Monday, April 27, 2009

Success!

Once more, thank you thank you thank you to everyone who supported us in the March for Babies walk. AND thank you to all of you who've donated to March of Dimes, even if you didn't donate for me specifically - because it all goes to the same good cause and I'm grateful for all the bloggers out there who are raising their voices and walking.

I would love to tell you that Saturday was this wonderful, magical event and that I spent the entire walk thinking about how lucky I was with my beautiful healthy children and that I also thought quietly about the families who have faced struggles and losses I can't even being to fathom.

Well there was some of that.

It was a glorious day, complete with warm sunshine and questionable mascots.




Harper was fine before the walk, but wasn't such a fan of the actual three-mile stroll. She had a birthday party to go to later in the afternoon and kept turning around in the stroller, asking when we could go home.

The combination of the volume of people and the narrow sidewalks meant we moved at a snail's pace for at least the first half of the walk. The entire route ended up taking us about two hours to shuffle along. Which might explain some of Harper's boredom in the stroller. She did walk a couple of small portions, but I think the whole walking thing was soured for her when she tripped and fell within the first ten minutes.


It was a fairly windy day, which means every other thing someone said as we walked was, "What?! I can't hear you!"

Auntie M and Matt were able to walk with the children and I, though I would like it noted that I was the only one who pushed the stroller with 60 pounds of children inside.

I will definitely walk again next year, if at all possible, but may stick to the shorter "Family Fun Walk" if the children come along again. It wasn't exactly the family bonding experience I'd imagined.

Despite the day feeling a little less magical than I'd hoped, I did feel grateful for my healthy children and I was mindful of families traveling a more difficult road than ours.

AND we raised about $1,200 for March of Dimes, which is the very best news of all.


Here are the kiddos, back at home, with the "magic wand" (Harper's term) that had our team name on it - the stars had lined the sidewalk leading up to the start.

10 comments:

Pam said...

Good on you for doing the walk with the 2 kids! Jack would have been equally fidgety.
I wanted to tell you that I wasn't being cheap and not sponsoring you but gave my neighbour a donation as she does work for them (don't think she walked though)

JM said...

Great job Kelsey! I'm proud of you sis...

Anonymous said...

HI Kels,

Congrats to you, Matt, kids and Auntie 'M' for completing the walk in less then ideal conditions. It is a great cause and I am sure many families are as grateful as we are proud of you and your "team".

Love,
Dad

jill said...

congrats, that is awesome.

Emily said...

2 hours in the stroller?!?! Neither of my kids would've lasted longer than 15 minutes, I bet. Especially David. Half the time I bring the double stroller - Katy ends up walking and I'm carrying David and pushing that blasted thing with one hand. Very impressive children you have there!

And congrats on doing this for such a good cause...

MamaK said...

Go team Michael! Walking at all would rate a "star"- but nice touch with the donations :)

And--- is anything ever quite the family bonding experience we imagine? Not in my world, anyway!!

Astarte said...

I think it's great that you did that, and pushing so much extra weight, too!!!! Congratulations!

Erin said...

Great job! I love the "questionable mascots."

Laura said...

You and your family were in my thoughts several times throughout Saturday morning. Congratulations on your team donations and walking for such a great cause!

samantha jo campen said...

YEAH! Congrats!

And don't you hate it when something like that (important! meaningful!) doesn't turn out like you had planned? Makes me nuts!