Michael P | July 21, 2006 12:03 PM

Man, I can so identify. My oldest daughter is on her third bike. And their very picky about their bikes. Can't just be any bike. Oh no. Has to be the pink and purple new "Barbie" bike that costs twice as much as the equally good pink and purple generic bike. They both even have tassles! The only difference is the flashy "Barbie" decal. Sheesh. Girls. Ya gotta love 'em.

Oh, and be glad you don't have two. It's twice the fun! My younger daughter wants a new bike too (cuz my older daughter got one, don'cha know).

Ah, the joys of parenthood. :)

Michael P | July 21, 2006 12:09 PM

Egads!! I used "their" when I should have used "they're!" I should be shot... (especially on a writer's blog... oh the shame!)

Adam Rakunas | July 21, 2006 12:12 PM

I never had tassels on my bike when I was a kid, but I sure had Oakley pads on the top tube and handlebars. One of these days, I'm going to dig 'em out of my parents' garage and put 'em on my road bike for a race.

Pat Lundrigan | July 21, 2006 12:34 PM

I assume she's doing a track stand, because if she was moving, she'd be wearing a helmet, right?

Robert Daeley | July 21, 2006 12:34 PM

I got depressed one afternoon recently when I couldn't remember the number on the placard on the front of my childhood Huffy. ;)

John H | July 21, 2006 12:46 PM

Assuming this is the equivalent of an open thread, check out what the good folks of Chauncey, OH are doing to raise money for their village. What a craptacular idea!

Jeff Hentosz | July 21, 2006 01:19 PM

Michael P:

Shooting's a bit much. In the absence of our host, I* will take it upon myself to give you your penance --

You will go buy three new Bratz outfits for each of your daughters and watch High School Musical twice this weekend.

It'll smart, but you'll feel better.

*Father of one daughter, now grown. Which actually doesn't lessen the parental angst, just makes it different (e.g., parking tickets as opposed to Barbie bikes, and so forth).

Michael P | July 21, 2006 03:40 PM

Jeff Hentosz:

"You will go buy three new Bratz outfits for each of your daughters and watch High School Musical twice this weekend."

Um... I think I'd rather be shot. And do you know how much each of those Bratz outfits COSTS???

"Father of one daughter, now grown. Which actually doesn't lessen the parental angst, just makes it different (e.g., parking tickets as opposed to Barbie bikes, and so forth)."

I am NOT looking forward to that period in their lives. I'm already missing the time when they were innocent little infants. Changing diapers was cake. :)

emeraldcite | July 21, 2006 04:19 PM

Just got back from taking my daughter to see Monster House. It wasn't bad, but it's not really a summer movie. It should have come out around Halloween.

John Scalzi | July 21, 2006 04:31 PM

That's when the DVD is coming out, I'm sure -- and where the movie will make most of its money.

Never fear, Hollywood knows what it's doing.

emeraldcite | July 21, 2006 06:13 PM

Never fear, Hollywood knows what it's doing.

If it involves money, I have no doubt.

Wasn't a bad flick, though. Not the best computer-generated feature I've seen, but not bad.

As always, though, the trailers gave too much away.

Chang | July 21, 2006 06:27 PM

I think when we went to see THE HEDGE with my 7 year odl daughter the previews for Monster House came up and it might as well have been Amityville Horror. No way was she going to that damn movie.

John Scalzi | July 21, 2006 06:33 PM

Chang: Yeah, I agree it's not for a lot of kids. My kid enjoys spooky stuff (her favorite movie is Nightmare Before Christmas), so this was right up her alley.

emeraldcite | July 21, 2006 09:23 PM

Ditto my daughter on Nightmare Before Christmas. Did Athena like Corpse Bride?

My daughter is stoked on Pirates right now. Very exciting. Healthy doses of creepy stuff and Monty Python. Gotta make her a geek before it's too late...

Simon Haynes | July 21, 2006 09:48 PM

We got our girls new bikes for xmas. They're both tomboys so we got the chunkiest bikes we could find with skull stickers, flames & lots of glossy black & flouro green paint. Needless to say, they loved 'em. With these two, tassles would have off in seconds, and they'd have used magic markers to give Barbie horns and a mo ;-)

Wickedpinto | July 22, 2006 08:28 PM

Somewhat random.

I don't know you, or your daughter, or your wife, but I remember reading here on this blog, some post you made about how some think you are a jerky.

I never thought that, but I don't know how anyone can think that you are anything but a decent, if not great person, because in your life you clearly love your daughter, and in your interaction with the public you clearly love your daughter and wife, and in your first book "old mans war" you are clearly a softy who loves his wife, and (in the book) his child.

You're a big softy who has his own opinions, but in the things that matter? You are still a softy, who knows whats valuable. Thats part of why I'm holding out on reading "Ghost Brigades" until I re-read old mans war for the third time, cuz you have a very real emotional connection in that book, and since I read your blog, I think it is actually a reasonable analysis on my part.

Don't know you, your wife, or your child but I hope nothing interferes with the love you clearly have for all of it.

Wickedpinto | July 22, 2006 08:29 PM

One more thing, in the pic? Athena looks like she's staring at you saying "Daddy? I don't need your help, really!!!"

A tough little chick she seems.

John H | July 25, 2006 05:58 PM

I went to see Monster House in 3D - not too bad, but it seemed like they couldn't decide whether to be PG-13 or G. Especially with the ending.

But what really got me excited was seeing that they're re-releasing Nightmare Before Christmas in 3D this October! That's probably the only thing they could do to make that movie better...