Yesterday morning was both sunny and warm enough to finally return to the farmers market. I have missed it desperately, so after their swimming lessons, the boys and I beat a path down to Dupont, found a great parking spot and headed in. They ate everything they saw, and I came home with some real treats.

Can you even stand how gorgeous this bread is? I mean, you'd have bought it too, right? Indeed. Once home, I immediately made a sandwich with a wedge of it; dripping with peppery olive oil, salt, pepper, basil and tomatoes, avocado and chicken, it was so satisfying I nearly had another.

And how fresh and lovely is that head of lettuce I ask you?! It just made a fabulous lunch salad.

We were so happy to be there. Now if only the boys would talk a bit less next time...I'm serious. It was epic.

On the way home, we passed this tulip tree. It lives about a half-mile from our house, and every year I'm flabbergasted by its marvelously ostentatious display. It's Octomom-pregnant! DC in the springtime really can't be beat, aesthetically speaking.

Ol headed off to a birthday party, so I decided I best go for another run. Jack asked if he could join me, and I'll admit that I was hesitant at first. His coordination skills are not always tremendous. He's been known to fall down while simply standing in place, and I wasn't sure I wanted the equivalent of Phoebe from Friends (remember how she ran?) tagging along behind me. But he was so earnest and darling, and I would love a good partner, so...

4.2 flipping miles later -at a 9:39/minute pace!- this awesome kiddo and I arrived home. I remain floored by his running prowess and am unbelievably proud. T attempted to join us, but when we circled back at mile 3, we found him panting on a bench. He has wide, flat, plank-like paddle feet which is one reason he was a good swimmer but is also why running is not his best activity. He drove home which was a good call.

Last night, still amazed by Jack's out-of-the-gate run in inappropriate shoes (he was wearing those heavy, light-up shoes kids like; they don't even have laces!), I was certain I'd done something dreadful to him and that he'd wake up paralyzed. I may have even shed a few tears worrying about it.

No, he popped out of bed and isn't even sore. Did I mention he talked the entire time? I mean, that kid could probably run a damn marathon tomorrow if he closed his mouth to conserve the energy he spends verbally.

It's so cool to have your children knock your socks off in a good way. Maybe you've underestimated them, or maybe you just don't realize how capable they're become as they grow up. It's like a niece you haven't seen in a year, and so in your mind, she's still just walking and not really talking. Then you see her, and she's running and is a motor-mouth but it's dissonant, because she stopped growing when you last saw her, right? Except of course she didn't; your mind just froze in time.

With your kids, whom you see every day, it's the same but different: you recognize that they're changing but you don't see the changes as dramatically as you do when your times together are years apart.

And then boom, one day your eight-year-old runs alongside you for more than 4 miles and says, "When we're done, I want a double high five and a hug. And then, I want to do this again together next weekend!" and you think, "Wow, when did this happen?" And it's cool.