I joined the gym. And I hate working out.

I did it.  I joined the gym.  I hate the gym.  But I joined it.

This has nothing – NOTHING! – to do with New Year’s Resolutions.  No, this decision was made in early December when I contemplated extending Bennett’s swim lessons or considering an alternative activity.  Now, the going rate for swim lessons here in NoVa is approximately $100/mo.

I know.

So for $100 we were driving 40-45 minutes round trip for one member of our family to benefit for 30 minutes a week.

My gym of choice, Lifetime, is $30 more per month for three of us (Brian excluded, he never takes advantage of a gym membership).  But, get this, for 20 minutes round trip, we can ALL THREE go for up to TWO HOURS of childcare A DAY.  And they don’t just babysit.  For Bennett, they have classes (Arts & Crafts, Zumba, Yoga, Tumbling… when he’s 5, Rock Climbing).  And you know what I do?  I work out for 15 minutes.  Then I’ve got an hour and 45 to take one long, uninterrupted shower, to connect to WiFi, to check an email, to make a grocery list, to follow up on work calls or meeting notes… Or to just sit in the silence, the beautiful silence, of the sauna.  Or to BLOG!  (Oh… yeah… Guess where I am right now!)

In the summer I look forward to taking advantage of the outdoor pool (complete with twirly slide).  In the meantime, if I want Shepherd dropped off at the Kids’ Academy, I can take Bennett to the indoor pool and we can swim around ourselves so he doesn’t lose what he’s learned in the last year of swim lessons!

The gym has a cafe and a spa.  The cafe just sold me my favorite beverage for $1.40 more than I would pay at the grocery store.  And the spa?  According to my tour guide (you heard me), “Now, I know you won’t need this for hair services,” (’cause I told him about the Glass Door Salon) and to my horror he continued, “but they do offer botox!”

Um.  Excuse me?  Like… WHAT are you trying to say?  You think I need it?  You think I already get it?  Honey, these lips are mine.  And now so is this complex.

And that sweet Shepherd is half a year now.  He’s turning and flopping belly to back and visa versa.  He found his high pitch.  If I was a pterodactyl, I would have enjoyed that style of communication.  Thankfully, he moved past that and now enjoys these smack-y, kissy noises.  Much, much cuter.  He’s still living on mommy’s milk.  No solids yet.  We’ll hold off on that until his tongue tie gets clipped, something we agreed to wait on out of respect for our pediatrician.  (You can ask me why later.)  But – goodness! – he’s such a love muffin.  I could inhale that baby and crushing him in my embrace.  So soft.  So sweet.

I love being a momma.  And I say that having finally unwound with some alone time at the gym.

(Btw, if you join the gym, tell them I sent you.)