This month’s focus at the Growing Slower Carnival of Natural Mothering is “movement”. By nature I’m a cerebral, more than a physical, person. When you add the unpredictability of the 2-year-old (lots of “Mommy! Up!”) and the 7-month-old (who’s a poor napper) to my full schedule of things needing accomplished at the computer, movement becomes difficult. Then you add winter – and this winter! Holy cow! – in a small house…and the only movement I am getting is all the up-and-down with the kids. It’s pretty good strength training (after all, they were 30 lbs and 20 lbs at their last check-up), but it’s not movement.

This one is just tough for me, friends. As soon as decent weather hits we will be outdoors, walking around our small town regularly. I love long walks, because they keep the kids interested, and I can move about freely, thinking, praying, or listening to a podcast – or all of those things, depending on the length of the walk. But right now, in this dreary winter? Tired, busy, with at least one little one clinging to me at all times? I’m honestly not exercising.

So, here’s where I’ve landed – oh, well. I give myself permission to relax until spring hits and I can be on the move in a way that is stress-relieving and enjoyable for all of us. Right now trying to think how I could incorporate exercise just makes me want to curl into the fetal position and give up.

That was uplifting, wasn’t it? Just keeping it real. What about you? Are you in the same place I am? If not, how do you get the movement in when life is demanding?