the y-park & other news

better known as the ymca. but luce loves her a park, so we call it the very special indoor y park... where the kids get to play in the kid playroom and the mamas get to go be strong & healthy in the mama room.

so the kiddos & i hit the y-park today with some friends. the mamas hit body pump, and while it felt great to work out, man...i've fallen farther than i imagined since the last time i took the class (2005 in chicago). despite the barely recognizable reflection staring back at me in the mirror and the muscles that just weren't capable of following directions, i became very motivated to hit the class a few times a week. the idea that i can/could be a mama & re-claim what i'm sure will be the new 'fit' version of my body is/was very exciting. luci finally seems to be ready for some independent time, and gus is surely to small for separation anxiety...right?

so i hit childcare to pick them up. i was anxious because i missed them, and i just really wanted to see them having a great time...

poor guster goo had the purple 'i've been crying a loooooong time' eyes that i'd never actually seen on him. i only knew what they were because they were a speciality of his big sis when she was a babe. he was being held, but he was not happy. and even when i took him he didn't calm down...which is very unusual for him. poor thing. i still have no idea what was going on. he's been okay the other 2x we've gone. boo. he fell asleep after about 5 minutes in the car on the way home & then woke up his happy usual self.

luce on the other hand appeared fine. no tears, happy to see me, but ready to go home. we started out the door...and then the woman asked to speak to me. uh oh. um, yeah. she hit 3 kids. and i'm guessing it was 3 kids that the care providers saw...i bet it was really a few more. they put her in time out for 3 minutes, and the woman said she went willingly to time out & fully admitted hitting. we had a talk about it on the way home & she told me "i didn't like those friends mom. i didn't." i asked why she didn't like them. she had no answer. i asked if she had wanted a toy they had, or if she didn't want to share something she had, or if they had hit her. "they didn't mom. they didn't." was all i got. so then we had a talk about being kind. she didn't seem too bothered by any of it...the hitting, the time out, or the talk.

humpf.

in other news...lead story on the local news is the cal/ual merger. it is as unofficially official as it can be. makes my heart leap. seeing o'hare and downtown chicago feels like home. and a teeny bit been there done that. and the thought of leaving here for sure gives me icy ball. or if i'm really honest, it all makes me a bit nauseous. big changes to come, big changes. i'm so comfortable here. i still don't love the weather, but i'm super comfortable. but as i type those words i remember that growth usually is uncomfortable. and now i'm just unsettled.

and speaking of uncomfortable, the weatherman just said our forecast is shifting into the humid 90's and they are here to stay. and now there is a commercial for fire ants. which are in such full force in our yard that we can't even play outside till clay takes care of them. awfully handy that this merger is happening at the beginning of my least favorite season here. must be His way of reminding me that He's in control and only wants good things for us. now if only I weren't such a control freak that thought that might comfort me to the point of feeling settled again. but i'm guessing i won't...for quite some time.