Time to hit the gym

The time has come. The Pudding Club has not soft-served our jelly-bellies well. And like the Village People said, "It's fun to play at the Y.M.C.A."

We finally decided we had to stop letting the little man show us up with his weight-lifting skills, and we joined the Y.

However, signing the contract to good health isn't the big news here; having a regular babysitter is.

Last week Julie Goodneighbor was home wacky after she had her wisdom teeth yanked (no worries, they didn't actually get her wisdom, she makes all A's), and spent a few days relaxing on our couch. I've know Julie since we moved to Woodsdale, but last week we really connected. Julie is an intelligent, energetic & modest young lady. But I was most impressed with her ability to sit-back & read a situation before she acted. Julie is fabulous with Zander. She lets him lead the play and has more of the eye of a parent than a playmate.

Anyway, after a long conversation with Granny Smith and her thoughtful advice to "take some time for yourself," I called Papa & told him it was time to join the Y. I really wanted Papa to start taking Piano lessons also, but he convincingly argued that he wouldn't have enough time to practice with all the time he was going to spend pumping iron.

Julie came straight to our house after school Monday, Zaney was sleeping & I headed to the gym.

Tuesday comes. Julie comes. Mama goes. Zander wakes. Zander loves Julie.

Here is where things unraveled. Julie forgot she had a follow-up wisdom teeth appointment and when her Mama came to get her, I was working up a sweat. Julie worked out a plan. Mama Goodneighbor sat with the waken Zane. It worked at first. Then lovely Juley returned to pick up her phone. Zander remembered his love & wailed after her (while screaming Daddy). Nothing Mama Goodneighbor could do worked. Thank goodness I'm out of shape and came home.

I probably should have offered to buy Mama Goodneighbor a drink, I'm sure she needed one after all that crying.