Vanity Takes a Holiday

I've never been what you'd call a role model for healthy living. Oh, I'll forego an occasional bite of cake or give up a sweet that I don't really like anyway. Proud of me?

I'm the kind of girl who lectures herself about eating better while slyly slipping another chocolate chip cookie into her mouth, hoping I won't notice and make myself spit it out into the trash can.

Well, maybe I'm a little better than that. Maybe, but not really.

Anyway, time and gravity being what they are - as well as baby number four and the wonderful age of thirty - I'm trying to get back into the swing of exercise and good eating. It seems to be going really well. *snort*

So, as soon as I got the go ahead from the baby doctor, I was doing my little workout video three/four times a week.

This really did last awhile. However, I got the feeling it was time to find something different when my sister asked me (when she saw me doing it), "Uh, has Pat seen you doing this?"

Ahem.

Then there were the times when my four-year old son would cheer when the young, beautiful blonde came on. She was only half-naked.

Ahem.

Oh, and the best one. Gi-Gi says, "Mama, I can tell you're nursing Ju-Ju because your - shake when you're exercising."

Ahem.

Moving along, then.

Walking. Crazy thought, isn't it? I think I may have forgotten that I knew how to do that. I'm usually chasing kids around at full speed.

After pulling myself out of bed at a way early time, before kiddos get up and start making the individual and group demands, I briskly walk around our neighborhood, praying that our neighbors can not tell that I'm a nursing mother.

Ahem.

And do you know what I've discovered? I have yard envy. Oh, and porch furniture envy, too. Shameful, shameful.

So many of these homes have gorgeous landscaping and inviting chairs and tables covered with flowers or greenery.

And then I realize, many of these people probably don't have four kids. Kids that would be throwing the cushions all over the porch or dropping the plants accidentally while trying to help me by watering them.

They might not have to exercise because they have had four pregnancies doing wild and crazy things to their tummies.

I don't know, but I think they should be envious of me.