Summer Sneak Ins

There comes a point every summer when I go to button a pair of shorts and laugh sadly as they pull a bit.  I have to laugh because what else can I do.  Since we were young girls we had the idea of summer perfection drilled into our heads right?!?!  I mean, think about all of the magazines on the stands around March promising to get you that "Beach Ready Body" by summer.  All those tag lines "it's not too late," "8 weeks to go," "6 week crunch," etc.  I laugh because I find more motivation to workout when I am buried in my comfy flannel pj pants and hoodies in the dead of winter then I do in the summer.  Now don't get me wrong, I do what I can when I can...but summer is hard for us.

We are blessed with the fact that my husband's schedules allows for him to be home during the day with the girls in the summer, and he goes in and works basically afternoon shift once I get home.  We both get lots of QT with the kids, we save on no daycare or camp costs, but it makes it hard to find that "me" time for working out.  I try to sneak things in when I can...like little bear has been my assistant dog walker and when I have the pup on the leash I can't pick her up and carry her...she has to walk the whole thing.  It's just over half a mile, not too much...but for a 3 year old I think it is pretty good.  The pup and I have been doing it every morning for the past two weeks...and have been going for  2nd walk in the evenings a few times too.  I also talked them into doing the Call Me Maybe squat challenge, but I want to finds more things that we can do together.  I don't worry as much about my big girl because she does horse back riding once a week and plays soccer on two teams.  She also swims a TON in the summer (which helps make up for the month off from soccer).  Little Bear is moving up to a new dance class this year...a full hour once a week of ballet and tap combined.  I'm SO excited, and she says she is going to try soccer again...we shall see.  Dadoo and I are also planning to put her in swim lessons this year, and all of these things are great but I want to find something, some sort of physical activity that we can do together...or all 4 of us as a family once our schedules go back to school times. 

 

What are some things that you do as a family or couple or in a group that you recommend?

 

Never Forget

Today is a day that I always stop and take stock.  It's a day that I will make sure my children always remember.  It's a day that was very real for my generation.  Before I moved into the world of academia, I worked in professional theatre.  I refer to it as my "former life."  It was something I loved doing, but was not conducive to having a family...at least not in the capacity that I worked, as a Stage Manager.  Imagine my excitement at 23 to be told by my boss "We are doing a new show, one that has only ever been showcased...and for financial reasons we are sending you to NYC to rehearse it for 5 weeks."  OMG!!  I was SO excited.  Hello Big Apple! 

I arrived in NYC on Monday, made my way to my kick a$$ apartment the company was putting my assistant and me up in and started to settle in.  Tuesday we got up early, walked through Times Square to work and started setting up the rehearsal space.  AT the time, I was still a smoker and we were outside on a smoke break when a traffic cop told us terrorists had taken over the towers.  What?!?!  This can't be?  Then we heard it.  We staggered across the street and saw the playback on the jumbo-tron of the first plane...then we looked towards the south end of the island.  I will never forget.

I wanted to go home.  I wanted my (then boyfriend) husband to hold me.  I wanted my mom and dad.  I wanted it to be a bad dream.  We were immediately sent "home" and watched the news coverage all day.  What else could we do.  Strange city, no phone service for a few hours, we just sat and watched dumbfounded.  Later that evening, after talking to family and loved ones, we left the apartment to find dinner.  The feeling that was in NYC at that time, in that moment, is the feeling I wish would take hold of this country.  Never have I seen a city...a mass group of strangers pull together the way they did.  It wasn't natives and tourists and visitors...it was Americans.  It was people going out of their way to make others feel safe, feel okay, just feel.  I remember being numb until that point. 

Over the next few weeks we attended vigils, saw the devastation, and tried to heal with a city that was left with a permanent scar.  I was left with a permanent scar.  I look back and even as I write this I can feel the tears stinging my eyes.  I can taste the smoke and ash in the air, I can feel the loss...but I have hope that we can move forward.  To draw strength from this horror.  To give respect and honor to all those that were lost, all those that stepped up as true heroes, and continue the fight today.  To never forget.

Happy Birthday Big Girl!

     I can't believe today my big girl is 11!  Where has the time gone? She is growing into such a radiant and strong young woman.  I am proud to say that (outside of her picky palette) she is a picture of health and strength.  She is old enough now to see the up and down battle that her Dad and I have gone through.  She has seen us at our most fierce, and at out worst.  She has heard us complain about what we put into our mouths and bodies, she has seen us try and find the right workouts for each of us as individuals as well as workouts we could do as a couple or a family.  She has embraced some of our athletic tendencies (soccer) and has found some of her own (horseback riding) and has excelled at each. 

on the soccer field

 



     With her birthday of course came the birthday party.  We have made some amazing friends from her playing soccer.  Families that I know will be a part of our lives for years to come.  It's been so nice.  They have daughters Maddy's age as well as younger ones for Arden to play with.  We are all going through the same transitions age wise together, so for her birthday we had a big party with all the families and had the girls sleepover.  With birthday parties, comes food.  Cake, wings, dips, ice creams, chips, cake, cookies, doughnuts...you name it, and we seemed to have it at her party this weekend.  We also have a tendency to tip back one or two with our friends, which I know is a big factor in my overall weight struggle.  I am happy to report that I still got in a few intense workouts, and monitored my intake of junk food quite successfully.  I even managed to steer clear of all but 1 small glass of wine.   Success! 
     She had a great party.  I even got a spontaneous hug with a"Thanks mom, this party rocks" in front of her friends no less. 

 

Happy Birthday sweetie!  I love you!