The Young Prince has a little 12-inch bicycle awarded to us through Freecycle.org. Not mentioned in the advertisement, however, was the fact that this little bike would need new tires--meaning new tubes.
Having no experience changing tire tubes and no special tools for the job, I took to the task yesterday in my ongoing efforts to reinforce self-sufficiency in my young children's minds.
In the process, I ripped up my hands, almost stuck a screwdriver through my stomach--twice--when it slipped, and ended up punching a hole in the front tube when trying to put it into the tire but not realizing it until trying in vain to pump air into it. All that hard work for ???
My bike guru, by the way, mentioned this could all be done with my two hands. He must have very, very strong and callused hands...or I am doing something terribly wrong and can't figure it out.
Why not just take it to the bike shop? Because I don't want to spend more than the price of the bike's worth to get this fixed. And I am on a limited budget. All I want is something small for The Young Prince to be able to touch the ground while riding so as to achieve his sense of balance and learn to ride without trianing wheels. He would like to as well, to keep up with Big Sister and her newly-removed training wheels.
So I bandage my hands and head back to the bike store for another tube today, to try to get that in. I did succeed in getting the back tube in and inflated, so I know it is possible--it just took hours to complete one tire.
And I get good quality time with the children, teaching them about the different kinds of wrenches, screwdrivers, and pliers necessary out of my miniscule tool supply, and trying to show them that, yes, they can do whatever they want to do.
I will NOT raise two Earth Citizens who do not know how to do things by themselves. So this is just part of my eternal quest to teach as much self-sufficiency as possible. True, I wish I were more self-sufficient. I do as well as I can.
Maybe they can do better.
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Yay! Wish I was there. I coulda done it for you. The hardest part is the back tire because you have to take the chain off in order to get the tire off.
ResponderEliminarYou go woman. I am woman, hear me roar!
Yep, I second what Z says....YOU GO WOMAN! This is so awesome that you're teaching your children to be independent and hopefully self-sufficient someday. If only more parents had done that instead of having Ms.TeeVee babysit. High fives all around.
ResponderEliminarHi Z: The back and the chain wasn't so bad; I've had experience dealing with chains before. But I greased up a really nice pair of jeans in the process-damn, so vain! Hope I can get that out.
ResponderEliminarVal, I wish I had been given more kitchen-sufficiency lessons as a child. I can hardly cook and just sitting at the counter watching Mom and talking for "quality time" wasn't enough for the how-tos to sink in.
I have just read a lot lately about a generation of, particularly, men (of which my husband is undoubtedly a part) who never learned self-sufficiency but that a checkbook can solve anything. When funds are unlimited, sure. But reality can sure bite sometimes, and having a few skills can not only save some money but create an appreciation and respect for those who do these jobs professionally and, once we can 'master' them, a pride in a job done by ourselves.
Okay...time to go back to sleep. Yaaaawn. 4 a.m. Maybe I should just get up now!
Be well, both.
As a kiwi I come from a nation of 'do it yourself-ers' - we have dubbed it 'the number 8 wire mentality' - which means you're being inventive, resourceful, independent and using your initiative. You are the 'Mama Llama la bamba' (I don't know what I've just said, but it sounds good!)
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