Jump Around

Alex has been asking for a trampoline for the last couple of years.  I have always steered against it for fear of injury, laziness of not wanting to move it when mowing, and cost factors.  And then the other day, I saw our neighbor had a "FREE" sign hanging on theirs.  I silently hoped they would rid their yard of it before Alex saw the sign.  No dice.  "MOM!  Mom mom mom mom mom!  The neighbors are giving away their trampoline...FOR FREE!  Can we get it?  Can we?  Please?!?!"  A nice mom would have probably just said yes.  Not me.  This is how it was handled:

Me:  If you want it, you can go over ask them about it.  Ask about what the condition is and why they are getting rid of it.
Alex:  Ok....but will you come with me?
Me:  No.  If you want it; you can go talk to them.
Alex:  ...buuuut, I don't feel comfortable talking to strangers.
Me:  Nice try.  He's our neighbor, and you didn't take a single pause when you talked to him about his two dogs.

He talked his buddy into going over there with him, and they took off.  They came back defeated as nobody was home.  Travis and I mulled it over and decided if it was in good condition, we would get it, so Travis went over on Saturday afternoon to talk to the neighbor.  Other than needing the safety net enclosure thingy replaced, it is in great condition and they are only getting rid of it because their kids don't use it anymore.  So, we decided we'd get it, and we clumsily carried it through three backyards to our house.

Alex came running out and was so excited, and then was immediately grossed out about how dirty it was.  (The neighbors had it under a tree.)  And once again, I proved just how sweet of a mom I can be when I said, "Well....you want it; you clean it."  I'm choosing to believe I am teaching him responsibility and to put in some effort for something he wants.  Whether that lesson is going to stick or he's going to hate me?  That remains to be seen.

But!  He spent a good half hour out there with the shop vac and some wet rags and got it all cleaned up.  And?  He has been a bouncing fool since we brought it home.