Two steps forward, one step back...

Parenting is full of these moments, I suppose.  You get so elated when you see a child accomplish something new or better, and then 5 minutes later, so frustrated when that same child, or another one, repeats the same mistake over and over.  It feels like it's been one of those weeks.

This past Thursday Strider found out that an organization was sponsoring a 5K in our neighborhood, so he asked to run it.  We were surprised how much he wanted do it -- but sure enough, on Saturday morning he hauled himself out of bed early and got himself to the starting line, willing to pay part of the registration fee and everything.

We waited at our house until we saw some runners come by and then headed to the corner to cheer him on:

Here he comes!

We are proud of our Stride-r!  He came in 4th for his age group -- a good showing. We love that he's realized he's stronger than he thought he was.

The little guys tried another kind of striding -- on thin steel blades.  Pete took them ice skating for the first time, and even though one of them arrived home with a huge goose egg on his forehead, the reports were all jubilant.

The pictures were not so clear, since they were taken on Pete's phone:

First a clip showing Miles with a little "walker!"

Colsen took right to the ice, and Miles wasn't
far behind -- pink gloves and all.

Finally -- a not too blurry picture

 (Rayna was a little under the weather earlier this week, so she stayed home with me.)

Meanwhile, when they're not out running and skating around, everyone's been growing and stretching at home.  Stretching my patience sometimes, that is.

For example, Miles has been battling me allllll week over practicing his violin.  Every morning at around 8:30 I tell him to practice.  He refuses, and so for the next several hours he gets one discipline measure after another.  (He spends most of the morning in his room.)

Some of the arguments he's given me today for why he shouldn't have to practice:

“That song makes me cough and I don’t want to cough.”
 “You think I’m your slave.”
 “Grandpa and Gee-Gee are coming later today so I need a break.”
“Where’s my bow?  See, Mom, I lost my bow.”
“It’s way, way too hard.”
“Well, then I’m only going to play ONE song ONE time.”

 Finally we near lunchtime and I tell him he's not getting lunch until he practices.  At this point his arguments escalate, tears begin, and then finally he caves and does his 4 minutes of practice.

I truly wish we could see some strides forward in this behavior!  (And some others as well)  Ah, well, still creeping forward...