We're Going WITH You!

I've started jogging in the mornings a bit with baby Spencer. He wakes up early, so it's nice to get out of the house for a quiet jog (Spence sits nicely in the jogging stroller). Eric stays home with the older children while they watch cartoons or color, and I come home a happy mommy.

One morning, Spencer and I were both sleeping in after a rough night of teething, but at 5:50 am, there was a loud pounding on my bedroom door. I jumped out of bed to see who needed me, and I saw Alia and Grace, all dressed and with their hair done. They had HUGE smiles on their faces because they were so proud of themselves for getting ready, and they had decided to join me on my morning walk. "We're going WITH you!" they beamed.

I know what my response should have been. I ought to have said, "Oh, what responsible young ladies I have! You did a great job getting ready. Let's go enjoy a nice morning walk together." But I didn't say that. I'd had hardly any sleep, I felt grumpy, and the knock on my bedroom door had awakened the baby. I looked at my two smiling girls and simply started to cry. Hard.

The change in their expressions was really sad--I hate to think of it even now. I went back to my bed and tried to pull myself together. After a few minutes, I got up, got Spencer's diaper and bottle, and told the girls I would take them on a walk just this once. Ethan woke up and joined us, and the next thing I knew, I was out at 6:00 am with four children.

We had a talk about how they need to let Mommy wake up on her own, and they were not to pound on my door anymore unless someone was really sick or in danger. The walk really was a lot of fun. We passed about 15 other joggers, all of whom looked at us with wide eyes and said, "You've sure got your hands full." I smiled and pretended that OF COURSE I wanted to take all four children jogging. Why would I want to go by myself?

At the end of the run, I asked Eric to take the above picture as a memory of that morning. He said, "At least your children love you and want to be with you." Yes, I am glad for that. Someday I'll be jogging all by my lonesome, and I'll remember the days I got to have all my children go WITH me!