In spite of the fact that my precor is not working, I did manage to exercise. I did my usual running, and I got back to playing tennis after a two week hiatus. I had a fun doubles match with KB, HO, and DM. After about 10 minutes of criticizing ourselves for our holiday debauchery (which, by the way, I thoroughly enjoyed - the debauchery not the criticism!) we had a great game. I'm an okay tennis player. I play for the social aspect more than anything else. Being a stay-at-home mom can at times be lonely, so I try to make an effort to get out of the house for some "adult" conversation. Tennis, for me, is a great away to stay in touch with friends. My tennis goal, if I had to state one, is to be good enough to accept an invitation to play tennis without totally humiliating myself -and, I think I'm almost there. I'm a USTA member but, I haven't acquired enough self confidence yet to play competitively. I fear that I will have an "off day" or an "off shot" and disappoint my partner... some of these women are just so competitive that it is scary. I'm just too nice to compete (a character flaw that I must work on?). Regardless, it was a pleasure playing with a nice group of women. I was doubles partners with HO. She is a complete riot. I had one of my "off shots" and apologized to her. She responded by saying "Please, I'll accept a bottle of wine, I'll accept an invitation to tennis and lunch but, I will not accept an apology." Hallelujah! You go HO!! (ha ha)
On to the kids...one of our stomach bugs required a visit to the pediatrician. My 6 year-old, who has been sick off and on for the last few weeks, went to the nurse's office the other day because apparently his cousin's shoe lace accidentally hit him in the eye during recess (you gotta love it!.) While explaining the shoe lace incident to the nurse, he projectile vomited. It was described by the nurse as a "running faucet." Because he had been having recurrent viruses and because of the intensity in which he vomited, I took him to the doctors. Naturally, by the time we had our appointment my son was feeling much better. He was quite chatty, so chatty that the doctor asked him to stop interrupting (in her defense it was the end of the day and, he was quite irritating.) Fortunately, by the end of the appointment, my son redeemed himself. The doctor made a reference to my son's hiney, and my sweet little boy said "I don't have a hiney, I have a penis." What a hoot! It was said with such conviction and with complete innocence. At the end of a long tiring day, there is nothing better than these precious moments to remind me of just how lucky I am to have children in my life.
I sometimes wonder what my life would be like if I didn't have children. I know that I would travel more, I'd be current for the Oscars, I'd go to the theatre more often, I have no doubt that there would be a lot less bathroom talk around the house, of course I would worry less and , I would probably remember to look in the mirror before leaving the house (sounds like retirement!). There is a loss of innocence that comes with having children (and certainly with losing one). Your whole world changes. Your priorities are no longer your own, which I think is a good thing and you become completely responsible for another human beings existence - an awesome responsibility that somehow we all manage to handle. For me, life with children became very regimented. Everything has a time assigned to it. I could no longer do as I pleased - no spontaneous movies, no late night walks in the city. I actually can't even remember what it was like to have that kind of freedom that I once had, it seems like another lifetime... in a way I guess it was. Last night I came across an old photograph of me and my husband. It was taken at the end of 1989, almost 20 years-ago. We looked so young and, yes, so innocent. I don't mind the loss of innocence as I am much wiser for it and, I even don't mind the worry lines that are beginning to show - I have earned everyone of them! It wasn't easy for me to have my 3 children. I have been pregnant 6 times, two ended in miscarriages, one in a neonatal death and, then thankfully 3 wonderful healthy babies. I wouldn't change a thing, even if it meant that I would be current on Oscar night. That is what retirement is for.
Anyway, please stay tuned as I work through the glitches of writing a blog. And, please comment if you can. For those of you who have had difficulties getting access to my blog or posting comments, hang in there as I am trying to figure out what the problem is.
Have a great week!
