Sunday afternoon found us walking home from a new park in the warm, late-summer sunshine. We had a great time running, climbing, sliding and giggling, and were now heading back home for supper. We were adorable. Someone probably should have taken a picture of our happy family for a parenting magazine.
Feven kept asking to get out and walk, so I told Zac to go on ahead with the stroller and I'd stay with Feven so she could walk the rest of the way.
At first she was so excited to walk that she nearly pulled me behind her as she ran in her new-found freedom. Soon her little legs grew tired, and she wanted to discover neighbors' lawns instead of walk on the sidewalk. I kept redirecting her to the sidewalk.
Soon after, she would bend her knees as we were walking and just sort of plop down. She'd kneel there, right in the middle of the sidewalk, and smile.
Ugh. We wouldn't make it home by midnight at this pace!
I picked her up for awhile, but then she said, "Dah-dee" which is her way of saying, "I want to walk." I'd let her walk awhile and she'd do the knee thing again so I'd pick her up again.
Pretty soon the heat and my own hunger got to me and I thought to myself, "We just need to get home." I picked her up and intended to carry her the whole way home. She started squirming and saying "dah-dee." Then saying it louder. And louder. Pretty soon she was in the back-arching, screaming mode yelling "Dah-DEE!"
I'll let you figure out what it looked like to the average passerby as a white woman carried a black child screaming "Daddy" down the street. I'm surprised I didn't get arrested!
Feven kept asking to get out and walk, so I told Zac to go on ahead with the stroller and I'd stay with Feven so she could walk the rest of the way.
At first she was so excited to walk that she nearly pulled me behind her as she ran in her new-found freedom. Soon her little legs grew tired, and she wanted to discover neighbors' lawns instead of walk on the sidewalk. I kept redirecting her to the sidewalk.
Soon after, she would bend her knees as we were walking and just sort of plop down. She'd kneel there, right in the middle of the sidewalk, and smile.
Ugh. We wouldn't make it home by midnight at this pace!
I picked her up for awhile, but then she said, "Dah-dee" which is her way of saying, "I want to walk." I'd let her walk awhile and she'd do the knee thing again so I'd pick her up again.
Pretty soon the heat and my own hunger got to me and I thought to myself, "We just need to get home." I picked her up and intended to carry her the whole way home. She started squirming and saying "dah-dee." Then saying it louder. And louder. Pretty soon she was in the back-arching, screaming mode yelling "Dah-DEE!"
I'll let you figure out what it looked like to the average passerby as a white woman carried a black child screaming "Daddy" down the street. I'm surprised I didn't get arrested!
:)
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