JT got me an elliptical machine for my birthday. It is possibly the nicest gift I have ever received in my life, and I need to use it more. At first I didn't use it because I had just had Elijah. Then I didn't use it because if there was ever free time, I used it for napping. It's possible, and even likely that using the elliptical might have alleviated some of my fatigue, but when I'm so tired, the last thing I want to do is a work out. Recently I decided that it had been decorating my living room long enough, and I should give it a go. I mean, I used to dream of owning one of these, and here it was, almost literally the "big elephant" in the room that I was avoiding. Now I just need to find the right time of the day to work out on it. I know what you're thinking. You're thinking that I'm lazy and that if I really wanted to work out, I would find the time. And you're right. I am lazy, and let me tell you it is crippling. However, it really is hard to find the ideal time. The children are NEVER napping at the same time and Elijah does not enjoy watching me. He screams and screams until his face is cherry red and I can see veins throbbing on his scalp (he's still bald). And even though he's crying, he's not sad. His tears are like steam from his rage, that have condensed. If that makes any sense. The girls, on the other hand, LOVE to watch me work out. They'll get as close as they possibly can without getting biffed.....(so far). They like to call themselves my "cheer friends" and shout out encouragements like, "Good job, Girl!" (much like you would a dog) and "Wow, you are going so fast, Mama!...well, maybe you could go faster...no, you're going fast enough" and "You look tired. Maybe you should stop now." By the way, back in the day before I had children, before I was married, when I could squander money on myself without any guilt whatsoever, I had a gym membership and sometimes, a personal trainer. No personal trainer has ever told me that I looked tired and should stop, even when I did and probably should have. Anyway, and then when they get tired of cheering me on, they want to chat. My breathing is labored, my face feels hot and no doubt looks unattractively red. My hair is wet with sweat that I can feel dripping down my neck and back and my legs are burning--and Carolyn is asking random questions, possibly to hear me pant and gasp out the answer so that she can say, "What was that, Mama? What did you say?" so that I can try again and again to answer her. I think the whole thing is more of an entertainment thing than it is an educational or enlightening thing. I've tried having them watch a movie or TV show in my room, but nothing is quite as entertaining to them the "Mom Show". Also? It is so hard to work out to Sesame Street. It has no rhythm, except for when it has bad rhythms to work out to.
Another thing I'm doing to try to get in shape is walking more. Okay not really. Actually I'm walking more to save gas, but the benefit of being more active is still there. My mother-in-law gave me a two seated stroller that worked great when I had 2 children. Now that I have three, we make it work. Carolyn and Lilia squeeze into the back seat while Elijah is comfortably tucked into the front seat. At first Carolyn was a big fan of the arrangement because otherwise she would have had to hoof it and Lilia was fine with the arrangement because she loves to do whatever Carolyn is doing and if she can do it with Carolyn, all the better. Now Carolyn has gone so far as to suggest that Elijah "stay home and watch himself" while we walk to the library. She also tries to trick Lilia into wanting to walk all the way there, while Carolyn rides in the stroller with queenly grace. When I try to encourage Carolyn to walk, she says that her legs are too tired. So I've made a new rule that if one walks, they both walk, and if one rides, they both ride. This makes for a cramped ride for them and a heavy load for me to push, as it's a very heavy stroller, even without passengers, but it's the most fair thing that I can think of so far. Meanwhile Elijah is a happy little clam. He loves going on walks. By the way, doesn't he look reproachful and maybe just a little harassed in his picture? That's because I tried several times to get a cute picture of him wearing that shirt, which says, "Product of Idaho". (It was given to Lilia from the hospital when she was born, but she never wore it.) I would get him to smile, and then the red light would go on and he would frown at it. It took a long time for me to give it up. Poor Elijah.
