I know I'm a jeans and t-shirt kind of girl. I also know I'm not trendy or necessarily fashion forward, but I also don't think I'm living in a different decade either. So when did the tube sock go out of style? I apparently missed that message.
If you read my last blog, you know that I have been going to the gym on a regular basis to work out with a trainer. He makes a conscious effort to check out my socks because one day I was in a hurry and couldn't find two ankle socks that had the same color rim around the top. One was green and the other hot pink. On Tuesday this week, I was wearing my usual white tube socks that say Hanes in pink on the bottom of the foot. I've probably had these socks for 7 or 8 years now. I figured socks were like underwear, they don't really go out of style and you wear them until they have holes in them, right?
Anyway, so he notices my tube socks and says, "Nice socks!" I thought he was being serious because at least they matched. I finally figured out yesterday that his statement wasn't a compliment when he joked about what socks I had on at Thursday night's class. A friend of mine who is also in the class, started laughing and said she hadn't seen socks like those since high school track in the 80's. What?!
Just so you know, this isn't the first time my tube socks have been an issue. About two and half years ago, my husband and I took our daughter to the Omaha Zoo. It was the first time any of us had been there. I got ready in the hotel with my polo shirt, army green shorts, tennis shoes, and of course my Hanes tube socks. My husband took one look at me and said, "You are not going in public looking like that." He gave me a pair of his ankle socks and made me change. I didn't know what the issue was, but I did thank him later for letting me wear his socks. When we got to the ticket line, I realized the only people that were wearing tube socks with tennis shoes and shorts where over the age of 60 and complimented the socks with a fanny pack.
I love my tube socks. They keep my feet and lower calf/shin area nice and warm and dry, but I will succumb to the fashion trends of the twenty-first century. Today is pay day, so I will go out and get me some new ankle socks...preferably ones without colored rings on the top, so I don't need to worry about them matching.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Exercise Schmesercise
It all started in September when I went to my yearly thyroid check-up. My doctor conveniently has been graphing my weight since I was diagnosed with hypothyroid disease in 2006, and so kindly pointed out to me that I was 12 pounds heavier then I was two years ago. Nevermind the fact that I carried a baby and gave birth to a child during that time.
He dismissed any reasoning I contrived alleging that the weight was due to turning 30. (okay it probably had less to do with turning 30, then it did the margaritas and cheeseburgers I consumed to celebrate 30) My doctor continued to tell me that I needed to lose some weight. "You're not obese or anything, but you could afford to lose 5 pounds," were his words to be exact. Now I love myself more than most people love me, but I have to say he poked a hole in my self esteem bucket. I told him that I wanted to wait and make sure I was done having children, so I didn't have to lose that 5 pounds twice. Not only does my doctor lack kouth, but a sense of humor as well and responded with, "Unless you plan on getting pregnant in the next month or two, you can lose it now."
Now most people I tell the story to, wonder why I continue to go to this doctor...but I kind of appreciate his honesty and heading me off before the 12 pounds turned into 20. I went home and looked in the mirror and yes, there was a visible muffin top, and no, the dryer didn't shrink all of my pants. Also, shortly after that, I went to a bridesmaid dress fitting for my friend's wedding this coming June...I was measured and politely made aware that I have a pear shaped body instead of the coveted hour glass figure.
It was time to dust of the commercial grade elliptical I insisted we buy 5 years ago and had yet to log an entire hour on. I was serious about dropping not only the 5 pounds but the entire 12 to get back to pre-pregnancy weight...and be able to fit into my gray pants. I decided I needed a personal trainer to help me know what exercises to do, how to do them, be most efficient and effective with my work outs and ultimately look like a bikini model.
I talked about this for a couple months until my childcare provider told me there was actually a trainer in my small rural town. My plan was to work out with him once a week for a month, learn some exercises to do at home on my own equipment, and then continue to train on my own. I started in November with two personal training sessions a week and 4 sessions turned into 10 sessions, and then into an 8 session class with 5 other women. I've been consistently working out an average of 3 days a week for 3 months now. My muffin top is disappearing and smoothing out, my arms are defined and so much stronger, I no longer am experiencing frequent tension headaches, and I feel really good right after the work out. I've finally lost the 5 lbs my doctor ordered. You would think that with the positive results that I would have bought into this exercise thing and healthy lifestyle, but I must be honest. I STILL HATE EXERCISE! Its hard, it makes me sweat, my muscles hurt, its time away from the television and Facebook...oh and time away from my family of course. I have two more sessions in the current strength training class I'm taking and I will sign up for another month of classes in February. In March I will officially have to make the conscious decision to maintain the fitness effort on my own. I will have a bikini body by summer...well, my body will be in a bikini regardless if I get offers from Sports Illustrated or not, and I will know I've reached my goal when I can wear my gray pants in public without offending anyone.
He dismissed any reasoning I contrived alleging that the weight was due to turning 30. (okay it probably had less to do with turning 30, then it did the margaritas and cheeseburgers I consumed to celebrate 30) My doctor continued to tell me that I needed to lose some weight. "You're not obese or anything, but you could afford to lose 5 pounds," were his words to be exact. Now I love myself more than most people love me, but I have to say he poked a hole in my self esteem bucket. I told him that I wanted to wait and make sure I was done having children, so I didn't have to lose that 5 pounds twice. Not only does my doctor lack kouth, but a sense of humor as well and responded with, "Unless you plan on getting pregnant in the next month or two, you can lose it now."
Now most people I tell the story to, wonder why I continue to go to this doctor...but I kind of appreciate his honesty and heading me off before the 12 pounds turned into 20. I went home and looked in the mirror and yes, there was a visible muffin top, and no, the dryer didn't shrink all of my pants. Also, shortly after that, I went to a bridesmaid dress fitting for my friend's wedding this coming June...I was measured and politely made aware that I have a pear shaped body instead of the coveted hour glass figure.
It was time to dust of the commercial grade elliptical I insisted we buy 5 years ago and had yet to log an entire hour on. I was serious about dropping not only the 5 pounds but the entire 12 to get back to pre-pregnancy weight...and be able to fit into my gray pants. I decided I needed a personal trainer to help me know what exercises to do, how to do them, be most efficient and effective with my work outs and ultimately look like a bikini model.
I talked about this for a couple months until my childcare provider told me there was actually a trainer in my small rural town. My plan was to work out with him once a week for a month, learn some exercises to do at home on my own equipment, and then continue to train on my own. I started in November with two personal training sessions a week and 4 sessions turned into 10 sessions, and then into an 8 session class with 5 other women. I've been consistently working out an average of 3 days a week for 3 months now. My muffin top is disappearing and smoothing out, my arms are defined and so much stronger, I no longer am experiencing frequent tension headaches, and I feel really good right after the work out. I've finally lost the 5 lbs my doctor ordered. You would think that with the positive results that I would have bought into this exercise thing and healthy lifestyle, but I must be honest. I STILL HATE EXERCISE! Its hard, it makes me sweat, my muscles hurt, its time away from the television and Facebook...oh and time away from my family of course. I have two more sessions in the current strength training class I'm taking and I will sign up for another month of classes in February. In March I will officially have to make the conscious decision to maintain the fitness effort on my own. I will have a bikini body by summer...well, my body will be in a bikini regardless if I get offers from Sports Illustrated or not, and I will know I've reached my goal when I can wear my gray pants in public without offending anyone.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Letter to my kids' teachers
Dear Mr/Mrs So and So:
Let me preface this letter by letting you know we love our children very much and we mean well. When Natalie comes to school in a purple shirt with an applicade flower and burgandy pants with embroidery on the bottom, realize she dressed herself that day. As parents we decided to choose our battles and felt that it was more important for her to experience independence and self-confidence. She felt so good about what she was wearing and it was weather appropriate, hence we chose to avoid the fight.
Please understand that if she comes to school and there is nothing in her "share bag" that starts with the letter of the alphabet that you are studying that day, it doesn't mean we don't care about the letter "f" or any of the other 25 letters. It might just mean that the cat puked on the carpet, her brother was running a fever, or I had a presentation of my own for which I needed to prepare.
It may appear that Natalie's hair isn't combed or her teeth aren't brushed. There's a good possibility that one or both of those did not occur. Her father isn't as gentle when he combs her hair, so she finds it a little aversive. We do teach and practice good hygiene. We'll try to get up ten minutes earlier.
I have received and read the notes you sent home about her needing snow pants, boots, hats, and mittens if she is to play outside at recess. You do not need to put a note in the teacher's lounge asking for donations. We have at least two pairs of mittens and two hats, but finding a matching pair is sometimes difficult in the morning, as she tends to strip down in the car on the way home. My husband and I scour our vehicles every morning and we will try to send whatever we can find, otherwise feel free to dig something out of the lost and found. You can also call and we will try and run whatever it is that she needs up to the school. Just try not to punish her for things in which she has no control.
If you have concerns, please call or email. We love our children very much and we highly value education. We want our children to do always do their best. We read to them, play games, and try to make each moment a teachable moment. We would be happy to volunteer and chaperone field trips, so please excuse some of our other slips ups throughout the year.
Sincerely,
Perfectly Imperfect Working Mom
P.S. Did you notice I took the utmost care in ensuring none of my sentences ended in prepositions?
Let me preface this letter by letting you know we love our children very much and we mean well. When Natalie comes to school in a purple shirt with an applicade flower and burgandy pants with embroidery on the bottom, realize she dressed herself that day. As parents we decided to choose our battles and felt that it was more important for her to experience independence and self-confidence. She felt so good about what she was wearing and it was weather appropriate, hence we chose to avoid the fight.
Please understand that if she comes to school and there is nothing in her "share bag" that starts with the letter of the alphabet that you are studying that day, it doesn't mean we don't care about the letter "f" or any of the other 25 letters. It might just mean that the cat puked on the carpet, her brother was running a fever, or I had a presentation of my own for which I needed to prepare.
It may appear that Natalie's hair isn't combed or her teeth aren't brushed. There's a good possibility that one or both of those did not occur. Her father isn't as gentle when he combs her hair, so she finds it a little aversive. We do teach and practice good hygiene. We'll try to get up ten minutes earlier.
I have received and read the notes you sent home about her needing snow pants, boots, hats, and mittens if she is to play outside at recess. You do not need to put a note in the teacher's lounge asking for donations. We have at least two pairs of mittens and two hats, but finding a matching pair is sometimes difficult in the morning, as she tends to strip down in the car on the way home. My husband and I scour our vehicles every morning and we will try to send whatever we can find, otherwise feel free to dig something out of the lost and found. You can also call and we will try and run whatever it is that she needs up to the school. Just try not to punish her for things in which she has no control.
If you have concerns, please call or email. We love our children very much and we highly value education. We want our children to do always do their best. We read to them, play games, and try to make each moment a teachable moment. We would be happy to volunteer and chaperone field trips, so please excuse some of our other slips ups throughout the year.
Sincerely,
Perfectly Imperfect Working Mom
P.S. Did you notice I took the utmost care in ensuring none of my sentences ended in prepositions?
Thursday, January 14, 2010
High Expectations
In the spirit of full disclosure, I feel that I must be completely honest. In yesterday's blog I wrote that there were Cheerios all over my kitchen floor, which isn't entirely true. Nope, not Cheerios, but dare I admit...Fruit Loops. I know, I know...I give my kids sugary cereal, but in my defense, I don't let them drink sugar in juice...its either milk or water. I'm considering purchasing our own dairy cow for as much milk as we go through in a week.
I alluded in my last post to the "mom guilt" syndrome that many of us experience. I don't experience much "mommy guilt" and the majority of the time its not because of other mom's around me. I know that we are all doing the best that we can, and that by excelling in one area of our lives means that we had to let go of something somewhere else. My "mom guilt" comes from feeling like its impossible for me to be the mom to my kids that my mom was to me. The only time we got Fruit Loops was when we went camping and she bought the variety pack of the single serving cereal boxes. There were only so many sweet cereals in the package, so between my siblings and I, it was a fight over the Pops, Frosted Flakes, and Fruit Loops. My mom didn't buy Coco Krispies. If you wanted Coco Krispies, you could pour chocolate milk on your regular Rice Krispies. If she gave in at all, she would buy a box of Sugar Smacks and mix it half and half with the generic unsweetened bag of wheat puffs. My mom was very conscientious about the food she put in our bodies. We ate at home and my mom always cooked from scratch. Fast food was a treat and saved for good report cards and long road trips to grandparents' houses on holidays. I cook during the week, but sadly I admit, until recently, we've eaten out most meals on weekends. The recent halt to eating out has less to do with our decision to eat healthier, but more to do with trying to be fiscally responsible.
Not only did my mom provide us with healthy foods, but she also is an excellent seamstress. She sewed our Christmas and Easter dresses. My brothers had matching vests and bow ties one year for Easter. She made elaborate Halloween costumes. My favorite was the Snow White dress she made for me in fourth grade. I got a sewing machine for Christmas this year, but I won't be sewing my kids clothes. My goal is to try and make them Halloween costumes, as I was disgusted by the fact that the ones sold in stores were ridiculously over priced and cheaply made. (We were stapling my son's clown costume together as we walked out the door for trick or treating!) I should probably start sewing costumes now, if they're going to be done by October.
I know it doesn't make sense to hold myself to the same standard as my mother. She was able to stay home with us, and at the time it was more economical to buy fabric and patterns then to buy fancy dresses in the stores. Today, I can get cute clothes from Target for $3 a shirt and $6 bucks for pants and I'm guaranteed the leg and arm holes are in the right places. My daughter's favorite dress is actually one we got as a hand-me-down from a friend. Its black velvet on top on red satin on the bottom. She loves it because she can twirl in it. Its obviously a Christmas dress, but I let her wear it in the middle of July to a kinder music class. It wasn't worth the battle.
I think in our minds we always glorify and create our own fantasy about our childhood...my mom probably doesn't remember motherhood as glamorous as I viewed it to be on her. She probably had her own "guilt" issues, they were just different. She tells me that she admires my confidence and calm as a mother. I guess, I will continue to read my parenting magazines, books on child development, and consult with my own mother and friends as I try to make the best decisions for my kids in the time and place that we are in, and hopefully far into the future my daughter hopes that she can be as good of mother to her children as I was to her.
I alluded in my last post to the "mom guilt" syndrome that many of us experience. I don't experience much "mommy guilt" and the majority of the time its not because of other mom's around me. I know that we are all doing the best that we can, and that by excelling in one area of our lives means that we had to let go of something somewhere else. My "mom guilt" comes from feeling like its impossible for me to be the mom to my kids that my mom was to me. The only time we got Fruit Loops was when we went camping and she bought the variety pack of the single serving cereal boxes. There were only so many sweet cereals in the package, so between my siblings and I, it was a fight over the Pops, Frosted Flakes, and Fruit Loops. My mom didn't buy Coco Krispies. If you wanted Coco Krispies, you could pour chocolate milk on your regular Rice Krispies. If she gave in at all, she would buy a box of Sugar Smacks and mix it half and half with the generic unsweetened bag of wheat puffs. My mom was very conscientious about the food she put in our bodies. We ate at home and my mom always cooked from scratch. Fast food was a treat and saved for good report cards and long road trips to grandparents' houses on holidays. I cook during the week, but sadly I admit, until recently, we've eaten out most meals on weekends. The recent halt to eating out has less to do with our decision to eat healthier, but more to do with trying to be fiscally responsible.
Not only did my mom provide us with healthy foods, but she also is an excellent seamstress. She sewed our Christmas and Easter dresses. My brothers had matching vests and bow ties one year for Easter. She made elaborate Halloween costumes. My favorite was the Snow White dress she made for me in fourth grade. I got a sewing machine for Christmas this year, but I won't be sewing my kids clothes. My goal is to try and make them Halloween costumes, as I was disgusted by the fact that the ones sold in stores were ridiculously over priced and cheaply made. (We were stapling my son's clown costume together as we walked out the door for trick or treating!) I should probably start sewing costumes now, if they're going to be done by October.
I know it doesn't make sense to hold myself to the same standard as my mother. She was able to stay home with us, and at the time it was more economical to buy fabric and patterns then to buy fancy dresses in the stores. Today, I can get cute clothes from Target for $3 a shirt and $6 bucks for pants and I'm guaranteed the leg and arm holes are in the right places. My daughter's favorite dress is actually one we got as a hand-me-down from a friend. Its black velvet on top on red satin on the bottom. She loves it because she can twirl in it. Its obviously a Christmas dress, but I let her wear it in the middle of July to a kinder music class. It wasn't worth the battle.
I think in our minds we always glorify and create our own fantasy about our childhood...my mom probably doesn't remember motherhood as glamorous as I viewed it to be on her. She probably had her own "guilt" issues, they were just different. She tells me that she admires my confidence and calm as a mother. I guess, I will continue to read my parenting magazines, books on child development, and consult with my own mother and friends as I try to make the best decisions for my kids in the time and place that we are in, and hopefully far into the future my daughter hopes that she can be as good of mother to her children as I was to her.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Not perfect, but good enough
I'm not the perfect mother, but I'm a good mom. My kids are healthy, happy, and well-behaved most of the time because they aren't perfect either. I'm not the perfect wife, but I'm a good wife. I have a happy husband that shares the daily chores and child-rearing responsibilities. I'm an excellent cook, and enjoy cooking on most days. I'm not a perfect housekeeper, but I can be when I need to be. It sounded like a good idea to build a house with an open floor plan, but then when someone comes to the front door, there are only so many rooms in the house I can close off from the mess. I'm not a perfect employee, but I'm darn good at my job and I love the work that I do. Its meaningful to me, I get to exercise my brain, and hopefully have a positive impact on the lives of others. I'm not the perfect friend, but I'm a good friend. I will always answer the phone and make time to share a cup of coffee or a glass of wine, whichever the moment calls for!
I'm a perfectly imperfect working mother, wife, friend, and woman...and I wouldn't have it any other way!
Sometimes I feel inadequate when I talk to my colleagues/friends and hear about their daily routines. They come home, fix dinner, play with the kids, give the kids baths, brush their teeth, read them bedtime stories, say prayers, and put them to bed the same time every night. Then they go back to the kitchen clean up from supper, unload and reload the dishwasher, wipe down the counters, pick up all the toys and food crumbs off the kitchen floor, tidy up the living room, fold a basket of laundry, and then maybe sit down to watch the news before going to bed, but before falling asleep, they climb into their bed that they made in the morning before going to work, and pull out a book and read a couple chapters before saying their own prayers, kissing their husband good night and going to sleep....then they get up at dawn to workout, start a pot of coffee, make everyone's lunches, get the kids clothes ready (if that hadn't been already done the night before), take a shower, gets herself ready, gets the kids dressed, makes all the beds, combs everyone's hair, gives them their breakfasts and Flintstone vitamins, makes sure they all brush their teeth before running out the door to drop them off at childcare or school. Wow, I'm exhausted just typing that. In my mind, that's the type of mother I think I would like to be, but in my reality it doesn't ever happen that way. Is it laziness, procrastination, or in the big big picture of life is it really going to matter? Is it more important that I get all of the Cheerios off of my kitchen floor each night instead of cuddling next to my husband on the couch to watch the current ridiculous reality show on television? Although I value cleanliness, I've decided building healthy relationships and maintaining them are more important than having the perfect house. I would rather read my son's favorite choo choo book for the 235th time then wipe off the counters from dinner. My kids don't get baths every night, but I haven't seen research that says they need them. When I was a kid, we got baths on Saturday night, so we were clean for church on Sunday. Our goal is every other night, but sometimes that doesn't always happen either. We love to read books, and my kids could sit on our laps for hours reading "Goodnight Moon," "Fancy Nancy" and "I Spy" books, and anything by Sandra Boynton; however, we don't always get to reading time every night either. I make an effort to always offer a vegetable at dinner, but sometimes we resort to ketchup as our veggie serving of the night. We aren't perfect parents, but I think we're good enough. Our children have warm beds, a warm house, and parents who love them very much. We praise them and encourage them, we discipline and teach them...we do all that anyone can do by simply doing the best that we can.
I'm a perfectly imperfect working mother, wife, friend, and woman...and I wouldn't have it any other way!
Sometimes I feel inadequate when I talk to my colleagues/friends and hear about their daily routines. They come home, fix dinner, play with the kids, give the kids baths, brush their teeth, read them bedtime stories, say prayers, and put them to bed the same time every night. Then they go back to the kitchen clean up from supper, unload and reload the dishwasher, wipe down the counters, pick up all the toys and food crumbs off the kitchen floor, tidy up the living room, fold a basket of laundry, and then maybe sit down to watch the news before going to bed, but before falling asleep, they climb into their bed that they made in the morning before going to work, and pull out a book and read a couple chapters before saying their own prayers, kissing their husband good night and going to sleep....then they get up at dawn to workout, start a pot of coffee, make everyone's lunches, get the kids clothes ready (if that hadn't been already done the night before), take a shower, gets herself ready, gets the kids dressed, makes all the beds, combs everyone's hair, gives them their breakfasts and Flintstone vitamins, makes sure they all brush their teeth before running out the door to drop them off at childcare or school. Wow, I'm exhausted just typing that. In my mind, that's the type of mother I think I would like to be, but in my reality it doesn't ever happen that way. Is it laziness, procrastination, or in the big big picture of life is it really going to matter? Is it more important that I get all of the Cheerios off of my kitchen floor each night instead of cuddling next to my husband on the couch to watch the current ridiculous reality show on television? Although I value cleanliness, I've decided building healthy relationships and maintaining them are more important than having the perfect house. I would rather read my son's favorite choo choo book for the 235th time then wipe off the counters from dinner. My kids don't get baths every night, but I haven't seen research that says they need them. When I was a kid, we got baths on Saturday night, so we were clean for church on Sunday. Our goal is every other night, but sometimes that doesn't always happen either. We love to read books, and my kids could sit on our laps for hours reading "Goodnight Moon," "Fancy Nancy" and "I Spy" books, and anything by Sandra Boynton; however, we don't always get to reading time every night either. I make an effort to always offer a vegetable at dinner, but sometimes we resort to ketchup as our veggie serving of the night. We aren't perfect parents, but I think we're good enough. Our children have warm beds, a warm house, and parents who love them very much. We praise them and encourage them, we discipline and teach them...we do all that anyone can do by simply doing the best that we can.
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