leg aches | Day With KT

Today my baby is 13!!! I don’t even know how this is possible!!! I’m so proud of the young man that Hunter has become and love every single second that I get to spend with him!

There was a time that I just wanted to survive the seconds with Hunter!!! When Hunter was 3, I wasn’t sure that we were both going to survive!!!

I asked Hunter if he cared if I wrote some about the year of 3 and he said, “I love those stories. They are hilarious!”

I saw this face a lot!!! (well- minus the glitter that his cousins put on him!)

Ummm….10 years later I think the stories are funny – still not sure that hilarious is the right word – as long as we don’t have to repeat that year of 3!

One day, the boys and I were at Target (actually almost every day!) and Hunter threw himself on the floor and pitched a fit. I said, “OK – see you later.” I tried to get Jordan to walk a couple steps away with me – next thing I know, Jordan is crying because he thought we were really going to leave Hunter.

nice look - socks, sandals & grey sweat pants! — nice look – socks, sandals & grey sweat pants!

When Hunter was 2 I used to say he was either the cutest thing ever or the most ornery!

And, for months he really was cute. Then gradually he turned from ornery into a very strong-willed little boy and every day was a struggle!!

Fits and full-blown tantrums were a normal part of our day. It didn’t matter what I said to him some days – he would just throw himself on the floor and pitch a fit.

he looks so innocent doesn't he? — he looks so innocent doesn’t he?

I could hand him a sucker and he would throw himself on the floor! “I didn’t want red – I wanted blue!”

There was a period of about 3 months that I would sit at the dinner table with Chris after the boys were excused and cry every night. I couldn’t figure out what I was doing wrong!

After Jordan started kindergarten, Hunter and I had 2 years that it was just he and I all day every day. We had some fun times together (minus the fits of course)!!!

We also had some rough days!

black eye (I can't remember what happened - poor boy) — black eye (I can’t remember what happened – poor boy)

One day, after a very rough morning, I read the book Love You Forever to Hunter before nap-time. By the end I could barely read it because I was crying so much – I don’t think he got it but he wiped my tears and hugged me!!!

Even though 3 was a rough age, by the time he was 4, life was much better!!

brotherly love (even with guns & holsters)

Hunter went through about 2-3 years that he had horrible leg-aches at night. Several nights a week he would wake up crying because they hurt so much. Growing up I had the same thing and when I was in high school my sister and I shared a room and bed she had them. (I used to rub her legs until she fell asleep.) I spent many nights laying in bed with Hunter and calming him and rubbing his legs until he could sleep again.

Even though I hated the fact that he was hurting, I loved that time that I had with him in the darkness – he wanted me to stay with him until he could sleep again – I spent many hours just being there with him in the night!!! And they were calm times (after he quit thrashing his legs)!!

a visit with some of the cousins and this happened

Hunter has always been happy to hug me and give me kisses – as a baby/toddler he was very snuggly and he will still wrap his arms around me and hug me!!

this was actually Hunter's 1st birthday — this was actually Hunter’s 1st birthday

Hunter hated having to walk places. Even at age 4 he preferred being carried – I think he was my original weight training!!! The summer he was 4 we spent 3 weeks in New Jersey – Chris had a training course and the boys and I were tourists. I carried him all over many places because “his legs were tired.”

I think this was our first Hawaii trip - look how little those boys are! — I think this was our first Hawaii trip – look how little those boys are!

Funny, that my little guy who hated walking from the car to the store is now training for a half marathon!!!

I look at pictures and see a sweet little boy who makes me proud every single day!!!

Happy Birthday, Hunter!!! I love that I get to be your mom and see the changes in you from day-to-day and year-to-year!

Happy Tuesday!!

Kim

Today’s 43 was designed to help Hunter work on his stride length!!! We did 43 steps/strides at different paces to show how much further you can get when you really use your legs to increase your stride. (Yesterday at the CC meet, Hunter sprinted at the end and had a great finish but he was taking short choppy steps instead of using his legs to his advantage.)

For the 43 we started with a normal walk. After 43 steps, we marked our spot and jogged back to the beginning. Then we did a fast walk and got much further. The 3rd test was a super easy jog – we didn’t even get as far as the fast walk. Then we did our normal run – this was the first 43 that I got a lot further than Hunter. The final test was a full out sprint – I told Hunter to sprint like he did yesterday for the first try and then we did another trial where I told him to really concentrate on his stride length.

After we finished all of our different 43s, I had Hunter do some more so that I could watch him!!!

sprinting but not using his legs to their full advantage

starting to figure out how to lengthen his stride in an efficient way!

This was a fun way to get my 43 for the day because Hunter joined me!!!

When Hunter was younger (especially before he turned about 6!) he spent a LOT of time complaining about his legs being tired!!!

At age 4, Hunter still preferred to be in a stroller (or to be carried – yikes!!!) any time we did much walking (like more than about 50 steps)!!!

Part of the problem was that he had lots of leg aches at night – from about age 3 until age 5, I probably spent at least 3 nights a week up in the middle of the night rubbing his legs. (I totally empathize with growing pains because I have had them most of my life and when I was in high school I spent many nights rubbing my little sister’s legs so she could sleep.)

Fast forward to age 12 and I am so amazed at the difference in Hunter and his ability to push himself!!!

Yesterday at his first cross country meet (and his first race ever!) – he ran the mile in 7:00. I think he will drop that time a lot this season because about 1/3 into the race I was at a point to see him and he was smiling and enjoying himself.

He told me after the race that he knew he could have pushed harder!!!

(They ran 7th boys & girls together yesterday but the rest of the meets will just be the boys in their own race.)

waiting to have his shoe chip removed (yep - even at a middle school meet!) — waiting to have his shoe chip removed (yep – even at a middle school meet!)

My little boy who used to complain about the walk from a parking lot into a building is now a runner!!!

Part of his daily routine these days is to do pull-ups every time he walks by the pull-up bar in our basement. I think he does about 25 a day plus he will just drop down and bust out push-ups at random times during the evening!!!

Every once in awhile I miss the days when I carried my sweet little boy ALL over the place! But, I LOVE the young man that I get to run with now!!! I can’t wait to watch him develop even more during this cross country season!!!

Happy Sunday!

Kim

Day With KT

Tag Archives: leg aches

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