Finding The Fun
Last night, my husband and three children joined my friend Kim and her husband and children at their house for a good-bye party for a long-time friend who is moving to Oregon. This is a wonderful, positive move for her young family, and we are excited for them.
However, as we sat around in the cooling evening air, sipping margaritas and watching the kids play, we bemoaned the fact that we haven't done more spontaneous get-togethers over the last few years. It seems like the swirl of daily life and the ages of our children have kept us apart, even as we patted ourselves on the back for staying close to one another.
I was responsible for bringing the food, and I provided a healthy, fresh spread that even the kids enjoyed. We nibbled and drank, and drank and nibbled. It felt good to just relax and not worry about whether or not I was 'being bad' - I was not over eating, and I was enjoying fresh, real foods at a leisurely pace. That's they way it should be, all the time.
Just like trying to get together with my friends and their families (and relax, rather than chase my kids all over the place) or enjoying a sedate, relaxing meal, I find that exercise is something that I've either avoided, or rushed through, with no sense of enjoyment.
I used to scarf my food. I spent social gatherings racing around after my kids, unable to finish a conversation. I gave up trying to exercise because I couldn't make the time to do it alone, the way I wanted to.
The Fat Fallacy really emphasizes that we should be eating leisurely meals as a family. Ha! Ha ha ha! My children laugh in the face of leisure. They feel that all conversation should either be about them, or about the things they want to discuss. They, too, have learned to eat quickly and scamper away from the table. This eating together, and enjoying it, has been a huge challenge for my family, one that we are not winning.
But no more. This week, I'm going to start treating meal times like a party. We'll gather, nibble, converse, drink, circulate between courses - in short, we're going to enjoy ourselves. I think this week's menu will be light, appetizer fare, paired with simple salads and entrees that don't require a lot of cooking.
I'm also going to try to step up my daily activities to make them more active. More energy, more enthusiasm...more fun. The kids inspire me with their imaginative play and willingness to scramble over every rock, curb and post in our path. I'm going to follow their lead, and see how I do this week.
Keep the exercise challenges coming! I've just received the Strip Tease Workout from NetFlix, and will be giving it a spin tomorrow. Photos WILL follow.
Heaven help us all.
