An Awkward Walk

While John took Adrian to soccer this morning I decided to take Riley and Finley for a walk.  She's gotten a bit pudgy over the winter....sadly she doesn't get walked nearly enough anymore.

Unfortunately along with John, Adrian and the truck went the single stroller, so I had to dig out my sling hoping upon hope that Finley wouldn't mind being in it....even though he's almost 17 months old and can walk like no one's business.

Off we go!  I decided to let Fin walk on his own for a bit....you know, maybe tire him out a little then he might not mind being attached to me for the next half hour. But he kept on truckin' ahead of me, his little legs a pumpin'.  After about a quarter of a block (well, that's a big walk for little legs!) and after a few attempts to run onto the road I decided that it was time to put him in the sling.

Thank goodness he didn't mind it at all.  It had been a few months since I'd last used it but it worked like a charm...

For about 10 minutes and then he tried to escape by bending at the waste, squirming and squiggling almost falling head first onto the concrete sidewalk.

I managed to keep him somewhat distracted, pointing out cars and birds along the way until we reached the pathway to the park. I put him down to toddle his way towards the swings as I called out to him to stay out of the puddles.  Like he's actually going to listen.

A girl came around the corner...she was adorable and looked to be about 19 or 20 with Starbucks in hand.  She wasn't wearing the warmest of clothing (I notice these things as a Mother now)....I kinda wanted to give her my scarf, tie it tight around her and exclaim "You're going to catch your death!"  That's what being a Mom has done to me.

I refrained of-course.

Immediately upon seeing this young girl Riley went ballistic, whimpering and crying, her whole butt vibrating.  As Starbucks girl approached she asked to pet Riley.  I obliged as Riley then dropped onto her side wiggling and panting at the girls feet.  She's a ridiculous suck, what can I say.  I thought by the age of seven this behaviour would cease but embarrassingly, it has not.

As Starbucks girl is petting Riley, she mentions that her puppy is coming around the corner.  I thought it was odd that she was walking so far ahead of her dog....but who am I to judge?  Sure enough 30 seconds later a tall man holding the leash of a bull terrier, a miserable looking woman and a 15ish year old boy who was wearing a hoodie two sizes too big and chewing on the drawstring ambled around the corner.

Tall man called out "Is she laying in the water?"  I looked down at Riley, sure enough she was sorta kinda near a very shallow puddle and the concrete around her was wet.  I wasn't sure why he was asking....if he felt sympathy for me that I have a dirty wet dog or what???

Clearly that was NOT why he was asking.

I told him "Yeah, but that's okay"

He replies in an irritated voice "Okay for you maybe."

Ooookay.  He clearly didn't want my dog anywhere near his...or him.

Oops.

After the dogs did the standard butt smell greeting, I let my dirty, wet dog wriggle and smell all over his very white bull terrier as he held his dog's leash as far away from him as possible.

I'm sorry, he has a DOG and it's almost SPRING.  His dog was going to get wet eventually.  This was my way of helping him get over it.

He looks at Starbucks girl and asks stiffly "So are you going to walk with us now?"

"Depends" says Starbucks girl with seemingly no emotion.  I had to admire her stoicism.

"Well, maybe if you did, you and your Mother could make peace." he says with a strange smirk.  He then notices Finley staring unabashedly up at him.  "Hello there!" Tall Man says all jovially looking down at my son like the discommodious exchange between him and his daughter never happened.

Well, time to go!

I attempt to rally up the troops, pulling at Riley's leash while trying not to dislocate my shoulder, as I simultaneously gently tugged at Finley's hand so that he'd put one foot in front of the other and stop staring wide eyed and disconcertingly at Tall Man.

Can you say awwwkwarrrd?