Little White Lies: A Mother's Survival

It's been awhile since I have blogged. I have no excuse, except that I'm busy with life. However, this past weekend I took Rylee to Jungle Jumpers, and while I was climbing up a ladder, I thought, "This is a blogging moment!"

I observed many things throughout the two hours, but I suppose the most important thing is that I am too old and too out of shape to keep up with a four year old.

We were the only ones there, so naturally I decided I could hang with Rylee. How hard is it to climb up a small ladder and slide down? Well, extremely hard, if you really want to know.

The little blocks that are the steps up the ladder are made for feet with tiny toes. As I'm lifting up my weight from step to step, I feel my toes bending backwards at the joints, unable to sustain the pressure. For fear of permanent damage, I try, as much as possible, to lift the majority of the weight with my biceps. (By the way, that damage isn't felt instantly like the backward-jointed toes; that damage is felt the next day when I try to lift my arm and squeal from the pain.)

I slide down and run to the next jumpy, which again has steps. (Yippee) This time, though, I had problems sliding down. I decide to go head first, which sounds fun and youthful, but as I start to slide, gravity keeps my arms back and I proceed to slide down on my chin, dragging the rest of my body behind me. It wasn't graceful, and I must add, it wasn't painless either.

Then we run, slowly, to the next jumpy where Rylee wants me to bounce her really high. Yes, that's fun, until the fifteenth jump, when my thigh muscles clinch up and won't extend. I drop to the floor in an attempt to let them relax a second, which a 4 year old does NOT comprehend.

On to the next slide (with steps...tears, glistening in my eyes)...Did you know it was possible to get jumpy burn on the way down? It is...it most definitely is. My knee has a nice war wound to match my elbow.

But I press on...going under and over and through obstacles only to end up at the bottom of a tall ladder (with steps) that take me to the top of a huge slide, where I swear I left a layer of my epidermis. All the twisting and twirling through the obstacles keeps making my shirts roll up like a scroll. "Mama, your belly is showing."

"I know, I know," I say as I try to rearrange my shirt and dig out yet another wedgie.

I'm hurting. It's been two days since we left that jumpy place, and my arms are still aching and my toes just aren't quite right, but Rylee had fun...so much fun she wanted to go back the next day.

"Oh, sorry sweetheart..it's closed today."

No, I do not feel guilty about that lie...not at all.