Our Little Piglet

Despite the doomsday weather forecast, the Flying Pig Marathon festivities got off to a good start this morning down on the river. All of us have been preparing for this weekend for quite some time, including 2 year old Anna who participated in her first major sporting event - The Piglet Race. To say that we were excited is an understatement. We have been helping Anna practice for weeks by running on the streets around the neighborhood. Although it was only a 25 yard dash, the athletes in me and Matt couldn't help but get pumped for our baby girl's first athletic event. She would walk around telling anyone she could that she was going to run a race and get a medal. She was even mentally prepared to run in the rain if she had to.

So we got down there at about 12:15 for her 12:45 start. Both sets of grandparents were there to cheer her on. Megan was ready in her illegally-taken-"I-got-my-OINK-on"-shirt-that-some-worker-at-the-Expo-yesterday-gave-us-for-free. We were all set to watch this moment of stardom for little Anna. Maybe it was the crazy mascots that raced before us (including a carrot and the Keebler Elf), maybe it was the screaming child at the start line, or maybe it was that we got there too close to start time for her to "get the feel", but something spooked our little girl. There we were at the start. She was excited, game face on, scoping her competition next to her. I was at the finish with the video camera, Matt was at the start holding her hand. Then it happened -she burst into tears. Poor Anna was scared to death and couldn't even finish the last 22 yards. Matt had to carry her over the finish line and our little girl who was so very excited to have a medal, couldn't even see it handed to her as she wiped her tears.

Oh no, has it already started? Are WE those crazy parents that push our kids too hard to be good at sports? Okay, maybe we'll lay off the late night back neighborhood sprints for awhile and cut back on the protein shakes at lunch. We'll stop letting Anna do Ab Ripper X at night. This day was just too much for her to handle, but one day Anna WILL love being an athlete and her mommy and daddy will be her biggest fans. We're still so proud of you Anna!

P.S. After all the age groups were finished, Anna got back out there with her daddy and ran the full 25 yards tear free and very happily!