Of Bicycles and Witches

I have a love affair with the store Once Upon a Child. I try to go there once a week. I bring almost all of my children's outgrown clothes there. Even though they pay you less than what someone on Craigslist might pay you, they're easier in my mind because it's a one stop place for all of my outgrown and unused kid stuff. Whatever they won't pay me for, I bring to the Goodwill donation box across the parking lot. Unless I think I can get a lot of money off of Craigslist for something, then I have to at least try to put it up for a good month or so on there. 

Anyway, I went there yesterday. I was planning on looking for some winter items for the kids since none of the brand name stores have sales on that stuff yet. However, plans changed when we walked in and Nicole immediately spotted a bike! I've been looking for a cheap regular pedal bike for Miranda for a long time. I would always stare longingly at the brand new ones in the store but I knew I couldn't justify spending the money on a new one when a used one would come along for a lot cheaper. And came it did. A $15.00 16" Princess bike with no training wheels.

Yep, you heard me. I bought my 4 year old daughter a bike without training wheels and it's even slightly too big for her. Some of you are probably thinking I'm crazy and you're probably right. However, for her third birthday we bought Miranda a Strider balance bike. I loved the idea of her never having to rely on training wheels.

Now I'm sure you're all asking, can Miranda ride her new bike? The answer is not yet. Would training wheels help? Sure, she'd be able to ride the bike independently but what would it teach her? Nothing she doesn't already know. She knows how to pedal. She knows how to balance on the Strider bike. What she needs to learn now is how to pedal and balance her new bike at the same time. This will come with time and practice and had the bike come with training wheels it would only take her longer to do. I think the major downfall to the specific bike I bought her is that it's a little bit to big and therefor a little awkward for her to handle. I did this on purpose though to get more life out of the bike. I didn't want to get her the 12" or 14" bike and have her outgrow it in a year. I know, I'm a cheapskate, but really these days you have to be. I know she will be able to learn how to ride the 16" even if it is a bit to big. She's smart, strong and capable.

Talk to me next summer and we'll see if I feel the same way.

Even so, if I find a smaller bike for $5 or less I might get it to help her transition over and I will still have spent less money than on a brand new pedal bike.

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Switching over to a completely different topic now.

Elliott. Usually a pretty happy baby, easily consoled throughout the day.

7:00pm hits ... and it's like a switch has been flipped in his brain. 

It's his 'witching hour'.

He screams from right around 7:00 until he falls asleep for bed around 9:00. It's not very fun at all.

I've been handling it by hiding in my bedroom, sitting in the rocking chair and I rock him, nurse him, burp him, sing to him, talk to him and just generally try to keep him as happy as I can.

Usually we try to give him a bath then too, just to see if it helps.

Sometimes it does. He kicks, plays and is happy for the tub.

Sometimes it doesn't. He screams and makes it sound like the worst kind of torture there is. 

For those (approximately) two hours he is such an unpredictable baby.

Some nights he screams the whole time and makes me feel inadequate and that there's something wrong or that I'm not trying hard enough.

Other nights I do manage to calm him down and we have a wonderful time bonding together.

I never know what to expect. All I know is that once 7:00pm hits, I really want to be home because in the car it is so much worse. He hates the car, regardless, but if it's during his 'witchyness' time. Forget it...

Bloody murder  the whole way home.

Fun times...

Any advice for soothing him before bed?

I mean, even Miranda has her nights where the time between dinner and bed is non-stop fit throwing.

He naps just fine during the day so I just don't get what his issue is.

Help!