Hey, soccermom's...I so get it now, but I'm not giving in....

I have 3 sons....and with that, I have been warned that when they are all in sports (like now), well, then, all the free time that WAS yours is now gone and you are the taxi service from the hours of 5pm to 7:30 or 8pm at night.

And you know what? They were right.

I was a Doubting Thomas too, saying "It can't be that bad!" but oh, yes.....it is.

First, the menu planning went out the window....and that first week, we ate like crap - even did a few fast food/frozen pizza nights there. Vegetables???? Um, what are those?!?!?! The only color I ate was from pizza sauce. So gross.

That first week - there WAS no exercise for me....but there was me sitting on my butt reading in the karate studio and sitting in the car waiting for lacrosse to end....here's the excuse I loved the most on that first week: "OH the weather is just so horrible, I can't stand being cold...I'll just sit here and read some more." (That darned Kindle is like my new crack by the way...had to charge the battery in 3 weeks, not the 2 months like they said - do the math, I read fast and a lot!)

The epiphany came at the end of the first week when hubby & I looked at each other...sitting on the couch, each with viscous gas pains from the bad diet all week long....and we said, "We cannot do this....we cannot go down the evil path of where we were before...we gotta get a grip!!!"

So that is what we did.

First item tackled: THE WEEKLY MENU.
Problem #1: what to eat.....oh we know, we just have to plan getting it made better...so that was done - and I used my time more efficiently.

Problem #2: WHEN to eat - before or AFTER the games/pracices. Eating late was just TERRIBLE for us. It's kinda sad to sit with your youngest after he gets home from practice and keep him company while he eats a bowl of cold cereal (Oh yes, we had sunk that low) and then when he said "Mommy, why aren't we eating as a family anymore?" (AHHHHH!!! Stab me in the heart, why don't you!) That was the point I knew something was terribly wrong. SO - we all agreed to eat EARLY....and when I mean early, I mean 4:30 or 4:45 before we headed out the door for 3 hours. Again....the solution worked because we snacked less in between, felt satisfied, and then we'd have a healthy snack when they got home - if they wanted it.

So the second week was much better and the third, even better than the second! Of course now that the routine is down, the sports will shift again in a few weeks, but hey, we managed a new plan of attack!

Now, the other matter was exercise. What exercise? Well...I also tweaked my mindset. I got on the treadmill more on the days I could. I mowed the lawn TWICE now (Yay me!!!) and today, at the lacrosse game - the school had a field and I purposefully wore my sports bra and sneakers in order to get in a quick mile. Which, I wound up doing a mile and a half and running here and there...with my other 2 kids too on some legs!!! Heart rate up! You betcha! Run in front of complete strangers because I could? yup, you betcha!! In fact, if felt freeing that I even COULD run a bit, because for years, I could not/would not even attempt a track!!! So BIG Yay me today!!! BIG YAY!!

Which brings me to some other missed opportunities that will no longer be missed by me. For example: While waiting for the practice to end: Time to walk the perimeter of the field - let the kids play on the playground, I can see them fine...and I can run there pretty fast now too if I had to get there quick...why coffee clotch when I can get my heart rate up??? Hey, I might tell a mom to come join me! Why not?

I could give in to the whole: "Gee, it's so hectic, I have no time for me, it's all about the kids" garbage, but no, I don't think so. Not me. Not now. That's "old me's" baggage. Trust me, I get it. I get the craziness of it all. I get the tiredness that comes from the endless planning. I get it. I get the lethargy and the dontwannas...but if my kids are all smelly and stinky and SMILING after their practice....WHY NOT ME TOO?!? We are in this together right?

Right.

So next time the "Soccermom's" are all standing around and talking about the latest "50 Shades" book...ask them to join you on a quick walk around the field while you all wait. You might get a taker or two! Surprise them and yourself with your actions..why not?!? You just might start a trend...I'm hoping I do.