Can you say züm züm?

We've met some great friends here- and we keep on having "small world" moments with our new acquaintances.  Two of those friends are the "Mains".  We met Chris and Todd through mutual friends, and as it turns out, Chris grew up in Lebanon, a town about 30 minutes from Corvallis, and Todd's grandparents live in Newport.  Chris and Todd are active and outdoorsy.  Todd is an avid bicyclist and opened up a bike shop here called Mojo cycles a few years back.  He also imports bicycles for Sam's club, Walmart, and Costco.  His wife, Chris invited me on an early morning play date this morning where we met up at the beautiful Compton Gardens here in Bentonville, and let the kids zoom around on their bikes.

Bentonville has the most beautiful bike trails.  They sprawl all over the town.  And thanks to Alice Walton, right off of the bike trails, there is a beautiful 100 acre park nestled in Bentonville's downtown forest (yes, there is a big forest down town- that is how big Bentonville is), being built called Crystal Bridges.  It is supposed to be finished sometime later this year.  And it's supposed to be a pretty big deal- a world-renowned art museum, here in little Bentonville!

On the bike trail we took today, we walked out to the observation deck where you can see the project's construction:

And speaking of biking, Jimmy learned how to ride with out his training wheels last week!  He had been real scared to attempt it, (we'd take them off, he'd try, and then he'd get scared and beg us to put them back on).   When we met Chris and Todd a few weeks ago, Todd mentioned to James that he sells bikes.  When asked what kind, he said he makes/sells a züm bike (which is a kind of balancing or glide bike).  We had heard of balance bikes from my sister Sara (her Jasper, at age 3 could ride a 2-wheeler). They are little bikes without pedals that are WONDERFUL for kids that are learning to ride a bike.  And from experience with our boys, they are wonderful for a wide range of kids- it's worked with not only our 5 year old, but also our 3 year old.

So here's how our story goes:  Last week, James stopped by Mojo on his way home from work and bought a Züm bike.  He let Jimmy ride it for about 30 seconds, and Jimmy literall zoomed down our driveway, did a loop in the culdesac and totally balanced himself on it the entire way!  He was so proud of himself, he asked James to take off his training wheels (which Daddly gladly did), and hopped on his bike and rode it like he'd been riding a 2-wheeler for years.  It was the most amazing thing to James and me!  I think Jimmy just needed the confidence to balance and know he could do it, and the balance bike made him realize that he already knew how to balance.  Johnny has been riding the züm bike just about every day now, and totally has it down.  I think he'll be able to ride Jimmy's 2 wheeler any day now.

 If you are looking for a balance bike, I totally recommend this one.  You can even buy it through Costco for an awesome price.  It is a handsome little sturdy wood bike and the seat adjusts up and down.  And you see that little boy on the bike in the picture with Johnny above?  He is Chris and Todd's son.  He is the little boy in the pictures in the links!  He and Johnny are biking buddies now.

 Here's some pictures of our bike riding today:

There was one "oh shoot! I'm a bad mom" episode today.  The boys hopped off their bikes and stopped at a little stream to throw some rocks.  I was pushing Alice in the stroller and stopped too, pushed on the stroller brake and left her there while I walked about 7 yards away.  Out of the corner of my eye, I see a horrific scene- Alice, who is sleeping soundly in the stroller is rolling down the hill- toward the stream!  The stroller brake had somehow come loose.  I began to scream and thankfully Chris, who was closer, was able to kind of break the fall when the stroller went off the edge.  Luckily Alice was buckled up in her car seat in the stroller, and she didn't get hurt at all, just startled.  But she landed in the stream hanging from her seatbelt (she didn't get wet, but her car seat did).  Oh, I felt like a terrible mom!  Letting my baby roll down a hill and fall off a ledge!  And it was so scary to watch!  I'm just so glad Alice is okay.

It did remind me of how trying it can be at times with 3 kids.  How every time I go out with them, I have to watch each of them like a hawk. To be honest, it is a little exhausting and I get a lot of anxiety at times.  There were times today on the bike trail that were really hard because Jimmy would race ahead and I would be coaxing Johnny about it not being too hot and "we just need to get up this hill and we'll almost be to the car", all the while sweating while I was pushing little Alice in the stroller.   I wouldn't be able to catch up with Jimmy.  I guess that's one good thing about Jimmy starting Kindergarten next week- I'll have one arm per kid again (phew!).