Bad Attitude...

I know I shouldn't feel this way and as a nutritionist I should want people to get healthy but I write the following with a disclaimer saying that I've been very cranky for the past few days and working out is the only thing that makes me feel better and then when I get there, every treadmill is full so with out further adieu...

Dear People who just joined the Gym because it's a New Year:

Where have you been all year? The gym has been empty, the treadmills all available and now suddenly because the date has changed you feel the need to come work out?

I am a devoted gym member, I've been here faithfully almost every day. All of a sudden, I come to work out and there you are, hanging on for dear life with the treadmill set at an obviously too difficult incline. Do you know that if you lowered your incline, let go and used your arms while walking that you'd get a much better work out? Anyway...we all know that in six to eight weeks, you'll be tired of coming, disillusioned and bored anyway so let's just make it easier on everyone, go ahead and leave now.

And while we're at it. Smoking is not good for you, smoking a cigarette and then getting on the treadmill next to me is not good for you either. Your sweaty smoke smell, and stanky smoke clothes odorwafting over towards me while I try to work hard and breathe deeply is seriously unpleasant and honestly, just quitting the smoking is going to benefit your health WAY more than huffing and puffing and wheezing away on the treadmill ten minutes after smoking a cigarette. Perfume doesn't cover it up, you're not fooling anyone. Perfume is pretty much just as offensive and the two of them combined make me want to hurl.

Lastly, for those of you who DO plan on continuing after the "gym honeymoon phase" is over, good for you! Keep coming, keep working out. Please don't forget about the healthy eating, you'll feel great as those pounds come off but could you try to at least leave me a treadmill between the hours of noon and three? I'll be there, we can roll our eyes at the treadmill holder on-ers, the smokers and the excessive perfume wearers together.

Thank you and have a great work out.
CityMomma/CountryMomma

Continuing my rant...

Yesterday I mentioned that I was feeling like kids today grow up too fast and are exposed to too much unnecessary information too early. The Son is a very observant little boy and he hears everything and asks all kinds of questions. I try to answer him as honestly as possible as often as I can but I really try to limit the kinds of things he sees and hears so that he can continue to stay young and innocent with appropriate language for a five-year-old.

That brings me to my next concern...Comcast Cable's "On Demand" feature. I LOVE "On Demand." There are lots of wonderful kids shows that my son enjoys watching. He is also a really big fan of many of the Animal Planet shows and he will watch them and learn so much. We often follow up with our own research on various "extreme," "weird" or "freaky" animals that he learns about and it's great. What's not so great is the previews Comcast shows as you are trying to choose the program your child wants to watch. There's shooting, violence, cursing and potty humor that is just not humorous at all. I haven't contacted the cable company yet to see if there's any way to turn off the previews (you know there won't be) but I do want to at least express a concern that it's inappropriate.

One final thing that's pretty funny and just proves that I have to really watch what The Son hears is our conversation in the car on the way home from work last night. I was listening to my classic rock station and The Steve Miller Band's song "The Joker" was on.

"I'm a joker, I'm a smoker, I'm a midnight toker."

The Son: (singing along) "I'm a joker, I'm a smoker, I'm a midnight... talker? Talker Momma? Is that what they say?

Me: (thinking) Ummmm, yep! That's it...midnight talker!

Sorry... just can't explain "toker" to my kid just yet. Have a great day everyone!

Growing Up Fast.

Today was a big day for me. I enrolled The Son in Kindergarten. I knew this day would come, I actually thought about it on the first day of school in our school district because as most of you know, I work for the YMCA and do morning child care at the elementary school The Son will be attending. I thought of it as I saw all the teeny little students exiting their buses and running excitedly toward the school doors and I thought to myself, "Gee, next year, I'll be institutionalizing my child too." I know that sounds horrible and although I AM a certified teacher, I am not the type of mom to homeschool, The Son and I wouldn't make it a week in that situation. He has to GO to school and fortunately we are in a "good" school district. It still makes it scary and somewhat overwhelming. For me. The Son is thrilled.

So it all got me thinking about how quickly children grow up and how as much as we try to protect them, they still hear and see things we don't want them to know about, or at least don't want them to know about so soon in their sweet, young lives.

As I was driving home this morning, I heard a commercial on the radio. I listen to the Classic Rock station, I enjoy it and it's usually appropritate for my child to listen too but today I heard a commercial for a sandwich shop advertising "The biggest Friggin' sandwich ever!"

HUH? WHAT?

When did it become appropriate to use the word "friggin?" on the radio. It doesn't take a genius to figure out what word that word is replacing does it? The Son wasn't with me this morning but I sure wouldn't want him going around using that word, and you know he'd hear it, he hears everything.

I hear children use the phrase , "Oh my God." all the time too and while I am not particularly religious, I still think it sounds offensive, particularly coming out of a five-year-old's mouth. The Son tests me with it on occasion but he knows we say, "Oh my Goodness, Gosh, or even Golly." He often tells me about children who are allowed to say, "Oh my God" and he slowly shakes his head as if he can't believe it. "Butt," "fart," "freaking" (not in the context of "freaking out") "crap," these are all words that I hear children use as a regular part of their vocabularies and while they're not the most offensive words, I just feel like they should be reserved for later in life. Much later. I know kids hear them but I feel as an adult, it's my job to tell The Son that that might not be the nicest way to speak.

I am not a conservative person. As a matter of fact, I consider myself and my views to be quite liberal but I guess I still appreciate some candor and manners with our daily lives and actions. I know I can't be the only one who feels this way. Anyone?

Tomorrow I'll tell you about my big peeve with "On Demand" television.

Have a great day everyone.

Remember those leprechauns?

Remember those leprechauns that came to my house on St. Patrick's Day and played all those naughty and mischievous tricks on us? Well, I think they came back, only this time they took The Son's immunization record that I just got yesterday.

The Son had his 5 year old check up yesterday morning and the poor kid had to get four vaccinations! It was traumatic for all parties involved but We he got through it just fine. There was a little bit of crying and screaming about four shots all at once, but as soon as the nurse calmed me down, I was able to hold The Son on my lap and she was very quick in administering the vaccines. The Son cried a little bit too but was VERY good all in all. He's 41.3 inches tall and 41.6 pounds. He's in the 10th percentile for height but I sure wasn't surprised by that. I'm 5 foot 8 but The Husband is shorter than I am so we're not expecting The Son to be all that tall. Anyway, we finished up the appointment, they gave me the paper I need to enroll him in Kindergarten next week and sent us on our merry way.

The Son was VERY interested in why he was getting the vaccines and wanted full details on all of the diseases that would be prevented by them. The office gives us sheets of information about the diseases and he insisted that I read the entire sheet about each and every vaccine and we continued to discuss them throughout the day. Oddly enough he was familiar with the disease "lockjaw" and was pleased that his tetanus shot would be preventing that should he ever step on a rusty nail. Incidentallym we've now added "doctor" to his list of possible professions that he would like to be when he grows up. For the record, here's that list.

1. Paleontologist
2. Veterinarian
3. Ramine Biologist (that would be Marine Biologist to most of us)
4. President of the United States (He's already said Momma can live in the White House with him)
5. Doctor

Ok, back to the story...

We came home, The Son had his special treat of one mini Kit Kat bar and a bag of caramel rice cakes. Yes, rice cakes... The Son doesn't get much junk food and caramel rice cakes are definitely a treat for him. I decided to have a bowl of cereal and another cup of coffee so I got it all ready to take in the study to eat while I was on the computer facebooking and reading blogs. (Don't judge me, it's OK to eat in front of the computer if The Son is watching "Noggin") I brought the immunization record into the study with me to put it in the envelope with The Son's birth certificate, (the birth certificate that I had to send away for because I can't find the original right now.) At least I thought I brought it into the study with me, I guess I forgot about it because this morning I realized that it was now missing. It can't be in that many places, and I've searched them all but to no avail. That's why I'm convinced that those naughty leprechauns came back and took the paper. There's no other option. I honestly cannot figure out where the darn thing could be. Looks like I'll be making another trip back to the pediatrician again sometime before next week. Damn leprechauns...