I’m turning (or have turned, I should say) into one of those people who comments on the weather and “how time flies.” But I really do have a hard time wrapping around the idea that spring has nearly sprung. We’ve even seen some more sun this past week. My flowers are starting to come up! But seriously, how is it almost March? And another question: we’re what? Half-way through Lent? How is it going to be Easter soon? We just had Christmas! Jesus was just born and now we’re going to turn around and crucify him already? That was the quickest 33 years ever! Give the guy a break already.

Back to the pleasant springtimey weather. Thankfully, we’ve managed to get out and enjoy it. We’ve been to the park a few times and I’ve taken the boys out in the double-jogging stroller twice on runs. It’s been a while (maybe since the last continuous time of sun) that I pushed the boys on a run. I’m out of shape…pushing 80 pounds of stroller and boy is WAY harder than it used to be. (Plus the boys have each gained a couple of pounds). If I took the boys out just once a week for a month, I would be SO ripped. Or at least my left arm muscles would be bulging! (Matthew always sits on the left side and that’s my weaker arm anyway). That’s a great image: huge, rippling, ginormous left arm muscles and wimpy little girly right arm. Would I walk a little lop-sided to make up for the difference in weight? (Yes, these are the questions that plague me and keep me up at night).

Anyway, on our run yesterday, we came upon another couple fellow runners. The first was another running mama with single kidlet jogging stroller and dog on leash. There’s something about that connection that can’t quite be explained. The way we looked at each other as we said “hi” was just…well, magical. It’s so much more than just “hi.” Did she feel it the way I did? Was she as impressed with me as I was with her? I feel, at least, that when you pass another running mama (or papa, for that matter), in your head you’re thinking, “You rock. I know how hard it is to get out the door, to keep these little people happy while you run, and therefore, how dedicated you are. You rock, man. You seriously rock.” (Yes, ALL of those sentiments are hidden behind that simple “hi” greeting).

Fellow runner #2 encounter was a hard-core running guy. (Like he had the running tights and everything). I had that tingly feeling of someone behind me on the sidewalk and seeing as our double-wide takes up nearly the entire width of the walkway I pulled aside to let him pass. (Yes, we’re so wide, in fact, that people have to step off the trail into the underbrush to allow us by). So, Running Guy goes flying past us and again I wondered, “Does he think I rock? He must be kind of impressed that I’m pushing this big thing even if it does mean that I move at a turtles’ creep?” Which reminded me of something else: The Tortoise and the Hare. I asked Matthew if he thought the guy was racing me and should I try to keep up. Matthew was totally into it. And I must say that that kid ROCKS in the stroller. I’ve trained him well to cheer me on, but he goes above and beyond my teachings saying things like, “faster, Mommy. Come on. Don’t let him get away. Move it! Feel the burn!! FASTER! You’re losing!!” My goal wasn’t to whoop the guy as I figured that was out of the question. I had two handicaps: my legs were half the length of his and I was pushing 80 pounds. My goal was, however, to not let him out of my sight. I managed that – for about a block I trailed not too, too far behind him. And then the magic of the Tortoise and Hare happened! He totally kicked it into gear and sped ahead. I could still see him hauling butt down the path, but then, oh but then! I saw him suddenly stop and start walking in slow circles doing that bending over/gasping thing that you do when you’ve exerted just a bit too much trying to be all macho and stuff. I excitedly reported to my Race Coach between gasps, “Matthew! We’ve totally got him! He pushed too hard. He’s just like the Hare. We were slow, but slow and steady, man. Haha! The Tortoise always wins. Suckuh!” (OK, I didn’t say Suckuh ‘cuz I don’t want my four year old to start saying it, but these are the words that pop into my head when I’m trying to self motivate during a run). As I passed Running Guy – I’ll admit, at an increased pace for show and jab – I realized something. Oh, he was waiting to cross the street in the other direction. He wasn’t going straight like me (and therefore had the walk sign). Right. He was waiting for his crosswalk sign to change. Oh well. It was a good ego burst for a while there. And I did keep him in my line of vision for a full block. That’s gotta count for something.

By the time I concluded my run at the big park near our house, the boys were ready to get out and run themselves. I unstrapped Matthew and he went flying up the hill towards the playground. Zach was so excited about his new found freedom that he went sprinting too – just a little too fast. He lost control and did a total face plant-scrape along the pavement of the path. Blood and scrapes under his nose, top lip, bottom lip and chin. Great. Mom of the year award. Why do I not keep him in a hockey face mask/helmet all the time?! Well, it’s not the first fat lip this not-yet-two-year-old has had… I’m fairly sure it’s not his last either.

And speaking of helmets, we’re looking at a big day here in the Martin household. It’s Saturday, it’s sunny and it’ll be Matthew’s FIRST EVER day riding a bike!!!! We bought him a little starter bike w/training wheels at Target, and Mike got it all put together last night. (I might add that the instructions indicated the bike would be put together in a snap – fifteen minutes! – it took Mike two hours and by no lack of skill. He can follow instructions like no one I know. So the 15 minute assembly time must mean that’s how long it would take a race track pit crew). We got Zach his own bike helmet for riding the tricycle now that Matthew will be moving on up to big boy bike world.

I’m afraid. Two boys on self-propelled transportation devices. Just to be on the safe side, I think I better stock up on bandaids, first aid kits and ice packs. And chocolate…for me.