Owen's Legs

Owen's legs hurt.

They hurt because his parents are trying to be healthy. And we try to be healthy by eating lots of vegetables and fruits and exercising regularly. And you can't really exercise regularly with young children except by exercising WITH the young children. This was simpler two years ago, before we had a Felix. We would strap James and Owen into the stroller and they would conk out into a semi-napping state as the miles went by, or perhaps they would bring books to look at or just talk to one another and point out neighborhood cats and dogs.

But then we had Felix. And now we don't have room in our double jogger. We briefly flirted with the idea of putting all three kids in strollers (we do have a single jogger still), but James is really much to big to be pushed around anymore, much as he'd be fine with it. So instead, he's learned how to ride his bicycle. He's very fast, he doesn't easily get tired, and he seems to have a pretty good head about safety.

So Felix can go in a stroller, and James can go on his bike while we run. Except, of course, there's Owen.

Owen won't go in the stroller anymore. That's for babies. But he isn't big enough to ride a bike. He's pretty good on his scooter, for a three-year old. But a three-year old on a scooter absolutely cannot keep up with a six-year old on a bike, not matter how fast he things he is. (He is, in his own words "faster than speed.") And so Owen tires himself out trying to keep up with James, and then he whines about how tired he is and how his legs hurt and he needs someone to carry him.

But even when you offer to let Owen ride in the stroller (once he's tired himself out) he'll back out of the agreement once he realizes that he's going to have to sit with the baby instead of riding with the big kid. He needs to scooter like James. And everything is a race.

Our pre-run preparations have turned into battles. Here's how it usually goes.
Adults: "We're going to go for a run in a few minutes!"
Owen: "Outside?"
Adults: "Yes!"
Kids: "Yay!"
James: "Can I ride my bike?"
Adults: "Yes."
Owen: "Can I ride mine scooter?"
Adults: "No. This time you need to ride in the stroller because of--"
Owen: "WAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Adults: "--but don't you remember last time when you crashed three times and said you were so tired that you were going to sleep by the side of the road and--"
Owen: "I NEED TO RIDE MINE SCOOOOOOOOTER! LIKE JAMES!"
Felix: <eating paper he found on the floor>

We were always conspicuous when we went on family runs. But now you'll definitely hear us before you see us. And we're sorry, whether it's for Owen's legs hurting because of how tired he is, or whether it's because he's been unjustly imprisoned in the stroller like a baby. We're just going to keep on running.

Because we're going to be healthy even if it kills us.