Myrtle My Turtle Mommy!

No big boys.  Just me and the little one on a morning exploration this week.

We get to partake in some of my little guy's favorite activities, but the treat really is being an only child, even if only for a few hours.

A stop off at Chick-Fil-A for his favorite snack: hash browns, bagel with cream cheese, and a fruit cup.

He asks for ice cream.  I answer back that it is still a little early.  He calls his hash browns chicken nuggets.  I guess they sort of look like them...

We go to his favorite toy store Science Safari, a locally owned toy store that offers educational toys, science classes, and features some exotic creatures.

There's Iggy the iguana, a python, a corn snake, chinchillas, and Myrtle the turtle.  My two year old really loves that turtle.

He watches Myrtle with gleaming eyes and a curious stare and says, "Wook at it mommy.  It wook at me.  It has long neck.  It wuvs me mommy."

"Mommy turtle go home with me.  I buy turtle"  He looked at me as if surely I could make this happen.

"No turtle stays here."  I say. "Myrtle lives here.  She wouldn't be happy at our house."  I hoped he would care about Myrtle's personal happiness more than his own.  One can always hope.

"No, no, no... turtle wook at me, turtle love me, turtle go home with me!"

And with that he put his little head down on the rail of Myrtle's pen.  He looked up at me with these sad eyes and the beginning of a tear glimmering in the corner.

Boy, he's good.

I try to convince him that we can come back and visit Myrtle later.

"Myrtle my turtle. Myrtle is my turtle!"

I sigh that really tired sigh.  Huhhh...  Patience is coming hard and I'm eyeballing the door and planning our daring escape wondering if I should pick him up with the football hold or two hand cradle, and then...

 I see it, Silly Putty.

"Look at the egg, it's Silly Putty!" I exclaim holding up the red plastic egg, as if it is the best thing since sliced bread or yellow belly slider turtles.

He comes closer and eyes the egg and looks up at me and starts grinning and says, "Illy Putty, Illy Putty, my Illy Putty!"

And with that Elvis leaves the building under his own will, but now I have "Illy Putty" stuck to the car seat, but it has to be better than leaving with a turtle who probably will out live me.

Small sacrifices.

Princess Mommy

I must admit, I have become my mother's daughter.

Countless years spent teasing my sweet mama about her almost religious weekly hair appointments, and now, I too look forward to my time in the chair.

When hair is new and then...all is right with the world?  Well, at least all is right with mommy.

She feels just a little bit better, more refreshed.

Sound shallow?  Surely not.

This trip to my hairdresser and friend Emily's chair resulted in fun, yet fleeting curls.

Princess hair that as a mom of boys, you really appreciate having, since there really isn't a prom night or a gala ball in sight.

When I came home with my red carpet worthy doo my boys just stared at me with looks that said, "What the heck?"

But once they got used to it, they gave it a thumbs up.  My 5-year-old even said, "I like your springy boingy hair mama."

My oldest said, "You do not look like my mommy, but cool."

So for a night, I had Hollywood hair.  I will never be able to replicate this, but for a moment, just like Cinderella, I enjoyed my starlet hair.

Once midnight came (actually this Cinderella made it more 11:00'ish) the curls had to compete with the pull and gravity of my pillow against my temporary lovely locks. 

It's the little girlie things like this that keep us boy mamas running with some pink and polka dots.

A great reminder to enjoy the little things and savor being a girl even when you are surrounded by mud pies, shovels, and wiggly worms.  Maybe I can use those mud pies as part of some new facial treatment?  Hmmm? 

Broccoli and Red Cabbage: Super Food Spotlight

Oh, broccoli and red cabbage...I hardly knew thee.

I know that you are both healthy and good for us, but research puts you in a super food group that hails you as potent cancer fighters and curers of other ailments, including high cholesterol and high blood pressure.

Hmmm...?

Why am I contemplating this on a Friday afternoon, well...I happened to have some broccoli and red cabbage sitting in the fridge and thought it might make good complements to my omelet.


I'm also on a Fitness Challenge with my college friends and mama needs to make up for a little pizza we had last night. Ah hem..

While searching for recipes, I ran across some interesting pages that talked about the cancer fighting and other health benefits of these two fabulous veggies.

According to research broccoli has anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-cancer fighting immune boosting properties

Read the rest of the story >>

It Takes a Treadmill Village

Once again we braved the packed gym for my Fitness Challenge workout today.  I have never seen so many mini-vans at one place in my entire life.  And just for recording purposes, it looks like the Honda Odyssey wins over the Sienna in my neck of the woods.  Mini-vans as far as the eye can see...

I decided to jump on the treadmill for a long winters run.  Today I ran for an hour and logged 4.8 miles and burned 648 calories.  Not bad, but I could be faster.  I'm getting there little by little.

A curious thing is when I stay on a treadmill for more than 20 minutes, you get to see the treadmill styles of others around you.  I find it quite amusing.  It's a little like bird watching, except, you are one of the birds.

Some folks, we will call them the roadrunners, jump on their treadmill and ramp up the speed really fast only to jump off after 10 minutes.

Then others get right beside you and try to race you to the imaginary finish line.   You know, you speed up, they speed up, back and forth..

Then there was treadmill talker.  The entire time he talked on his cell phone on a business call as he walked briskly.  I know entirely too much about his meeting tomorrow and his holidays.

There are also readers, music boppers, and my personal favorite the treadmill grunter.  Yes, sometimes in a treadmill race, a good grunt is all you need to finish off your opponent.

Watching the village of treadmills around me provided enough entertainment to take my mind off of my own heavy feet, red face, and the sound of a little voice in my head that kept saying,  "Stop and go to the sauna, head to the sauna"....

It truly did take a treadmill village today to get me through.

Your Mama

Well, my fitness challenge is going much better.  Yesterday I did some Zumba to ring in my 45 minutes of cardio.  My 2-year-old son had fun trying some Salsa moves too.  I love Zumba and for any of you who might be thinking of a new exercise routine.  This mix of latin moves, strengthening, and dance just might be for you.

Today was a pamper mommy day.  For the first time in a long time, I had the entire morning and afternoon to do what I wanted.  The day started with a coffee and a not-so-fitness challenge-of me- chocolate croissant.  It was from Whole Foods.  Does that count as wholesome goodness?
 
From there a massage to treat my neck and shoulders which are out of whack from coughing.  It really helped me feel better and ready to tackle another day of staying healthy and on track for the fitness challenge.

Then a wonderful lunch with my hubby sans any little person asking to go to the bathroom over and over.

While cleaning out our Explorer at the car wash before carpool, I realized I couldn't find my cell phone.  My mind went to such places as to picture me throwing it away in that big communal garbage can.  Yuck.

Just then I noticed a young guy debating over which air freshener to buy and walked over and asked him if he might call my cell phone so I could locate it.  He looked at me sort of puzzled, laughed, and said, "Sure."

He called and it rang at the very bottom of what is the abyss of my purse.  I thanked him and he said, "No problem, that is just like something my Mom would do."

Whoa now, your Mama? ...and then it hit me.  He thinks I look old enough to be his mama or near about.  Oh wow.  In my minds eye, I am still looking pretty hip and happening, but who am I kidding stretch pants rarely lie.

Back to the fitness challenge and to my closet to throw away any mom jeans I might own.  Here's to good health and the occasional chocolate croissant.

New Year Fitness Challenge

 

My gym is so crowded right now.  The exercise room is filled with everyone who usually only uses the pool in the summer.  The classes so full you can barely turn to side kick and yet, I know, in just two short weeks it will thin out and return to optimal breathing room.

Why do many of us make resolutions to get healthy, but never keep them?  For many January 1st signals a call deep inside that this year things will be different.

This week I embarked on a Fitness Challenge with some of my college friends.  It gives points for exercising at least 30 minutes a day and you get points for weight loss.  Two years ago I won this friendly contest and this year isn't going as expected.

First an asthma-like coughing fit threatens to ruin my chances at the prize.  Then there's just a busy life that takes a lot just to get from Point A: school to Point B: work and then back to Point A and then maybe go to Point C and don't even get me started about Point D.

But determination prevails and plans to continue on my quest to kick some booty and lose a little booty are in effect.  Plans to continue to eat whole foods, drink more water less coffee, and exercise everyday are in reach.  (I really love coffee, this could be hard) 

As parents we owe ourselves and our families a healthy parental unit full of energy and ready to take on what our days of the new year have to offer.

Bring it on 2011! Who's with me?