The Pink Mennonite-Twirling-Dress Reformative-Scooter Queen

We've been trying to get each child something wheeled that goes on a road outside. Jack was first, with a traditional skateboard. We want to get Hank a bicycle, but bikes here are incredibly expensive (a new bike for Hannah, which would cost about $50 at Walmart in the US costs about $200 here...I haven't been brave enough to look for a Hank-sized bike yet). So for Hannah, we started off with a scooter.

Scooters are very popular in our compound, as they get you somewhere quick and are light and more affordable (if you buy the cheap kind) or more portable (if you bring one back from the US).

This scooter came from a large grocery store called "Family Foods." Family Foods reminds me of the Brookshire Brothers in Hearne, TX. It's large and stocked but not as fancy as other stores you'd find in a large city. I don't need any more fancy than is necessary for basic provisions, so FF is excellent.

They have a small toys area, and we bought this scooter for about $20. One of the bonus features was the packaging.



We are guessing that it's called a "REFORMATIVE" scooter because it collapses--the handle folds down for storage or carrying.  The "Plentiful colour and special personality character" on the box is obviously Bart Simpson, but once we opened the scooter, we were even more excited to find Barbie princess stickers.  I will bet you a dollar that none of these characters was "officially licensed" from their copyright-holding parent companies...

Thankfully, the little disposable wrench required to do some minor adult assembly was included in the package, so once we got home from the grocery store trip, John had it all assembled in under five minutes.  That's saying a lot, since the whole time, a certain four year old was jumping and dancing around the kitchen asking "when can I ride it? when can I ride it? when can I ride it?"

Watching her ride the scooter provides great entertainment, both in the level of joy it produces for its rider and in seeing that little body move with such powerful determination.  She doesn't center her body of the footplate.  Instead, she sort of hangs over to one side, as she is pushing furiously (and moving rather quickly as s result).  The first trip couldn't wait for shoes or appropriate clothing.  Off she went down the street, bangs in her eyes, flithy little feet pumping, and dress ribbons flying behind.

A musician named William Ackerman put out an album in the 1976 called In Search of the Turtle's Navel. It is an accoustic guitar album that, according to Wikipedia, some consider as marking the start of New Age Music.  Whatever it's historical importance, it is a great collection of songs.  One is called "The Pink Chiffon Tricycle Queen."  That is what we have here, only wearing her Mennonite Twirling Dress and perched upon her Reformative Scooter.

Did I mention that the wheels light up in the dark?

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Just for fun, here's one of Ackerman's other songs, from that same album: