It’s 11:45 in the morning, and we’re still without power, a situation that started last night in the first quarter of the Steelers game. You’re instantly reminded of how much you depend on power, of course, not least of all for your hometown football fix. The wind was angry…still holding a grudge from something Texas must have done to it. Enough to know that I never, ever want to sit through a hurricane, especially in a house that’s protected by about two dozen trees, a handful of which would split this place in two.
I lit candles all over the house last night in case the kids woke up, and had a fluorescent battery-operated light that did pretty well to shine a path from their bedroom to ours. In the morning the whole house reeked of vanilla, but that’s the price you pay for not having practical candles I suppose.
Yesterday, before the wind moved in, we took the boys’ new bikes to the park for them to try. Riley, normally obstinate about anything new that might not be a breeze, was suddenly enthused about trying his new new bike. I say new new because his new bike is going back to toys R us, which sells, for lack of a better word, crap. Unless you’re looking for a battle tank with faulty brakes. Kylen’s bike from there had already seen some use so it stays, all 400 pounds of it. Not having enough patience to find a used one, I bought Ri one at the trek store, which was every bit as well made as you’d suspect. The outcome was he was much more able to get moving than Kylen, who had the added burden of wearing crocks and not understanding the concept.
Ky grew bored, then frustrated, then upset that Riley was riding at will, and accused him of racing, which in our house is against the rules, as it allllways leads to tears. “He’s going faster than me!” he wailed. I asked if he wanted to try Riley’s bike to see if he could do it.
“I can’t…it’s too biiiiiiig.”
“It’s the same size as yours.”
“No it’s not, it’s bluuuuue.”
Flummoxed by this unassailable turn of logic, I told him to go play on the swings, which he happily did. At that point, however, the wind was so strong that Riley no longer had to peddle, and Ky’s bike started off on its own, too, so we packed it in. But I’m excited that Ri gave it a go, and we’ll see if we can get him off the training wheels before the seasons change. Next step, tying his shoes.
…we’re a bit behind, as you can tell. But he’ll whip your butt on Mario Kart.
Update: Power came back at 1pm.
