Tuesday, July 15, 2008

He's Ready for the Olympics

David RunningI'm not sure why but my kids have got the running bug. I mean Andrew loves to run and goes out jogging all the time but I kind of figured that my "I'd pretty much rather do anything than strap a pair of running shoes to my feet" genes would beat his into submission where my kids were concerned. Apparently I was wrong because every time I turn around lately one of them is telling me they're going out "to run."

Huh?

Then I figured it out. It's not the exercise, the exhilaration of the wind in their hair, the thrill of following in their Dad's footsteps it's the ipod.

Because my kids have begged for ipods and I really haven't felt like giving into all the pressure an 11 year-old boy can dish out (as if I care that he thinks I'm the meanest mom on the planet). As soon as I did I'm pretty sure I'd never be able to hold a normal conversation with my son again and our dialog would be limited to me making frantic hand signals in front of his face. It ain't going to happen folks, at least not while there's breath in this body.

But Andrew recently got a new ipod which left his little ipod Shuffle without a home and somehow the boys realized that if they asked me to let them use it while they jog I'm a pushover and I hand it over without argument (I just figured that out, like, this week--obviously my mom skills are slipping).

Anyway . . . David went out jogging and when he came home I asked where he'd been running and how it had gone and all that mom-type stuff. "How was your run?" I asked.

"Fine. Except Dad's ipod wasn't working."

"What?"

"The sticky pad things that keep the things in your ears are gone."

Translation: I've lost the ear bud covers.

"Oh. But was your run was good?"

"Well it was hard running when the ipod was broken."

Still not quite understanding the situation I prodded, "Why would that matter?"

"Well without the black spongy things the ear things wouldn't stick in my ears, they kept falling out."

"So you couldn't listen to music?"

"No I could hear the music, it just made it hard to run."

"Why?" I asked, still completely lost on this train of thought.

"Because I had to run with my hands over my ears to hold the ear parts in."

At which point he demonstrated his new technique by jogging in place while covering his ears with his cupped hands.

Let's hope no one I knew saw him. They'd have to wonder what freakish punishments I'd been handing out when they saw my son running around the neighborhood with his hands over his ears. Bound to be questions about that one.

And in totally unrelated news . . .



***

Congratulations to Rachel of Keller, Texas (I seem to get a lot of winners from Texas--must be a lucky place to live) who won this week's giveaway of a Navigon GPS system. She said "My husband would die if I won this for him." Let's hope he survives the experience!

Sponsored by Rick Rack Attack--Real, bona fide vintage aprons. Why try to duplicate when you can get the real thing?

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13 comments:

The Source said...

Ha ha...if it were my child running through our neighborhood with his hands over his ears, no one would think twice. They'd just shake their heads and say, "There goes that strange young'un again."

Love the video! What a happy girl!

Kristen M. said...

It sounds silly but a charged up ipod makes all the difference in the world for my runs. It's a bad day when I wake up and discover the battery is dead.

Maddy said...

That picture has great clarity in my mind's eye, lithe young lad flees from home in protective stance.

That's also your reputation shot to shreds.

Cheers

Anonymous said...

That's awesome, running while covering your ears... So funny.

Kayris said...

My earbugs fall out of my ears when I run, even with the covers on them! I started wearing a headband to keep them in. I look like a total weirdo.

That's fantastic that they like to run!

Killlashandra said...

Nothing wrong with track. Both my teenagers enjoy it, although like your son, they would probably enjoy running even more with their ipods. ;) They each got one for christmas from their grandmother.

Sometimes I think there's something too music and doing blood pumping exhilarating activities.

Anonymous said...

hehe great video!

I run with my ipod, and honestly do not like running without it. there is something motivating about the beat.

PJ said...

You have very talented kids. It's not easy to run with hands over the ears!!! And the little singer/composer is adorable!!

Anonymous said...

Well, running with your hands over your ears is much better than running with your hands over your bosom because you mistakenly thought you could jog without your sports bra. ;-)

I agree about not being able to run without proper music - too boring . . .

PS - LOVE the racecars and video!! My husband and I were thoroughly impressed!

Sandy said...

You know, I just recently lost my ear buds too. I should have tried running like that on the treadmill at the Y...it would have made things interesting anyhow.

Anonymous said...

I had to buy new ones b/c those things just will not stay in my ears. My ears are too small. I have to buy the kind that wrap around my ear like a blue tooth thing for a cell phone. It's annoying, but a lot less than letting them fall out all of the time.

Jennifer said...

Those ear buds are so gosh darn frustrating :) I feel so out of date when I run with my huge ancient headphones but at least they stay on my head and in my ears:)

And since my Ipod is currently broken I now have a cd player to hold in my hand to add to the I am totally tech saavy picture :)

The things we do to have our music when we run :)

Unknown said...

My oldest daughter loves to run. She is young enough that I think it really is the wind in her hair and her ears. She loves to race the boys at ballgames.

I got an Ipod Shuffle when I was going through chemo. My kids LOVE to use it. They fight over whose turn it is. I have decided it is a car toy only for long trips, obviously I don't run :)