Take a walk with me...

Almost every day since our first day of Kindergarten I have walked Tyler to school, and then walked him home. I have always seen that as our special time. Time that no one else gets. It's where we renew our bond. Anytime he notices that we're not walking in sync he will change his stepping to make it happen. We talk about all sorts of things. These are precious times that only I share with him.

I'm a creature of habit. Once a habit is created I can work solely off of autopilot. However it takes time for a new habit to stick and only takes the routine being broken once for it to be broken all together. On top of that I have a lot of sleeping problems. The hours around 5-8 seem to be when I get my best sleep. A little hard to walk Tyler to school if I'm asleep. On top of that Tyler can be lazy. He likes getting a ride to school. So for the first six weeks daddy drove him to school. I walked with him a few days, but the habit wasn't sticking.

Above and beyond the benefits I get from spending that time with Tyler, I also get some valuable exercise. That walk is a 2 mile trek for me. One there. One back. Days like today where it's extraordinarily muggy, and it's like walking in a sauna. I have been using my arrival home as my queue to eat breakfast. I am the world's worst at remembering to eat. Followed closely by never drinking any fluids. 

Anywho-So, here is a glimpse at a walk with Tyler...

My day starts with Tyler rushing in, jumping on the bed, and hollering at me. With a pillow over my head I mutter "What time is it...?" Tyler proclaims "I don't know. 6:40?" ....."Go pack your lunch."

Tyler jumps back on the bed. "It's 6:50 mom." Then he begins jabbering about the tie he's wearing. It's tie day for red ribbon week. It's his church tie. We haven't been to church in a long time. Why haven't we been to church in a long time? We haven't been church in a long time because of school stuff. Right, mom? We haven't been to church because of school stuff...? o.O I'm going to go out on a limb and say we haven't been to church in a long time because I'm tired and I freak out every time people invade my personal space. (No worries, I did not say that.) Instead, since he's obviously not going to let me sleep, I begin tickling him.

Ok, ok..I'm up. Time to get with the program. Go to the bathroom, get dressed, stretch, go to the bathroom again JUST in case, and then give the internet a quick once over while Tyler gets his morning Pokemon cartoon fix. With my email checked and a glance over to Facebook it's time to scoot. 

While locking (and checking) the door Tyler demands..."Who is that?!" *looks* There is an unknown, and apparently unauthorized, teenager standing on the sidewalk waiting for the teenager from next door. We head out. I ask Tyler how things have been going so far this week with the red ribbon stuff. He tells me that well, yesterday he had been sitting there praying that they'd call his number (he even said "amen" and everything!) , and as he was sitting there with his eyes squinted shut, his hands clinched, and saying please please please....they called 4th grade #55. SO CLOSE! He's #59.

We actually manage to get by the imitation transformers without any rants.

One of the FAKE transformers.

We continue on down the road chatting about this and that. Just as we are coming to the red light it begins to change. I said "Aww, too late." Meaning to push the button for the sidewalk sign and to have it trigger. Tyler bolts for it, pushes it, and tah dah! the sidewalk light changes for us. So we scurry across the street, and I spend the next few minutes having to defend myself for saying it was too late.

We go back to chatting about this and that. Then up ahead I see a girl walking her bike along side a little brother. I asked him if that was his girlfriend up there. I don't recall the girls name, but her and Tyler have quite the combative relationship. Nothing in a bad way. They just compete for the conversation and to be the one on top of whatever they are talking about. He looks up ahead and says that yeah he thinks that's her, but mom you know that's not my girlfriend. You know who my girlfriend is.

Now for the rest of the walk to school we talk about his girlfriend. I'm sure her new husband has accepted that she has the favor of many a young boy. *nods* The first grade teacher. He loves that woman. Heck, I love that woman. He talked about how he was never going to forget her. He won't. Not ever. She was just one of those teachers. She touched Tyler, and I love her for that. 

We kiss and hug in the middle of the crosswalk as I hold back the cars. We shout I love yous and part ways. Tyler is the only one that I know of out of his peer group who would do such a thing. Most of his peers barred their mother's from public displays of affection years ago.  Tyler doesn't care. He's his mother's Babycakes. You want to make something of it? ;)

It is these precious moments that I get pretty selfish over. Unless the weather says NO, then this is my treasure.