beware of what you wish for

...and of what you give as gifts or promises; make sure you are specific.

In an effort to save dinero this Christmas, I made coupons for the Richardsons (the family I live with). I washed dishes for Gabe on the 2nd - the first working day of the new year (he saved them up from the whole day so there were a lot!). Tonight (it's really late and I should be sleeping but I am awake for some strange reason) Hannah used one of her coupons. She knocked on my door while I was doing data entry for our research project and was holding a small white slip of paper - glancing up I asked "dining table cleaning?" as I rose from my bed. She grinned, shaking her head from side to side, and exclaimed "piggy back ride!" with glee. I sprained my ankle on Saturday, it's not bad, but it's still blue and painful. I've been trying to take it easy - I haven't run since I sprained which takes me a lot of restraint. I laughed a little and said "all right, get on" as she climbs on my back and we head downstairs to "run around the kitchen" per her wishes. I assumed it would only last maybe 15-20 minutes and I could get back to the exciting world of data entry.

The coupon reads "Dec 24 2007 - To Hannah Richardson - This coupon is good for 1 piggy back ride any time/distance you choose - happy Christmas! [snowman picture I drew & signed by me next to the X] not valid unless signed - expires 4-25-08." When I made the coupon, I knew she liked piggy back rides because I had given her many in the past. I gave her two because her chore was dining table cleaning and that's easy. I gave Josiah and Gabe one chore each; dishes and living room cleaning respectively and Kelly and Scott got 3 nights of babysitting with a clause of when Jill's homework and schedule permit. [Lucky for them, I don't really have a life and I don't mind watching the kids unless I have a huge project/paper.] Back to the piggy back coupon: I was thinking that any time/distance might be to Sunday Park, from the van to the church/church to van, while we were on a hike, or something random like that. Silly me.

I ended up running around the kitchen from 8:47PM until 9:50 when I dropped her off in her room. Josiah wanted a turn; I tried to explain that it was Hannah's "coupon time" but he didn't understand/care and cried for a good 15 minutes. Jo followed us around and hit Hannah on the bottom with various items ranging from weights [I quickly put an end to that], pillows, spatulas, and his hands. I picked Jo up, tickled him and threw him onto the couch, but the little guy is really persistent. Gabe joined in eventually and threw a pink bouncy ball at us which I picked up with my foot and passed off to Hannah so she could throw it back. Jo and Gabe discovered the joy of hitting their sister and I with pillows and I retaliated by stealing their pillows and defended... eventually just whomping them back since they wouldn't stop. Hannah even brushed her teeth while perched atop my back.

I have to say that was a workout - the most unconventional one I've ever completed in my life. I was so glad when Kelly announced bedtime was in 5 minutes... although 20 minutes passed before they were actually sent to bed. Literally dripping from my face; searing pain running up the outside of my ankle - it was fun, but I was glad I fullfilled that coupons' Christmas gift. Normally when I give piggy back rides it's for ~10 minutes at a time, but idiotic me wrote "any time/distance you choose," [the sprained ankle didn't help any]. It's a good thing God created me to enjoy children! I was thinking as I was quickly showering off that I want to be able to do that with my own children one day and if I don't have kids within the next few years... I guess I will have to stay in really good shape so I can, otherwise I will be too weak to run around with 65 pounds of child on my back while carrying another 56 pound child to be dumped on the couch.