Copycats

Since becoming a parent almost five years ago I have learned all kinds of things from my kids.

1. Kitchen floors contain powerful food magnets.
2. Do not serve rice the day you clean the floors (see #1).  If you make this mistake, resist your OCD tendencies and let the rice stay on the floor until the next morning when it is dry.  Sweeping dry rice is easy, crawling around and picking up individual grains of cooked rice is not.
3. A trip to the library for Star Wars books is a trip worth taking.
   
4. A newly potty trained child will always chirp "Mommy I need to go pee" when all the groceries are on the belt and there are 53 people in line behind you.  Take newly potty trained children to the potty when you pass it.
5. I will never get a picture of both of my children smiling and looking at the camera at the same time.
   
6. Kids do not care when their parents are exhausted.  They MUST HAVE rice krispies immediately upon waking, immediately.
7. Dressing a two year old to play in the snow is never worth the effort. 
   
8. Going to bed late does translate into sleeping in.  
9. An endless supply of rocks and a small stream can provide hours of entertainment.
   
10. Sleeping on the floor is more comfortable then sleeping in your bed, if and only if it means you are in control.
    
11. And last but not least, kids want to be like their parents.

There are all sorts of ways that kids want to be like their parents.  Try it out, say something that you do not want your child to repeat.  I dare you...Say 'fart' in front of your 4 year old boy.  There are of course, many other things.  Daddy wears a tie to church, and the boys want to also.  Daddy wears athletic clothing all the time, the 'sports shirts' are the go to for the boys.  I eat hummus for lunch most days, of course Cooper follows suit.  They follow the leader in more important ways also.  When children see good manners, empathy, consideration of others, love, and compassion they demonstrate these characteristics.

The children of running parents are a different breed of child all together.

Lucas'  has a cheap watch for learning to tell time.  He has informed me many times that it is his garmin, and then runs around the house reporting his distance and pace.  They love to have race numbers pinned on and to be awarded medals for their races around the house.  My children have a built in nuun radar.  Not only do they come running when I am making a glass of nuun post run, but they will report being very sweaty from running while they are playing and request a glass of nuun.  Lucas and Eliza fondly remember their first race last Thanksgiving.  The 100 meter run that they held hands for the duration of.  They have requested to run another race this year.  We are (possibly foolishly) considering the 1K option.

My cousin and her husband have a great Sunday morning routine where Daddy takes the girls on a long walk while Mommy gets her run in.  They then meet up at the park and walk home together.  Just like Mommy, Isabel needed hydration for her strenuous workout.

I hope that as our children grow they will remember our commitment and passion for running and fitness and become runners find a way to exercise that brings them joy and a feeling of competence and accomplishment.