Gotta walk the walk....

I just got a new workout video (Turbo Jam - similar to Tae Bo but with better music and choreography), and checked out the instructor's blog. She had a great post about raising our children to have good body images. Even before I had Reese, this was a concern of mine. To put it succintly, I don't want Weez to be as screwed up as I was. I still have my off days, but I am a thousand times better than I used to be. I remember being 25 lbs lighter than I am today, and lying in bed crying because I was "too fat". These days, I'm carrying 10-15lbs more than I'd like, but I'm not going to beat myself up over it (my trainer does enough of that for me, LOL!).

Anyhoo, she gave the following tips that I think all parents, especially those of young girls, should read:

1. Never disparage your own physique in their presence. (We all have body parts to complain about, but do it in the privacy of your own bathroom!)

2. In the presence of kids avoid negative words to describe someone, like “fat”, “huge”, “chubby”, “Lazy”.

3. Occasionally compliment your kids muscles, energy, strength, or healthy glow. Avoid comments about weight or negative reference, even of a joking nature with regard to their body.

4. Don’t allow the word “fat” to be used in your household unless you’re describing a paycheck. It’s easy. In fact, I remember my son, not sure what word to use, asking me, “What do we call someone who has a big, big, big, big body?” My reply, “Someone who needs to try Turbo Jam.”

5. Try a little spin control. Make a point to comment on how “unhealthy” or “weak” stars look when their appearance is obviously under weight, malnourished and skeletal. Conversely praise those who exercise, eat right and maintain a healthy appearance and have nice muscle tone.

6. Talk about foods that make you “energized and strong” and never declare you’re on a diet. Instead, announce you’ve decided to stick to a healthy diet, which means moderation, not deprivation.

7. Make healthy eating and fitness central in your life, but declare nothing “off limits”. All foods are fine, in moderation. When my kids want chocolate or ice cream or even french fries, I make a point of telling them it’s fine because they were so active that day. If they want more than their share I remind them that it may make them feel slow, sluggish and cranky.

8. When your children make a healthy food choice on their own, praise them and reinforce their choice.

9. When asked why don’t you want a particular food in the house, avoid condemnation, like “because I don’t want to get fat.” Instead try, “Because it slows me down” or “I just prefer food that helps me feel healthy”

10. Children often confuse boredom with hunger. When your child declares, “I want something to eat,” and you’re hunch is dull drums, get in the habit of offering an activity instead of a bag of junk. The trick is not to mention boredom or food. Instead, retort with an instant activity, “Hey, want take the dog on a walk with me?”

11. Lastly the best thing you can do for your children is to create for them a safe and supportive environment to develop their own self-confidence and unique identity. Allow them to fail and praise them for their courage to try. Don’t shield them from every heartache and life lesson. The number one common trait of those diagnosed with eating disorders is an overly involved, over-bearing parent. Yikes! May the force be with us!

Away from little fingers...

We're living in a highrise while our home is being built, and while I enjoy living here, we really miss our library. We put about 50 boxes of books in storage, but we've already accumulated more books than the apt. bookshelves can accommodate. Of course, this lack of space is exacerbated by the fact that Weezie has claimed the bottom two shelves of all the bookcases. We don't really have any more space to put additional shelving, unfortunately.

I ran across these cool bookshelves from Design Within Reach that might solve our problem. I think we can squeeze a couple in our bedroom, to which Weeze generally does not have access. The tall shelf holds ~90 books, and the short holds ~50. My only hesitation is the price - it's $250 for tall and $200 for the short (with a $25 discount on each if you buy multiple). What do you think, worth it?

No, I'm not a hypochondriac

I wonder if there's a special term for people who have hypochondria about their children...

I took Weez to the pedi today. After I explained her symptoms (low grade fever, possible ear infection, cough, runny nose), they proceeded to check her out. 97.4 temp, ears and lungs clear, not a single cough or sneeze during her exam. Oh, did I mention that there were two med students attending with the pedi? Oh, well, I'm sure it's part of their pediatrician-in-training education to learn how to deal with wacko first-time mothers.

The pedi did give me a prescription for an anti-tussive/decongestant to help with the runny nose and cough (I guess they took my word for it). Hopefully the runny nose will clear up before we leave Thursday. If not, I'll have to trust that my parents, who raised three daughters, can manage ;)

Cough, cough

Reese has had a low grade fever (99-99.2) on and off for the past week. Technically, that's not even a fever, and since she's been in great spirits, I've resisted the urge to take her to the doctor "just in case"...

OK, I confess, I tried to make an appt. with her pedi today since we're going out of town, but the office was closed due to the weather. Houston's currently having the worst flooding since Tropical Storm Allison, and we're expecting another 10 inches of rain tonight.

Anyhoo, I digress. Reese woke up around 10:30 tonight coughing a bit, so I gave her some cough medicine and put her back to bed. I hope I can get an appt. tomorrow, and I hope she isn't sick :( She always seems to get ill right when we're about to leave for a trip. Obviously I'm not upset with her for getting sick, but it's so hard to be away from her even if it's just a minor cough/cold. Poor Weezie...

Happy Father's Day!

I meant to wake up early this morning and let Jim sleep in. Of course, when I did manage to wake up, I found myself alone in bed, and it was 9AM! Jim had already gotten Weez up, changed a gigantic poopie diaper, and given her her morning bottle so I could sleep in. He's always done this on weekends and still does even though I'm a SAHM now. Just one of the reason he rocks! Weez gave him his gifts (an iPod RoadTrip so he can listen to his iPod in his car, and one of those terribly tacky fiber optic plant things. I gave it to him with the caveat that it had to go in his office and not in our home, LOL) Side note: OK, I know she should be off bottles by now, but I'm in denial about her growing up. She takes sippy/straw cups during the day, but I still give her a bottle in the morning and one at night. I haven't even tried to wean her off these bottles. I've been saying that I'll wean her at 18 months - that's just a few weeks from now. It will be harder for me than it will be for Weez, I'm sure).

We headed over to my SIL's for Father's Day lunch. I love going over there for family gatherings; she always invites my side of the family, and it's always so pleasant and relaxing. She has a beautiful kid-friendly home on 3 acres with a stocked pond in the back. A typical gathering involves copious amounts of delicious food, some people fishing, some people napping on the porch, kids laughter in the air as they run and play. When I think of 6,000 sq. ft. homes, I tend to think of cold, museum-like spaces, but my SIL has created such a warm, comfortable atmosphere - almost cozy, even! Dandy and Ong Ngoai got their presents - mugs with a pic of Weez (see inset) and gift cards to Academy. We gave them mugs of Weez last year, and I plan on keeping up the tradition. It'll be cool to see when they have a "complete set" in 18 years :)

Weezie had a wonderful time playing with her cousins and getting the attention of two sets of grandparents and her aunts (my sister joined us) and uncle. She used to be really reserved at family gatherings as she is whenever she's around people she doesn't see regularly. She's definitely gotten over her reservations - she was singing, dancing, and being her usual funny self today.

When we got back, Jim and I went for a run at the club after dropping Weez off at the club daycare. I just started a 30-day fitness regimen with a trainer - basically working out every day and giving up alcohol, rice/flour/potatoes after breakfast, anything fried, and diet soda. I also have a 2 cup limit on coffee (I'm a pot-a-day drinker), and no more ciggies when I have a drink (obviously since I can't drink). Once the 30 days are over, I can start incorporating things back in moderation. I've been on it a week and feel GREAT. I've only lost a pound, but one of the primary reasons I wanted to do this is to make a lifestyle change. I want to raise Weeze healthily, and in order to do that, I feel like I have to set a good example for her. Obviously I hope to lose weight, but I already feel that doing this regimen is worth the effort.

All in all, a wonderful day with my extended family and awesome hubbie. I know it's Father's Day, but I feel pretty blessed myself...

Reason #16 I'm going to Hell

I was trying to pick up around the house this morning. Although Jim said it's not "my job", I do feel obligated to keep the place in order while I'm a SAHM. Weez had other plans and was completely underfoot. In a stroke of genius, I handed her a clean Swiffer duster (one of those short handled jobs), and showed her how to "dust". She dusted contentedly, giggling away while I finished loading the dishwasher. Too bad they don't hire out chimney sweeps anymore - momma needs a new pair of shoes.

In an effort to keep the place tidy (which any mother of a toddler knows is impossible. Just call me Sisyphus.), I bought a Roomba. I love home/kitchen gadgets but had not gotten one since I was suspect of its claims. Several friends raved about them, however, so when I got a coupon in the mail, I broke down and bought one. I tried it out this morning; it worked fantastically... for 30 minutes. I called customer service, and they instructed me to leave the unit plugged in for 72 hours to charge undisturbed. It should then run for 2 hours after a 3-hr charge. If it lives up to that, I'll be a happy camper because it did do a good job on our hardwoods, tile, and area rug until it pooped out. Poor Roomba. Fingers crossed it'll work better after the 3-day jumpstart.

Looks like she inherited her dad's dancing skills...

Sweet Freedom

I resigned!!!!!

I actually resigned almost 45 days ago, and June 1st was my last day of work. I was on a work order at a client site until May 31st, so the timing was right.

It was a very difficult decision to leave since so much of my identity has been wrapped around my career/salary. I also felt pressure (self-imposed, really) to "do it all" - be a super-mommy and excel at my job. I was not really doing either to the best of my ability, which just kills me. Probably from others' perspectives I was still doing great, but when I know I could be doing better... And really, doesn't my daughter deserve better than "good enough"?

I'm confident I made the right decision, and I'm looking forward to staying home with Reese for the next few years. It may not pay very well, but I think this will be my most fulfilling/rewarding job to date. I hope I am up to the challenge of the toughest, if this past week is any indication, boss I've ever had :)