How Many Steps?

The Master Cleanse I completed has truly inspired me to take better care of myself, (which is entirely different than just thinking about it). From what I eat to where I park, I am trying to see opportunities for me to take care of me where before I only saw chores and exhaustion. I am tracking my water intake, and trying to get up to an ounce for every 2 pounds I weigh, (failing more days than not), but hopeful that the warm weather will help boost that one up. I'm also finding reasons to walk everyday. I'm supposed to take 12,000 steps a day, (and by supposed to I mean I know I read it somewhere, a long time ago in a land far away, and it still seems like a good idea), and back when I was working this was no problem. I never had a desk job. I used to walk to and from work, and I'd be on my feet most of the day, so 12,000 steps was a piece of cake! Now, 12,000 steps seems like a marathon. On days where I get some time away from the kidlets, I can do it, and I enjoy it. But on days when I have them from dawn til dawn, its just hard to squeeze it in. I've been walking to the library or the park, which gets me 3,000 round trip. Not enough. I went the long way home today, hoping I could bulk it up some before nap time, but boy was that rough. Take the sit n stand stroller, (22lbs), the 3 year old, (38 lbs), the almost 2 year old, (27 lbs), plus snacks, water, diapers and such, (easily 15 lbs), and then put us out on the sidewalk today, and you've got me pushing 100+ lbs in front of me under an oppressive 102 degree sun. Then of course there's the sidewalk that INSISTS on leaning to the side, dragging the stroller towards the street against my ever failing attempts to stay on said leaning sidewalk. Ugh. But I was motivated. I still when the long way home. I needed to know how many steps I could squeeze out of this ritual. Alas, I get home, and the pedometer had magically reset itself 112 steps ago! As my son would say... maybe we can try again tomorrow.

There are so many small ways for me to increase my steps when I don't have kids with me, (parking far away from my destination, an evening stroll through town, taking the stairs), but I need some suggestions for upping the ante when I do have the little buggers with me, which is most of the time! Right now, we are trying to take a walk everyday, but they don't last long enough for me to get even halfway. I am also always up and down the stairs all day long with arms full of laundry, toys, children, the potty, etc, so I have decided that I should always try for two trips where I would normally squeeze it into one. Other than that, I am out of ideas. Any suggestions?

I suppose I should also continue to wear the pedometer while inside the house, as right now I am not counting all those trips up and down the stairs...