Sunday Race Day

This morning, I ran the Baystate Half Marathon in Lowell, and I had the greatest cheering section in the world join me!  Madeleine even brought her plastic clappy hands and promised that she would be flapping them as loud as she could when I passed by her.

I had my lovely cheering squad shout for me as I made my way along the first mile, then they were waiting for me at the finishing chute.  When we all convened at the Family Meeting area, I told the girls how proud I was to have run my fastest half marathon time ever. 

JULIA: What place did you get?
ME: Oh, I don't know. I was caring more about my time than about my place.
MADELEINE: Well Mama? *I* cared about your place, because you always seem to be in, like, a really LOSING place, and it makes me feel sad.

I sure am sorry to have let Madeleine down.  I guess finishing in 131th place out of many thousands was too much of a losing position to suit her.  And she certainly wasn't going to take any bull from me about how proud I was anyway.

ME: Well, I'm just proud because I ran my fastest time that I've ever done for this distance.
MADELEINE: Well Mama?  Then why did you look so slow?

Madeleine was not impressed.

Additionally, the girls were skeptical of the thermal blanket I had received at the finish line:

JULIA: Mommy?  Why do you have a GARBAGE BAG wrapped around you?
ME: It's a blanket, honey.
MADELEINE: (looking at me in disgust) No it's not.  It's a GARBAGE bag Mama.  Ewwww!

On our drive home from the race, Ethan told the girls they could each have a few Dunkin' Donuts munchkins that he had bought as they waited for me to finish my run.  The bag contained a bunch of chocolate donut holes and two pumpkin ones.  Now, anyone who knows me knows that I LOOOOOOVE me some pumpkin ANYTHING.

ME: Oooh!  Pumpkin!  I wanna try one!
JULIA: Can we have two each?
ME: Sure.  What kinds do you want?
JULIA: Um, one chocolate and one pumpkin.
ME: Okay.  Madeleine, do you want two chocolate?
MADELEINE: No, I want the same as Julia.
ME: Oh.  Bummer.  I wanted to try a pumpkin one.
JULIA: (guiltily, having chowed down on 3/4 of her pumpkin munchkin) Uh, do you want my last bite?
ME: No, thanks, it's okay.
MADELEINE: (oblivious to my plight) MMMMM!  This pumpkin one is SUUUUPER delicious!

What can I say?  These kids know how to treat their runner mama like royalty!