Dirt Bike Nick!

As many of you know, Nick has been saving for a dirt bike for nearly two years. Two weeks ago, he conquered another rung of the childhood ladder. He came home from an afternoon of shopping, haggling and bargaining under Chad's tutelage, sporting a new green helmet and a blue Yamaha-something-or-another. (Mom's aren't required to know the specs.) His smile was huge -- and directly proportionate to the jealous crocodile tears distorting his brother's face. He recounted every move and persuasive argument from each store before firing it up for a test drive and "show" for the neighbor kids.

Chad had agreed to pay half the bill on big purchases if the boys will work hard to save the first half. It took quite a while, but he did it. A cool bike too -- no sissy dirt bike for him. You should have seen the look on his face when the other dirt-bike riding neighbor boys told him it was a "sweet bike" and stood on the sidewalk to watch his inaugural ride.

I almost teared up when I heard him shift. I remember as a little kid I had a t-shirt that said, "My daddy rides a Kawosaki." Now it's time for a whole new season of life..."My son rides a Yamaha." It was pretty cool.