Today after the boys' swim class, I took them to the nearby YMCA and joined! I've been meaning to do this for weeks, as the Y is the best compromise between location, childcare, and pool schedule. Gabriel and Julian sat fairly peacefully, munching on apple and Goldfish (a rare treat, which backfired since Julian insisted on eating them off the ground with his mouth) while I filled out and signed forms.Then I took them to the Y's Childwatch, of which there are two, depending on age. Both rooms are large and bright and pleasant and filled with fun toys, much nicer than the one at Supreme Court. Julian cried a little at first when I left him, insisting on "one more hug and a kiss", four or five times that is, but was fine within a few minutes. Gabriel, no problem, as I expected -- ironic considering how much trouble he gave me at the Supreme Court daycare as a baby! After filling out more forms and talking to each room's daycare ladies, I finally got to go check out the pool. I'd brought my swim stuff just in case...and it looked like I was going to get to sneak in a few minutes' swim!
I was thrilled, I haven't swum in a long time, and the urge to swim is very strong these days. It just feels like the perfect exercise for my beleaguered body. Spinning aggravates my weak sacro-iliac joint. Step classes, elliptical trainers and stair steppers bother my knees (and I don't have knee problems in general). Soon I won't be able to do Pilates or Ballecore or other similar exercises that emphasize abdominal work and lying on your back. (As an aside, I've mused how I seem to be attracted to the same genre of sport: dance, pilates, yoga, ice skating...all things which overall don't use equipment, aren't team sports, emphasize flexibility, aren't high-impact or high-cardio, and don't require hand-to-eye coordination. Other people love softball, basketball, volleyball -- sports without half a foot in the arts. That's not to say I don't like some sports: the dabbling I've done in volleyball and racquetball speak to that, and I know I'd love mountain biking, and of course I love to swim and am very inclined toward other water sports. But isn't it interesting how I, and most people probably, gravitate toward activities with similiar characteristics. I'd probably like tai chi and martial arts as well.)
Stepping back....Julian has an astounding record of needing to poop during his swim lesson. Four times in a row now, I've caught the straining eyes and puffy face and rushed him out of the pool just in time. A real pain when he's wearing fins and we're both soaking wet! Well, today he didn't poop in the pool, finally.
So when I went for my first swim at the Y today, I had to wait for about 20 minutes while the pool was closed due to a contamination (probably some other kid pooped in the pool). I got into my swim stuff, then did some stretches, and finally, finally was able to immerse myself in water and experience the almost hypnotic state of gliding through the water. Yay! It felt SO good. Being horribly out of shape, I stopped after only 5 laps to stretch, and looked up to see....Flora. The daycare lady from Julian's childwatch. Searching the pool. I called to her, and she saw me and said "Oh -- Julian go poo-poo!" I couldn't believe it. I'd been swimming maybe 5 minutes, and once again, pool time, this time mine, was foiled by Julian's bowels!
The afternoon went as usual, though it took me a while to get Julian inside to get him upstairs for his nap. He always protests at first, but usually goes along with the program as soon as I get started with a book (his latest favorite is "There's a Wocket in my Pocket" by Dr. Seuss). And for the 4th day in a row, I came down from getting Julian to bed to find Gabriel asleep. Today, Gabriel went into his room, closed his door and curled up on his bed under blankets.
I took a crucial nap too, only to be awakened by Julian crying, awake early from his nap. Only an hour and a half -- not long enough for him, but it's becoming more frequent. I took him downstairs and cuddled him on our bed, watching more junk TV, since I wasn't at all ready to move yet. Then Julian was quite still, and I saw that he'd fallen asleep again. He adjusted himself off of me, so I got up to prepare dinner. Lately I've been starting the lengthy dinner-prep process at around 4:30, in an attempt to get the boys fed early and before Dave gets home. They're impossible to have at our dinner table these days.
Meantime, Julian snoozed away on our bed, and Gabriel upstairs on his bed. At 6:30pm, Dave got home, and I left for my skating class -- and they were both still asleep! That confirms it: Julian really does need a 3-hour nap, but for some reason lately, he keeps waking up too early.
I had a great time skating, and came back to find two very well-rested and rambunctious little boys. Who miraculously went to bed by 9:30 despite their extended, and late, naps. Ah, sleep. It eludes me much these days, largely due to stomach troubles, but now, Baby#3's movement is starting to get big and strong enough to nudge me out of my usual troubled slumber. Three children adds up to many, many years of insufficient sleep. At least now I have a new way to boost my energy during the day: swimming.
5/25/06
