Three generations jogging

So yesterday we hit the running store, where my brother and mother got new running shoes after watching their barefoot feet running in videotaped slow-motion. (My fatber had just gotten new running shoes but got his feet analyzed anyway.) Then my other brother, Jacob, came in, completing the nuclear family assembly.

So, in the evening, I loaded up Jolyon into the jogging stroller, and everyone went for a nice easy 5 miler around Queen Anne, culminating in Kerry Point. It was pretty hilarious to be running with a group of 6 people, one of whom was in a jogging stroller - I felt like the Pied Piper.

The highlight was when a small boy stopped and and asked to see my baby. (He was covered by a shade.) I told him, sure, of course he could, and unveiled Jolyon, who was of course sound asleep. The little boy was amazed by the tiny size of Jolyon, and said so. I asked the little boy how old he was, and after switching to Spanish we talked about how he was almost five and how Jolyon was 2 weeks and five days, and how Jolyon was therefore a LOT smaller but in five years he might be as big as the little boy.

Then, he asked, as my family sauntered past, "So why are you running?"

I laughed, and said, "Because I like it, we're having fun!"

The little boy looked massively unconvinced that running around in the heat could possibly be anyone's idea of fun. (Note, Stephanie back at the house enjoying the not running at this time.)

I looked at his parents, looked back at him, clutching his favorite robot-looking action figures. I tried to clarify, "They're my family, we're all running together. It's family time, like what you're doing out in the park tonight."

The little boy looked skeptical, his parents laughed and tousled his hair.

In retrospect, I thought I really should have told him that we were running from the law, or something.

When I caught up to my brothers, Jan shrieked with laughter, and answered the question far more concisely than I had: "SOMOS TONTOS!" -- "Because we're stupid!"

Yeah, okay, that too. But it's a family togetherness sort of stupid!