Daily Walks

BN and I talk a lot about exercise and eating right and our boys are adopting this way of life.  They don't moan and groan when we want to do active things.  They don't cry and gag when I put broccoli and brussels sprouts on their plates.  They are understanding that these things are necessary to be healthy and free of disease.

I wish I had understood this when I was 8 or 12 or 25.  My mom always fed us wonderful meals and we hardly ever ate out, but there was plenty of the bad stuff around.  Meaning man made "food" products.  It wasn't her fault.  The gooberment said it was just fine and for a busy single mom, it was quick and easy.

Recently, Pete asked if he could go on my daily walks with me.  At first I was hesitant because I walk briskly and use this as a main form of exercise.  In the past, when I've headed out on my walks and the family wanted to tag along, it ended up being a leisurely walk around our neighborhood.

I never complained because I enjoyed that family time and cherish that my boys want to spend time with us, but it wasn't my normal workout.

So when Pete asked me this, I told him that is was going to be fast.  He would have to stay with me because I wasn't slowing down and RePete had to use wheels since I knew he couldn't keep up.

So far, so good.  I do make a pit stop about halfway through at the neighborhood pier so they can skip rocks, and watch the water life.

taken with iPhone

~R

The Dreaded 28 Foot Rope

My husband is a Crossfitter.  He LOVES Crossfitting.  One of the items used in their workouts is the rope.  So he bought one and he somehow managed to get that rope thrown over and tied to a branch twenty-eight feet in the air.

And then he climbed it.

Then our darling boys took over.

For some reason swinging causes them to open their mouths.

 

But it is not the swing or the open mouths or the loads of fun they are having that causes me pain.  It's the dust.  All of that dirt beneath the big tree gets kicked up and rolled in and brought into our house.  

If I weren't afraid of heights, I'd chop that thing down.

 

~R

I just noticed the difference in the trees from a couple of weeks ago to now.  Wow.

Weekly Update - 4/22/11

In my life this week...I rejoined the Y.  We've been Y members off and on for the past 11 years.  I think it'll last this time because the boys are older and are more interested in going.  The daycare is great but they've been too big for that for a while now, even though the age limit is 8.  RePete is very excited that at 7, he's old enough to go to the game room.  And Pete actually likes to work out sometimes.  So I'm hoping that I can get my workouts done during the day since the boys will be occupied rather than having to go at other times at which I am prone to fail.

In our homeschool this week...Just a normal week here.  No theater on Wednesday and no co-op on Thursday. Ahhh!  I feel relaxation coming my way.

Places we're going and people we're seeing...We have no plans to go anywhere or see anyone.  I like it.

My favorite thing this week was...Wow, this is getting redundant but I enjoyed the peace and quiet.  The stress of getting from here to there has been removed and I'm feeling calmer.

What's working/not working for us...We are switching theater groups.  The one Pete has been attending is quite a drive for us.  It also was a class added in at the request of homeschoolers.  As such, it has been treated like a step-child.  There is no promoting, the sets don't match our plays.  The other classes all do a version of the same play.  For example, the winter theme was Winnie the Pooh.  Each of the evening and Saturday classes all did this play and tailored it to the ages of the students. The set was painted with trees and honeybees. Our homeschool kids meet on Wed morning and our play was The Fisherman and His Wife.  Um, not quite the same theme here.  But we pay the same price per class, meet just as long and the kids work just as hard.  In fact, our kids actually memorize their lines.  Go figure.  So, we've decided to move Pete out of this class and luckily, through friends, we've found closer theater groups that fit the bill.  Looking forward to giving Pete the limelight he deserves.

Homeschool questions/thoughts I have...Both boys will attend camp this summer.  Pete is scheduled for a two week theater camp and Pete will do two weeks at gymnastics.  I have a lot of thinking to do about what I will do for two weeks.  Oh the possibilities.

~R

Workout - Day One

Was a huge success for me.  I didn't get up early like I wanted to but we managed to get to the gym just after 9am and the boys enjoyed their time in the I-Zone.  I had them bring their DSi's just in case but they didn't need them.

I still need to track someone down who can give me the times that the campers and school kids are not invading the I-Zone.  My kids are not able to do anything if those kids are in the room.  It makes it 3:1 on the games.  Not quite sure why they bring that many kids into that small room anyway.  Two thirds of them plus the stragglers have to sit around waiting for a chance to play.

Anyway, I loved the variety in my workout and at the point I would have just stopped if on my own, I kept going to the suggested number of reps.

Just keep swimming, just keep swimming...

~R

It's true. I'm lazy.

I have been sorta, kinda working out.  I've been watching yoga videos.  I go for a walk every now and then.  I've been trying to do Crossfit with BN even though it's too hard for me right now - BN says that's bull and he modifies all the workouts just for me.

But I don't want something modified for me.  I don't want to workout in my garage in this heat.  Spiders and dust and things oh my.

I want a workout that is just for me.  Meaning in a climate controlled room.  So I rejoined the Y thinking I'll just go back to doing the machines since they are dialed into me.  They have the seat height, any leg adjustments and of course the current weight I am able to lift.  And then there's all the cardio machines and cardio classes.  Definitely more workout than I can ever hope to do.

But you know what?  That bores me.  Really plays to my lazy side.

So yesterday I was talking to one of the staff while I worked out and she told me about their newest program called FitQuest.  And not only is it tailored to me, it also switches things up every day.

Every day, I get to do something new.  And it doesn't only involve the FitLinx machines.  It uses free weights - both barbell and dumbbell and it uses the pulley stuff and it uses floor exercises and more.  It's like having a personal trainer without all the annoying pep talk.

I just printed my workout for tomorrow and I can't wait to do it.

I hope I stick with it.  I want my waist back.

~R

Busy times 'round here.

I feel like I have a million things to do, but in reality, I only have a thousand.

First up on my list is to start back with the yoga. My sons and I laid back on the ottoman and let our heads hang to view the house differently. If you look at the ceiling while upside down long enough, it actually starts to look like a floor. Amazing.

But in the course of doing that, I almost couldn't get back up. My back seemed to have clinched itself into that position and while walking around staring at the sky is fun, after a while I think I'd get bored. Or wreck my van. Or get rain up my nose.

So it's time to limber up. Won't you join me?

~R