A couple of nights ago Jane ordered Reuben and Joshua their first bikes (Branching Out First Bikes by John Crane), one in blue, the other in red. These are push-along, balance bikes with pneumatic tyres, adjustable-height seats and a bell on the handlebars. They arrived today.
Yesterday Jane took the boys into St Andrews to buy them proper bike helmets, which cost almost as much as the bikes themselves.
Reuben and Joshua love bike helmets; they’ve worn Jane and my helmets at home for the last few months. Often fighting over them. They love their own helmets now too. Reuben has a blue one with pirates on it, Joshua has a red one with dinosaurs on it.
I was sitting with Reuben last night, knowing that their new bikes would hopefully arrive the following day. We’d kept it secret from them that we’d ordered them. This was our conversation:
Daddy: Do you like your new bike helmet, Reuben?
Reuben: My like it. My like my new bike helmet.
Daddy: Good. Now you’ve got a bike helmet what do you think you might need next?
Reuben: Mmmm… [obviously thinking]. A drill!
Daddy: A drill?!
Reuben: Yes. My like a drill.
Daddy: Right… okay. Well, I didn’t give away too much information in that conversation then, did I?
