Good Morning and welcome to a new week!

So, that was certainly an interesting weekend. We started with tons of rain and ended a meltdown. In between, though, pretty good.
All that rain that came down Saturday at least gave us an opportunity to get the house clean. It doesn't feel so bad staying inside when it's all mud and wet outside.
Sunday, though, the sun came out and it was a perfect day for a walk.
Well, at least I was able to walk. First, though a little background.
Coming up in September is the Walk4Hearting at Ridley Creek State Park.
So, in preparation, Sunday was a good day to try out the 4.3 mile course. Then again, when dragging a 7-year old and a 4-year old along, there has to be a way to get them around the whole thing.
Bright Idea: Bikes.
So, we loaded two bikes into the van and made the way to the park. After getting on the trail, it seemed to be a great idea. The little ones were riding their bikes and not complaining about 'it being too hot' or 'I need water.'
So, the start was OK. Then, all of a sudden, one bike took off. Brendan, 7, seemed to a have a little motor on the bike (anybody who knows him knows there's a little motor in his body). ZOOM.
Now, you just can't let a 7-year old take off down a trail. So, when he didn't respond to 'STOP' something had to be done. Luckily, somebody in much better shape than me (most of the world?) ran and ran and ran until they met up.
The rest of the course was mostly running for them as I was able to trudge along with a 4-year old girl who kept stopping if she saw me running (thanks!).
Everybody made it around the trail.
So, as the pain in the muscles continues to throb for me, I say thank you for running. There's no way I could keep up.
Next time, though, I'm bringing the bike.

Good Morning and take it easy today!
Sometimes, you just have to throw everything out and take a break.
There are pressures all over these days. You have to worry about money, jobs, pain-in-the-butt people, overly aggressive drivers, humidity, eating, shopping, walking, running, getting gas, washing the car, cutting the lawn, just to name a few.
So, some days, it's just better to take a time out. Use the clock. Forget everything. There's no better place to do that than on the beach. Sure, you can hit a park (Ridley Creek, Valley Forge) or the mall (forget it, too much pressure to spend), but the best place is an early evening as the surf crashes against the sand.
It only makes it better when it is accompanied by laughter. After piling the crew into the vehicle Monday evening, it was the perfect time for a surprise visit to Ocean City.
Just duck down, get some ice cream and walk on the beach. Of course, with a 10-year old, 7-year old and 4-year old, things don't always go smoothly.
There were issues about ice cream; issues about who's touching who; issues about toys; issues about music. That went out the window, so to speak, as the beach became closer. Suddenly, there were no more arguments.
There was just running in the sand. Chasing the small waves that hit the sand. Running. Laughing.
If only it could last a little longer than one night.