On Being Healthy

A big goal for our family this year is to become more healthy.  You can bet it isn't who you think it is who can't seem to stay on the wagon.  

Yep, it's me.  Here I am, grinning like a fool while I serve my family Wendy's for dinner.  Me, who can't say no to dessert after dessert.  Me, who keeps sleeping in instead of waking up to exercise.  Believe me when I tell you that doing Pilates while the kids are awake and climbing on you is counter-productive, although my frustration may have burned a few extra calories.  

Here is Clayton trying to blow up his cheeks to show the effects of my failure.  You would think with his crazy schedule and lack of sleep he would be the one with the major eating problem.  Nope.  This guy actually enjoys salads with no dressing.  I, for one, have tried this and can't stand it.  

Here is Audrey.  She actually handed me her chicken nuggets and whined until I gave her my salad.  At least my children aren't completely ruined by my bad habits.  

You should have seen me beam with pride when the doctor declared her to be 25th percentile for weight and 98th for height.  Somehow I mothered a model!  About an hour later I read an article in Toddler magazine that stated:  "If we know our kids are growing and developing on track, why do we look upon those pediatric percentiles as some sort of report card?  'Parents need to understand that everything between the 3rd and 97th percentiles is normal,' explains David Wolfson, M.D.,... 'Growth charts are an important diagnostic tool, but the actual percentile number may be the least important part.'"  Well, that pretty much burst my bubble.  I am glad, however, that she is developing very well, and her vocabulary is exploding.  It is so cute to hear her say "here ya go" and "oh, man!"  Come on, though.  Doesn't this little body just look ready to walk down a runway?  heehee

We can't leave out our Wendy's-loving Luke.  After a friend told me of her success with reading her son The Very Hungry Caterpillar and explaining how a "nice, green leaf" helps a stomach-ache when you've eaten too many sweets, I decided to try it.  Without success.  He did try a leaf of lettuce, but he apparently doesn't like salad without dressing, either, and won't try dressing.  I was impressed, later, when he asked to try a leaf again.  Strange, I thought.  Then, I payed attention to his pronunciation.  All this time he thought I was saying "ice-cream leaf."  Poor kid must be very disappointed.  He does know how to get enough sleep, though.  "Mom, I'm feeling a little bit tired.  I'm going to go upstairs and read with Dad."  

Better luck next month?