Exercise or Entertainment?

I would term today as a complete success!

Post Office - check
Library - check
Delivering MK orders at school - check
Talking to friends at school - check
Lunch - check
Naptime - check
Vacuum out van - check
Matt folding laundry - check
Curious George - check
Walk with kids - check

No tantrums today! Hooray! The kids actually got along for most of the day and played together very, very well! Ben was funny today. We must be making a strong impression with the use of time outs. He came outside this morning and noticed that a squirrel had dug in our geranium planter. "No Squirrel. Naughty. Squirrel go to time out!"

Last night our overnight was not so peaceful. I think Lyndee (who has started almost crawling now, and on Matt's bday said, "Da Da") was up about four times. Ben was up once. Gabe was up once and then slept wedged between us. Both kids were up at 7 am so I did not go for a run.

Hence, the walk tonight while Matt mowed the lawn. Usually Gabe rides his bike and Lyndee and Ben go in the double stroller. It can be a really good work out, considering that the stroller probably weighs between 30-40 pounds, Ben weighs 28 and Lyndee 18. However, tonight Gabe wanted to use the scooter instead of his bike. I tried to convince him otherwise. "We won't be able to go as far."

"Don't worry Mommy, I won't get tired." I reluctantly said okay and proceeded to learn multiple lessons from my four year old. I went on this walk thinking exercise. Gabe wanted entertainment. We went about 2 blocks when he decided that we should play a version of red light, green light. This, after I had rammed him from behind a few times or tried to pass him because I thought he was going too slowly.

"Okay, Mommy. Now listen to me. You go when I say go and stop when I say stop." He starts on the scooter, push push push glide. "Go!" He stops abruptly in front of me, waits till I am about to bump him and says, "Stop!" This went on for the better part of a block, through an intersection and part way up a hill. All the while Ben wanted in on the game and was shouting out stop and go commands at his own intervals. In the middle of the hill, Gabe stops, spins around and says, "Okay, we can turn around and go home now."

"Nope, no way pal. We are here for exercise!" So, I picked up the scooter and put it in the basket of the double stroller and Gabe walked beside me pointing out the important things of the beautiful night. I forgot about exercise and started to be entertained. He is so observant and notices everything! Things deemed important were:

A remote airplane "Kind of like my remote car that we sold on the garage sale." Ouch.
A flat tire
A car draped in cloth "Maybe it's a present for someone."
A red car "We don't have a car, just a van and a truck."
A willow tree "I'd like to swing on the vines."
A group of kids biking
Two loud motorcycles "They are not safe Mommy because they don't have helmets."
A broken branch in a lawn "Poor tree."
Weeds that looked like thistles "That whole lawn is full of ouchies!"
A sprinkler that was run through three times "Mommy, I was so fast on the last one you couldn't even see me."

It was a walk filled with precious moments with my kids. Perhaps the funniest moment was when I asked Gabe if he wanted to ride his scooter for the last few blocks. "No Mommy. Scooters are exhausting."