We Interrupt This Pity Party for... Some Photos!

             

After I posted that last entry, I glanced at my page and realized that the blog has gotten quite text-heavy as of late.  

So, here are some recent fun pictures of my favorite subject --  Kibi -- outside, enjoying this glorious warm weather!  

I also included a pic of one of the two bunches of crocuses (croci?) that peeked through the brush in our garden a few days ago.  I love this bright yellow color.  The other bunch is a really rich purple -- so pretty.

Spring is really on its way - thank goodness.

I've Hit Rock Bottom

So I did something that I hoped I'd never do.  I untagged myself from a photo a friend posted on Facebook.  

Why?  Because I hated the way I looked.  Specifically, the culprit was a very unflattering fat roll that made its presence known in a most forthright way.  And more generally, well, I am a vain person.  So there you have it.  I'd rather not let an unflattering photo be linked to me, and if I have the technological tools at my disposal to ensure this, you are darned tootin' that I will use them to do so.

But ever since I did (last night), I've been nagged by What It All Means.  (Do you know I have secret dreams of becoming a psychoanalyst?)  And after much tossing and turning, the verdict is (duh) quite simple...

I need to get back on the frickin' exercise wagon. 

Yes, I will admit it.  I have completely thrown in the towel where my health and wellbeing is concerned.  

I used to be a devoted Weight Watcher, but I've let my subscription lapse and I haven't actively counted food points since several months ago.  And as for regular, cardio-centric exercise, I literally cannot remember the last time I went for a run.  I dunno, I can blame a ton of things... the holidays, the cold weather, busy work projects, lack of sleep - none of which really work as excuses.  

I got a jogging stroller for my birthday last year (April), and I remember a brief stint of using it, but I think somewhere over the summer my enthusiasm for jogging with Kibi waned, largely because he was going through a phase of trying to get out of his stroller at any cost.  So I then used THAT as an excuse not to exercise, because after all, how am I ever going to fit it in while caring for a rambunctious todder?  And so on, and so forth... blahblahblah.

But, the good thing about seeing that photo last night is that it was my "rock bottom" moment. It drove me to get my act together, diet and exercise-wise, more than anything else has these last several months.  And I am now closing the deal by revealing all of this embarrassing information to all of YOU, dear readers, on my blog, as a way to add another layer of accountability.

So... I'm pleased to report that this morning, Kibi and I dusted off the ol' jogging stroller, and went for a 40 minute jaunt.  I call it a jaunt because it wasn't actually 40 minutes of jogging (Lord knows I'm too out of shape for that) but it wasn't only walking either.  (Yay, me!)  A sort of walk/jog combo.  Probably hugely embarrassing if I were to have observed myself, but I'm long past worrying about that sort of stuff.  My current plan is that I'll ease my way into it, so that eventually I am back to doing a 30 minute run at least 5 times a day.

I also immediately got back on my Weight Watchers point-collecting regimen.  Eliminating that mindless snacking is, admittedly, going to be a challenge.  I do it WAY too much anymore, and working from home most days lends itself to unfettered access to the kitchen, which is DANGEROUS.  But I'll work on that.  I'll also try not to beat myself up too much - - after all, Rome wasn't built in a day -- but at the same time, I'm posting about this topic because this time, people, I AM SERIOUS.  And you all had better hold me to this pledge of renewed health! 

My friend (an faithful reader of this blog, btw) who posted the FB photo is so kind; I sent her a note last night telling her why I untagged myself.  (I did that after much deliberation, because it was tempting to surreptitiously do it and not have to reveal my vain notions ... but after all, I DO want to be accountable.)  She said she felt bad for posting the photo, but I assured her that doing so was, in fact, a GOOD thing.  Because we all need to get that little kick in the proverbial derriere to jumpstart plans that we've been making in our heads for ages.  And I will admit that I've been thinking about my diet and exercise slackness for... well, let's just say a lonnnnnnnng time now.  

After all, if my friend L., a mother of three (including twin boys) all under the age of 5, can take care of her brood, run marathons (literally!) and run her own business at the same time, I can surely get on a diet and exercise plan that works while doing my work projects and taking care of only one active toddler.

So, wish me luck, folks.  I'm off to calculate my WW points and plan some low cal meals for the week ahead.  Stay tuned...

They've Arrived...

Most parents of toddlers know that the Terrible Twos come way before the kid turns 2, but did you know it's possible for the Terrible Twos to arrive virtually overnight?  Yes, I do believe 'tis true.  It happened to us while we were in Florida.

All I know is, during the past week, someone must have found my adorably-sweet-irresistible-can-do-no-wrong baby and exchanged him for an obstinate, very opinionated, often crabby, very BOY-like toddler.  By "boy-like" I mean exhibiting CONSTANT displays of roughness, such as climbing over, clawing, and pawing me at every opportunity and throwing fragile objects across the room with no warning and for absolutely no reason whatsoever.  I mean, I hate to make sweeping gender stereotypes but, judging from the little girls I do know (who are all of course content to sit and play quietly next to their mothers at every playgroup I seem to attend), there is a distinctive quality to BOY behavior.  And I always hoped my darling little Kibi would break the mold as far as the BOY-ness was concerned.  But alas, no dice.

The most prominent behaviors I've noticed recently can be summed up nicely in one acronymn: BTNY.  This stands for banging, throwing, NO-ing, and yelling.  The BTNY seems to make its presence known now, at least once a day and often more.  Here are some examples:

BANGING:  Can take the form of banging cars on the sliding glass door, banging blocks on the antique china cabinet (why I have this precious family heirloom positioned prominently in his play area, I have no idea), or, my personal favorite, banging virtually ANY sharp or hard object on the poor cat.  Repetitively.  

THROWING:  The most irritating way that the throwing surfaces is via mealtime.  Without fail, when he is done eating, he simply picks up his bowl/plate/cup and throws it over the high chair tray.  Either this, or he takes the remaining pieces of food, and throws them overboard, announcing that they are meant to be "Food for Scooby" (our cat).  (I do have to give him points for a creative rationale.)  Throwing also happens constantly at playtime.  It's almost as if it's his way of changing the subject.  Once he gets tired of playing with a particular toy - whooooosh, there it goes, across the room.  I recently read a clever disciplinary trick for dealing with the throwing (thanks, MONA!) ... you take the toy that has been thrown and put it in "time out."   Needless to say, everything from Thomas the Tank Engine to puzzle pieces has been relegated to Time Out Land over the last few days.

NO-ing: This is a clear hallmark of the Terrible Twos.  Everything is "no, no, no!" Especially when it comes to dressing.  I never thought a boy would give such a rip about what he wears (and, truth be told, I realize that this is not about fashion but rather about stubbornness), but every day when it's time to get out of his pajamas, we have a MAJOR tantrum.   It usually consists of wanting to stay in his pajama top all day long.  If we have nothing planned, I often fold (after all, choose your battles, right?) but Murphy's Law dictates that the temper tantrums will ratchet up especially during times when we have to dress in a halfway decent fashion.  Sigh.

YELLING: This is the one that I noticed the most while visiting my parents.  Kibi has always had a bit of an attention-demanding side that manifests itself when I am engaged in a conversation with someone, either in person or on the phone.  (Lately it's been, "Mommy, OFF PHONE!" whenever I am on a call in his presence.)  Well, the behavior has intensified, and now he simply hollers one word repeatedly, whenever I am talking with someone else.  To wit: while we were riding in the car with my mom and dad, every time my mom or dad would tell me something, Kibi, from the back seat would start chanting, "MOMMY!  MOMMY!  MOMMY!  MOMMY! MOMMY! MOMMY!" until I asked him what he wanted.  The answer?  Silence.  And then the whole thing would begin again.  Oy vey.

Now, I am admittedly being a little dramatic in inferring that I now have a 22 month old brat. It's not ALWAYS that bad.  In fact, this new "independence" (or whatever the strange new behaviors are about) has been accompanied by an increasingly wonderful aspect of his personality as well, one that is very loving and engaging.  Some of the things he says now simply melt my heart.  For example, "Mommy, I love you."  Or, declaring "I love watching cars!" yesterday when we were outside in the yard counting trucks go by.  It's so exciting that he is becoming even more expressive in his communication.  He seems more affectionate in many ways, too, like when we enjoy a lazy morning in bed every now and then and he snuggles next to me, saying simply, "Mommy..." and I feel like the luckiest person on earth.

I guess that, like with everything, you have to take the good with the bad.  And I know the Terrible Twos don't last forever ... (Right!?!  Please tell me I'm right!)

We're Baaaaaack! And Some Observations

DISCLAIMER: The following post is in no way intended to denigrate RV campgrounds or the persons who frequent them. To do so would be to denigrate my own parents, who are kind, loving, and good-hearted people. Both retired teachers from Ohio (which seems to be a target-rich environment for the RV Set), they have logged in more miles in their recently-purchased mobile home than anyone I know -- and the most important thing is, they are having a blast together.  

HOWEVER, after having spent the last week with them at one in central Florida, I found the entire thing to be such a fascinating sociological study that I simply had to share my observations...

First, I must say that if you've never been to one, and if you have young children, I encourage you to do so.  RV parks are wonderful for toddlers - especially toddlers like mine who are unaccustomed to big doses of nature and who have a postage-stamp sized area of grass that is expected to pass for a "yard" back home in Arlington, VA.  

And yes, these places are also full of unique and memorable highlights for parents of said toddlers.  

Here are some of the hallmarks that I found most noteworthy:

1. Bingo playing every Friday night (I attended my first game, surrounded by some of the most die hard grandmas I've ever seen, surprised that I actually sort of liked it after the first few rounds)

2. Lots, and lots, of yard kitsch (gnomes aren't even the half of it!)

3. Golf carts used as transportational (is that a word?) vehicles*

4. Dogs in strollers

5. Very rare sightings of people under the age of 60

It's funny because, although I spent much of the time musing about how different the environment seemed than the one I am used to, it got me also thinking about how often people's varying versions of "recreation" perplex others.  I mean, who's to say one is better, or more interesting, than the other?  

Some people choose to go to museum-hopping in the city for a weekend, others choose to set up camp in an RV resort.  Hobbies differ from group to group. Some people think tanning booths are the best thing since sliced bread; others think they are horribly tacky.  Some read books for fun; others enjoy scrapbooking.  Some wouldn't be caught dead watching junky TV shows, while others relish reality TV.  (I'm somewhere in the middle, for those of you who are curious.)  Some choose to spend their free time shopping in a mall, while others drink up the fresh air at any chance they can get.  

There are a lot of hobbies and pastimes out there, but one thing is certain.  No matter who we are or what we choose to do, we're all part of a big, colorful, unapologetic mass of Americans having a good time when the workin' time is done. And I wouldn't have it any other way!

[*However, this may not be exclusive to RV parks as my brother, a Florida resident, says that this is a "Florida thing" in general.]