Mummy gets a motorbike.

LHT looked at me this morning with the same smile he had on his face before he proposed so I knew something was up. "I want to buy you something," he said. "What?" I love presents so I was excited straight away. "A motorbike." Hmmm, I thought, now if he buys me the bike, I really have to learn to ride. Because I don't want to be a pussy and because the Fabjubity muffin is learning and TenB has been riding since she was a little girl I do want to learn. I can just see us now, an all girl riding outfit with our girly bikes and cute little matching outfits, ah very sweet.

$700 dollars later we have a gorgeous 34 year old Honda xl 100 in our yard. The man we bought it from had owned it for 30 years and he was sad to see it go but I'm sure he was happy to see it come to our house to a good home, to be loved. It is in prime condition, and it came with a spare motor and some other bits and pieces that only LHT appreciates. He even gave us his old helmet, which must be 30 years old itself. LHT wants to make it a feature in the bar, it's pretty cool. I told him I was going to paint it pink and cover it in butterflies and fairies, then I looked up and they have a motorhome covered in frangipanis and bees, a kindred sticker spirit in his wife. I told them that I was going to hand over the money to her and tell her it was for stickers for the motorhome. I can't wait to paint it and make it my own. I love that LHT picked it out for me partially because he knew it could be painted and made pretty. I can't wait to know how to ride it and have a licence and cruise around town on it.

LHT showed me how to kickstart it and after a few goes I seem to be able to do that, I checked out the horn and the indicators and the lights, all works well. He showed me how to put it into first gear but I wasn't very good at coordinating the accelerator and the clutch together so he did the clutch and I did the rest. I was doing some laps around our front yard, we had both the gates open. We would have gone over to the paddock across the road but the police had cruised past earlier we think looking for some boys who had been riding a dirt bike over there earlier so we didn't want to risk it, after all we need to show a good example to our child. LHT running beside me holding me up while we did the laps and I shrieked with laughter, delight and fear. At one point I nearly ran into a big pile of rocks we have in our yard because I was trying to brake with the clutch. My brother in law asked if I had the knack yet... No, I don't think so I said, I think it's going to take quite a while for me to be okay by myself. LHT was very good and very patient because he knows if he's anything but I'll just cry and pout and carry on like a little sooky la la. He climbed on the back and we rode it together for a bit until we nearly ran into the house due to my crappy steering and not so good acceleration. That scared me a bit and I thought it might be enough for one day.

The Pixie just sat in her stroller watching us while we did the laps, she didn't jump when we started this bike because it is so much quieter than her daddy's. The bloke even gave me a crate for the back so I can pop some shopping in there once I can actually ride it. I need to go and get my learner's tomorrow or soon anyway so I can get out on the highway. Oh won't I look like such a rebel on my pink bike with my pink helmet with butterflies. I suggested to Pumpkin that he might like to go for a ride on it, but he didn't think a 45 year old man would really look that good on it. It was really funny today when LHT rode it home and we followed behind in the car, men were laughing at him as he rode it. He looked so funny, LHT on this little bike with his boots and his big helmet. It reminded me of when I put the 'fairies kick arse' sticker on our landcruiser. People would pull up alongside him after having seen the sticker and then see him and laugh or make comments to him. One bloke said, "You're not much like a fairy." Another said, "The missus eh?" My favourite though is when we lived in Darwin and we had just arrived and were staying in the awful caravan park. LHT got out of the cruiser with a bottle of 'Love and Care' washing liquid in his hand and the other guys in the caravans near us just started laughing at him and saying he was a pretty girl with his fairy car and his bottle of love.

I know you must be thinking he doesn't deserve ALL the public humiliation I put him through but he does, he thrives on it, it makes him stronger, mainly because it doesn't kill him.