I'm a real boy!

Do you ever have moments when you realize that you have become what you've been becoming? For instance, last summer we were at a big outdoor party and they had all sorts of fun stuff to play, and I thought, "I'd rather watch my kids having fun on this than do it myself." The I realized that I was a real mom. Those "And now I'm a mom" moments happen fairly frequently. (I guess it's interesting that it doesn't stick. I get to become a real mom over and over again.) For instance, when Alena had a first play date where it wasn't about me hanging out with another mom. Or watching her in her first dance class. Or decorating holiday cookies with her. Or scooping up two crying children and cuddling them simultaneously. Or reading stories to one child while having a conversation with the other who's in the tub in the other room. Or cooking 3/4 of a meal while my children played with each other without any input from me. I probably have the thought, "Ok, now I'm a real mom" at least twice a month.

The last two weeks or so I've had another repetitive "now I'm real" realization that I didn't realize I was working toward. It's when I'm running on the treadmill and I hit 2 miles and it starts to get easier. My first two miles are the hardest. Now I'm a real runner. Isn't that just crazy? I had my suspicions that all of the runners that told me that were in cahoots to trick the rest of us into their habit. Turns out that when you run regularly long enough it actually turns out to be true. Who'd a thunk? Also, who'd a thunk that I would ever be a real runner? Life is full of surprises, people.

For instance, here's one for my mother. I make my bed now. ! !! I know! Crazy!