How I Won the War

Out of gas

When I had toddlers in the house the myth that kept us going was the thought that if the family did a strenuous activity we would be rewarded by the children easily falling asleep and remaining in that state until 6:00 am. Somehow it never worked out that way.

Lately I've given up on the idea of getting my kids tired without getting myself twice as exhausted.

However, I'll relish victories where I find them. Yesterday I took my son on an urban hike around Portland, perhaps covering 5-6 miles. He was tired to the point that when we came home he collapsed on the rug and stayed there for a good 15 minutes, only to get up and move to the couch for further rest.

I felt I had done my job as a dad, giving him a good challenge. I suppose any smugness I might have felt was mitigated that after an hour my son jumped up and happily went to his martial arts class.

At least I slept well last night.