Why don't they make them more comfortable?

Have any of you parents ever felt like when you purchased a birthday gift for your child that it's a little bit more for you than for them?  Maybe they didn't actually ASK for Rockband, but you just KNEW that they would love it and you just couldn't keep that inner Pat Benetar or Bret Michaels in any longer!  Well...that was the case with Hailee's birthday present this year.  Her new tag-a-long bike.

Granted, since she didn't actually ask for this present, there was a certain lack of enthusiasm (on her part...not mine) when she received it.  However, I think that after using it for the first time yesterday, mom did good.

Let's backup a little.  So, I love to be active and I really want Hailee to grow up being the same.  She has a little bike...with training wheels that she's perfectly content toodling around the neighborhood on.  But, let's just say that Mom is ready to go to the next level and Hailee still gets off and walks her bike down anything that resembles a hill.  A hill being a curb.

So, somewhere, somehow I saw one of these tag-a-long bikes and instantly thought of how much fun we would have on one of those!  IF...big IF...I could get her to actually get on the thing.  I took the plunge, bought it and gave it to her for her birthday.  Again, not really understanding the concept and having asked specifically for all things girly and princessy, the unveiling was a tad bit anti-climatic.  Okay...to be perfectly honest, it didn't help that her "present" was a sheet of paper that showed a picture of it.  Oops.  If you know me, you know that I'm the world's worst decision maker and just as bad about procrastinating.  I went back and forth for so long that when I finally decided to order the thing, it wasn't going to be here in time for her birthday.  Lesson learned?  Of course not.

The day the bike showed up, Hailee was super excited to put it together.  Without even opening it, I decided that we would need the assistance of one of those man-types that some women seem to have around.  Since there seems to be a lack of those around these days, the box sat in our office for a month.  Remember that procrastinating that I talked about?

Well, on Sunday I finally broke that box open and put the thing together.  All. By. My. Self.  That's right....it involved wrenches (I have ONE) and a "small squirt of oil" (What? Who has that on hand?  Skip.) and we had ourselves one tag-a-long bike!  Luckily, my mom was there for the maiden voyage.  She doesn't know that it wasn't just to hold Hailee to make her comfortable, but also to catch her if the thing fell apart!  It took only a couple of passes up and down the sidewalk and Hailee was ready to roll!

All I can say is that we're hooked.  We did a few laps around the neighborhood yesterday and then later took a FIVE MILE ride, which of course involved a stop in at the candy store.  It was probably one and a half hours of my VERY favorite time spent with Hailee.  She was so much braver then I expected, we chatted it up and laughed the whole time and she was an absolute champ!

The little princess has a tendency to complain these days and there was not a hint of whining uttered from that child's mouth.  Well, not until about mile four.  Which, already was about 3.75 miles further than she's ever ridden before.  We're about to pass a couple on the greenbelt and just as we approach them, she's hollers up to me "Mommy...my bum and gina hurt!!!"  No...we don't quietly make statements like this.  We must yell them at the most inopportune times.  I explained that her body is just getting used to the seat and that it will get better the more often we ride.  She brought this up later and stated, "Whatever...the more we ride the more it hurts!  It's like a secret weapon." 

Luckily, she was anxious to get back on the saddle again today and I see many, many, many a fun time spent on our new toy in the future.  Definitely the best present I've ever given her.