To explain, these past few weeks it has been my mission to begin the socialization process of my sweet leg-clinging totally dependent mommy's girls. Why are my girls such leg-clingers? Because they love and adore me. Plain and simple. Oh yeah, and because they are around me all day/everyday with the exception of 5 hours on Wednesdays. They know no different.
It had been nearly 5 months since we'd been to the gym because of Diana's hospitalization and my reluctance to return during the germiest months of the year, so I knew our 1st few visits may be ugly, but I was determined to give it a go. We have now been 4 times. And none of them even resemble any form of beauty.
Day #1: All the familiar faces from before were still there, which reassured me immediately. I set the girls down in the middle of 1,000 toys and they were instantly distracted. I snuck away and hoped for the best. Twenty minutes later over the intercom: "Paging all Lifetime members, will Lauren Bajorek please come to the childcare center?" (Even though they form that as a question, it's totally a statement of urgency.) My 1st trip down the Walk of Shame. I thought, "Please please PLEASE let it be a poopy diaper!" But when I opened the door to the childcare center, my hope of a big blowout diaper was diminished as I heard the earth-shattering wails from both Lilly and Diana. Earth. Shattering. I picked both up and not only were they fine the second I picked them up, Lilly started laughing and was begging to be put down to play with her toys. Diana followed suit, and for the next 30 minutes we all played in the childcare center. Me, Lilly, Diana and 6 other well-behaved toddlers. Awesome.
Day #2: I set them down again, surrounded by 4,000 toys this time, and jetted off. I heard some whimpering but hoped for the best. I headed straight upstairs to a treadmill, set it for 20 minutes and was assured I would get at least that much time. Twelve minutes later I hear, "Paging all Lifetime members..." Dear God this cannot be for me already?! "...will Lauren Bajorek please come to the childcare center?" I cannot write the expletives that were rolling around in my head as I again walked the shame off. This time, I didn't need to open the doors before I heard the same earth-shattering wails - I heard them from down the hall. I walked in and saw the helpless instructors trying so desperately to calm the girls, but I knew as well as they did there was no hope. Fifteen minutes and a lot of work later, I finally calmed them down enough to once again enjoy my workout on the floor of the childcare center. Me, Lilly, Diana, and all the other toddlers. Awesome.
Day #3: This visit came after a trip to the pediatrician not for the purpose of asking how to break my girls of their clinginess, but I made a point to ask anyway. After assuring me "it's just a stage" that is heightened by being children of a stay-at-home mom, she recommended staying in the childcare center with them for a day so they get acquainted to the environment. So, Day #3 my workout was once again spent in the childcare center playing with Lilly and Diana while saving some random child from hitting some other random child on the head with a plastic banana, then trying to sneak behind the big toy kitchen to see if L & D could get along without me. That always lasted 30 seconds until Lil would let out a big wail. Diana by this point is all over the floor having the time of her life, but when Lilly starts to roar, Diana follows suit. And that is where the problem lies. They feed off each other. There are two of them and two full-time staff who cannot spend my entire workout holding my two girls when there are 10 other toddlers to tend to. Luckily, the instructors are encouraging and told me they have never had a parent cancel her membership because her child(ren) did not eventually adjust. So, my mission continues and we proceed to Day #4.
(Public Service Announcement: Lilly and Diana have officially swapped personalities. A blog entry confirming this announcement will be posted at a later date.)
Day #4: This time I told the instructors that they can let Lilly and Diana cry for as long as they can handle it. Luckily, there were only 3 other tots there, and they were all older, so the attention was given to L & D. The instructors are as determined to conquer this mission as I am. I headed up to a treadmill, set it again for 20 min., the entire 20 minutes I spent watching the clock and holding my breath each time the music stopped waiting for my name to be announced over the intercom. Halleluja! The 20 minutes were up and then came a 5 minute cool-down (do I really need a cool-down after walking at a pace of 3.5 for 20 minutes and burning 44 calories?), and I STILL had not been paged. Wow! Could this mean that Lilly and Diana are actually..."Paging all Lifetime members, will Lauren Bajorek please come to the childcare center." RATS!!! Hello Walk of Shame. We meet again. One look at L & D and I knew instantly that they had bawled the entire 35 minutes. Every single second of it. They had cried so hard that they were still gasping for air when we arrived home 30 minutes later.
To conclude, I have spent 4 hours getting the girls ready and fed each day + the 25 minute drive each way x 8 trips + lots of whining and objecting = 7 1/2 hours and a headache vs. my total workout of 1 hr. and 2 min. and exactly zero sit-ups. Awesome. Can't wait for Day #5!
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| Playing like big girls on our big girl table! They are growing up too fast! |
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| Officially obsessed with sitting in the big girl chairs. |
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| Diana's favorite thing in the WORLD is snack time. And oranges. |
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| Lilly giving 'baby a hug'! |
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| Along with polishing our socialization skills, we have also been working on our table manners. Here is the 1st time I introduced 'the spoon' to L & D. They obviously find their fingers to be a much better means of shoveling food in their mouths. I too find that to be the case for the time being...it is hard teaching etiquette to two quick eaters! We officially have a walker!! YAY for Diana!! And we also have a new game that daddy loves to play with Lilly. I don't even know what to call this...child abuse? |
