The boys played outside today after picking Gabriel up from pre-K, and a disastrous trip to Home Depot. Taking 3 kids to Home Depot is bad enough, but since I knew the boys would be all over Katrina again, I put her out of reach in the backpack. Turns out, the boys turned their boisterous attention to each other, and got scolded once by a Home Depot manager (actually he was probably scolding me, as I was frantically searching for the right-sized screw and trying to hold off on reprimanding the boys again for fear of diluting what little control I had left).
At least they got their energy out playing ball in the backyard, on this mild day, just short of being out-and-out-warm.
Katrina got to try another cute shortie outfit today, courtesy of another diaper blowout.
She's decent at supporting herself standing up, once again in between her brothers: Gabriel at this age could hold onto something and stay standing, Julian couldn't stand at all until much much older.
I had very simple goals today. Get in a shower, and pump a little so Katrina can practice the bottle. Incredibly, I met those goals, but it wasn't easy. The shower was only possible because Gabriel entertained Katrina in the Exersaucer and was on the alert to tell me if she started crying.
On top of it, I got a short much-needed nap this morning, while Julian played downstairs with his new connect-the-dot book. And I got in a deep workout at the Y too. Nap, workout, shower...it doesn't get much better than that in my limited daily life.
I keep thinking about ordering a workout DVD I've seen on an infomercial: Hip-Hop Abs. It looks like a lot of fun, and exactly what I need for those days I can't get to the Y. But something on the infomercial really annoys me. They interview people who've gone through the program and who tout its effectiveness, and one of those people is a 40-year-old woman. This is supposed to illustrate just how amazing this program is: it even works on someone as ancient as 40!! Miracles! We can revive the dead! I mean, really! What on earth about being in your 40s limits your ability to work out or be, or get, fit?
Of course, time does take its toll: my skin, my body shape, my hair -- all of it says 40s. And that's fine. I don't deny getting older or the accompanying changes. But this underlying implication that you fall off the face of the earth after 40 is really irritating.
Even a recent letter to the SJ Mercury News supporting older parents damned itself, by saying "Sure, a 60-year-old might not be able to keep up with his 3-year-old's soccer class, but..." What?! Why on earth can't a 60-year-old keep up with a 3-year-old? It's a given when you're 30 that you can keep up with a 3-year-old, just because you're young. But it's not a given that just because you're older, you can't. I have no intention of being outrun by a 3-year-old when I'm 60.
My friends who are still in their 20s and 30s, take note! Don't buy it! You'll turn 40 someday too, and there is absolutely no reason you can't be fit and energetic and completely yourself. It's actually quite light here on the dark side!
OK, rant over. I guess I have extra energy for it after running a mile on the treadmill today. A mile! Me! A sworn treadmill-hater and non-runner! Turns out, I'm motivated by distance, not time. I'm still not crazy about the treadmill, but I sure like how much stronger I feel. I'm gonna need it. Let's see if I still have the energy for this same rant when I'm 50!
3/6/07
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