Thursday, February 21, 2013

Yoga Time


            There’s nothing like a child to make you feel a little bit guilty. Adam and I arrived home about the same time today, which is highly unusual, but it worked out perfectly. Benji jumped out of Adam’s car and quickly ran to my car to inform me that “daddy’s car won because it has nitrous.” Now, there was a time when I believed that my husband’s previous vehicle, a kia sportage, was fully equipped with nitrous…until I learned that it was just a passing gear, however I’m very positive that our family Durango does NOT have nitrous! Anyway, I let Benji go on believing daddy’s story. After informing me of the questionable substance used to race mommy’s car home, Benji ran to help Adam unload wood. He was obviously full of energy today. After loading and unloading wood, Ben finally came into the house and walked onto my yoga mat, which had remained on the floor from the last time I did yoga, which was….maybe 2 nights ago. As I’ve said before I’m not in the running for best housekeeper this year! Anyway, Benji asked to do yoga which surprised me because he had only done it with me once before and lost interest very quickly. I informed him that he could do yoga, however he would have to do it alone because I needed to get dinner ready, he agreed. I found my P90X Yoga DVD and pressed play, he began and continued for 15-20 minutes. Rather than getting dinner around, I sat my lazy butt in the chair and watched him. As entertaining as it was, I was quickly reminded that my 3 year old son was energetically performing advanced yoga while I was sitting in the lazy boy! After he was finished he said, "I'm tired with yoga, I feel like I need a snack and I think it needs to be candy." Instead of candy I jumped up as soon as Benji was finished, got dinner around, which consisted of a frozen pizza and dinosaur shaped chicken nuggets (today happens to be Adam’s and my 4 year anniversary…yes, this was our anniversary meal.) After a couple slices of pizza and a handful of dinosaur nuggets, I was feeling incredibly lazy and very full of processed foods. Who ever thought of molding chicken parts into the shape of dinosaurs anyway, why not process them into the shape of chickens? After dinner was cleaned up, baths had been given to the kiddos, and a few other mundane household chores were completed, I felt it necessary to restart the P90X yoga video for myself. This time it was me, a little less energetically, but performing yoga nonetheless, while Adam sat in the lazy boy. I’m quite sure that he didn’t feel the guilt, and I don’t think I’m as entertaining to watch, but it wasn’t long before he left the room and I had 30 minutes of peace and quiet to myself…and a few animals who always feel the need to be a part of everything I do. As I sit here, again on the couch, I’m still feeling that I need to do something more to outdo my 3 year old. Maybe I’ll hold off for tonight and convince myself that I’ll wake up at 5:30 AM to run a few miles!

Friday, February 15, 2013

I'M NOT SICK!!!


            The relationship between siblings is not one that can be described as “typical” or “average” or anything else that we hear on a daily basis when parents talk about their children. Growing up in a sib set of 3 and being the youngest by a great margin, the relationship that I once had with my brothers is not the relationship that I have with my brothers now, and the relationship that I currently have with one brother is completely different than the relationship I have with my other brother. The bond that siblings have, or in certain cases, the lack of a bond is private and intimate, and not something that is really ever verbally discussed, but physically displayed among one another, but I’m not sure that as a parent, you can ever really know how your children feel about each other.  As you all know, I have two children, one boy and one girl and as I have often said…they love each other. I’m always very impressed with how caring Benji is with his sister, and although he feels the need to tattle on his baby sister for pushing him (keep in mind, she’s 1 year old), he takes care of her. It’s not uncommon for me to happen upon him sharing food, toys, and games with her, and tickling her to “make her laugh” if she is crying about something (usually the fact that Benji is in her face and she is annoyed.)

            Last week, I truly realized how blessed I am and how thankful I am to have two kiddos that are so close. I realize that I will most likely be singing a different tune in a few years, but I felt the need to write about this now so it could forever be remembered…and shown to my children when they are 16 and 18 and are fighting about who gets to use the car on Saturday night. A couple of weeks ago the cold, or flu, or “it’s viral, we can’t prescribe anything” type of sickness rolled through our home. Presley first, and then a few days later, Benji.  Adam agreed to take the day off to stay home with our sick cowboy. Well, our sick cowboy did everything his three year old mind could think of to convince Adam and me that he WAS NOT SICK! Although he had a fever from hell and continued to vomit continuously while screaming…obviously he hates to vomit, he WAS NOT SICK! With good reason, we didn’t believe him and couldn’t figure out why he didn’t want to stay home and watch movies all day while Presley went to daycare. He was upset, more than upset, and sad. As I explained to Benji that I was going to take “Pooey” to daycare so he could relax and watch movies all day with Daddy and not have to worry about her stealing the remote, he cried and wanted to go “get his dress on” (this is what he calls getting dressed…someday when I get over the humor of this statement I will address the fact that he needs to re-evaluate what he is actually saying.) As I was putting Presley’s coat on her, Benji yelled out, “she can’t go to school without me, she’s too little.” I’ve always known that Benji loves his lil sister Pooey, but it wasn’t until this moment that it really struck me how much he cares about her and her well-being. Benji was truly upset and concerned that he needed to be around her to watch out for her. I know that once he is at daycare he pays no attention to his little sister, but the fact that he is so aware that he is able to watch out for her hit a nerve in the “mom” part of my heart.