I knew the weather was changing before I saw the forecast. How, you ask? My thumb told me. That's right. In true octogenarian fashion, I seem to have a little arthritis in my right thumb that acts up when the weather gets cooler. I just turned 37, making me around 10 years older than most of the bloggers I enjoy. Most days I feel younger. I managed to prolong adolescence into my late 20's, got married at 33, had my first child at 34, my second at 36 (which meant there was, no kidding, an "ADVANCED MATERNAL AGE" stamped on the outside of my chart at my OB's office) and here I am: a not-so-young Young Mother. A little arthritis might not be such a big deal when most of your day is spent relaxing in an Easy Boy watching CNN (which is what my arthritic Grandfather tended towards. He got rather fiery and political in his last years), however, it turns out that I use my thumbs approximately once per second. So here's how the day went:
Pick up Hudson from pack-n-play (ouch)
Change his diaper (ouch)
Change his clothes (ouch)
Get Harper out of bed (OUCH!)
Get her dressed (ouch)
Pull top off her yogurt (ouch)
Put 30 pound stroller outside (OUCH! OUCH!)
Help Harper with shoes and socks (ouch)
You get the picture. We really use these opposable thumbs! I finally had to take an Advil. So this, I think to myself, is why people really fear aging. It's partially the loss of one's stunning good looks, (hah) but mostly, we just don't want to be in pain.
Here's something else I was thinking about yesterday when I wasn't distracted by my infirmity. When the weather is this sublime, we are outside. We spend two hours at the park (including the walk) each morning, and another hour and a half in the afternoon. When we're inside, we're either eating, sleeping, or getting ready to go outside. We don't play with play-do, build with blocks, color, paint, or even read very much. I think, after some worrying, that I decided that this is okay. This is probably the only time in Harper's life that the only thing she really has to do each day is eat, sleep and play. Everything we'd be doing inside is really just a simulation of what we can do outside. We talk, we listen, we run, we sing, we swing, we draw with sidewalk chalk, we share, we tell stories. We have school, I suppose. Serendipitously.
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3 comments:
Patti, so sorry I haven't responded to your last request for a blog link, but it's only because I don't have one! Yours, in fact, is the first (yes, I do not lie) blog I've ever read if you don't count the Caring Bridge site I'm following about sweet Anna Jane and her heroic parents.
Anyway, you're not alone on aging issues. I, too, am an older mother and older than you! Don't you feel better? I'm an ancient 41, and have a 3 year old and 1 year old. Arthritis is striking my fingers, wrists, and knees. And let's not mention the first age spot I recently noticed.
I envy your time outside; I can't seem to get us out the door due to nap conflicts. But I'm working on it - everyone is happier when we play at the park. You've inspired me to try again today.
Well hello Margie! Ah, yes. The nap conflicts. This is a tough one. I actually woke Hudson up after an hour and a half Friday morning because Harper had been waiting so patiently. I am LOATHE to wake a sleeping child, but sometimes I do, even if only to selfishly ensure that I get at least some time in the afternoon when they'll be asleep at the same time.
I'm very new to the blogosphere myself, and was inspired by reading a couple of others. You should try--it's pretty straightforward after you get started. Perhaps Wendy, the technology whiz(hee!), can help you!
After having read yours and a couple of others (I really like Amy's Humble Musings - but my goodness, SIX kids - and Elizabeth in the OC) I'm thinking about it! But another part of me thinks, "Are you crazy? Another responsibility? Isn't 2 kids enough?" But I write letters - yes, handwritten - like mad (even though the communication is, as one would suspect, all one way) and think, "Wouldn't this be like that? Kinda?"
Luckily today, though, my children have been to the park twice, and it's only 2:00. So we've enjoyed the sunshine, trees, swings, slides, and non-house air. The perfect way to spend one of these fleeting fall days.
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