Life's Not Fair

I loaded the kiddies into the car this morning, and headed to the cemetery park.

I love the cemetery park...

I just wish it had more trees.

Anyway, I decided today that instead of keeping the kids pace (ie. slower than mud) I would have them keep pace with me (ie. slightly faster than mud. It's really sad when old people walk faster than you...but on the flip side, it probably makes them feel like Olympians to out-walk a young mommy with four satellites in tow. Anything I can do to make old people feel like Olympians!)

So, I was clipping along at a good pace. Joshua was attempting to race with the other exercisers, Lily and Eden were strapped snugly in the stroller, and Eva was next to me.

I should have known better.

I mean, I can always tell when my kids are in a growth spurt by the sheer amount of bruises they have on their bodies.

Eva is apparently in a growth spurt. She looks like an abused banana.

So, there we were, me walking quickly, Joshua loitering in the grass, and Eva running to keep up with me, and WHAM, down she goes like she'd been clothes-lined (but, only if the clothes line was actually chasing her down, and hitting her from behind).

The amount of crying was tantamount to her pain (real, or imagined).

Damages were assessed (she bit it pretty bad: two bloody knees--she insisted on wearing a dress this morning--and a battered ego), boo boos were kissed, and we continued.

We pick up the pace again, and five seconds later, WHAM, down she goes again in a pile of bloody limbs (her knees AND an elbow this time), crushed ego, and produced an abundant amount of weeping, whaling and gnashing of teeth. Lily, who is learning to be empathetic, pulled up her pants and showed Eva her old owie, with a very concerned look on her face. Eva just screamed at everybody to stop touching her and leave her alone.

"Eva," I said gently. "Why don't you sit on the grass for a few minutes..."

Between sobs she said, "No-o-o-o...I'll keep wa-a-a-lking..."

That's my girl. Don't let life get you down, even when it's not fair.