Sprite's Keeper

HASAY: A New Month, A New Day, A New Way

HASAY: Warning, clicking this link may cause uncontrollable exercising. Please consult a doctor before clicking the link. That was the disclaimer.

July already? What the hell, June? Did we say something to piss you off?

So, Casey, the Holy HASAY'er, has decreed that HASAY postings will be reduced from every Monday to the first Monday of the month. This means my penchant for following rules to the letter will now be tested since the months like to sneak in before I can protest prepare for them.

I have been a regular at the gym for three weeks now and the instructors are even starting to recognize me. The Boot Camp drill sargeant even complimented me on my stepping (which I personally thought was lacking. When it comes to step anything, I usually take it slow so it doesn't take me down.) and then proceeded to get in my face, trying to screw up my concentration. He also demanded perfection on this exercise called side planks. Ever do side planks? You're supposed to lie on your side, raise your upper body up to lean on your arm and then bring the rest of your body up into a straight line or a plank. Guess what? It's almost physically impossible. And he wanted two minutes! A good three or four times! Yeah, I know. Crazy. I told him so too. (Muttering under your breath totally counts. As long as he's still in the room, it does.)

The Zumba class is beginning to get on my nerves for a couple of reasons. First of all, I am the only English speaker in the class. Everyone else is Spanish. Normally, this isn't a complaint for me since I need all the practice I can get to impress my in-laws, but when the instructions for the dance moves are being shouted en espanol, No, better! SLANG, I'm screwed. "Qierda!" "Recha!" Wha? I have to watch the instructor's feet closely to make sure I can keep up, but she's so busy playing up to her mirror image, I honestly thought the class was being Punked the first time I participated in the class. For her cool down, she played Beyonce's "To the Left" song and spent the entire song prancing like an MTV scout was considering her for Ms. Jay-Z's next world tour. I have to control the laugh reflex, which is right above Gag. Also, there is an older woman who also participates in every Monday session and even though I get there before she does and stake out my spot in the back of the room. she must take her place right beside me, no matter how empty the class is. Normally, I would be flattered and a little confused by this, but she has personal space issues in a class where we are constantly on the move. Every time I turn around, she's stealing the air I was going to use for my next breath. So, I started moving around throughout the class, going up one row, turning back. And it goes swimmingly for a few moves until I trip over a sneaker. "Oh, hi! You again!"
"Como?"
Did I mention I'm the only English speaker?

I'm enjoying the Spin class the most. The seat still tries to get fresh with me even though it knows I'm married, but I'm learning to mostly ignore it and focus my hatred instead on the instructor who doesn't seem to sweat no matter how many hills we approach. And perky? Honey, the rest of the class just shoved about a thousand calories out of their pores. Can you at least look a little winded?

Here's the good news. While the scale doesn't seem to acknowledge all my hard work (yet took the fiver I left for it without question), my clothes are fitting a little looser and I feel more toned all round.

STATS: John: Down 3. Up 1. Damn holiday weekends.
            Me: Even. Whatver, scale. My slacks are loose in the bum. Don't kill my buzz.

Next Monday's topic: No HASAY, what the hell am I going to write about?

Celebrating the family firecracker

Last year, I snapped this photo of Sprite and John as we took in the city's July 4th celebration, completely unaware that another kind of fireworks was happening elsewhere in the state.

That night, we came home, waterlogged from the downpour, and found a message on our phone. Our sister-in-law, still about a month away from her due date, had gone into labor and delivered our niece Alyssa, thus cementing our July 4th plans for the foreseeable future.

 

(I know, cute, right? You want one, don't you?)

I can't believe a year has passed so quickly and now Alyssa can finally claim a finger for "How old are you?" questions.

 

From a firecracker of a baby to a very laid back almost toddler, she has claimed her spot in the family with ease. I don't think I have one picture of a cross face for her.

 

..Well, okay. Maybe one. I'm sure she can hold her own against Sprite in the attention getting arena.
 

 

She's already trying..

Happy birthday, Alyssa.You may have to share your birthday with America, but we'll always say those fireworks are for you. (...Until you're old enough to know better. But let's leave those myths like fireworks and Santa alone so you can discover the truth like every other kid out there. In school.) 

To everyone else out there, have a happy and SAFE Fourth of July! 

Spin Cycle: Playing Devil's Advo-kid

I think kids are getting a bum rap these days.

Sprite is in the throes of the Terrible Two's. Allegedly. Personally, I have no idea why this stigma is allowed to continue being tossed around the parenting circles. There IS no such thing as Terrible Two's. (Gasp!) That's right! I said it!

Sure, she has her tantrums and her mood swings, she will only accept a pink cup some days and refuse it on other days, and Heaven forbid I approach her with shorts when she has her heart set on a dress, but is it really all that terrible?

Researchers have already broken it down for us plebeians (read: parents) that children at this age are simply frustrated when they can't do things themselves or can't articulate what they want when they want it or can't re-wire the dogs. We all know this. So, why are we still saying it's Terrible?

Maybe it's not the kids that are Terrible. (I hear grumbling.. calm down and just hear me out)

Maybe it's us parents. (Okay, who threw that keyboard? That is NOT nice.)

I'm coming to the conclusion that Sprite's mind is pretty much on a one way track. It's me that can't seem to keep up sometimes. Her ups and downs are to be expected. I just can't expect that MY ups and downs will be in sync with hers all the time, which is where the frustration of parenting a toddler comes into play.

Have I completely lost you? Hm.. let me see.. Oh, okay, you took a left at the conclusion part when you should have gone right.... Okay. We're on the same page now. (That is, if you're still on the same site..)

Sometimes I can handle any mood Sprite is in. If I tell her no to a repeated viewing of "The Lion King" and she reacts with her standard "I wahnnt the Liiiooonnn Kiiiiinnnngg", I can immediately set about dissolving the situation with cheer ("How about we take your tricycle outside and practice riding?") or sneer ("I said no!"). I try to pick Door Number 1 every time which usually snuffs the wick on her lit fuse, but sometimes I do default to Door Number 2, which only acts as an accelerant to make my kiddie go kaboom. Why would I go with Number 2? It depends on how the day is going.

My kid doesn't retain emotions. If Tommy hits her at school, she will only think about that pain until it recedes and maybe later fill me in on how she took a slug to the kidney on the playground, but generally when I ask how her day went, her standard answer is "I played with friends." (Every day, the same answer. I think they train the kids to say that. And they are smart to do it..) Her mood is based on what she's looking forward to as we walk out the daycare door. (The cheese stick waiting in the van for her. You know, come to think of it, I really need to switch up her snacks.) When she blows her top, she vents until she's done and then moves on to the next activity, which may or may not include redecorating the walls.

Now ask me how my day went. Traffic was a nightmare and made me late, Dunkin Donuts screwed up my coffee AGAIN (Do they really think I can't tell the difference between cream and milk? Please DD people, hit the target more often, my THIGHS will thank you!), the server went down at work, I had to deal with other people's bad moods, I burned my popcorn which made for some pretty bad snacking, my eyes were straining at the computer, thunder and lightning made me late to pick Sprite up, traffic slowed to a crawl because the roadside watermelon stand was having Buy One Get One, and we walked into the house to see that John left the milk out on the counter meaning we have no moo juice. Sometimes, I can shirk the dourness my day tried to heap on me. Sometimes, I can't. So, when Sprite immediately asks me if she can give her dolls a bath in the washing machine and then proceeds to vault Sleeping Beauty into the unit, my response may vary.

Have you ever watched another parent discipline their toddler and think you would do it differently? Maybe they were yelling a bit too much or being a bit too patient? Did you ever stop and consider that your judgment may be based on your current mood?

Okay, so this is only a theory. Maybe I just have it really easy. Maybe Sprite is just a really good kid and in no way represents the rest of the preschooler population who seem hell bent on making Mommy cry at least three times a day.

I happen to think the second year is the best one yet. Her words are growing faster than she is, her imagination amazes me, and her take on the world is refreshing. I can't wait until the Three's! (You know, the end of potty training and all..)

Am I actually in touch with my kid or out of touch with reality? I would love to hear your two cents on this.

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I have loved reading about all of your kid stories! Just check out these Spinners!

Arwen over at Spors in the Desert

Pseudo over at Pseudonymous High School Teacher 

Stacy over at True Blue Texan 

Lisa over at Boondock Ramblings 

Cristin over at Tiptoeing Through The Tulips 

Jan over at Jan's Sushi Bar 

Stacy over at True Blue Texan -Part II !

Camille over at Archives of Our Lives 

Maureen over at IslandRoar 

Mama Badger over at Out of the Boondocks and Into the Burbs... 

Erin over at Only A Movie -New to the Spin Cycle!

Meli over at Meli's Rambling Randomness -Updated today! Fresh Spin!

Kendra over at Life In The Slow Lane -Updated today! Fresh Spin!

Gigi over at Incrementum -Updated today! Fresh Spin!

Jenni over at Oscarelli -Updated today! Fresh Spin!

Casey over at Half As Good As You -Updated today! Fresh Spin!

JHS over at Colloquium -Updated Sunday! Fresh Spin!

Cyndi over at The Adventures of HarryJack -Updated Sunday! Memories Spin! Fresh!

Don't forget to say hi to the new Spinners and go a round with the veterans!

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Next week's assignment: Driving.

Do you like to live life in the fast lane? Have you ever succumbed to road rage? Been a victim of it?  Maybe you think of life as one big road trip. Are you driving someone crazy? Maybe they're driving YOU crazy.. Need to work on your drive swing? How about learning to drive? Teaching your kids to drive? (I'm praying for you on that one..) Or carpools. Well, make a pit stop here and fill up your tank while you fill us in on the details!

Have those Spins in by July 10th or the bus will leave without you!

By the way, you owe me gas money.