a) Harper has been having some of her happiest moments the past month. As in, she's just really enjoying life -- cheerful and silly and easygoing and sleeping well and all that. I'm trying to piece together exactly why (because, hey, there have been some big changes, yo) and I think one of the biggest reasons is: no school. Ha? And I don't think it's really no school-no school, but rather...no Waldorf school. Yeah, I may have been torturing my indoor kid with a lot of outdoor time. I'll write a separate post on this.
b) She just started ballet here in Brooklyn and is loving it. For me, it's so fun to be able to walk her to her class and to peer through the window with Bea and watch a real ballerina type teach her real choreography. She's a tiny bit young for this class, but because she's pretty durn good (if I do say so myself?) I just said ENOUGH with the endless "pre-dance"/"creative movement" stuff and put her into Ballet 1. So, so much better.
c) Bea will be a year next month and I want to start weaning her soon, but I don't know how. Instead of slowly losing interest as she gets busier (and dear lord is she busy), lately she's been getting more and more into nursing? No no, dear. Harper abruptly stopped at 9.5 months and never looked back, but that ain't gon' happen. Online people talk about "slowly moving from 4 feedings to 3 to 2 to 1" and I'm all... but what if you have, say, 15 feedings? I wish I were joking.
d) I'm super sad that Rory Gilmore slept with married Dean and now is continuing stuff with him... (I like to pretend this is all happening real time instead of 10 years ago, shhhh.)
e) I want to be a runner because, well, it's f-r-e-e and because I live near a great promenade/running zone, but I guess I don't know when I'd run? And also it's very cold, so this is not a good time to start perhaps. Should I just do workout DVDs until spring? Because I'm not really in the mood. I kind of wanna put on Taylor Swift and run (shuffle) in a straight flat line. Tell me your thoughts on this.
f) There is a man in my building who I'm always in the elevator with and no matter what I do or say or smile or laugh his face is a stone statue of despair and anger and nothingness. I have so many stories in my head of why in the world? But he's probably just hungry.
Glad Harper is enjoying her new schedule and ballet, sounds wonderful.
ReplyDeleteI highly endorse running in winter because for me it sometimes feels like the only way I can tolerate being outside when it's really cold. Running I work up enough heat to stay warm; just walking long distances can get so freezing. Those new piers below the BQE are amazing - there's even a funky miniature beach down there that says "no wading"? Also expensive ice cream in the summer. But I hear about not knowing when you'd have time. Dancing indoors on my own is another favorite of mine, it's all about having the right music. Also, the free app "7 minute workout" is semi-fun, time limited and do-able indoors. My little cousins seemed to enjoy playing along too over the holidays.
Yes, I love those piers! We're right above (you know, over the BQE and all that... "right above") the one with the soccer fields. I want Harper to do soccer, but she looks at me like I'm insane when I mention it...
DeleteI, too, LOVE to dance inside and it's how I definitely get some winter exercise. Our new hallway is awesome for dancing. I'll try that app! And I think after getting some winter gear and committing to a 3x a week schedule I could do the outdoor running...I just need to be religious about using my inhaler or my lungs will scream... Thanks for the tips!
What kind of school with H go to next year? Traditional or will you try another kind? I don't know if I've ever heard of anyone who has actually USED Montessori schools not liked them. But yeah, makes sense if she just isn't an outdoorsy kid. I can't imagine Lilah loving it either, actually.
ReplyDeleteOh how i miss the cute little tutus and dance classes! We opted out for the year bc the girls would have been in different classes due to age and I didn't want to sit in the waiting room with W for an hour twice a week, so we switched to gymnastics. I kind of hope they decide to go back to dance next year, but we'll see.
Have you offered B milk yet? I'd wait until she was ready for that and maybe try just offering her a cuddle and a sippy of milk (or whatever you plan on giving her to drink) when she wants to nurse. That's how I've done it with mine and it worked pretty well once I found a cup they would take (I've found that Nuk works really well, which has a soft nipple like a bottle, but is shaped like a sippy cup top). I usually switch the day time feedings first, keeping the AM session and before bed for a while, and then replacing those with a cup eventually too. Good luck - such a tricky transition. What works for some, may not work for others. Hope it goes well for you.
And good luck with the running. I'm a total fair weather runner - I completely quit as soon as it gets cold, ha! But I do sort of, kind of, (not really) enjoy it for the 5 or so months it isn't cold around here. Is there a gym nearby that you could join for the next few months to get ready for running? I suggest this, but don't do the gym myself. Great in theory, but in practice just doesn't work for us. So basically I have no suggestions! sorry :)
Oh, she's just going to plain ol' public kindergarten next year in Brooklyn. Should be a bit of a culture shock! Rural outdoorsy crunchy school to city public traditional... I'm almost certain she'll love it, so I'm pretty relaxed about it. I can totally understand about choosing an activity you can multitask two at once. Waiting with the younger kiddo is such a hassle!! I just signed her up for an art class, too, and it's within 5 minutes of my house so maybe Bea and I will go home for a second and then walk back. We'll see.
DeleteI'm going to try giving Bea some milk tomorrow in the morning (I read once to try new things in the morning in case there's a problem...) She uses a straw sippy, so I hope she takes it?? I'm working on middle-of-night feedings we picked back up bc of teething and then daytime and then pre-nap and pre-bed. Whew. Hope to be done around her 1st birthday...I know I'll miss it, but I'm also ready.
The gym never works for me, either. It did in college, but then...no. The childcare always feels germy and/or my kids cry the whole time and I can never find a class schedule that works for me. Meh. I want to do the running thing, I think I just need good gear and a babysitter :)
Ive been meaning to write a response forEVER. Fat fingers keep me from responding on my phone, and gmail will probably eat my response anyway but here goes! As for running...I think I hate it. But I do and and have been doing it for about 7 years now. My intensity/dedication have varied through the years, but its always been my constant. I say I think I hate it because I don't think I ever enjoy it while Im doing it...my favorite part is the stopping at the end. But I enjoy how it makes me FEEL. I feel strong, and independent and healthy. I remember once dropping my car off at a mechanic for a few hours and they offered to drive me home. But the dealership was about 5 miles from my house so I had come prepared to run home, and it felt so empowering to say to the guy 'no, Im all set thank you though'. He was incredulous that I would/could run and I felt so strong in that moment. I am a music runner, so I put on what ever is making me move at the moment--it always varies on my mood--Eminem, Heart, old school rap, spoken word, Michael Jackson--every genre has something that strikes a cord with me and makes me GO GO GO. As for running outside in the winter, its rough. ITS COLD. but that's where the toughest part of a run/and workout is just getting out the door. I envy my running friends who lose themselves in their running. The use it as a tool to mentally disconnect. I wish I could do that but my brain actually works overtime when I run. Wear the proper clothing in the heat or the cold, and you'll be good. You don't have to have the most $$ gear, but I do believe in investing in a few good cold weather pieces. Running is good for the body and good for the soul.
ReplyDeleteLynn