Radio Flyer is looking Frumpy

It's Friday and the kids are asking to do some, "man-work".   I know, I know!!  horrible, sexist, chauvinist, how could I let my kids set back the woman-kind, fifty years?  nay, SIXTY!  Here are my thoughts on that:  I have a six-year old boy adrift in a sea of females and already, he has learned how enjoyable it is to build and make a noisy mess and work with dangerous tools.  He's named this sort of fun 'man-work' because he sees himself as a man.  And if he want's to categorize something he sees mommy doing almost daily as 'man-work', it is fine with me.

Since we finished ripping and tearing at the house, the kids (and I) sometimes get a Jonesin' to fix something.

Step right on up, Miss Frumpy Radio Flyer---  you're the next victim contestant!

She's just seen better days.   Would you like to hear a bit about her story?  This wagon came into our family about five years ago and , now this is the sad part-- if there are other wagons of a sensitive age out there-- cover your ears.  I... *gasp*... used this wagon as a wheelbarrow for all of those five years.

Me and Red have moved a LOT of boulders and dirt and even a few dressers together and it's time to take this little lady back to the ball.   Little aside here-- most wheelbarrows are built for men--- i know, "sexist, BOO-hiss!  how can you say that?"  I mean literally, they are built for wider shoulders, upper body strength and a lower center of gravity than women have.    When moving large, unwieldy loads of rock, a wagon served the purpose perfectly for me.  So ladies out there, don't you dare put off digging that garden because you need to wait for your husband to move the dirt-- grab a wagon and get to work with your kids!

Step one: take off the extras.  We removed the side rails, just the teamwork needed to manage the wrenches and pliers and screwdrivers neccesary to remove each bolt is worth doing this project.

Step two:  sand.  it will help new stain last longer and kids love it.

step three:  took a field trip to home depot and the kids picked out a new color.  They played it safe.  I DO recommend rust-oleum.

They carefully painted for twenty minutes, then a neighbor came over with, "a REALLY fat toad," and we lost Charlie.

We stained the wood rails to, "look like chocolate", we pumped up the tires with air, we put on new bolts.  We had a great Friday.  Hope you did, too!