Why do I exercise?

Okay, I started to exercise the other day (confession… I exercise just about as regularly as I blog…), but it did get me to think about what type of message I am sending to my little girl. Let’s put it frankly, I am not exercising to feel healthier, or to get more energy, though those are excellent side benefits. I am working out because I am going to go on vacation and I want to look good in a swimsuit.

While I try very hard to teach my child that looks are not everything (she is currently a bit addicted to people calling her pretty…), and that we should try to exercise and to eat well for the sake of being healthy, and not to live up to some ideal body image; I turn around and sneak peaks at pretty glossy fashion magazines and wonder how the models get their tummies so flat… or if that fad diet really works….

So yes, I confess, I am a bit of a hypocrite…

But I really do want to teach her to feel good about her body, especially since she wants to be a ballerina when she grows up, granted, she also wants to be a princess fairy, so maybe I do not have that much to worry about when it comes to a career choice where body image/type is a pretty big issue.

So, I guess I will try to live by example and exercise and eat less junk food to feel healthier and to have more energy… looking better in my swimsuit will just be a nice side benefit….

The other relationship in my life...

Yes, today is Valentine’s Day, but instead of writing about how much I love my little one (whom I love more than anything in the world; and I tell her that almost everyday, not just once a year), I decided to write about my other relationship…. The one with SLEEP.

Dear Sleep,

I have noticed that in the last few years, we have started to spend more time apart. I try not neglect you, but life has gotten in the way. I am so sorry. I feel bad for letting you sneak down my priority list, somewhere below laundry, dishes, and cleaning, but please know, that in my heart you are still on top.

We really should work on our relationship. I remember when we use to have little quickies in the afternoon, but now prepping for dinner has gotten in our way. There really does not seem to be enough hours in the day for us anymore.

I know it is mainly my fault. I can spend a bit less time in front of the computer and more time with you, but sometimes, staying up late, is the only time I have for myself, and I do treasure that time.

I remember reading this article a couple of years ago and thought these women were crazy for neglecting you… and now that I think back, I was probably reading the article at midnight. Apparently, I was already putting you aside.

So this year, I will try to spend more time with you and less time on Facebook, or Twitter… or maybe I will just clean less….

Let us see if we can fix this, I no longer want to feel like two ships passing in the night; I want quality time together. I know we will both feel better.

I miss you.

Love Always,

Things I never thought I would do… until I became a mother…

1) Turning EVERYTHING into a song (and I am not even a good singer…)

Yes, my life is now a musical. It started innocently enough; humming when I change my baby’s diaper; creating little songs to distract her in the car; making up songs to make thunder less frightening; then came the toilet training and hand washing songs… and now, we just sing about EVERYTHING and anything! Though I admit, it is incredibly cute that my little one has started to create her own little everyday songs to sing to me. The problem is that she wants me to sing the song she made up with her…

One other warning about making up songs… MAKE SURE you REMEMBER the words and tune. You never know when the little one wants a repeat performance of a song that you made up months ago…

2) My obsession with bodily fluids…

Honestly, until I became a mom, I never thought twice about the colour of bodily fluids... now I find myself looking up stuff and asking other people (mainly other parents because they are less likely to look at you funny when you ask them these questions…) about what green snot means… and what colour should poop be….

And of course...

Finding myself so much in LOVE with another person. To be filled with so much wonder and anticipation to see what she will do everyday. And, to do silly things, just to see her smile.

Oh...

And be able to somewhat function on so little sleep….

Happy New Year!

I do not believe another year is over.... I do not believe I am another year older! Granted, it has been great being 29 for the last couple of years now.... I guess I should start to move on. It would be easier if I did actually feel another year wiser though..

So as usual, my New Year's resolution rule is to not have a resolution... though I do have some new year wishes...

In no particular order....

- Try to fold the laundry in less than a week....

- Attempt to keep the house cleaner... that is vacuum before the dust bunnies

start speaking to me

- Try to Finish unpacking the house from the move (granted my parents never did finish packing from their first move, and that was over 20 years ago, so I am

ahead of schedule right now)

- Try to write more

- Try to read more books that have more than 4 sentences per page

- Try to make me happy, and with that, help other people to be happy

- Try to worry less about the small stuff... and debate on whether I should worry

more about the big stuff...

I am sure this list will grow as the year progresses....

But the Most Important Thing...

- Try to be the best Mother I can be

Like I tell my little one... the most important thing is to try. BUT no half-ass trying... that does not count.

… and Things I never thought I will hear…

(after being on the toilet for at least 10 min… )

Child: mommy, there was no poop… but I had a good think….

Things that I never thought I will say

Honey, if you eat a bite of fish, you can have a bite of brussel sprout…

What is with the price of tickets....

During my recent vacation, we went to an ‘eco’ theme park in Mexico, where they charged children tickets based on height, NOT age. At the time, I thought it was interesting, a little bit odd, but interesting. And now, I think it should be done EVERYWHERE!

Last weekend, I took my little one to a water-park, you know, the ones with the wave pool, ‘children area’ and slides… I was flabbergasted (and trust me, I do not get to use the word flabbergast a lot) when I saw how much a kid’s ticket was. Kids THREE and up had to pay full adult fare. Yes THREE!

Now, this would not be so bad, if the three year old can take advantage of ALL the activities at the park, but there is a height restriction on the big slides (not that my little one would have stepped foot on the slide, heck, she did not even want to go on the baby slide, but this is more our problem than theirs.) Back to the problem… why in the world should I pay full price for my little one, when she can only use about 1/3 of the park? Heck, as I was there by myself, I was only able to use about 1/3 of the park - it is not like I am going to leave my toddler alone next to a pool while I go have fun on the tube slide… This was probably the most expensive couple of hours, of sitting in a pool in my life.

I think Mexico had it right; perhaps all theme parks should start selling tickets based on height. If a child can only use a certain percentage of the equipment, they should only have to pay a certain percentage of the price.

Now, I know why my parents insisted that I was 12 for about three years of my life.

photo courtesy of: Kevin Abbott (ka1970)