Milestones

Uh, huh.  Pun totally intended.

J loves all things nature. Stones are certainly no exception.  He had like three which he loved more dearly than any of his other posessions.  He would spend every last penny he had on cool rocks if his mean mom didn't make him save some coin for souvenirs during the big road trip. 

But then he had a very generous and kind geologic benefactor who donated her late father's rock collection to this little boy.  She made his entire month.  He was quivering with excitement over the prospect even though he only had a guess as to what she was bringing over.  Turns out she gave him more cool rocks than he could imagine even in his wildest dreams.  His eyes were shining with joy as he carefully looked over each rock, one by one.  He carried one or two around with him for about a week.  And now, they are all nestled snugly in a box that he keeps right next to his bed.  He wants to pack them all in his backpack to bring in the van on our big move.  But again, that mean mom gets in the way.  I think he will breathe a great sigh of relief when he unpacks them in our new home and finds them all safe and sound.

And as for non-geologic milestones, J learned to ride a bike.  At long last.

Shaggy has tried several times over the last few years to teach him.  But his anxieties got the better of him, until now.  It helped that they finally got around to covering up the bike's purple paint with a red, black and grey camouflage pattern.  But the big advance came because he wasn't afraid to try to pedal on his own which is how the bike riding lessons always ended in failure in years past.  

And now, we can hardly get him off that bike.  Temperature doesn't deter him.  Hunger doesn't deter him.  Sunburn doesn't deter him.  Even crashing doesn't deter him . . . for long.

The timing of this is most excellent, since there will be no place to use his once beloved scooter at the new house.  Rolling hills, trees, and a gravel driveway.  No pavement in sight.

I'm proud of this boy for overcoming yet another of his anxieties.  But no praise from me is needed, really.  He gets all the reward he needs through the sheer joy of speeding around, feeling the wind in his face.  Tour de France, here we come!