Young mom, 'cause you're in a new town, You can stay there, and I'm sure you will find Many ways to have a good time. ................................

It has been a while but I am back. I am now coming to you from the fun and exciting state of Kansas. It is cold here. I guess, living in Arizona for so long, I forgot that there were places on Earth that freeze and turn white. People around here tell me that it is a beautiful place to live but I haven’t really seen it yet. The grass is muddy and brown (when it isn’t white and icy), the trees are bare and wholly unsuitable for climbing (I could climb a tree. I am not so old as to not still have wild ideas completely unsuitable for my age and most definitely detrimental to my health if I ever followed through with them. I could climb a tree), and there are no flowers or color anywhere. I will give it a few more months before I render my final verdict. I do miss the Arizona winters.

I have filled up my days utterly avoiding the mess that is my house. It seems like every piece of furniture that I liked was damaged in the move and the crap that I should have thrown out before we loaded the truck made it through in the same shape as before. So, needless to say, I have quit unpacking boxes. It depresses me. It is cold outside and with 2 kids not in school, I have had to find a suitable warm place to spend my days where I don’t have to look at the chaos that surrounds me at home. The trick is to only have to get in and out of the car once (because that is another hassle. The baby needs a coat when the wind blows but freaks out when I strap her into her car seat with the coat on because it is tight. The same goes for my 3 year old, only he has managed to figure out how to unstrap himself, which is a whole different kind of fun).

My first instinct was the mall. Makes sense right? Many stores, indoor playground, the pretzel place, and lots to do. That was not a good idea. After spending hundreds of dollars on stuff I didn’t need (and that was just at the pretzel place), chasing my 3 year old around, and trying to breast feed in front of Subway (where the tables and chairs are) I realized that I was not in Mesa anymore (lots of nursing mothers with little kids). I was doomed to stay in my small house watching the Backyardagans forever. That’s what I thought until I discovered……….. the YMCA.

I thought this place was the stuff of early 80’s gay rock; made up for the purpose of getting preteens on the dance floor at the middle school dances across the country, but no. It is a real and very magical place where dreams come true. We joined the “Y” (as it is referred to by the locals) and IT began.

For less then $50 a month I have discovered freedom. I walk in the front door and a smiling face greets me to take away my children for 2 solid hours of peace. Alone. Once my children have been sequestered in a place that rivals any McDonald’s playground I have ever seen, I have my choice of activities. They offer pools, saunas, spas, a full gym including cardio and weights, group fitness classes, a full gymnastics area (where my idea for being able to climb trees originated), a track, basketball courts, Wii’s, and (my favorite) Ultimate Dance Revolution games. It is a cornucopia of stimulation. If you want to exercise they have it all, but if you don’t, they have many other options as well. If I want to just sit and read, they do that. If I want to watch TV, they do that (cable on several large flat screens through out). If I want to shower and get ready for the day without having a child walking in to ask me for food or to fix the TV or computer for them, I can do that. It is bliss. I have 2 hours to do nothing or everything, everyday.

On top of the freedom and peace I have discovered there, more treasures have made themselves known unto me. I have busy kids. In Mesa I didn’t like having to drive all over the planet: Karate here, dance there, it was not worth it. Here, they are all in the same place at the same time. Where? You guessed it. The YMCA. For $120 a month my kids are in Karate, Gymnastics, swimming, dance, soccer, and cheer. Anything and everything you can think of is at the Y. One trip to one place and I don’t have to stay in the room if I don’t want to (or if my kids don’t want me too. I do have a 10 year old).

I have not only satisfied my desire to not clean or unpack my house, I have discovered the perfect way to do it so that my husband can’t even complain about it. I love the YMCA. It has done wonders to make my stay here in Wichita so much more enjoyable then it could be, and I have lost weight to boot.

So you can keep your warm winter days and trips to the park. I choose my fully staffed kids play place and lap pool any day (everyday actually). If any of you would like to pop in and visit I will take you over and show you around. If you are in the mood, I will school you in the beginner footing of either Funky Town or Girls Just Want to Have Fun and join you in a lap around the track (or 2). You might have to stay in a hotel because my house id full of boxes and almost completely uninhabitable but how is that really different form what it was in AZ?

I hope that everyone is doing well and missing us as much as we miss them. Take care and keep in touch.