It’s been an amazing journey having kids, not all is picture perfect, there are so many things I could do better. So I say, “No judging unless you’re wearing my shoes.”  But my kids and husband make me want to be a better person, a healthier person.

 I try to cook and bake from scratch, so now I get off the couch and woggle like nobody has woggled it before.  I totally rock a woggle.  For the record “woggle” is totally a word, Webster just hasn’t bothered to get with the times!  Wait, you don’t know woggle?  I’m sure many of you woggle w/o knowing it!  Woggle, as defined by me and only me, is to do a walk/jog combo.  Getting said bum across the finish line by any means possible w/o doing harm to my old lady parts.  So it goes on record that I am not a good runner, parts start to hurt when I do it.  Yes, I know about proper form and cadence, and while I am not good at sticking to it, I do try.  So I go forth and WOGGLE!!!!

So now that I woggle as much as I can, my daughter started asking me if she could start going to the track w/me and then she wanted to join me and do some races too.  At the early age of 5, she declared that she was going to do Wharf to Wharf with me. This race was the first race I had ever done and it is a very special race in my heart and she wanted to do it along side me. Later my mother decided that if her 5-year-old granddaughter could do a 10K, well, so could she!  I was beyond thrilled at this turn of events.  I never thought I could share this joy I found doing races with others.  (Now there are races I go to that my whole “mommy van o doom” is full of friends that now do races.  LOVE! IT!)

All these times I strapped them into the double stroller, it became a part of their lives too.  Something that they looked forward to, started asking to “go rock the BOB please” so I could walk; I really think it was the great snacks I provided, but I don’t know.  Then it became “we want to watch you cross the finish line, Momma!” My son would start yelling “I NEED TO TRAIN TOO!”  and run laps through the house. Then, at the track, they started doing laps rather than just sit in the stroller!

 One event that I hope I never forget, it still brings tears to my eyes today:  I was training for my first Half Marathon.  Getting up super early on Saturday mornings to do the long runs (HA woggle) on the treadmill. My first long run ever-10 miles. Well, at mile 8, I started to crash and crash hard (is there any other type of crashing). There were my kids and husband cheering me on, “GO MOMMA GO MOMMA GO MOMMA” and they kept it up for 2 long miles, bringing me cups of water and giving me huge smiles along w/throwing the “I love you” sign to keep me going.  Those little faces and that cheering is what made me realize that I have little eyes watching what I am doing, and what I do is important.”