Hippo birdie to you. ...

We celebrated our youngest daughter's eighth birthday Thursday. We had a party at Chuck E. Cheese in Holland with several friends.

When she sings "Happy Birthday," she sings it "Hippo birdie to you." It's best not to ask why.

I hope the highlight of Alyssa's day was when she got her new bike. She's pictured above on it.

After a morning at the doctor's office (the girls needed physicals before they go to Girl Scout camp), we went to Lakeshore Cycle and Fitness on Riley north of Holland so Alyssa could choose her bicycle.

Lakeshore is where I got my bike and take it for all its repairs (and there are many!). The owner, Todd Garvelink, is very nice and patient with me and all my stupid questions (Is chrome molly the best? How about the new titanium fibers? If a train leaves Chicago at 3 p.m. traveling 65 mph. ...).

We could have gotten the bicycle cheaper at, say, Wal-Mart, but I like to support local businesses when I can. And I may cut corners on not-so-important things like food, clothes, cars and health care, but not something as important as a bicycle.

The trick Thursday was getting Alyssa to take a bike without training wheels. I had sat down with her the day before and explained how training wheels inhibit her ability to maneuver the bike, actually making it less safe, and that having two more wheels on the ground will cause more friction and slow her down. She didn't want to hear it.

So, to avoid emotionally scarring her, I acquiesced to the training wheels. A whining child always beats a tired parent in any game. Always.

Thought: I hope she grows out of the training wheels soon. She can't have them if she's going to be in the time trials on Team Hayden in the Tour de France next month.