On Two Wheels

I choose to think that I am, sort of, handy around the house. I persist in this belief despite much evidence to the contrary. But yesterday, I finally acknowledged that I could not manage to install our new baby seat on the back of Ash's bike. Or rather, I could -- only my usual jury-rigging method seemed a bit risky when it comes to vehicle travel and toddler safety devices. So off to the bike shop we went, which allowed us to finally realize the longed-for dream of taking Ez out for his first bike ride.

He seemed to do OK in the seat, though we soon discovered that they don't really make helmets for one-year-olds with a head size in the 5th percentile. So it flopped around a bit. Nevertheless, we strapped everyone in and headed out for the lakefront trail.

We took a modest ride down to a nifty playground a few miles away. When we got there, Ezra showed far more interest in playing with grass and leaves than in playground equipment.

On the way back, he got pretty fed up, so we walked the bikes home the last half-mile or so. Kind of mixed reviews from the kid all told, but we're hopeful that as he grows into the gear he'll learn to love it.

Back at the ranch, we seem to have happened upon the greatest toy ever invented. When the box arrived a few months ago from Ashley's Uncle Thru and Aunt Lucy, we were under the impression that the lovely lamp inside was the gift. It turns out, the real gift was the packing peanuts. These are something like baby crack, as you'll see in the video below. You may also notice in there that the kid is really getting the hang of standing ...

Next weekend, Ezra turns 1! We're still wrapping our brain around that one. On the one hand, the time has absolutely flown by. On the other, it's hard for us to imagine life without him. Grandma and Grandpa Spitzer, along with Uncle Josh and his companion Jen, are coming in to town this week to help fete the jolly good fellow. We're planning a picnic in the park with some of Ezra's diminutive pals from around the neighborhood. Should be great fun. And many moooooore!

Much love,

Gabe, Ash and Ez