It wasn't too terribly long ago that I swore I would NEVER (and I meant never) have children. Obviously, I changed my mind between then and now, thank goodness. Otherwise, I would never know the joy of being a mother and most importantly, I wouldn't have my Sweet Caroline.
Once Steven and I got married and I finally wrapped my mind around the idea of having children, there were certain things I swore I would never do as a mother or things I would see "yuppie" moms doing that would make me snicker. Well, my friends, I have crossed over to the dark side. And I have to say, I kind of like it.
For starters, I joined a group called Stroller Strides about 6 weeks ago. Stroller Strides is a national franchise geared towards helping moms get into or stay in shape without having to worry about childcare. It is a group of moms who get together a few times a week to work out with our kids in tow. The class is lead by an instructor who is a mother of three darling girls, ages 4 and under. We meet every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 9:00 a.m. at one of the parks here in town. When the weather is bad, we meet at the mall. I have to admit, when I first heard about this class, I was pretty skeptical and thought, "Yeah right. Like that's a good workout". Well, I have eaten my words. It is a great workout and I couldn't walk after the first week.
Since we have our kids with us (and not all of them are babies-there are several moms with 2-4 year olds), part of the class is geared towards keeping our kids entertained and happy while they're strapped in the strollers. This means singing the ABC's while doing bicep curls or singing "The Wheels on the Bus" while doing calf raises. Caroline loves it. She gets so excited, especially when we do interactive things with the kids.
It is pretty funny to see people's reaction to our group. We look like the stroller mafia. Five years ago, if some one had told me that I would be singing "Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed" while doing squats in the park, I would have told them they were delusional. But, here I am. I can't deny the "mommyhood" transformation that my former child-fearing self has undergone. Not only am I able to take care of myself, but I have also met some really nice people. And I have to admit, I kinda love it. Especially since I can see my abs again :)
It was kind of cold outside on this particular morning, so class was moved indoors to the mall.
Yay for Stroller Strides! (I apologize for the quality of these pictures. All I had was my phone.)
Kicking!
Just waiting for class to start...Last week, I also took yet another plunge into the mommy pool. I enrolled Caroline in a Parent's Day out program at one of the churches here in Wichita Falls. Every Thursday, she goes to class from 9:30 to 2:30. I have to admit, it was a little hard to drop her off the first time, but this was something I desperately needed. Not that I want to get away from Caroline, but yeah, I kind of needed to get away from Caroline for a little bit.
Now, before you start labeling me a "bad mom" for wanting a few hours away from my baby a week, hear me out. Since we are a military family, we a subject to moving where ever the AF tells us to. We don't have the option of moving back home to be near family. Granted, we are extremely blessed to be so much closer to our family where we are now, but with my parents being 4.5 hours away and Steven's parents being 9 hours away, it really isn't feasible to get day to day or even week to week help. It makes it a little difficult when I have things I need to do that aren't really that easy to do with Caroline, such as doctor's appointments and getting my hair cut. I don't have a mom, sister, or an aunt that I can call to watch Caroline for an hour here or there.
Steven is great to help out when he can, but his schedule is pretty demanding and he can rarely take off work early to help me out. Plus, since it is hunting season, he has been leaving the house every Saturday morning around 5:00 a.m. and not returnining until later that afternoon. He works very hard during the week to provide for our family, and hunting is his release. But, that is one more day that I am totally on my own. And as most parents know, being a mom doesn't have normal office hours-you're on call 24/7, 365. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my job as a stay at home mom. But sometimes, I need a breather and a refresher from it. I feel it makes me a better mom. Every mother and child are different, and what works for one may not work for the other. Some moms are content to NEVER be away from their children, even for half an hour. I am just not one of them.
After having 5 hours to myself last Thursday, I felt so much better. Steven noticed the difference when he came home from work too. I wish I could say that I spent that time doing something enjoyable or relaxing for myself, but no, I rushed home and cleaned my house. Even still, it was refreshing because I did it uninterrupted. It was actually kind of amazing. It is the little things I tell ya.
And let's not forget the most important little person in this whole equation, Caroline. Three words: She loved it! Afterall, she is a person too, and I'm sure she gets a little sick of me being in her face alllll day. We walked into the classroom, she held out her arms, went straight to her teacher, and never looked back at me. She had so much fun. How do I know??? Well, I get a little report from the teachers that tells me pretty much everything that went on. But the true indicator was that she took a 2 hour nap when she came home!!!!! This is pretty exciting stuff, because she usually only naps 30-45 minutes twice a day at home (now do you see why I needed a break???)
Caroline's first "report card". Of course I am saving it, but Steven insisted on putting it on the refrigerator :) If you look closely, you can see that she only napped 35 minutes while she was there and she "was a busy girl". Ha! Why am I not surprised? (Note: I meant to get a pic of Caroline as I dropped her off, but I was a ball of nerves and totally forgot)Bottom line, I have learned to never say never to ANYTHING*, because you never know what life is going to hand you. I have found myself thinking and saying things that I never thought I would. But, I think the most unexpected things are some times the best things about life.
*Almost anything.... Mom or not, I vow I will NEVER drive a mini van. Come on, I can't have my cool card totally revoked.
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