I'll set up the scene:
It was bright and sunny outside. A few fluffy white clouds dotted the sky. The weather was wonderful. The news was playing on the TV, and I recall hearing something in the background about some storms, but I was sure the warnings did not apply to me. I said the weather was wonderful, right?
(This is where, if we were reading this story in my ELA class, I would hope the students would recognize the foreshadowing that something ironic is about to happen... hit ya with two literary terms there!)
So anyway, I decide that I really want to go ALL the way around the neighborhood, instead of just around the block a couple of times. After all, the weather was wonderful. (<--alliteration.)
And, as I'm putting on my running shoes, I realize I really should take the dogs. Both of them. I never take both of them. But I was going to take both of them. And the baby. Easy peasy.
So to give you a hint about what happened on our walk (because I'm sure I haven't totally given it away yet), I'll first show you the pictures of us when we got back to the house.
This is Ella Kate. Happy. Warm. Comfortable.
This is me. Soaked. Breathless. Sore in multiple places.
As it turned out, I got to the point in our walk where, if I continued the walk, it would take me the exact same amount of time to get back to the house as it would if I just turned around and went the way I came. The point in our walk that is the absolute farthest away from our house as any other point in the walk. The point where, of course, it started to rain.
I look at the perfectly blue sky in confusion.
I turn around to return home, and see the ominous sky behind me, completely black, with lightening striking and the wind blowing fiercely... hold on... no I got carried away. But it was overcast and ominous.
It was sprinkling, so I pulled the stroller covers over Ella, at least she would stay dry. As I walked at a faster than normal pace back towards the house, I scanned houses that we passed. I was trying to decide if there was a house that, just in case it started monsooning, I could knock on the door and ask to sit out the storm on their covered porch since, for whatever reason, I also had two dogs with me. As I got closer to the house, I realized we were going to make it. I also realized that it was now pouring. The dogs were not interested in running, but I was determined. As I'm pushing the stroller, I'm literally dragging the dogs behind me. It was getting close to the time that I needed to feed Ella, so certain parts of my anatomy were not happy with being jostled about, especially since they had already been squeezed into a size medium sports bra. My legs, which had not experienced running in many moons, were aching.
Finally, I pulled into the house, when it promptly stopped raining. It was okay, though, because we made it. Ella was dry and happy. She thought the run was pretty hysterical. She was even cool enough to sit in her bouncer while I took a super duper quick shower.
And THAT'S what I'm thankful for tonight.
I have the coolest work out buddy, who loves to do things with me. Our other new work out experience involves yoga. I have been a little down about how much weight I'm still holding on to, so I decided to try to find a work out I could do while still bonding with Ella Kate. Waiting for her to go to bed does NOT work. I'm usually exhausted by then (yes, 8 pm) and bed is the only thing on my mind. So, I found a mommy/baby yoga video. I was slightly skeptical at first, mostly because I was worried that she would not be content through the entire work out, but she totally was. Because she's so cool. Even the parts where I was not literally in her face, she enjoyed! If you're wondering what mommy/baby yoga is, it involves yoga routines that include the baby. So, instead of push ups, you do kiss ups, where you kiss your baby on the nose each time you do a push up. I didn't even realize my arms were getting a work out, because I got sweet Ella kisses and giggles every time. Or doing a warrior pose, you're holding the baby above your head, just like she loves to be held! And that's a fifteen pound weight I'm lifting!
Anyway, I'm thankful for a sweet baby who can roll with whatever craziness I throw at her, even if it means being stuck on the opposite side of the neighborhood in the rain with two dogs.
