Ready to Run

Puddin' has discovered a new game: on our walks to and from the school she calls out "run please" and we all run (at a toddler pace.) Then when she's ready she calls out "walk please" and we diligently comply. She's also excitedly practicing stairs on her own and climbing much more than before. She wants to take the long route, preferably the one that I'm not taking. This is all very good news.

Puddin' is over-the-top verbal. She can say pretty much anything she thinks of - and she thinks of a lot of things. Her gross motor skills have been quite lacking, however. She hasn't shown much interest in exploring, climbing, dancing, jumping, or any other toddler movements. She'd gladly talk about them and even sing you a song about them. She'll sit and read many books about such joys. Now she's starting to finally take some risks.

It's a big mental shift for me to change the way I interact with Puddin'. We do lots of verbal things, obviously, and much of my day she and I putter with our projects in parallel. To get her the kind of space and freedom she needs I have to choose different spaces and actions. (Somehow it no longer seems fair to put her in the stroller while I run.) I'm trying hard to balance the various needs but Puddin' is still yearning for more space and stimulation.

While I work on solutions, my own body is crying out for space and stimulation too. The weather is gorgeous. There's more light. After months of being stuck inside with annoying exercise dvds I can finally do exercise in ways that feel more fulfilling and natural to me. I'm not sure how to get enough time to do all that for both me and the littlest darling. I'm worried that by the time I come up with the solution the weather will have turned sweaty and sour. In the meantime, I'm learning to love Puddin's little game. It's not great exertion but she's a very fun exercise buddy.