, had he been there.  

Angry people: chill out!  Do not take your aggression out on innocent and happy families enjoying simple pleasures in life!  Go join a gym or get a punching bag and leave the rest of us alone!

There Goes My Ego or Road Rash

Matt has been out of town for a few days, so now that he is back, I was really looking forward to a real run tonight.  By "real" I mean making good time by myself without pushing two kids way over the weight limit of my double stroller with a very chatty 5-year-old riding bike in front of me, beside me, behind me, on my toes...you get the picture.  It feels more like punishment than exercise.

I was loving my run tonight though.  It was just me and my feet and my thoughts.  I had made it about a third of the way through my run and was running around Depaul University.  I turned a corner and suddenly, I had the wind at my back and I found myself running faster without any more effort!  I found this quite exciting for some reason and thought to myself, "I should go even faster!  It will feel like flying!"  Well, faster I went, flying I did not, unless you count the dive I took about 10 giant steps into my "flying."  Remember, I am running right around a university so there are college kids all over the place.  When my toe hit the two-inch raised section of sidewalk and I ate it, I almost dove right into two young college boys and nearly scared them to death!  I think they jumped almost as high as I did!  They had the decency not to laugh at me outright and immediately rushed to my aid as I played dead there on the sidewalk.  Out of all the empty sections of dark sidewalk tonight, I had to pick the section with two young guys on it!  

I'm fine.  I have scrapes all up my right arm and shoulder, plus holes in my new running pants and stinging knees, but my I think I left more ego there on the sidewalk than skin.  I have to say  though, I did make good time, despite the crash.  I think I ran faster than ever once I got up to get as much distance between myself and the very gentlemanly witnesses I left behind.  

Oh!  As if one episode of maniac running wasn't enough for one night, I scared the you-know-what out of a biker tonight too!  I was almost home and was coming up on a patch of wet cement on the sidewalk that was roped off.  In order to get around it, I had to run in the street for a bit, so I hopped out between two parked cars and into the bike lane and right in front of a biker going the opposite (and correct) direction!  He skidded and ran his bike into the curb while I apologized profusely.  He didn't seem too upset for some reason and there was no damage to his bike, thank goodness.  I was a menace on the streets tonight!  Watch out for me if you are ever in my neighborhood past dark!

A Confusing Triumph

I have known for some time now that Mitchell is capable of riding his bike without training wheels, I have just been waiting for a convenient time to work on it with him when I don't have the other two boys with me.  Well, waiting for that "convenient time" has resulted in just not doing it, so for the last few days, I have positioned Ben on his bike in front (to show Mitchell what to do and also to provide the encouragement he is so great at giving), Mitchell on his bike in the middle, with me close behind holding him steady as well as trying to push my stroller with Jack in it (wish I had a picture of that to show you.)  We have to somehow get this caravan of craziness maneuvered around busy Chicago sidewalks without crashing into things or each other and without getting hit by cars (although how a car could manage to not see a sight such as this from far away and have plenty of time to avoid us would be pretty unbelievable.)

Well, I'm glad we figured out a way to get it done because, as I suspected, he can ride it!  We just skipped the training wheels stage and the boy never needed them!  He has always had the balance, he just needed someone to keep him moving as he learned how to actually pedal.  So great, right?  He can ride, I can stop pushing him around, the boys have one more thing to do together.  Unfortunately, with Mitchell, things are never quite so simple.  He has confused me once again by not wanting to ride the bike, even though the hard part - learning how to do it - is in the past now.  We have now spent two mornings riding around our neighborhood (I now know the surrounding alleys almost as well as the streets) with Mitchell crying and crying because I am forcing him to ride his bike.  

At first, I just thought he was having trouble learning and was scared or really didn't think he could do it, but now that I have seen him ride up and down a whole alley without stopping once (crying the whole time), I wonder what in the world is wrong with this boy!  He's not scared, he just doesn't want to do it!  I can force him, but I taught him to ride for fun not for torture!  

I've held my temper in check and tried not to get too frustrated at his attitude and inability to tell me any reason why he is upset and not having fun.  It is so confusing - look at the little guy!  He rocks that bike!  He hasn't fallen or hurt himself even a little so he doesn't have that excuse. Ben and I are so proud of him and keep telling him what big boy he is and how proud we are of his accomplishment, but it seems to fall on deaf ears.  He will not be swayed - bike riding is NOT fun!

So my little Mitchell can ride a bike and I am so proud of him, but my vision of both boys riding bikes together joyfully has been shattered and I face a choice: push him to keep practicing until he enjoys it (much like our soccer experience) or put the bike away for a while longer and make playtime actually fun for everyone again?  Oh Mitchell, you have left me guessing once again!