God bless America and God bless moms and dads who go through heck to make their kids happy...

Every summer for the past three years Big "B" has eagerly looked forward to the Patriotic Bike Parade at her school. We look forward to it, too. It's simple, it's fun and the kids are adorable riding on their decorated bicycles dressed in all red, white and blue.

I'm not the best at going all out when it comes to decorating bikes. The past two years, her bike...well, let's just say it didn't stand out. What I am good at, is making HER stand out! (hence the sparkly, star shades! And if you're wondering, she did have a bow that matched but it was so big the paper hat she made at school wouldn't fit over it and I figured I would appear a little obnoxious making her wear them both.)

Anyway, I decided I would try a little harder at the bike decorating this year. So, on the afternoon before the parade we went to Michael's and bought lots of independence day garland, some bells, ribbon and stars to hang on the handlebars. While Little "B" slept the two of us had fun sweating in the sun, turning her pink and purple Hello Kitty bike into a fancy, shiny, red, white and blue one she could be proud of at the parade.

After putting on the finishing touches it was time to test it out for a practice spin. Not having ridden the bike in a few weeks because of the heat, she hopped on and started peddling, but the bike wouldn't go anywhere. I realized the back tire was flat and the training wheels were loose. That became Daddy's problem. Big "B" promptly got on the phone to call him. The conversation went something like this...."Daddy, I need you to come home on your dinner break so you can fix my bike. The back tire is flat and my training wheels are loose and I don't want to be the joke of the parade!" He agreed and came home in his suit and tie for what he thought was going to be a quick flat fix. Oh, was he in for something more!!

After about 15 minutes of trying to pump air in the dirty tire on the bike that he sat on our kitchen bar -- I realized it was not just a low tire. He still had hope and kept pumping. We were both growing frustrated. Then out came the tools - ALL the tools we own, spread out all over the kitchen. I was, at that point, convinced he didn't know what he's doing and this fix-it project seemed doomed.

Determined not to let my poor Big "B" be the "joke" of the parade, my solution was to just go to Wal-Mart and buy a new bike, but if we did that we would have to redecorate ANOTHER bike and time was running out! Frustrated and sweaty, my husband had to leave to return to work. I called him on his way back with a couple of suggestions on what we could do. He thought they were all dumb and the conversation ended with me yelling, "No! She can't ride her EZ Roller in the parade. It's a BIKE parade not an EZ Roller parade! And you're the worst dad EVER!!" Click.

It's one of those experiences we've all had as mothers and fathers numerous times. I knew one day I'd look back and laugh at this mishap, but at that moment I was livid!!! I went to bed hoping when I woke up on bike parade day Big "B" 's bike would be in riding condition and the laughter could begin. Instead, I woke up to the bike in worse condition. It was no longer on the kitchen bar. It was in a million pieces in the living room. Nuts and bolts and tools were scattered everywhere! I fought the urge to wake a sleeping house and left for work. When I got home my husband made a trip to Wal-Mart and after a couple of hours the bike was fixed and ready to go JUST in time for the parade.

When Big "B" saw it lined up on the breezeway with all the other bikes, she yelled, "Daddy, thanks SOOOOOO much for fixing my bike!" She didn't know he would have preferred she rode her EZ Roller instead of him fixing the bike, but he did it and he was the hero! She was happy, he was happy, I was happy....it was time to start laughing...