Mom and Dad the Spies

As we have had the pleasure of having our house full of family for the holidays, Matt and I decided to take advantage of them a couple days ago and go for a run together rather than taking turns.

After changing into some running duds, we came downstairs in our semi-matching outfits of black spandex and black tops and black hats, Ben took one look at us and said, "Hey! You guys match! You're wearing the same thing! Hah!" I felt a tad foolish after this so I said, "Yeah, you're right, we do match. It's a little lame." Ben responded by saying, "No way! You look like spies!"

I love that kid...

Quit Being Such A Baby!

Summer is suddenly here, and with hot summer sun comes the dreaded sunscreen, unfortunately. I actually got busted by the boys' pediatrician last week when on our very first hot and sunny day of the year, she asked Ben if his mom puts sunscreen on him when he plays outside, to which he answered, "No! We don't use sunscreen!" I had to interrupt to explain that we do actually use sunscreen, just hadn't gotten it out for the summer yet.

Sunscreen... yuck! Slimy and smelly and always a pain. Yesterday, as I was spraying my kids down with it, they started whining about how it was getting in their eyes. They were making quite a big deal about how painful it was, like there is any easy way to get sunscreen on three wiggly boys. I told them to knock it off and quit being such babies. It's just a little sunscreen!

Well, it was already very sunny and hot out first thing in the morning, so I smeared some of the yucky stuff all over my face before I went for my run. Not 5 minutes into my run, I was already sweating from the heat and the sunscreen began running into my eyes. Yowzers! I was wiping and rubbing my eyes the rest of my run! It actually does hurt and I had tears running down my face from how much my eyes were watering! Who's the baby now?

I am going to have to be more purposeful about using the tear free stuff on our faces from now on.

I Got To Keep On Movin'!

It is funny the songs I find running through my head on a regular basis; songs I was never really a fan of or never really noticed that I even knew the lyrics. I will be going about my business with no background music coloring my activities, when it happens: I say the key phrase to one of my kids or think a certain thought and up comes the song that applies! After that, the song just stays playing in my mind, long after my thoughts have turned elsewhere. It's like my life has a soundtrack, and it's not a great one most of the time.

Currently, the most overplayed track in the mind of Deb is that old song "Break My Stride." Remember it? Maybe it's not an "old" song to all of you, but it is certainly not current, nor do I really remember it ever being current.

Ain't nothin' gonna break my stride

Nobody gonna slow me down, oh no

I got to keep on movin'

Ain't nothin' gonna break my stride

I'm running and I won't touch ground

Oh no, I got to keep on movin'

I literally hum this song every day. It starts playing every time I try to chat with other moms when I'm dropping my kids off at school and Jack takes off for places unknown.

I hear it every time I try to walk with him down the sidewalk and he runs as fast as he can to the street, refusing to be redirected.

I sing it in annoyance and frustration with a fair amount of sweating as well when I chase him down and attempt to pick him up, squirming and twisting and protesting, after he has run too far away chasing a person walking their dog or heading in a direction he just has to go and no other direction will do.

It begins again every time I try to sit down with him and play something on the floor in one room and he insists on spending about 8 seconds in each room before moving on to the next.

Pouring myself a cup of coffee is a sure way to start up the song again. Something about mom wanting to sit and drink coffee while it is actually hot makes those feet start running!

Attempting to take a picture of him is also a cue for the song to start. I have very few clear shots of him over the last few months. I like to call him "The Blur..."

He's always on a mission and he's full of life and energy. He really does not want to let anyone break his stride. He's got to keep on movin'!

There Goes My Ego or Road Rash

Matt has been out of town for a few days, so now that he is back, I was really looking forward to a real run tonight.  By "real" I mean making good time by myself without pushing two kids way over the weight limit of my double stroller with a very chatty 5-year-old riding bike in front of me, beside me, behind me, on my toes...you get the picture.  It feels more like punishment than exercise.

I was loving my run tonight though.  It was just me and my feet and my thoughts.  I had made it about a third of the way through my run and was running around Depaul University.  I turned a corner and suddenly, I had the wind at my back and I found myself running faster without any more effort!  I found this quite exciting for some reason and thought to myself, "I should go even faster!  It will feel like flying!"  Well, faster I went, flying I did not, unless you count the dive I took about 10 giant steps into my "flying."  Remember, I am running right around a university so there are college kids all over the place.  When my toe hit the two-inch raised section of sidewalk and I ate it, I almost dove right into two young college boys and nearly scared them to death!  I think they jumped almost as high as I did!  They had the decency not to laugh at me outright and immediately rushed to my aid as I played dead there on the sidewalk.  Out of all the empty sections of dark sidewalk tonight, I had to pick the section with two young guys on it!  

I'm fine.  I have scrapes all up my right arm and shoulder, plus holes in my new running pants and stinging knees, but my I think I left more ego there on the sidewalk than skin.  I have to say  though, I did make good time, despite the crash.  I think I ran faster than ever once I got up to get as much distance between myself and the very gentlemanly witnesses I left behind.  

Oh!  As if one episode of maniac running wasn't enough for one night, I scared the you-know-what out of a biker tonight too!  I was almost home and was coming up on a patch of wet cement on the sidewalk that was roped off.  In order to get around it, I had to run in the street for a bit, so I hopped out between two parked cars and into the bike lane and right in front of a biker going the opposite (and correct) direction!  He skidded and ran his bike into the curb while I apologized profusely.  He didn't seem too upset for some reason and there was no damage to his bike, thank goodness.  I was a menace on the streets tonight!  Watch out for me if you are ever in my neighborhood past dark!