7005/19525
First Park Run since my mid-November sub-25 minute run. I wasn’t going to aim to beat that, but just wanted to get out and have a decent paced go at it. I had under-dressed a bit (shorts and a short sleeved shirt) and so the standing around at the start was the worst bit. Otherwise it was pretty enjoyable. I find it had to push the pace up alone, but with other people running alongside you you up your game a bit and I got round in a decent 26 minutes 43 seconds - almost two minutes slower than last time, but still, as my email from Park Run would tell me, my fastest Park Run of 2022. Which was worth a congratulations. Teaching me that not showing up can be a triumph.
Most of my day was taken up by taking Ernie to the birthday party of two girls in his nursery class. It was a good do, with a bouncy castle and inflatable ball pit set up in the village hall. Ernie enjoyed driving round on a little bike/car that you pushed along with your feet. A boy tried to get on with him as there was room for two, but Ernie pushed him off. But then a girl got on the back and Ernie was happy to drive her around like he was the Fonz on his motorcycle. Later he’d take a different girl round on the back of his bike. At the same party. With the first girl still there. He certainly takes after his dad. Except he seems to be able to talk to girls and they want to hang out with him.
He’s very in touch with his feminine side though - or rather not (yet) conditioned by society to believe some things are for boys and some things are for girls. So he very much enjoyed the arrival of two Disney Princesses who sang songs and encouraged the kids to dance.
Everything is for everyone. What kind of a sad world stops young kids experiencing joy. Oh the world that I grew up in.
He got a pack of crisps and even though everyone got one he went round the table to give every one of the 30 or so kids there one of his crisps. He is a very good sharer. Again not like his dad. I would have sat under a table and stuffed all my crisps into my stupid face as well as hoovering up any that fell off the other kids’ plates. Ernie also insisted on helping tidy away all the plates and tables and chairs once lunch was over. He’s not this helpful at home. And his generosity and helpfulness is nothing to do with us. This is just the way he is. There’s a great spirit there. Anarchy mixed with social responsibility. Trying to make everyone laugh mixed with frustration when people don’t see his comedy genius. At least there’s some of me in there.
