Wait ... Something Isn't Right Here

Yesterday, I tried to be good. I entered into a cleaning game with another bored and busy mom on Twitter, and we cajoled each other into finishing our list of things to do. With her help, I had more done by Toddler's nap time then I often get done in an entire day. Then she went psycho on me and wanted to start a new list! Wow! Okay ... I think I can do that. I vacuumed the entire house. Even the hardwood. Heck, I even vacuumed the basement stairs ... or half of them, at least.

Then my friend "remembered she had some errands" and left me with an unfinished to-do list. Can you believe it? I actually FINISHED a to-do list, and I STILL somehow managed to get suckered into having an unfinished list.

So there I was, feeling good about myself and all I achieved, trying all the while not to think about how fast the boys and Girl Cat were going to mess up, crumb on, and shed on all my hard work.

Then, today dawned. I decided, "This is it. Yesterday I tried to be good, and today I WILL be good." I pried my not-very-morning body out of bed and took my bright eyed and bushy tailed child and his toy dog Pluto for a walk. (We cannot go anywhere without this little figurine of Pluto. I certainly hope we never lose it. Already I get the shivers every time I hear, "Mommy, where Pluto?")

But, back to my story. I went for a walk, before 9 AM, with Toddler. Yes. Me. I went exercising before I had a cup of coffee.

Now, I was under the very significant impression that an early morning exercise routine is supposed to wake me up and give me energy for the rest of the day. Whether you agree or not, I assure you that anything before 9 AM is classified as early morning under every standard definition.

Something didn't go quite right. I enjoyed the walk. We burned some calories and had some fun, but we didn't really tire ourselves out too much.

Still, when we got back, I felt disenchanted and weary and a little bit tense. I blame it on the fact that I really don't enjoy walking for the sake of walking, and I could not find a safe path to the McDonalds for some hash browns. (I suspect there is some logic to that.)

Perhaps I could blame it on the fact that I could not safely cross the two lane "highway" at the end of our street and the sidewalk on our side only goes so far, leaving me with some stretches of walking through the muddy overgrowth, holding Toddler fiercely by the hand, carrying the stroller over my shoulder while he hollers, "Me want push stroller and walk Pluto!"

Nah. There is nothing stressful about that.

Maybe the problem came later when I decided to explore some neighborhood streets to see if they led to some sidewalks. All that managed to do was put me 3 blocks further away from home, back up on the main road, with no choice but to retrace my steps through he neighborhood or walk along three blocks more of un-sidewalked highway.

Of course, with my stubborness, and the CVS and McDonalds just at the horizon, I didn't want to go back. I waited again to try to cross the street. One helpful driver even stopped traffic in his lane to let me go, but no one in the other lane cared and I eventually waved him on.

At last, admitting that McDonalds was truly unattainable (and remembering I didn't bring my wallet), I decided to turn for home. Home was 5 blocks "thataway" with no sidewalk in between. Or, it was 3 blocks through the neighborhood plus a block of sidewalk on the big street, plus a block of no sidewalk on the big street. Or I could stand there forever waiting for the traffic to clear so I could cross the street to get to the sidewalk, knowing that crossing back might take all day.

I opted to take the straight shot home. I took the front lawn of the local homes if it looked well-packed enough and I wasn't killing any major plant life. When that wasn't available, I waited for our side of the traffic to clear, and I ran like hell from driveway to driveway, pushing Toddler all the way.

He thought it was funny. "Mommy go faster!" (See, I'm telling you, there was some real exercise here.)

None of it was stressful, though. There is nothing at all stressful about a mom, a stroller, a busy road, a Toddler, and a toy Pluto all trying to occupy the same space at approximately the same time.

Of course, nothing even close came to going wrong. No car came near us. We spent most of the time so far up people's yards I thought I should ring the bell and sell cookies. I think we were safer most of the time than if we had had a sidewalk because of my paranoia, but still ... there is something soothing about a sidewalk, even if it has a 5 foot ditch next to it big enough to swallow whole strollers.

I came home and wanted a nap. I did not feel invigorated. I did not nap, though. I have a Toddler, remember?

Maybe next time we will make it the whole way to McDonalds. Maybe next time we will cross the street. I may have to re-evaluate my timing, though. Perhaps morning rush hour was not a good time to try this after all. Maybe 9 PM next time, when Toddler is *supposed* to be asleep.

Hmm. I have to stop writing now. Toddler just woke up from his nap. I just heard him say, "Oh! Hello, Pluto!"