Adventures in Exercise

I think I need to throw this bag of truffles into the trash. I sort of indicated that I was going to stop eating so many truffles after the holidays, didn't I? I do apologize for misleading you.

But! It's okay, because I actually went out for a run today. Well, a walk/run. And there may have been more walking than I'd care to admit. But, still! I went. And it was quite the ordeal, but I went anyway. Mainly because I have a little friendly wager going on with Cheryl, and whoever runs three times a week, ten times, first, gets a Starbucks card. I just envisioned lattes while I was panting along. There were a few reasons it was such a chore making this run happen today.And they are as follows:

My toddler's sleep schedule, otherwise known as OMGWTF?

We are still trying to undo the damage the holidays did to Charlotte's very delicate ability to sleep like a normal person. We live very close to both our families, plus we had family visiting from out of town. Between seeing everyone, shopping, family outings, etc. she kind of just napped when she napped, if at all, and bedtimes got later and later. It was very stressful, and ultimately resulted in what we have now, which is an almost-two-year-old who goes to bed around ten, sleeps in till nine, and naps late in the afternoon.

In trying to undo some of this damage, I spent an inordinate amount of time trying to make her nap earlier. I'll spare you the boring details, but it was looking like she was finally going to sleep, but not early enough that I would have time to run before it got dark when she woke up. So, when she fought through that last attempt, I threw up my hands, made her a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and strapped her into the jogging stroller. If she wants to stay up, we're doing what *I* want to do.

The Wind

I live in the desert, and one of the many fun weather patterns, besides crippling heat and frigid (to us, anyway) lows, is the wind. It's intense. Case in point: my friend bought her daughter a trampoline for Christmas. and a few days later the wind blew it up over a wall and into the neighbor's yard, effectively destroying it. When we were kids and lived in a more remote part of the desert, my sister and I would walk down the street to our friends' house where the four of us would each collect a tumbleweed, place them in the middle of the street, then let go and run away as the wind blew them down the road. Good, clean, hick fun!

So, after bundling Charlotte, handing her her cookies, and venturing out of the garage, it should not have come as a surprise to me that I was punched in the face by an icy wind. But that sort of thing tends to surprise you no matter how many tumbleweeds you've ran from or how many times you got a brush stuck in your windblown hair.

I thought for a moment that this was an ill-fated trip, and that we would have to go home. But, then I remembered that the jogging path is nestled in between two hills and might be sheltered somewhat from the blasts. So, we set out, another obstacle narrowly dodged.

My Toddler

This isn't really her fault. But, when we got to a certain part of the trail, where it widens and there's loads of grass just waiting to be frolicked upon, she was pretty much over sitting in the stroller, munching on dry animal crackers, and requested to "Run, run, run." And, I couldn't exactly blame her. So, there was sort of a lull in my workout as Charlotte ran around getting her exercise, falling on her face, getting consoled, and picking up sticks. But, I'd like to think I made up for that lull by pushing her home against the wind.

My (lack of) Stamina

I know this will change. I know I will get stronger and faster, and my lungs will no longer ache and throb after mere moments of jogging but damn is it uncomfortable in the meantime.

So, there you have it. A suburban SAHM goes for a jog. Riveting, no?

This is Why We Don't Have Thanksgiving Resolutions

Today was the day.

The day I resolved to get up in the middle of the night to do some Black Friday shopping. I've never done it before because large crowds make me unreasonably angry under normal circumstances, so I can only imagine the violence and vitriol that would ensue in large crowds at 3 A.M.

But, we're pretty strapped for cash, and I was hoping to get everyone presents that don't suck for half the price. Unfortunately, after scrutinizing the ads I couldn't even find anything that caught my eye. And, if you're going Black Friday shopping, especially with the Early Bird specials, you kind of need to know what you're after and make a beeline for it. It's not exactly the time to be wandering aimlessly, what with someone's elbow being in your eye and all.

So, I slept in, instead. It was wonderful. Unfortunately, I was greeted by "No Mommy! Just Daddy." when I came down the stairs, eager to greet my daughter. I try not to let her hurt my feelings, but it can be hard when she basically wants nothing to do with me all morning. And now she's refusing to nap. Again. At least there is pumpkin pie to get me through this very difficult time.

Which reminds me, I also resolved to work out today. Something about going to bed with a gut full of turkey and mashed potatoes, along with the knowledge that this will only be the first of many indulgences this holiday season, made me feel the need to drag my gravy-laden carcass to the treadmill so I can gasp for breath for about half an hour. I'm not completely ruling it out, but I'm about to tuck into a second cup of coffee and a slice of pie. So, prospects are not good.

I could clean my apartment! Yes, that would be a good idea. But, Chris just got the baby down for her nap (miraculously.) So, maybe today would be a good day to watch our first Christmas movie.

I'll just save all that stuff for New Year's day.