Friday, September 28, 2012

It seems like I have been waiting for my boys to go to school full-time for me to have time for myself.

Well, I do have time.  I have been busy sewing, cleaning, exercising, and going to treatment for my skin.

But, I find all day I just think of my boys.  I miss their noise.  I miss their smell.  Then I think of how grateful I am to have had been in their lives from their first moment onto this earth.

Recently, it has come to my attention that there are kids in the boys' classrooms that do not have an secure and solid family/support system to rely on.

I'm trying to find the best way to help them without offending the parents or letting these kids not feel like they are a charity case.

Today, my gratitude is in abundance because I have two, healthy boys who don't know the feeling of not   knowing where they will lay their heads at night, where their parents are, if they will stay warm enough throughout the night or how to suppress their hunger pains.


It just made me smile to go through their baby pics...and fun to see the boys they are becoming but always will be my babies (this is the only place I can say this without them correcting me that they are not babies anymore).

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

I dreamt I was trying on shoes. Lots of shoes. All on sale.  Hence, I didn't want to get up this morning.

Dragged myself out of bed at 7am (normally I'm a 6am kind of gal), pack lunches, served the boys high fiber oatmeal and now drinking my coffee.

I wish my heels would get better soon already so I could walk normal-style.  But in my dreams, my feet felt light as air and every pair of shoes fit. 

Wouldn't that be nice? 

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Since my killer heels (and I do mean killer) especially when I go from sitting position to standing, I've been looking for different ways to get a workout in.

Well, a few ladies have been dropping in to workout with me in my basement.  Booty-camp as my brother-in-law calls it.  I started doing this because I can't go the gym anymore (allergies) and I love working out with others to keep me motivated. 
 
Yesterday, we killed it.  The workout was almost too hard for me. The theme was "the hills are alive with our groans of pain".  The three of us were hurting after 60 minutes.  The most painful was alternating sprints up and down my stairs, mountain climbers, weighted jumping jacks, and kettle bell lunges at the end of our workout.  I know when a workout is kicking *&$ when my friend threatens bodily harm to me. 

Why would I invite my friends over just torture them?  The lovely has been away on a business trip and I was surfing the channels and was mesmerized by ESPN's coverage of the Cross Fit games.  In my opinion, it's not so impressive to see men doing crazy moves but it was coverage of the women's challenge. 

It was no. joke. These ladies were a-maz-ing!!  Crazy moves with a lap around the track in between.  The muscles, the agility, the grit they had to just push through the pain.

I was so inspired to see how gunned out their bodies were and still at the finish line, they were panting and looked in pain (expressions I identified with) but not on their level.  For some reason, I thought if you  had killer muscles, you didn't hurt after a workout anymore. Like when your six packs have mini-six packs you didn't struggle to do pull-ups.  I LOVED every minute of the coverage.

Hence, I wrote up a routine for yesterday aiming to get those SAME expressions on my friends as I saw on TV (I hope they show up next week).

Thanks for sticking with the post even if it's not of a re-purposed / boys update/ recipe. 

Thursday, September 6, 2012

One door closes, a different one opens

If you follow this blog, you know I've got plantar fasciitis and it's been a bugger to heal.  I am mad at myself for ignoring it so long (since at least March) but I was living in denial so I kept running until I couldn't even walk without pain.

I've been off hard-running for almost one month now and as I reflect on why I didn't stop when I knew this was the problem.  I think most runners can identify with this, I was in a groove. My miles were getting longer and I didn't want to stop because once you stop, it's twice as hard (at least) to train to get run.  I mean like two hour runs.

I've been doing my exercises I've learned in physical therapy.  I've not been running.  But I've actually been able to lose 2 lbs.!!!

How?  By cutting back and keeping track of the foods I eat.  And by turning to boot camp (in my home with friends dropping in to do them with me) and by workout DVDs. 

I recommend Bob Harper's kettlebell workout.  It's high intensity but low feet impact. Also, there's a series called "Slim in 6" and it's basically low-impact aerobics and weight training.  Oooh, and my most out-of-the-box workout is biking.  Who knew my hinny would actually get used to sitting on those seats?!  I love it.  I've had my bike for over 20 years and this has been the most miles I've ever put on it.

I have to say, after a month of not running, I'm okay with not running.  I've always said that I would stop running if my knees or legs start to develop problems.  I hope to get back to running at some point in my life, but I'm going to be okay. 

How about you?  What have you had to give up because of time, injury, or &%@# happens?  How did you overcome this?