6/52

On Monday this week I worked from home.  It's not too often that I do it, but I really seem to enjoy it.  On my lunch break I decided to ignore the black skies and walk up to the nearby service station and buy some more milk.  Of course I was less than a minute from home before it started pouring!  Oh well!  About halfway there I passed a house that was having a clean-up with a big pile of junk on the nature strip.  But I did spy a bike, actually 2 bikes, suitable for littlies in the pile.  I slowed down enough to notice that the closer one was small - about the size Dylan needs, still with training wheels attached, but more pinky/purple and white in colour.  Hmm... this could be interesting!  On my way back from the servo I was determined to stop and have a closer look.  I'm not usually a junk collector and I'm normally the last person to want to sort through other people's rubbish in full view of the neighbourhood!  Of course it continued to rain, so holding an umbrella, my phone, keys, carton of milk, and potentially a small bike was out of the question.  As I got closer to where the bikes were, I noticed my neighbour walking up the path heading straight toward me.  Nooo!!  I've been spied!  There was no way I could stop and look at the bike now.  I WILL NOT get busted looking through others junk!  I rang my hubby instead and told him where the bikes were and if he would stop and check on them on his way home. 

Hubby came home and went off on foot determined to have a look at the bikes.  Less than 5 minutes later he comes up the driveway wheeling both the bikes I had seen.  He was thrilled and couldn't believe they were still there, and that someone had put them out for clean up!  We decided to give the smaller bike a bit of a spruce up with a new paint job and a new seat.  So this week has seen us sanding back the frame, buying some blue paint, and getting hold of a new seat which was slightly less pink.  Hubby resprayed it all yesterday during the day and put it back together.  Dylan was excited to see it come together and to have his very first proper push bike.  This morning we set off early to the park and got him all sorted.  His very first ride was better than expected.  He kept back pedalling, so he was a little stop and start, but eventually he got better. When it was time to try to learn to use the brakes, there were a few hair raising sprints down the hills to catch him!  Let's just say braking is a learned skilled, and hubby got his exercise for the day!

So thrilled Dylan got his very first ride, and it's cost us about $8.50 so far!  As I watched him pedal off in front of us, I can't believe how big and independent my boy is getting.  Another milestone for us to remember today.

A portrait of my son, once a week, every week in 2016

Joining in with Jodi and Project 52.

Bel