The other day I had one child,  who hadn’t quite mastered bike riding,  yearning for a new Lego set as he looked through his Lego catalog.  And I had another child, a “mature” middle-schooler, bumming around the house being bored with nothing to do but sit around being bored.  A frequent occurrence this summer.  I was too busy editing to take a break at that moment but not too busy to hatch a scheme.

I presented a challenge to both boys that if they worked together and one taught the other to ride a bike from point A (the driveway) to point B (the mailbox) before the end of the day, they would be rewarded with a trip to the mall for a new Lego set and a new baseball cap.  They readily took up the challenge and went to work.  Hard work.  Frustrating, hot, painful at times work.

But in the end, they conquered the challenge and we took a nice long air-conditioned drive to the mall for a Power Miner Rock Monster set and a brand spanking new Yankees cap.

It’s bittersweet.  Another rite of passage has been mastered.  I’m happy I won’t have to teach another of my children how to ride a bike.  But it also makes me sad that I don’t have another child coming along who will meet this milestone.  Such is my life right now.

We are headed out this afternoon for vacation.  I will be back after July 4th but will have access to my email.  Enjoy your 4th of July!