Fast Running Mommy

 Ran with Elizabeth again today. I didn't know she was coming so I was still in bed when they got there...We talked about kids and first kisses and weird stuff. I have this great first kiss story that I love to tell people. It's much better in person but the story basically goes like this. My brother and his best friend took me into his room and locked the door. They shoved clothes under the door and told the other kids that were banging on the door to go away because we were doing a surprise play for them. Then Michael(my brother) told me that Brad like me a lot and wanted to kiss me like they do on "Love Boat" They were 11 and I was 8. I was still at the age where I closed my eyes when people kissed on Love Boat...I didn't know anything about kissing!!! Being young and a pushover..I agreed. I closed my eyes, held my breath and tighted my lips. Brad kissed me for awhile(I just remember it felt like a long time to hold my breath) and that was that. THEN......my brother...probably realizing the trouble HE'd be in if my parents found out said, "Okay Sarah, now if you don't want me to tell Mom and Dad that you kissed Brad you better do everything I say." I was too young to realize the weeks of slave labor this blackmail was getting me into.  To make it worse, for the next few weeks as I swept and did the dishes for him...whenever I complained he would add a new threat. He would say, "Not only am I going to tell Mom that you kissed Brad ....BUT...I will also tell her that you left the freezer door open!!" In our house leaving the freezer door open and ruining all the food inside was equal to whatever death sentence my mother felt like incurring that day...it didn't look good for me. 

So then one day I guess I had stepped out of line somewhere because my mom started screaming, "SAAAAARAAAAH!!" Oh boy...I was in trouble. I ran to my brother's room where she and my two sisters were helping clean the boy's room. My mom blurted out, "Sarah, Michael just told me that you left the freezer door open." In confusion and tears I said, "No...no...I didn't leave the freezer door open...I kissed Brad" My sisters stared in shock.. ....and my mom headed for Michael who I'm sure by now was half way down the street.

Disclaimer: My brother turned out to be a very nice man..math professor, loving husband and father and I have completely forgiven him. I don't know what my mom did to him but she had a talk with me about never being afraid to tell her if I liked or kissed a boy(she had had some adventures of her own in her day and wanted to be in on mine too. :)   

Just two today. On my second PB stop(that is private without the virtual ...one of the perks of running around the block) I heard happy I'm awake noises coming from the 2 year old. So I had to call it a day early again. It's okay because I'm taking my kids to the Dinosaur Museum today and I think that counts.  Last week I took them to Liberty Park water park..it's a playground with water..fun and free, Seven Peaks, Fat Cats Bowling Alley and Temple Square. This required amazing ablility to feed them quickly while still trying to make something besides PB and J and an ability to completely ignore my house...which I have to say I'm not a clean freak but I'm not a complete slob either and it does bother me to see it dirty and not have time to clean it.  I stayed up late on Saturday night because I was not going to wake to a filthy house. Then last night me and the kids cleaned the entire house. My nine year old is amazing...he cleaned the toy room and vacuumed the entire downstairs. Some of the jobs I have them do just as a matter of course..you live here...you help clean up. Then if they are hot to trot I give them extra jobs for treats (like a juice box or fruit leather) to help with the million extra jobs 5 children home all the time create.  I think that may be the biggest challenge of homeshcool...cleaning up...
 

Got all four in. Last mile with my 5 year old Julia. She was saying things like," You aren't going to tell me to go faster because you can't go faster. It's Daddy that tells me to go fast and I just want to go slow on my runs." Bless her heart. I wonder what it would be like to have a dad training you for the Olympics at age 5...I guess I'll never really know...even though they are my kids. My Dad ran every morning when I was growing up but I don't think he ever even invited me to come with him. It was just not cool in my family to push someone else to do something. In some ways that was good but in some ways I think I would have responded to a little parental pushing and encouragement. 

Tired today but I made it mostly without walking. I am currently making a second breakfast for myself...I think the growth spurt I've been waiting for is happening today..gotta go eat. 

I so love running with Luz...she is such an energizing person. I always always can run faster (BTW Luz...I felt fine on the second half so no guilting) and I really feel energized after a run with her. She is a fabulous conversationalist and it is pretty much the perfect start to my day..I think everyone should sign up for turns to run with her!!

We went after Sasha came home so he was the adult presence in the household. The 5 year old however is the one that best takes care of the 2 year old. I don't think Sasha could take care of him if he wanted to. She is so on top of every demand that he has...it was very wise of Heavenly Father to send another baby to this house...I've got almost more help than I know what to do with between my two little girls.  

Some of my ligaments felt weird today and I just had a general feeling I was pushing it when I shouldn't be..can't describe it exactly..well I could but I don't want to on my blog. I'm sure I can describe it in satisfaction to my coach er...husband and he will look mystified by the complex nature of a pregnant woman's body and agree with me on everything I say. 

I still feel okay so I'm off to Hobblecreek to cheer everyone on...just no more running I think today.