My six year old decided he wanted to try running with me tonight, so he laced up his size 1′s, snazy black adidas and we were off down the drive way, over a puddle, out into the street. Wait– he wants to stretch.

Ok, we are stretching! You know a good 1o seconds stretch, bang! He’s off, and fast. I catch up, as he slows down to my pace.  He looks like he’s trying too hard and I’m wondering if he is imitating me. Is that how I look?  His feet sound like fish flopping on the dock.

Besides that, we’re good, no neighbors staring at the Dad who makes his six year old run. Wait, now he’s attempting something, it looks like he is trying to scratch an itch. He says he is still stretching, I subtly encourage to just run. He agrees let’s just run.

Even with all the distractions I notice I am enjoying myself much more than when I’m on a solo jog. And getting “one on one” with him. We have 5 kids so this is important. He’s chattering about the Handy Runner Android app and how it tracks our movement,–I’m trying to explain how satellites bounce signals, and track our movement. Now, he’s walking and wondering if it still counts? I say any movement definitely counts.

Dad? how far have we gone?

about .25 miles

how far is that?

half a half mile

oh

On the way back when he starts making hand signals so that I know how he is doing. I guess I was asking him “are you ok?” too many times. He works them out to be similar to water skiing signals, except for this one–he demonstrates a straight arm out, “you know kind of like a zombie”  except I thought he said “When I do this we run from the Zombies”

We giggle jog the rest of the way home.