LO's Big Surprise!

Hello out there! Yes, it's been quite some time since my last post, and I do apologize for that. Things have been quite hectic around here since LO started Kindergarten last month! The great news is she's really loving her new school and she's adjusted incredibly well to her new routine. Mommy, on the other hand? Notsomuch. I haven't seen 6:30 AM on my alarm clock consistently for probably over 10 years! So this has been a big adjustment for me, too! But I must admit I'm really LOVING the special Mommy/Chase time every day while LO's at school. Things have been a bit busy lately since I've taken on several new roles with LO's school, but I'm hoping that'll start to even out a bit as the school year progresses. I've taken on the school newsletter, which is published four times per year. It's called a newsletter, but at an average of 13 pages per, it's a bit of a novel in my mind. ;) Additionally, I am serving as a Room Parent for LO's Kindergarten classroom. This is a LOT to take on at the beginning of the year, but I'm very excited about it! I loved doing the newsletter because it gave me an automatic "IN" with so many of the school's staff, from the librarian to the principal to the counselor and more! I know me, and if I didn't have an "in" with anyone, I wouldn't have had the courage to introduce myself and get to know the people that will be helping care for and teach my sweet girl. I'm also managing the school's Facebook page and am serving on a committee that is putting together our annual fall festival in October. Whew! It's been a busy 3 weeks! Add work, family and other commitments to that, and it's a wonder I'm able to function these days! ;)

Those of you who follow me on Twitter may have already seen this video when I tweeted it yesterday, but since I like to chronicle cool happenings with the kids on the blog, I wanted to make sure to post it here as well. Here's the backstory: About 2 weeks ago, we purchased a Balance Buddy to put on LO's bike to help her learn to ride without training wheels. Since she wasn't a big fan of learning to ride without the training wheels, we were hoping this little device would help give her the confidence she needed to get the hang of it. It's basically a little extension on the back of the bike that allows an adult to hold on and run along behind her to help her keep her balance.

I busted it out for the first time about 2 weeks ago for all of about 5 minutes before both of us were too frustrated to continue. Hubs tried it with her maybe once or twice since then for a few minutes each time, but the balance thing didn't seem to be coming too easily for her.

Fast-forward to yesterday... I had been sick in bed all weekend, but I managed to stumble out of bed and head outside to see my family for a few minutes, and was SHOCK N' AWED by what I saw! Hubs had spent about another 20 minutes with LO using the Balance Buddy, and the girl was OFF! She was all over the parking lot across the street from our house, making amazing turns, speeding her way back and forth like you wouldn't believe!!! I know I couldn't believe it! It's like it just "clicked" for her and all of a sudden, she was on her way! I seriously was amazed at how fast she was riding and how much control she had over that bike. Whoa. This girl never ceases to amaze me!!!!!

Check it out!

Ahhh, Workout!

I am happy to report that yesterday, I survived my very first 20-minute workout with the one and only celebrity trainer, Jillian Michaels...

...via my new iFit card!

So we have this wonderfully amazing brand new treadmill that has been collecting dust in our bedroom for months now. It's literally been used 2 or 3 times. Awful, right? So I ordered one of these nifty little iFit cards that goes into our treadmill and has Jillian Michaels performing the role of Personal Trainer for your workout. The card controls the incline and speed on the treadmill, and Jillian walks you through the program, including little quips of encouragement and support.

My first workout was 20 minutes long. It was a hard 20 minutes! The speed never went past a measly 3.4 mph, but GOOD LAWD she upped the incline to 7%! Now, if you're like me, if WHEN you use your treadmill, you use it for--get this--walking! In other words, I get on it, turn it on, and start walking. I'll increase the speed in slow increments until I'm ready to pass out, but girlfriend don't never touch that incline button! I mean, really. I just want to walk. I don't want to hike Mt. Everest. So why bother with the incline when you can get a healthy walk in on level ground instead?

But apparently our friend Jillian is a BIG FAN of the incline. I am NOT looking forward to my next workout, but I figure I can do just about anything for 20-30 minutes. And it's not killing me (though it may seem like it at the time); it's actually making me stronger and (hopefully) leaner in the process.

Each iFit card contains 24 workouts that are increasingly difficult to keep your body challenged. I think the goal is to complete a workout 3x per week for 8 weeks. To be honest, I'm scared of trying workout #2. But at the same time, I'm not blind. I see that my middle section, thighs (and can assume butt) have all put on some serious poundage over the past 6 months. I notice my clothes aren't fitting the way they used to. I sense that my energy level is in the toilet. I've got to get in control of two things: (1) Food and (2) Exercise. A good friend of mine shared a wise, motivational message he received from a dear friend of his: if you can't muster up the drive and determination to do it for yourself (meaning to work out and be healthy), then DO IT FOR YOUR FAMILY. That makes perfect sense to me, and I'm gonna give it my very best! And now, I have all of you to keep me accountable! :)