The Best Laid Plans......

Remember when you were a kid and the years were measured by the school year calendar as opposed to a January-December timeline? I always thought of September as a "new year" back then. Now that I am back on a school-time calendar with the kids, I find myself again thinking of the beginning of school as a sort of "New Year". So, Happy New Year to you all!

With the "new year" comes new schedules and activities and - yes - resolutions! On the top of my list...more patience and continuous improvement of my time management skills. Both were put to the test at the same time this week. I decided to use one of the days when Kate was at school in the morning to head to the gym! They have a great daycare and I can leave Liam there, playing with other kids while I get a quick workout in. What a great way to maximize my resolutions! I am using my time well, affording myself some patience since I will blow off steam at the gym, and Liam still gets some playtime in! SUPER!

All was going well. I was "ellipticating" to some very fun tunes and I was sweating through my shirt and my face was as red as a tomato. Some of you may know that it only takes me about 5 minutes of exercising to look like I have run a marathon. This has been the case my whole life and my current level of fitness (or lack thereof) has no bearing on it. Once, when I was living in Japan, I was taking an aerobics class and the Japanese instructor caught a glance of me in the mirror and freaked out and turned off the music and all 4 feet 9 inches of her came running over to me, with her little rock-n-roll aerobicizer microphone headset still amplifying her voice saying "Breeze! Breeze! iiinnn,, owwwwww, iiiiiin, owwwwwww! Oh you are velly velly Led! So Led! BREEZE!" I was totally fine. But totally embarrassed.

ANYWAY - as usual I digress. Back to the scene. I am at the gym working out and managing time well. I am very red and sweaty but I feel GREAT! I have 40 more minutes at the gym - including a shower without kids pounding on the bathroom door!!! Heaven!!! And then I can go get Liam and then we can pick up Kate from school on the way home from the gym. And it is not even 10am yet! Productivity! Woo hooo!

Wait - what was that announcement? "Attention Lifetime Fitness Members, will Maggie Harris please report to the Child Care center? Maggie Harris PLEASE come to the Child Care center. Please."

Oh boy.

When I walked into the center, Liam was as red as I was and VERY loudly crying as if his heart was broken. He held his arms up to me and giant crocodile tears rolled down his cheeks. "M-M-m-m-mooooommmmyyy". Awwwww. There went my shower. Liam would not let me put him down. They said he had been crying inconsolably the whole time. My poor little man. We were basically booted from the gym - two red, sweaty buddies. Me in my oversize college t-shirt and ancient yoga pants with a gym bag, a diaper bag and and an ipod trailing behind me while I lugged a sobbing, gasping, limp, very heavy toddler past adorable fit and perky pony-tailed moms who were speedily bouncing along on the stairmasters with their six pack abs bared in nothing but a sports bra and teeny tiny shorts. How did these women ever give birth? It is not possible.

Poor guy. I had not thought about it being a new year for HIM, too, and how he had a summer of being inseparable from his sister.....that was his first time ever being in a day care situation without her. He was lonely and missed his "Keht" as he calls her. My sweet Liam. Guess we have to work on his resolutions, too. Being a big boy at the gym without his sister. So today we tried again - and he did just great and I got to have a shower! :) What a super kid.

I will post "first day of school pics" of Kate soon. Nick is in England right now and has the camera with him, and the memory card has Kate's pics on it. This weekend he is spending time with his Yale lads. They are all going to meet up and head to Cambridge, UK as I think they put a nice dent in London on their last visit. I cannot wait to hear about it and see pics! I've never been to Cambridge! If I remember correctly, I think Yale was supposedly modeled architecturally and such after Cambridge, so it should be an interesting comparison. Plus I am sure they will more than keep the pubs in business this weekend. Hopefully he honors my request and has a Pint and some chips with vinegar for me. Yum. I'm guessing the super fit gym moms stay away from such delights....sigh.