Walking

 Walking is something I used to do a lot of,  We used to do a lot of.  I think I should sit down some day and make a list of all of the things I did regularly before I had children so that I don't forget to do them again once they have their own grown up lives.

We try to walk with them.  We used to have an amazing stroller that went with us everywhere.  Unfortunately someone who has much smaller children has our amazing stroller and is probably walking everywhere with them.  They are now too big for the stroller, and too small to walk far enough to gain any benifit physically.  It has become apparent that Dave has been frustrated by our lack of walking.  It gives us time to talk, time to exercise and time outside.  Today he suggested we go to the track at the high school for a walk.

Why do I instantly think of every bad thing that could possibly happen. I instantly went to the "mommy I'm bored, I'm tired, I want to go home."  Although I wanted to tell him I didnt think it was a great idea, I didn't.  I reluctantly went along with his plan to bring the kids to the "racing track" as he told them it was called fearing the worst.  Kids whining, me annoyed that I was right and didn't speak up, and a husband who didn't get to walk.  As we were leaving the house Em asks "can I bring my hula hoop?"  At this point what difference did it make, sure bring the hoop...  Boy did I figure this whole thing wrong :)

They walked a lap with us then decided to practice long jumping and roll the hula hoop back and forth while we walked a mile and a half.  There was no whining, there was no complaining, and my children played together with no adult supervision and survived it! 



Why do we as mothers feel this overwhelming need to fix things just right to avoid any sort of conflict or discomfort?  Why do we discourage the ones we love by having to be in control of every little thing?  Why do we smother our children and never give them a chance to make up hula hoop games and jump in the sand?  We need to stop!  plain and simple.  I learned alot from my husband today.  We may not have been walking by the ocean or the resevior like we used to, but we were walking. Together.  We got to talk, the kids got to play and we are all better for it.  And the picture of the two of them?  No I did not have to bribe them with chocolate...  they were having so much fun together that they forgot they can't stand each other!




Because they were so great we took them for ice cream!   What else are you supposed to do after exercising????  I am proud to say that only the kids had ice cream.