S/O: What "mommy" activities do you enjoy that you thought you'd hate?

[IntrovertExtrovert]

A positive spin on the "what mommy activities do you hate" thread.

I was a social, but nerdy kid. I had a group of friends but spent most of my time reading and writing. I hated sports, hated gym class from Kindergarten on up. I was forced to join softball for several years, and hated every moment. I was always catcher or right-field and hit precisely one home run in my entire life (and was out for not sliding, so it doesn't even count).

When my kid showed signs of being an extremely active type I told myself I'd do active things as long as I had to, but I wouldn't enjoy them, darnit!

Now that he's 3 I find that I love going to the park, swinging on the monkey bars, having running races, pretending to play soccer, baseball, and basketball. I love tumbling classes! I'll be sad when I can't jump on the trampoline with him anymore and when he doesn't want me to join him at the bounce house place.

[becoming]

I normally HATE all sports, but I *love* cheering my son on in soccer and baseball, both of which he loves. I have a lot of fun at his games.

[hempmama]

Singing inane kids' songs over and over! I am a dyed in the wool music snob, but for some reason don't mind and even enjoy the 57th rendition of Itsy Bitsy Spider. I love seeing them love music.

I thought I would hate playgroups/mom on the playground stuff, being an introvert and generally not terribly peppy. But I have a really good time at them, and have met some awesome people who just happen to also be parents and at home during the day. I think it helps that there are a lot of SAHDs around here. Balance.

I also thought travelling with kids would be awful, and wasn't going to fly with my kids until they were rational people. I really love going places with them, though, and we fly all the time.

[Tigerchild]

I never pictured myself being as active in the PTA and in my children's school program as I am (I am on the board of our program, and will be running a "committee" on the PTA at the same time this year.)

Growing up, my mom was always required to be active in the Officers' Wives Club, and let's just say you have never seen down-n-dirty politicking and backstabbing like you would have seen at the bases we were at anyway. I hate speaking in front of groups, am a major introvert (and still need lots of recharge time inbetween meetings). But I love getting to be an active part of the school behind the scenes, and I've been so lucky in that while there are many different kinds of personalities that I have to work with, I've yet to meet anyone that I dislike.

So yeah. Pre-kids I never would have though that I'd be in leadership at my kiddos' school. But I really enjoy it.

[Niamh]

I hate to sound cheesy, but all of it.

I didn't want to be a mom. My husband was going to stay at home and I was going to work. Then my oldest was born and that all changed. I thought I would dislike doing most things with my kids, but I can't think of anything off of the top of my head.

Something off the top of my head, though, specifically, would be cooking. I thought I would run my kids out of the kitchen to cook. Instead, I involve them as much as possible and don't mind cleaning up flour and rice off of the floor. Some of our best times are in the kitchen.

[fwlady]

Taking my kids on walks. I am not an outside/sporty person. But, I would rather walk to where we need to go than to drive. We are limited in that where we are at now, so I have become a little complacent, but being a woman that LOVES to drive, the city/suburbs, etc. I really like to show the kids how to "smell the roses" and walk around town to do what we need to, walk to the park, etc.

I would also say changing cloth diapers. I LOVE making them, putting them together, washing them, and the cottony feel on their butts after a change. Diaper changes are so much more fun when there are so many prints to choose from, and a little more tricky than regular paper hospital smelly things. Oh, and they have a harder time getting them off as toddlers.

Cosleeping. I would rather snuggle next to a small baby, then my furnace of a husband. Oh, well, he snores badly too, so that makes bedtime not so fun. I love to fall asleep to baby smell. With both of my husbands, I would have preferred to just sleep alone, for the sleeping part anyway. I don't like being woke by tossing and turning, sweaty body, or having heavy arms around me. So, I never thought the baby would sleep with me, but this evolved quickly, and I LOVE it. Poor Dh, but we have that all arranged now.

Kymberli

[meemee]

you know what i love most - is all the experiences my dd has opened me to. how she has pulled me to experience. heck i had no idea i hated it that much or how afraid i was of it.

i figured out how scared i was of the curvy quick slide. for the first time in YEARS, yeah YEARS i was totally scared out of my mind when i had to come down the slide. as i slid down superfast i felt i was going to be shot out. i hate losing control. and yet i did it. i went down that slide.

just once though. i landed on my feet. but i am still scared. our rules changed that time. i became a child and my dd encouraged me on. it was a beautiful moment.

so did i think i would ever find a slide a challenge? i did.

however i had no idea what it was like to be a mommy. i had these ideas in my mind. nad like pp i love every part of it. i never thought i would ever enjoy changing poopy diapers. however i didnt realise how poop was such a minimal part of it. my baby is now a little girl and i never thought i would ever say that changing diapers i think the biggest think i miss about my dd being out of diapers.

[mommariffic]

I can honestly say I love it all

I love going on nature walks with Paige because she finds such beauty in the littlest things: a group of slugs, a rotting acorn..it's great.

I love going to parks and playing and watching her run up to kids to hug them

I love mommy groups because I love making friends

I love reading books out loud

[Caneel]

Little kid music class. I get such a kick out of dancing around with DS and singing the silly songs. I am sad because he goes to the kid-only class starting next week.

Co-sleeping. Pre-DS I thought anyone that wanted to sleep with their children needed mental help. Now I know there is nothing better in life than a family snuggled in bed together.

Having DS help around the house. He gets so excited loading the washing machine or setting the table.

[~LadyBug~]

Cooking! We are a bunch of "foodies" and LOVE to grow foods and I think teaching my girls are healthy, nutritious foods is a BLAST. Just today my two year old saw me peeling a kiwi and felt it and said "It's fuzzy" and I said "Yes this is what it looks like before I peel it." She just thought that was so neat. I love cooking with them, they are very good helpers and plus when it is time to eat the meal I tell them they "made" it. They feel so proud of themselves. It is something I never thought I would enjoy because cooking used to be kinda stressful, but now with toddlers it is not.....I know, kinda odd.

[lness]

About all of it!
It never occurred to me that the process of "being a mommy" could actually be fun! I know everyone loves their kids, but my mother went back to work as soon as they let her out of the hospital - I grew up in daycare and then a latchkey. I had met people who said things like "I LOVE babies!" but I always thought they meant in a dreamy, idealistic kind of way. So basically I had never met anyone that made me think "mother-ing" was something you enjoyed - it was just something you endured until the kid was old enough to take care of itself. I never had much for other people's little kids, so I was worried that I wouldn't adapt well to mommy-dom.
But I've got it bad - I am having tons o' fun! Thought she would sleep with us for a couple months for convenience - turns out I adore having her next to me. Thought I would BF because to me it's the best rational choice - turns out she's only 5 months and I'm already dreading the day she weans (long way off yet!). Playing with her rattles, laying in bed reading "together", making an utter fool of myself to get a smile or laugh, And the list goes on!
I actually found myself wondering the other day - "In all those books I read, how come no one mentioned even once that babies are so much fun?"

[Peony]

I love taking my kids to the pool, children's museum, library storytime, and open gym at the gymnastics center. We do other things that I enjoy but those are the ones I enjoy the most, hence the reason we do them every week!

[cheerlp7]

i never thought i would enjoy yard saling and consigment shopping with baby in tow or his reaction to the animals at the zoo already at just 8 months old and going for walks around neighborhood for both of our sanities

[darcytrue]

I never wanted kids, at least not until I was in my mid to late 20's which is when I got pregnant with my oldest. I always dreaded traveling with them which has pretty much turned out to be the most fun I have. Life is never boring when there's a child around!

I think I listened too much to my older siblings who had kids long before I did and others around me and their negativity about how children take up too much of your time and you don't have a life anymore. I had to have children of my own to find out that absolutely is NOT true. There's nothing I don't enjoy with my children, well except maybe cleaning up sickies or them constantly bugging me when I'm sick.