Thursday, May 28, 2009

Exercise vs. Ice Cream

This diary on MotherTalkers about vitamin supplements possibly blocking the benefits of exercise was just the kick in the pants I've needed for a long, long time.

I'm seven months postpartum, after my second child. And boy have I found it to be true that losing weight the second time is challenging. It's coming off slowly, and I expect that when I wean, more will come off. But it doesn't help that for Mother's Day, I got a Cuisinart Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker (yeah, DH was thinking it would be a gift for the whole family). That thing is magical-- the ice cream it produces is fabulous.

But it just sucks to remember my pre-baby body and all the things it could do--I could do!

I could:

- Run without feeling winded after a few minutes. And without feeling like I needed an industrial strength sports bra.

- Not worry about muffin tops-- either eating or having.

- Actually go for a run (or to dance class, or yoga) when it fit my schedule, without worrying about leaving little ones behind.

Etc, etc. You know how it is. There are all sorts of things I used to do that I want to do again. Lyn's diary nudged me into acknowledging that exercise should be at the top of that list.

So clearly, my big challenge here is balance-- bringing exercise and fun physical activity back into my life, prioritizing it, and still enjoying an occasional soft serve night with the family.

I have woken up early three times this week to do at least part of that kick butt Tracy Anderson postpartum DVD. It's a start, right?

What are the things you miss from pre-baby days? How are you re-incorporating those things?

NOTE: I think there's an understanding among us all here that talking about this does NOT in any way mean that you don't love your kids or anything like that. No guilt! This is about encouraging each other to remember to develop what we love. Whether it's running, baking, writing, whatever-- we have a lot to accomplish in addition to child-rearing. Let's support each other in figuring out how!

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

going to school

You have to figure that having a professor for a dad, Paloma would pick up on the teacher thing fast. True that.

She's now doing really well at playing teacher. I sit on the couch, sometimes with my mom, and Paloma stands in front. We say "Good morning teacher!"

P: "Good morning class!"
Me: "What are we learning about today? Yesterday we learned about trees."
P: "Today we are learning about cars. Cars and trucks go on the road. People stay on sidewalks."

And she went on about the wind, and the road, and the wheels. It felt like morning poetry.

Sometimes having a toddler is a really great reminder of how creative we all can be. Paloma made me want to do some creative writing or make a crazy collage or do a twisty interpretive dance. I always thought I couldn't draw but Paloma is teaching me that maybe I can after all. Don't worry, I won't assault you with my refrigerator art. Just hers. :)

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Mother's Day post-game wrap up

Happy Wednesday! (I'd like to say, I started this on Monday but it has been SO BUSY at MomsRising that I've had zero opportunity to post.) How was your Mother's Day? For my sister's husband's family, it's their first one without their mom. She passed away of cancer last December. I want to remember them specially this year.

For our little family, it was a lovely day. Ok, I'm holding back. It was fabulous!!! We went to the beach with our girls and my mom, and just thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. And Derek surprised me with... wait for it... a Cuisinart ICE-45. What is this miracle, you ask? It is a soft serve ice cream maker. All my troubles are over.

Or perhaps it's my first frenemy. I have never had a frenemy, being just a tad out of that clever demographic that invented the term. Also, I'm just not the type to cultivate good frenemies. But inanimate objects, I've decided, can be my frenemy.

Here's why. I just had my first taste of heaven called homemade soft serve. It is wondrously good. Derek made organic chocolate soft serve, and it was truly the creamiest, silkiest ice cream I have ever had. Yet, I am almost seven months postpartum and... you know where this is going. Frenemy. I love you but never want to see you. I see such heights of potential deliciousness, such depths of miserable poundage.

The ICE-45 is not multi-functi like the KitchenAid Artisan stand mixer, which I bought used from a friend and still admire daily. (sidebar: That thing can do anything. D says he wants to get one for his lab. Maybe ask it to grade papers.) I can't pretend to want it around to, you know, make something healthy. No, the soft serve maker exists to do one thing and one thing only-- make soft serve ice cream. Much as I love and use my KitchenAid, I also admire this focus, this dedication.

WAIT. What if I made soft serve yogurt with the same ingredients I'd use in a smoothie?

OMG. The lovin' is back on.

Oh-- and MomsRising now has over a million members. Our video has over 11 million views. We are eternally grateful to each and every mother, dad, daughter, son, aunt, cousin, grandparent, uncle, friend and colleague who passed it on. You can still do it! We changed the language at the end so it works every single day of the year.

We <3 every MomsRising member and everyone who laughed along with us and passed it along.

Monday, May 04, 2009

Hilarious Mother's Day video!



This is from MomsRising to celebrate Mother's Day and it is hilarious. I have inside information that it was written by an Onion staffer, which will make perfect sense to you after you see it. The cool thing is you can customize it to feature the name of a favorite mom in your life!

Watch it, then pass it on-- it will definitely get a laugh.

And definitely let me know what you think in the comments! Are you going to be sharing it?

the slippery slope of toddler thinking

It was a lovely Sunday morning. Bubba (=grandpa) was sitting on the floor with Paloma, both in pajamas.

P: Take off your socks!
B: No, thanks, I'll keep them on!
P: Take off your socks!
Me: Bubba doesn't have to take off his socks if he doesn't want to.
B: I don't have footie pajamas like you do, so I'll keep on my socks.
P: Take off your socks! Cubuzz (=because) it's fun to take off socks!
B: Well, ok. (takes off socks)
P: Take off your pants!!!

We laughed and laughed.