Boys' Running

During the summer, like everyone else, we have a chore list for the kids to complete before they can do anything else. Cleaning chores are of course at the top of the list, but it also includes reading, homework assignments, piano practicing... and running. We wanted the 2 older boys to run a mile each day. Doesn't sound like a lot, but to a 9 and 11 year old...it was at first. But they did it 'willingly', and have improved their times tremendously. (Even though we live in a 'hilly' neighborhood, 13th East is pretty flat, and at the end of the road on 2nd south the stop sign is exactly 1/2 mile away...so they run there and then run back.)

When Brady started going to football camps in the middle of July, I noticed that he was coming in with the top 10 boys out of about 60/70 6th and 7th graders, when they would have the final run at the end of the night. I asked him if it was easier to run that final football field, since he had been running all summer long, and he had to admit that he was grateful for Nate and I making him run every day. (It's nice when your 'work' of parenting starts to pay off and they can admit that you are right ;-)

After a few weeks of running, Jace started asking me daily if he could run with the boys. I really didn't want to let him, because I knew he would slow them down immensely and I didn't know if he could make it the whole way. But one day I 'caved' and let him go with the boys. Brady said Jace did great until he fell about 3 houses down from ours and skinned his knee. (Then he whined until he saw me waiting with the camera...which immediately perked him up.) Since then Jace doesn't ask me to run with the boys quite as often, but he is always asking me if he can run to his friend Reagan's house...which is about 2 blocks away. One day he actually did it, by himself, without me knowing...scared me to death! We had the stranger danger talk and the always telling mom where you are going talk soon after that.


Brady, Jace and Zack running home.

Thanks Brady for making sure Jace made it home safely...skinned knee and all.