I'm the creepy mom at the library!

Today was storytime at the local library.  C and I love storytime.
1. It's free
2. They have music
3. There is a duck pond behind the library
4. Books, books, books
5. It's free!
We go every week.  It's a good opportunity for us to get out of the house and get some exercise in during the process.  The storytime is only 15 minutes.  Afterwards we go to the kids section of the library and play.  They have puzzles and big, um, well I don't know what you call those things, but they have wires with little wooden knobs and rings that move around in bright colors and kids love them.  You know what I'm talking about?  Good!  Anyway, after that, I stalk the shelves as quickly as I can, before C goes into meltdown mode.  After that we go out to the duckpond.  C can run all over and chase after ducks and swans.  I get my exercise by chasing after him and doing everything in my power to keep him out of the water.  It's not long before he's ready for a very long nap.  Storytime is GREAT!

Today however, was a little different.  During storytime, C hit it off with a little boy about the same age as him.  I was so excited.  The two of them were playing together and saying "hi" over and over.  It was very cute!  The "mom" grabbed the boy up pretty quick afterwards and made her way to the parking lot.  I of course did what any VERY SANE person would do.  I followed her.  To the parking lot.  To her car.  She looked at me and asked "Am I blocking you?"  To which I said, "No.  My name's J.  I find that being a stay at home mom is a lot like dating, so I just wanted to ask you if you and your son would be interested in a playdate sometime.  We don't get out much so he doesn't get much interaction with other kids his age.  It could be here at the library.  I'm not some creepy weirdo, I promise"  Oh, the look of terror that passed over this woman's face was priceless.  Then when I got to the part about not getting out much.  Well, I can only guess that in her head she was screaming "Obviously".  She let me know that she was not his mom, but his nanny, and while she couldn't arrange playdates, she usually brings him to the library early on storytime days to visit the ducks.  If we found them (because obviously, we're creepy stalkers who go hunting people down to make them play with us) then she would gladly let the boys play together.  I told her it was nice to meet her and we left.  I didn't get to pick out any books for us because I thought at that point it would just look even creepier to walk back into the library.  We also did not get to go to the duck pond, so I walked around like a duck and quacked loudly while C chased me.  It was just as much fun.

So now I'm the creepy stalker lady at the library.  I'd bet good money that she does not go to storytime next week.  And if she does, I'd bet even bigger money that she avoids me at all costs.  I feel like such a weirdo loser, and yet I can't stop laughing about it.  How do you meet other mom friends?

Co-op your kid!

A few weeks ago, I received an email from a girl I hardly know, asking if I would like to drop my kid off at her house in exchange for her dropping hers off at mine every other week.  The fact that I hardly know this girl never once went through my head.  I said 'YES, YES, YES" and "Do we start today?". 

She was actually suggesting a SAHM (Stay at home mom) co-op with her and myself, and five other girls (like how I keep calling us all girls?).  Every other week, half of us will drop our kids off at one house while the other half goes out for a few hours to run errands, have lunch with friends, or use the bathroom without a child banging on the door screaming for "MO MUULK"!

Thursday I dropped baby #3 off at this glorious place.  He was asleep when we arrived, and I felt a little guilty as I thought how awful and scared he might be to wake up in this unfamiliar place, but that twinge of guilt passed pretty quickly.  I laid him gently down into a pack and play and hit the door running.  Time was ticking.  I would like to tell you that I ran off and did something exciting like finally saw The Help, or met my husband for a lunch date but instead I came home and did some uninterrupted sewing while simultaneously watching the last season of Grey's Anatomy.  When I returned t pick him up, he was playing in the backyard and I'm told didn't cry once.  One of the girls even mentioned if all kids were like him that she would have 10 more.  Clearly the kid knows how to put on a good show in public.

So, now I encourage all of you to start co-oping your children.  It doesn't have to be a SAHM co-op.  It could be a working mom co-op that takes place on the weekend or a weeknight.  It could be a babysitting co-op, so you can have a date night.  It could be a bounce house co-op, so once a week you're the unfortunate soul stuck at Bounce Town with 6 screaming kids.  Anyway, you get the point.  It's good for the kids to be around other kids, and it will be good for you to 1. Meet new people or get to know them better 2. Get out of the house! 3. Use the bathroom without getting the "MO MUULK" demand.

Welcome!

Hi!  My name is J.  I am a wife, mother, coach, and runner.  This blog will be about my life...even the boring stuff.  You've been warned.

Two years ago, I weighed 178 pounds.  I had just found out I was expecting my third and final (knock on wood) child.  When I had the older two children, who will be referred to as "the bigs" from here on out, I was tiny.  I left the hospital after having number two in a pair of size 5 jeans and remember feeling "HUGE".  Well, then my metabolism came to a crashing halt.  That paired with the combination of cheesefries and greasy bacon (I love bacon!) very rapidly turned that 5 into a 16.  So baby #3 made me realize it was time to make some serious changes in my life.

I started running.  Well, actually I started sprinting and heaving.  That's what happens when you think you can just go right into something like you're Superwoman.  I highly recommend a couch to 5K program for anyone interested in starting running.  Anyway, once I got the hang of it, I fell in love!  My morning runs are my saving grace.  I start my day thinking about all of the things I want to do for the day, scrutinizing over the things that have bothered me, and sometimes just singing along very loudly through my sleeping neighborhood with Adele and the Pistol Annies.  It's a wonderful feeling.  In the afternoons, I like to run with the bigs and listen to them talk about their days.  They also complain about how hot it is, how the bugs keep flying in their mouths, and how they need more water, but I tend to ignore all of that.  You'll never hear me say that I'm the World's Greatest Mom!

I also coach youth cheerleading.  My daughter is not on either of my teams, but she is the reason I started it.  She wanted to cheer at a young age, but because of her disabilities, no one would take her.  Thus started my cheer coach career (which is really just volunteer work, but it sounds illustrious, right).  In the 6 teams I have had, she has been on two.  She liked the uniforms and pom poms, but she mentioned something about the coach being a crazy lunatic.

My husband is wonderful!  He has been right in my corner as I decided to take up running and change our diets.  When I said no more real bacon, he cried for a while (we both did), but he has really enjoyed the many recipes I have found and created.  He even became inspired to start working on his own figure and has done so great!

The bigs are the two greatest kids you could ever meet!  They have gone running with me, raved over all of the healthy desserts, quietly choked down the less than stellar recipes, and kept me on my toes on days when I just didn't "feel like it".  And baby no#3...yeah, he's a new walker who thinks the world is his playground, so he makes sure I NEVER sit down.  He's also the reason I went into the home based business I did.  Although, I will not mention more about that (well unless it pertains to my day) because I don't want you to feel like I'm pushing a product.

The three of them are the reason I do everything in life.  Every decision I have made these last 12 years has been over careful consideration of them, their feelings, the impact it would have on them, etc.  If you're a parent, you get it.  If you're not, well I hope you still find this all entertaining!