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Day 5: Exercise Challenge Comments Off

Filed under monthly challenges
Written by Annie on 7th Apr -08

Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm. Sir Winston Churchill
Update: 25 minutes cardio (walking); 5 minutes toning.
Joe and I took the kids to Vlasis Park after work today. (We all “work” on Saturday. Or at least we are all at work.) Vlasis has a great playground: the normal stuff, swings and slides and the like, and also a section for the toddlers with smaller swings and slides and things to climb on that they won’t actually fall through.
Mara learned how to go down the slide sitting on her bottom facing forward, instead of sliding on her stomach feet-first. We consider this a monumental step in her development. Everyone knows a child’s experience with slides (and swings and the like) contribute to the overall intelligence and fun quotient of the child as an adult.

Going places with one baby is easy. Going places with two babies gets a little more complicated. I’m sure going places with two babies is nothing compared to going places with three or four or five. I hope to find out for myself before it’s all said and done.

When we first had Mara, I was stunned by the amount of gear we accumulated and the number of trips between house and car to get loaded for a quick jaunt to the park. Comparatively, we were pretty simple in our baby stuff accumulation. It was still very much too complicated.

I work on simplifying all the time. Two babies means more diapers in the diaper bag, but you still only need one bag. Breastfeeding means no bottles or formula. We have a double stroller, but I keep it at home and use a simple umbrella stroller and our Baby Bjorn carrier when we go out. Those stay in the car.

The car. There’s another subject of dread complication. Car seats. Bulky, but necessary. Toys. Not bulky, probably not necessary, but there are lots of them, mostly corralled in a little Mara-sized backpack. Books. Not bulky, completely necessary (in my opinion), and contained in large, sturdy shoebox under the seat where Mara sits. Snacks. I’ve gone back and forth on this one. I usually keep one sippie cup which can be filled with water anytime. I’ve had, at various times, a bag of pretzels, a bag of animal crackers, a box of Pop Tarts, a box of Granola bars, and a bag of dried fruit. I find that they are quite useful and that Joe and I really enjoy eating them. Which is why I don’t keep them in the car anymore.

I grab a baggie of snacks or a couple of granola bars to stash in the diaper bag, now. It’s enough for the day but not enough that I’ll feel free to munch on it. So I just keep a bar of dark chocolate in my own bag…

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Resources: I don’t have much baby-gear envy. We don’t even own a high chair, and I don’t want one. But I do wish I had this stroller. Yeah. It’s cooler than mine.

Again with the baby gear. Onesies have come a long way. Like this one for the Google addict’s baby, or this one that I’m going to have to buy for my friend J’s little girl, or this one for the skateboarder’s kid (I guess those would be my kids…). I’m going to stop there, but if you want more go to this blog and get your fill.

Tip: Paring down your gear, and having it ready to go, makes those spontaneous park trips, road trips, picnics, and all-night-balloon-animal-making-contests a lot more feasible. Be ready for anything. Clean out your car and stock it with only the stuff you really need.

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