It's the small things

This morning started really smoothly for a Monday. We were all set to go out the door on time, faces shining and snacks in hand. And then we saw that my bicycle tire was flat. So I went to get the bike pump while hollering for Douwe to come back and taking Daan out of the baby seat. (Yes, in fact, I do have three hands.) I got the bike pump. I couldn't figure out how to use it.

Well, the crossbar goes up and down, thanks very much. Both my children helpfully pointed this out when I said that I didn't know how it worked. But there are three little screw end fitting thingies plus a clamp on there. The bike tire also has a screw fitting type thingie on it. None of the combinations of screw type thingies appear to me to match up. And I am not at all sure what the clamp is for.

Well, it's to clamp something. But what?

So I called the schools and told them we would be late because I cannot figure out how to work a bicycle pump, which everyone found uproariously funny. It's apparently like saying you can't work the light switch. And I took Oma's car, because Dearly Beloved was already gone and Oma was still asleep, and drove the kids to school.

Douwe insisted that we must walk. Or rather, that I muust walk and he would ride his bike, which is not after all broken. Driving is verboten, because this week is Traffic Pollution Week or something at the schools, and we were all committed (please note use of the passive voice, nobody asked me) to not driving to school for the good of the planet. I vetoed this idea, mostly on the ground that Daan cannot possibly walk that distance in under about two hours, by which time it would be academic. (Daan has to stop and smell the roses a lot, it's a drving force with him. And chase the ants and wave at the cars and look at the clouds and count the leaves and bark at the doggie and look in all the windows and and and. It is charming, except when you actually want to get anywhere.).

So I got to hear about how I was hurting the planet at great length. I did not respond that hurting the planet was better than hurting your child, but I might have thought it. Once. Fleetingly.

I am now off to try once more to plumb the mysteries of a bicycle pump. Hopefully this will all be squared away by lunchtime, when they both come home and then we go back to school.

edited to add: Well, maybe I should have more self confidence. Turns out I did do it correctly and the pump was broken.