A New Bike and Summer Fun

Do you remember your favorite bike from your childhood? You know the one that holds many memories of days gone by, especially summer vacation? I do. And it seems like summer lasted longer then. I remember mine well. It was green and it had a white basket on front. I carried all sorts of goodies in that basket.

Those were the days when my mom would let me ride my bike around the neighborhood without worrying. The neighbors would wave or speak when I rode by!

Those were the days when we'd go outside and play all day. We never just sat inside. There was always something fun going on...I mean we had adventures on our bikes. We rode each other on the handlebars. What were we thinking? And we had a few accidents. I particularly remember my brother having a huge egg shaped knot on his head one summer. I think he was just learning to ride his bike that summer. Poor fellow. That knot turned every color before it was over!

We'd even play barefoot (gasp)! Then when we'd get too hot...mama would bring us some of those "homemade" popsicles...remember the ones from the tupperware sticks made from koolaid? The only times we were called in was to fold clothes (our chore) or to eat. The kids in the neighborhood knew. If they heard our names called, they'd ask, "You gotta go fold clothes?"

Sometimes, I wish my kids could experience those kind of long summer days like we did. Oh, my kids haven't been deprived at all and they have their own version of fun, (which they'll probably blog about one day), but we do live in an age of TV, video games, computers and ipods. But some things never do change.....the thrill of a new bike.

Joy just got her first "new" bike she's had in quite awhile. The last one was a used bike that she bought herself from an elderly man on the corner repairing and selling bikes. He gave her a great deal (I think he sold it to her for $10) and it was definitely used and loved. Here's the old faithful bike.



But...this is the coolest bike (according to her and her brother). Colt is 19 and even made the comment that he never had a bike that cool (sorry, Colt, they didn't make them that way!)





Joy is what I call a "girly tomboy". Now my definition of that is a girl that loves pink, loves fashionable clothes, loves to wear her hair long and hair barettes or headbands; she loves dolls, makeup and dance....but....will do anything right along beside a boy (in a dress if need be) and try to do it as well or better. So this bike just fit her. It's the best of both worlds. It says Glamour Girl, but it's pink AND blue, has a backpack on front to carry her stuff, and has the coolest monster tires with hand brakes to boot.





Her Pop (my daddy) made her a trail along the edge of the rice field behind our house with a ramp type hill coming up our side and his side of the yard. She's loving it.



I watch her enjoying her bike and I know that some things just never change.