Errands as Exercise

I'm a big proponent of getting exercise in when you're doing errands. I'm lucky to live within walking distance of downtown so I can take my kids on foot, on bike, or in a jogging stroller to do errands. Sometimes, when I think I'll just do a quick trip and take the car, the kids will say, "Can't we walk?" and I usually say, "Yes" as it is hard to deny that request.

This morning, my preschooler walked and my toddler rode in the jogger to dance class. I used to take the car because I worried that my kids would be too pokey to get to class on time. Now, I just leave extra early and we usually arrive early. I love parking my jogger next to another jogger and maybe a bike, knowing that other families are also leaving the car at home. After class, my toddler usually wants to walk, which is great. I do have her ride for a bit so that I can get across a few busy spots, but then she is free to run with her sister.

Today, I made the mistake of letting Julia wear her older sister's boots. Julia has a shoe fetish and going against her choice of footwear often means a battle -- one I wasn't willing to fight today. The result was that Julia was tripping all over the place, including on the sidewalk where she skinned her knee a little. I made a mental note to rethink the footwear next time for my rider/walker.