Some Assembly Required

What to you get when you take two people with a combined 38 years of education and add in a tricycle with less than clear assembly instructions? Tragedy (or high comedy) depending on your point of view.

Yesterday we decided to put together Bunny's trike. We've only had it for 3 weeks. Normally we'd let it go at least another 2 but the weather appears to finally to have turned warm. So we decided to give it a go.

We pulled out every piece and found the required Phillips head screwdriver and wrench. We studied the instruction manual which appeared to be simple enough and started the assembly. Appearances can be decieving my friend, it was not as simple as it looked.

As the project took longer and longer, Bubs and I grew more frustrated. With the project and with eachother. And that is when the fighting started. Now Bubs and I have perfected the art of silent fighting. Like stealthy ninjas, we can have an argument and yell at eachother while conversing about normal things at a normal level of voice. The key to silent fighting is the tone of voice. With the proper tone you can turn a simple phrase like "Did you tighten the screw?" into "Did you even read the directions you big fat stupid head? No of course you didn't, you never do." Its as simple as that.

So there we were, fighting eachother and this little trike like ninjas. We turned it upside down and sideways until we finally figured out a way to tighten the screws enough that the bike would not fall apart. It involved one of us holding the screw with the screwdriver and the other tightening the bolt with the wrench. Not the best way I am sure but it worked. So crisis averted.

When Bunny awoke from her nap, she found a completed trike in the living room and squeeled with delight. Of course she just reaches the pedals and we will most likely have to readjust the seat so she can actually pedal. Luckily for us there is a parental steer on the bike so we won't have to attack the trike with tools just yet.