Let me tell you the story -
My oldest is SO responsible - I think my friends get sick of me bragging on what a great kid he is! He gets himself up every morning - and makes his own breakfast - and jumps on his bike every morning at 5:30 to go to school (2 miles away). He's been getting himself up and making his own breakfast for about 10 years now. Not only that, he comes to my bedroom door and quietly shuts it so his breakfast noises don't wake us! I KNOW! WOW!
Just before Christmas this year - I took a ride on Ross' bike. His seat is not a steady seat. It is quite like a loose tooth, actually. When I got in from riding the bike & told him how terrible it was - he laughed and said "I know." Never complained about it.
So for Christmas, he got a new bicycle seat! He was so excited - really - kind of fun that he didn't have to stand while riding his bike to school in the morning.
A few weeks later, Kiersten and I were out on a bike ride, I was on her bike, she was on Ross'. The chain came off - WHAT? She said he told her it happens a lot. What a piece of crap, right? Not only that, he uses the Fred Flintstone breaks - they're as good as your shoes! So a friend of mine told me that she saw him riding his bike to school, and he really needs a light on that bike. Yah - I guess it's dark in the winter at 5:30 in the morning (summer is a whole different story -it's bright sunny at 5!)
THE BIRTHDAY STORY.
I got home from the store today after Rossi got home from school. He was on the computer and was watching a video that his friend uploaded on youtube. I kicked him off & told him he needed to do his homework - blah blah - you know - "every day" stuff!
Then he told me I needed to see an e-mail he sent me, I pulled up my e-mail and saw an e-mail from his aunt w/ a birthday e-card on it! So here's some of our conversation:
Me: OH!! It's your BIRTHDAY TODAY!? (acting like I forgot - which I DIDN'T!!)
Ross: (not upset, but razzing me) I can't believe my own mother forgot my birthday!!!
Me: Wow, that's terrible, I can't believe it! If I would have known that I would have made breakfast for you this morning!! I'm SOOO SORRY!! (not the case, I would NOT have gotten up at 5 to make him breakfast, I love him, but there's a reason why he's morning independent!!!)
Ross: MY own MOTHER forgot my BIRTHDAY!
Me: I feel bad - what do you want for dinner? What kind of cake can I make you? Ice cream cake?!
So we went to the store...got the ingredients for his favorite dinner & ice cream cake.
The whole time I kept asking him what I could get him for his birthday. I kept telling him I didn't have any money - and asked him if I could get him his favorite box of cereal. (This is funny in my head because this was actual birthday presents in my family growing up! LOL! - so it's just an inside joke w/ me to get my kids cereal on their birthday - they don't get it - but it always cracks me up)
Anyway - he kept saying "I'd like something that lasts, not food" and I'd retort by telling him, "But a BIG bag of cereal would REALLY last!"
We get home & he grabbed the mail - to find a birthday card in there from the bishop! "Look mom, even the bishop remembered my birthday - and he wasn't even THERE that day!" (he was really just teasing me, he wasn't bummed, he thought it was funny.)
So I made the ice cream cake - Kiersten got home from school shortly after & made his favorite dinner! His daddy came home from work - and we opened presents.
His first present was what he found while we were at Walmart getting stuff for his ice cream cake. This is what he bought himself w/ the money that his Grandma & Grandpa Luekenga gave him! (Also money from Aunt & Uncle J&J). I told him I was going to wrap it up and he should act surprised...Good job, right? LOL!
THEN - He opened bike headlight & tail light. "Look - this way you won't get run over on your way to school in the morning!!!" He didn't seem so excited! But he acted like he was happy because - well, he knew his mommy forgot his birthday - and didn't want to make her feel bad about it.
"Ross, lets go put it on your bike quick before it gets dark!!!" So he ran out - I followed him - and went to the side of the house - where he dutifully parked his bike (that he got the Christmas before he turned 11) when he got home this afternoon!
He got to the side of the house - and the bike was gone. The side gate was opened. "It's GONE?! What? The gate is opened?!" I almost felt bad, the look on his face was SICKENING.
I played along. "You left the gate opened?!"
"NO! I swear I closed it!" Then he walked around the front of the house hoping that one of his siblings perhaps rode it somewhere and didn't put it back. Nope, not there!
By now, Kali & Howie are running around "what, the bike's gone?"
I told them to run back in & tell their dad.
Ross (the dad) came around the side of the house - MAD because - well, someone didn't take care of something - the bike was GONE! His answer, "Well, lets get in the car & see if we can drive around & catch someone on the bike riding away - I'll go one way - mom, you go the other, whose coming with me?"
We opened the garage door to get the car - and well, there was a bike there. Ross' knees buckled under him! He slid down the front of the car as relief & excitement set in!
Ross was SO relieved, and excited - I tried to catch the glistening in his eye! When he realized all at once, he would have breaks & shocks, at the same time realizing that the missing bike was part of the excitement toward the unveiling of the new bike!
He ran upstairs to get his shoes to take the new bike out for a spin! It went super-fast - like new shoes do when you're 5!
Then we had ice-cream cake. Couldn't find the candles - so we went with tea-lights.
He got them all.
And then played guitar hero...not to be left out - Brynn got her guitar and joined in!
