A Brisk Morning Walk

I don't have a photo I can show you, but the image is (hopefully) cemented in my mind:  Sadie Lou running her long easy strides, and her feet kicking her butt with every step, and Ruby holding her hand and running full speed too: Ruby's backpack laden with four hard-cover library books and her lunch box - the backpack bouncing sluggishly on her back and slipping down with each step, so that her elbows are carrying the pack.
We walked/ran to the bus stop today.  First time all school year that we were ready early enough to walk down the block rather than me throwing the kids into the mini-van - the boys in their jammies and freaking out because I made them leave the house without shoes. 
Not today though.  In spite of the fact that I had a 20 minute battle of the wills with Joshua over a particular sweater vest that both he and Joseph wanted to wear.  I did the King Solomon thing, sort of, I told them that neither one of them could wear it.  Joseph quickly recovered from disappointment, and chose a shirt with a train on it.  But Joshua?  That kid's got moxy.  He has this high pitch squeal that he unleashes...and he decided to go all out.  I was pretty proud of myself because I somehow managed to keep very calm and keep reiterating to him "No, Joshy, no sweater.  Here are your three choices of shirts you may wear."  He'd pick up a toy and chuck it across the room.  "My goodness, Joshua, you have a strong arm!  Pick up the toy.  no throwing toys.  Hey, Buddy, which of these three shirts do you choose?"  And he'd toddle over to his closet and bang on the closed door.  "Nope, no sweater.  How about this fire truck shirt?"  And he'd scream.  Yep, twenty minutes of that =-)  I tell ya, this little boy is gonna grow up and change the world.  I've ever met another kid with as much determination.
But back to the image of my girls running hand in hand down the block: both nervous that any second now we'd see the bus pull up and we'd be late.  But we weren't.  We had enough time to play jump on the crack games, and laugh heartily at Joseph who loudly shouted "Ah-low!  Ow a YOU??"  To every car that drove by us on the busy road at the end of our block.
And when the bus came to a stop, Ruby turned to kiss me on the lips and say, "Love you Momma!"
And off she went.
We turned to walk home.  And LouLou ran her long easy strides while her feet kicked her butt with every step.  And Joshua held tightly to my pinkie finger.  And under his jacket he was wearing a fire truck shirt =-)