Pump It Up

I can take the cold, but the precipitation is keeping us in, so what to do? It turns out that my kids love doing aerobics tapes! I prefer STEP aerobics and still have the original STEP Reebok VHS tape circa about 1993. My daughter will choose “yoga” – actually Denise Austin – if given the choice. I am not sure how that miscommunication arose. So, anyway, we have these sets of tiny 1-pound dumbbells and the kids LOVE TO WORKOUT! Sometimes they tire of Kathy Smith’s background music so we mute the volume there and listen to They Might Be Giants ABCs while I follow the visual cues.

The kids pile on my back for push-ups at the end and everybody wins!

The main thing I will caution you about is that you have to keep a really careful eye on where the kids are at all times so you don’t accidentally kick anyone in the head.

What Not to Do

You might not want to take your two-year-old ice skating, increase your miles, throw on a little extra weight on at the gym, repeatedly toss your 35-pound child into the air, climb up and down from your washer and dryer to extract a live chipmunk from your dryer vent, replace said dryer vent, climb a ladder to fix some lightbulbs, and go to aerobics at the gym . . . in the same week . . . if you are pregnant.

You might hurt your back . . .

Don't Leave Home Without...

You only need a flat tire 4 miles from home once to realize that you ought to bring a spare tire along. So, here’s what I consider the essential items to bring along for every run:

1. Water: some for everyone since the kids will never share when you want them to.
2. House keys
3. Cell phone for emergencies.
4. Road ID because I never remember to put my ID back in my wallet afterwards.
5. Hand pump
6. Spare inner tube* or patch kit
7. Tire levers
8. Extra diaper and wipes, if applicable
9. Optional: accessories for the weather such as blankets, sunglasses, snacks, etc.

*Small stroller wheels are usually 12”, medium are 16” and large are 20”. Your stroller tires and your older child’s bike tires might be the same size.

Fa: A Long Long Way to Run!

I’ve recently taken to doing nap time runs. My 2-year-old son has given up napping, but could use the break plus it is much warmer than the morning. AND I only have to push a single stroller since his sister is at school!

Without his older sister to distract and entertain him, however, I have come to recall the power of SINGING!

Some examples that my 2-year-old is particularly fond of right now:

“Bumpity, bump, bump. Bumpity, bump, bump. Look at (fill in child(ren)’s name(s) here) go! Bumpity, bump, bump. Bumpity, bump, bump. Over the rocky road!”

“Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall. Humpty Dumpty had a great FAAAALLLL (tip stroller back). All the king’s horses and all the king’s men couldn’t put Humpty together again!”

“Old MacDonald” – using an animal for every letter of the alphabet or every animal he can find in his animal crackers, if applicable.

And of course, all the old stand-bys like “ABC” or “I’m a Little Teapot” (you can tip them over for that one too) or any other song that could continue indefinitely…

• What are your favorite songs to sing with your kids?