There are days when I wonder who snuck in and fed a pound and a half of chocolate-covered espresso beans to my toddler. This was one of those days. She did not nap. She did go through a couple of rounds of clingy whining, but never of the "I'm going to settle down and go to sleep now" variety. She did go to sleep a little early (for her) -- 9:30 p.m. -- but I couldn't put her down until after 10:30, because every time I did, she woke up. (Usually she doesn't go to sleep until a ridiculously late hour, 10 to 11 p.m., but once she sacks out, she stays asleep when I put her in her crib and for a good while afterwards.)

My caffeine intake, just for the record, was the same cup of coffee I start the day with every day. Unless they fed her something really exciting at the LifeTime Fitness childcare center or something. That's quite unlikely; kids are allowed to bring in sippy cups and bottles, but no food is allowed. I suppose maybe some kid had a sippy cup of Mountain Dew and Kiera got ahold of it...

So, Ed bought me a membership to LifeTime last fall, as a birthday present to Molly and Kiera. I've been going twice a week ever since with very few lapses. I like it. I particularly like the childcare: it is free with membership (two hours a day per member, for however many kids you've got) and the staff are generally really good. It also has a low-key atmosphere: you see very few toned perfect spandex-clad bodies. People mostly mind their own business; the women who take classes together will chat in the locker room afterwards, but usually when I go, I drop off the girls, then change, stretch, work out, shower, and change again, all without saying a single word to anyone or make more than brief eye contact with anyone there. Since my kids almost do not stop talking from the time they get up in the morning until they go to bed at night, getting my head to myself for an hour and a half is a pleasant luxury.

They are currently running a promotion in which they try to get current members to give guest passes to all their friends (and if our friends then join, we get some goody). If anyone has any interest in a guest pass let me know, and I will fill out the little brochure form and send it to you.