It's two,two, two posts in one: Loser Moms and Rookie Moms

Sarah and I have decided enough is enough and we're going to take turns kicking each other in the ass so we get on a healthier track. Sarah admits she eats too much and the consumption of da beer only adds to the extra pounds she feels she is packing. For me, being left handed and somewhat dyslexic has made aerobic classes an exercise in frustration. Given I have almost no equilibrium whatsoever, any kind of unsupervised work-outs could result in a lot of "I've fallen and can't get up" type situations for me. So, this is where Vionna Jones comes in to the picture.

Vionna is a personal trainer who will be working with Sarah and Me. Our agreement is she will work with us, and we will chronicle our experiences and progress. We encourage anyone who would like to kick our collective ass, to stop by our collective blog, Loser Moms. Because as anyone knows, it's going to take the entire Internet to get Sarah to put down the beer and get me to use my elliptical.

This isn't vanity people, this is for our health. Look, our hips don't lie and neither does our BMI. So now, we're taking the plunge and doing something about it. Maybe you've been putting off the idea of taking care of yourself. Maybe it's not extra pounds that are bothering you, maybe you've stopped reading for pleasure, maybe you've stopped hanging out with other adults.

Maybe you just need some more ideas to get you out of that parent trap we fall into when we only focus on one aspect of who we are. It's not tantamount to child neglect to decide you want to keep your pre-parent interests or develop new post-parent ones. As a social worker, I can tell you I have NEVER read a report from child protection investigating parents for hiring a responsible babysitter and going to a matinee of an Indy Film with French subtitles. Nor have I read a substantiated report of child abuse because a parent chose to make bedtime an hour early freeing up some time to read a book other than Goodnight Moon.

Maybe you need some ideas for combining parenthood and adulthood. This is a perfect opportunity for me to give some love to a new book written by our blogmigas, Rookie Moms. Aviva and I have spoken of Rookie Moms on our blog, and now the gals have a book we are very excited to recommend and endorse; The Rookie Moms Handbook: 250 Activities to do with (and without) your baby.

This book isn't laden with popsicle stick crafts you and your infant can do together, this book includes activities that focus on the many facets that make up who we are as people. The book grabbed my attention because of the inclusiveness it promotes among those facets. One which resonated with me in particular is parents can benefit from continuing to hang out with their non-parent friends. I totally agree.

It's very common for people to stop seeing their non-parent friends after they have kids. I think one of the main reasons is we become parent-centric in many ways, which isn't unexpected nor unnatural, but it does make it difficult for some parents to figure out how to relate to friends who aren't parents. Non-parent friends may become bored with babytalk, which is also not unexpected nor unnatural. But while we may miss our friends, we may be too sleep deprived to think clearly about how to make a bridge that doesn't include anyone lifting up their arms, singing and walking around in circles. But help is here...

What I especially love is one idea in this book which suggests parents focus on finding a common interest with their non-parent friends, in this case it is watching movies together. The book then gives a brief paragraph on how exactly to make that movie night happen.

And while the book is being marketed with new parents in mind, I found ideas in it which are absolutely applicable to seasoned parents too.

The book is also perfect for reading in stops and starts, kind of like how I've been exercising...until recently. ;)