Happy Independence Day!

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Today we started out with a family yoga session. We don’t do yoga with the intent to burn calories. Mostly we do it to stretch and bond with one another. Today we were lined up just so and I saw the opportunity for some yoga pics. Don’t mind my bedhead or the look on my face like I just saw a Sasquatch. 🙂 After yoga we did a workout on our abs. Did you know that a lack of a strong core is a huge reason why kids sometimes don’t perform well in school? They can’t sustain the support needed to sit for that long, get squirmy, get distracted and leave content learning behind. We’re working on it, here at Lj House.
Bradley and I are planning to hit the weights and treadmill in a bit to counteract the chips and dip that will be making their way into meh belly in a little while. Cutting loose on food is hard for me. I’ve been marching around my house like a maniac trying to score extra steps to accommodate all of the celebrating. Food holidays like today are hard for me. They open a door that is hard to close but I have a really hard time not walking through it. Aside from that, I need to figure out how to include fancy days like this, but I’ll fully admit to being scared. I won’t binge, but I know I’ll be eating more today than I usually do…
Tonight we are honoring our state’s request to avoid lighting fireworks. It’s a sad day for the boy, but we will eat veggie hot dogs, corn on the cob and vegetarian jello salad before we head to the park for our city’s fireworks show. It will be a fun evening! Happy Fourth of July to you all!
After the jump is the third part of my memoir. Thanks to those of you giving me feedback here and there. It’s nice to hear from you. It’s silly, because I already hold very little back on my blog, but it’s a huge risk to just throw it up there. Thank you for your words of encouragement!

Gusto!

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I’m sitting out the exercise game this week. I did something to my back during Monday’s Zumba and with my previous injury to my left pectoral muscle, I thought it was probably my body telling me to chill out a little, so I’m taking the week off. My back feels right as rain again, but my chest still hurts. I spent a day at the river in a bathing suit with little support, then all of my sports bras were in the wash and I ended up taking two steps back with my injury, there, but I don’t think it will prevent me from exercising with gusto next week. At least that’s my plan…
Side note-I love the word gusto! There’s a spoken word titled I Eat With Gusto, Damn, You Bet! by Jonathon Richman that I just love. What I don’t love so much is how that poem is so accurate for me right now. I’m eating like crazy! Craving everything! The heat makes me lazy and apathetic, the PMS is raining the munchies down on me and allllll the best foods come in boxes or bags necessitating little time spent in front of a hot stove or oven. I fear that I got back on the wagon a week or so ago and then hopped right back off. With some Tillamook Peanut Butter Chocolate crack ice cream that makes me have little control when it’s in my house. Paired with the lack of working out and I’m a little freaked out about what the scale will say next time I have the courage to hop on.
Yesterday we went to the Henry Art Gallery on the University of Washington campus and spent some time walking through a huge room filled wall to wall with 14 feet of balloons for the Martin Creed installation of ‘Half the Air in a Given Space 360‘. It was a pretty phenomenal experience for me. I have a thing for balloons. Ever since Donnie and Marie Osmond’s variety show that ended in a cascade of balloons every night, I have wanted a room full of balloons. I even did a small scale of it for Bradley for our first Valentine’s Day. Or a swimming pool filled with marshmallows. Or a bathtub filled with jello. You know- one of those ‘too much’ kinds of opportunities to be surrounded with something silly and superfluous. Well, I got it and loved it. I can’t stop thinking about and I’m telling everyone they should totally go. YOU SHOULD. And if you go on the third Thursday in July, August or September it’s free. Just go. It’s simply an amazing experience.
For your viewing pleasure: I Eat with Gusto…:

And if you’re looking for the second installment for my novel, jump on over through the link to read all about my early attempts at exercise, weightloss and the conception of my little Judel-bop!

Camp NaNoWriMo

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Every November there is a challenge offered to everyone in the world from NaNoWriMo. November is National novel Writing Month (hence the name NaNoWriMo), but I’m a teacher. November is not the month for me to dedicate to writing 50,000 words while also prepping for the holidays and teaching. Fortunately for me, NaNoWriMo offers an alternative for people like me who just can’t do it in November. Camp NaNoWriMo is basically the same thing, just with a camp theme, smack in the middle of teacher-friendly July! You may have already guessed that I’m knee deep in process of my novel.
I often get told that I should write a book. I always wonder at the reality of that- who would ever want to read a whole book written by me? I’m not a terrible writer, but blogging really suits me. It’s so informal, the rules are made by me and the casual nature of it makes me not flip out over grammar and typos, unlike a published book. But then I realized that Camp NaNoWriMo allows for that too- anonymous authorship without risk. I do want to write a book. I’m not sure if it’s worthy of publishing or selling, but it’s just a thing I feel like I have to do- like finish college, lose weight, get married, be a mom, run a distance that feels outside of my ability, grow my hair long once… YOLO. It’s true. So here I am, embarking on my novel.
What does this have to do with my blog? Guess what I’m writing about? I’m writing the story of Tamara Shazam in detail. So far it meanders all over and has bird walks as I through-write my story, but I’ve decided to share it here during this month.
I realized that when I found Katie from Runs For Cookies that I felt mildly discouraged that she was already ‘done’ with her project. She was maintaining her weight, she was an accomplished runner and her blog was incredibly inspiring, but I found myself having to dig deep through her archives to uncover her greater story and get closer to the genesis of her project. My blog is a few years old now. People might be having the same issue with me- sure, she’s exercising and struggling with losing and gaining right around the 200 mark, but she’s already looking good! (I actually have had people ask me why I’m continuing since I already look good, but it’s that inside goal that is important, now.). I’ve decided to share excerpts from my story this month as kind of a primer for who I am and where I’ve come from. It’s not going to be perfect, mind you it is a draft and it is for personal use on my part, but I’m also happy to share it with anyone who wants to read it.
Click through to jump to the story:

My Cosmic Curiosity

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Sometimes it’s tricky to figure out how to write about my activity log and food log without it reading like a boring shopping list of activity. That said, I feel like it’s important to include it. This is kind of a lifestyle blog that shows how I am working toward a healthy life and the discoveries that happen along the way, but to do that there is the reality of writing the facts that support all of the ‘how she do that?’ that I get!
So, to that end, our Very Active Summer is exactly that- a Very Active Summer. Our kids are running between the pool and hot tub for several hours each day. Bradley and I have been hitting the streets as runners almost daily, to the tune of 2.5 miles while we are getting back into running condition. We haven’t been the most solid runners this year, only getting in a few runs per month and me mostly relying on my classes to keep things rolling and to stay in shape. It’s been really nice to get back into the running groove. After our run, we pick up our old girl, Martha, and take her on our dedicated dog daily miles. The heat is making her slow and tired, so we’ve dialed it back from three miles a day to one and sometimes that seems like a little too much for her. But I enjoy the extra steps and talk time with Bradley.
So, anyhow, what’s my cosmic curiosity?!
How the heck is it that my scale says I weigh 202?! How in the HECK? I mean, really! I’m working my butt off, running, walking, dancing, playing, swimming- being Very Active, and yet… I’m trying not to get ruled by the scale but I’m finding this frustrating. My diet is fine. I’m eating an ice cream cone every night, but with the level I’m working out at it shouldn’t be making me gain weight from it. What a frustration! It’s probably those Girlscout Thin Mint cookies I so arrogantly ate in my rocking chair at the end of the school year. I knew future me would blame cooking eating me at some point- that moment has arrived!

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Yesterday we went for a 2.5 mile run in the morning and then I looked forward to banking some steps as a dancer at The B-52’s concert at night! I did great! Just at the concert I managed to dance to the tune of Love Shack, Rock Lobster, Private Idaho and 11,000 steps! I have to say that Kate, my teenage idol, is now my midlife idol. The woman is closing in on 70 and still is absolutely gorgeous, can still wail her butt off and is sexy as anything. It’s still my goal to be like Kate!
It was a joyful and interesting concert to be at. I’m under the impression that there is only one person in that band who is not gay, and for them to be here, during Pride, in Seattle, so soon after the Supreme Court ruling for marriage equality was made was, clearly, very emotional for for Fred Schneider (the guy who barks out lyrics in many of their songs) and many of the folks in the crowd. He kept teasing that since the east coast is all upset about the ruling that maybe they needed to do a west coast tour and leave the rest of the country out… Don’t tease me so, Fred. 😉
I’m already looking for tickets…

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I’m going to a later Zumba class tonight with my ladies. This is our Posse from a few days ago. It’s so nice to be involved with a group of people who have their thinking so similar to me. I found this article today that really made me feel proud. It’s a little high and mighty, a little pious and pat-myself-on-the-back about how awesome the legion of fit and healthy people are, but I was proud to be able to identify with the ‘way athletes think’. Like, actual, bonafide athletes. Squeee! It’s the small things.
For example,:
*I’m approaching my midlife makeover as a lifelong shift that will take years to accomplish and upkeep. I’m not looking to fix my problems fast, I’m looking to fix them permanently
*I’ve started exercising just to maintain a healthy lifestyle more than I exercise to lose weight. While weightloss is definitely a goal, I’m not overly worried about it anymore and know that it will happen if I just keep focusing on my health and fitness- just like real athletes!
*I don’t freak out anymore if I miss a workout. I know I’ve got things pretty well under control at this point and if I miss a workout I’ll make it up in the very near future- just like real athletes!
LOL!
Anyhow, it offered some interesting points to ponder if you’re looking to transform your life. 😉

Rainbows

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There is nothing I wanted more in life when I was a kid than to be a wife and mom. The two are always linked in my mind. I realize you can have one without the other, but I wanted the whole enchilada: I wanted a husband who would love me and two children named, Isabella and Ichabod, to complete the picture. Summers together were going to be incredible, as I would also be a teacher and would have the time off to splash, paint and… But that was superfluous to the core fantasy. Marriage. Parenthood. Heaven.
Growing up as a heavy person made this fantasy compromised. I knew I had the potential to get married, a right I assumed as a straight person, but I always thought I’d end up with one of those husbands who smirks behind his wife’s back, or a husband who was really ugly, or weird or something that would demonstrate to the world that I’d had to settle for a man because I was a bigger, fatter, heavier person. More than that, I worried that I wouldn’t be able to participate in this cultural celebration of love because I was heavy and wouldn’t be able to find a partner who could overlook my weight flaws and, at least, tolerate my big personality and big body. The potential for not finding love and not being able to marry because of my weight was scary and overwhelming. Marriage and family were my number one and two goals in life.
I’m not gay. I came to adulthood in the early 1990’s, however, when it seemed like everyone thought they might be gay. Gay was suddenly more mainstream okay. I wasn’t sure if I was gay or not or maybe a little gay… After all, lots of people were trying out being bisexual… I had never been attracted to a girl before, but maybe that was because society hadn’t pushed me in that direction like it had toward heterosexuality or I just hadn’t met the right girl yet. Finally, I simply said I was open to whatever came into my life and just kept dating boys and waiting on the Dan Savage Loveline for questions about how one knows they’re gay, how Dan knew he was gay and all things gay related… It was endlessly fascinating for me and many of my peers at that time. I finally realized that I was pretty much only attracted to boys and thought about them in ways that I never thought about girls. I think if I happened to be gay, there would be thoughts and attractions that would persistently come to me unbidden, like they do for me with men.
I say all of this because of our Supreme Court decision to legalize gay marriage for every person in our country that came down from Washington DC today! I’ve long been a proud Washingtonian- our liberal policies fit me and my beliefs beautifully. The way we support education is a horse of a different color, but I like the way we are leaders in our country for democracy, free expression and progressive ideas. I cried real tears of joy, this morning, when I saw the news that I expected to see: legal marriage for all! I cried and cried, but couldn’t quite figure out why I was so happy and so tearful. As a straight woman who is already in a solid marriage with her dream husband and dream kids, I suddenly realized I had so much assumed privilege. Even though I was a chubby girl and marriage didn’t seem like a guarantee to me, I still had the dream of a good marriage; I had a fear that I wouldn’t be able to do it- but at least it was an option for me. So while I’m not gay, I have seriously pondered the potential of being alone, but always had the legal right to marry. Wearing the ring Bradley gave me and being called Mrs. was a huge deal for me when I was first married. It was a badge of honor, a symbol of my worth, evidence of my perceived value- I was married to a shockingly good looking, kind hearted, smart and interesting man! I wanted everyone to know!
If I had been gay growing up, I guarantee I would have still wanted all of those things and having to wait until I was 41 to legally wear a ring and get to assign Mrs. to my title would have been humiliating, frustrating and dehumanizing. Being fat has a whole different kind of prejudice, but it’s not illegal. Being fat can be hard and humiliating, but I always had the same rights as the rest of the straight, American population to marry the man of my dreams.
I guess my point is that I remember feeling like I might not be able to be a part of something that seemed so universal- but I was still legally allowed to do so. That small taste was stifling and terrifying. It made me feel embarrassed and dehumanized- potentially not getting married because I couldn’t find a parter who would love me and my fat. I can’t imagine how not even having the option to be married and love freely open to me would have felt. I’m so glad that, at last, my country has finally made this dream attainable for everyone. What a fantastic day!

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Now, all about my first Friday, ending the first full week of our Very Active Summer and those 20,000 steps…
Yesterday I got really close to making 20,000 steps. By 1:00 I was at about 15,000 steps after walking 2.5 miles and going to Zumba. Last night at about 9:45 I realized I was at about 17,000 steps- SO CLOSE! As Bradley dozed in the bed, I snuck out from under the covers, grabbed my sneakers and, while we watched a rerun of The Office, I stepped side to side, back and forth, grapevined, tangoed and did anything else that I could remember from Zumba! It only took a little bit of time before I did it! I reached 20,000 steps! It definitely took extra effort to get there, that’s for sure.
Today Bradley and I went for a 2.5 mile run followed by a 1.5 mile walk for the dog. I got home and I was still under 10,000 steps, so I got into the pool for one of my favorite summer exercises: pool laps! I went around and rand until, at last, I got to 10,000. I’m going to complete the next 10,000 steps tonight at Booty Camp with Camille! I’m pretty excited about that! It is my absolute favorite class offered at 24 Hour Fitness that I’ve tried, yet.
My conclusion is that you have to have an extraordinarily active job, a decent commute on foot, be an exercise fanatic or be a distance runner/walker to meet the standard that matches the modern, American diet of larger portions and higher calories. I like exercising, but according to a recent article called The Right Dose of Exercise that I read in the NY Times, you need about an hour of exercise a day to get the maximum benefit for extending your life. People who push past that don’t shorten their lives, but they do dial back the effectiveness of lengthening their lives to the same place that people who exercise 150 minutes per week (30 minutes per day). I think moderate exercise is what I’m shooting for. It’s nice to know.

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My lunch today, pictured above, is my new favorite. It’s a French roll with melted Brie, grapes and. Sprinkling of walnuts and thyme. So so so yummy and summery!

Tamarella and Her… Ahems

Knock-knock
Who’s there?
Tamara!
Tamara who?
Tamara Shazam who doesn’t want the first lines of this post to be so obviously about… Knockers.
Meh bewbs.
Some folks may want to avert their eyes, but exercise is exercise, my body is my body, and when the two collide sometimes there’s comBUSTion. Ha ha! Puns. Anyhow…
🙂

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I have a minor injury occurring, again. It’s all because of these darn, big, ole knockers that I have! I thought I was all better. A year or so ago I started having this weird tearing/burning sensation under my skin in my back, near my shoulder blades, but closer to my armpit. This time it’s on my left hand side, right in front of my armpit, right where my breast tissue attaches and every time I jump or let the girls out of their holding cell, it hurts! It feels like fabric is tearing under my skin! But with a red, hot poker in there too!
So, today, during Zumba, I thought I’d be alright. I wore a good, sturdy, reliable bra, I wore my compression tank as always and was in it to win it! I jogged into class all full of optimism and bluster at seeing my people, but within the first song I got my first zippy, painful twang. I tried, again, with the same result. After that I had to leave my left arm down, couldn’t reach up, couldn’t reach out- it just HURT. When I’d jump or bounce, it’d hurt too!
I realized that my once bodacious rack has shrunk enough, yet again, that my sports bras are too big! It makes sense- I bought these bras about 60 pounds ago. I have new ones but they’re not like the big, roomy limousines that I’m wearing these days- all roomy with space to stretch out and move around… The ones I bought seem like those little European clown cars that have one headlight and three wheels. I feel cramped in and overly snug, like I’m wearing my cleavage high enough to hold up my chin or something. But in the name of pain-free exercise, I will don them in the future so the bouncing stays at a a minimum. It just goes to show how important the proper exercise equipment is. Last time it took about a month of 24/7 bra wearing to get healed, I’m assuming I can do the same this time. Oh fun- more confining clothes to wear in the heat of summer! Squeee! Lol.
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So, yes, today I worked out at Zumba with my friends. I took a picture of all of us but didn’t think they’d be too fond of having it accompany a post about my mammories. Then Bradley and I went on a walk in an effort to reach 20,000 steps, but it got really hot out- like in the mid 80’s. In Washington we don’t really have air conditioning in our homes, generally, so when it’s hot out it’s just plain hot EVERYWHERE. Instead of forcing myself to get steps, I stopped moving a whole lot at 1:00, right around when I hit 15,000 steps. Instead, I got in my pool and hot tub, posed unknowingly for my husband’s sketch and wrote this post. I think I made a wise choice. And sorry for the weird photography- how does one take a don’t-wanna-show-my-mama-belly bathing suit selfie, anyhow?!
I also got on the scale. At last. This morning I weighed in at 198. This afternoon I weighed in at 202. I think the heat is playing tricks on me. Grrrr to water retention!

The Days are Just Packed

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Just what you wanted to see- hot dog legs and Anna Nicole Smith cheese face… But man. This was my day yesterday and pretty much is today too. Yesterday I got my 10,000 steps in by walking around the EMP (that’s the Experience Music Project in Seattle) for their 15th anniversary and then we headed up to my favorite Seattle museum: The Fry Art Gallery. I like it because it’s small, it’s free, it’s progressive, it’s digestible for kids and I really like how they constantly rearrange the permanent collection. We do like the cafe too. 😉 Afterwards we came home and I made the delicious hummus and veg spread for dinner while we laid around the pool and hot tub, reading, writing and soaking in the heat (with sun tan lotion- I’m being very good about that for the first time ever). Today was similar with the exception of leaving the house. Instead I stayed in and smash booked, read and was super lazy.
Nonscale Victory: Yesterday I walked down a main Seattle street eating a bag of Pop Chips. To many, that might not be seen as any kind of victory, but I’ve been food shamed a-plenty, so I knew better than to ever be a fat girl eating something fattening in public- oh the shame! What if someone saw me and said something? Mostly I was saying it to myself- ‘you don’t need that!’ But yesterday I ate the chips and realized that I didn’t care what anyone thought of me. I know who I am now. I know how I eat. I know I’m healthy and strong and those chips fit just fine into my diet. I know I don’t need to justify it to anyone- not even myself. I’m just fine. It’s nice to be free. This one has less to do with being smaller and more to do with being ok with myself in my head, and that’s a really good feeling.

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I’ve been thinking a lot about how many steps I should be getting per day ever since I read a recent article that argued why we should really be getting 20,000 steps per day. According to the article, How Many Steps Should You Really Get Per Day? at NyMag.com, the original number of 10,000 steps actually was based on the 1960’s Japanese person’s dietary and fitness habits. The 1960’s Japanese person’s life is so much different from the modern American’s life that the scientists informing the article stated that 20,000 steps is really what we should all be shooting for.
Wow. 20,000 steps is something I rarely reach. Those are Disney numbers, meaning I only get those numbers when I’m in Disneyland, and I’m an active girl! I do think I need to be shooting higher than 10,000 steps, but I’m not sure when I would be able to walk that much- that’s eight miles per day… But I think I’m up for the challenge of giving it a try for a few days. Perhaps if I up my steps I can make some other magic happen! So, tomorrow I’m going for it. My Martha dog should get ready to hustle and Bradley or the kids better be prepared for a walk, hike or run! I’m going to Zumba in the morning with my posse as well, so that should help!
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Bonus points if you get what the title of this blog post’s reference is to!

Transformation Tuesday #1

I met Heidi when her third daughter was in my class. The next year I had her eldest son and it kind of sealed a bond. I like Heidi. She’s a lovely, generous, funny, kind-hearted person who is not afraid to reach out and touch you. Like, you’ll be having a teacher-parent conference with the woman and you suddenly realize you’re holding hands with her and have been for some time. And it’s not awkward. On top of being an amazing mom to her six kids, a dedicated wife to her husband, Ryan, and a dedicated volunteer in the classroom she’s also naturally beautiful. She has always made pretty look easy. Even when she dropped her kids off at school having just rolled out of bed- simply stunning. When I was beginning my body project to get healthy, lose weight and live longer and she told me she was also in the process of creating a midlife makeover. I nodded along but wondered why in the world she felt the need to change anything. Her life and body looked amazing to me. At my size and weight, I couldn’t even comprehend why she felt the need to change anything. Come to find out, I was not alone. Heidi posted this picture a few weeks ago with the following text:

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“I’ve been debating posting this Transformation Tuesday pic for quite sometime. It has taken me a over a year and a half of maintaining my fitness to feel confident enough to do so… This picture was taken in 2007 when Seth (my 5th child) was 6 months old. I was the most unhealthy I had ever been. 99% of the time, I avoided having my picture taken and most of the time. I felt horrible about myself. I justified my terrible eating and lack of exercise habits on having a lot of kids (and being on bed rest at the end of each pregnancy), and just simply getting older. While I lost a bit of the weight before getting pregnant with my youngest, Lucy, and again after, before getting serious about my fitness just over two years ago, I realized that this was one of the hardest times in my life in regards to my confidence and self-esteem. I look at the picture on the left and remember exactly how I felt about myself (both physically and emotionally), those were not great feelings. I just wanted to say thank you to many of you who inspired me, gave encouragement, or even just smiled at me and helped me feel I have purpose- I only hope I can do the same for someone and let you know that you aren’t alone. I also want those who I’ve told that I have worked hard to get to this point, that I wasn’t just saying that and that I continue to work hard on maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Due to my maintained level of fitness, I have been able to try new things and pick back up sports/activities (both individually and with my family) that at one point I was sure I would never do again. I also want to acknowledge that part of being “fit” is fueled by how we feel; our emotional state is just as important (if not more important than) the physical aspect. Be sure to take time to have “you” time and to spend time with those who build you up and make you laugh… A lot! And ultimately remember that it is NEVER too late to be/feel healthy no matter how many years it’s been, how many kids you’ve had, or how many Krispy Kreme donuts you ate on National Donut Day!”

When I read that it was a wake-up call for me. Heidi didn’t feel good just like I didn’t feel good. The number where we both started was irrelevant. What was important was that we both had a need, but I was so tunnel vision that I couldn’t see that. I realized that I need to simply be accepting people at where they are. That my perception of how I feel and see myself and the satisfaction from that is really what is important and that’s the same for other people as well. When you don’t feel good about your outsides, your inside doesn’t have the ability to shine as brightly and vice versa.
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Do you have a transformation you’d like to share? Contact me through my Facebook page and you can serve as inspiration for others while you also parade your accomplishment!

Today

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I started my first full week of summer with a bang! I woke up and found out there’s a body pump class that happens at 9:30 on Monday mornings at the gym near my house. I lit out of the house, with Jude in tow, to the Super-24 Hour Fitness nearby. I walked in, scanned my finger and had to see the attendant. Apparently I don’t belong to that gym. I belong to the lesser, more common, 24 Hour Fitness. If I wanted to regularly attend the Super I would need to pay 15 more dollars per month. Erm, no thank you. It was bigger, there were more machines and classes, but the biggest difference I saw was that there were towels for anyone’s use there. A laundry service is what I’d gain for 15 more dollars per month if I wanted to go there. I think I’m ok- I know, now, to bring my own towel. But the class was great! I’m still figuring out what kind of weight I want to use for the different reps, but I’m getting it. I looked at a different location of a gym, also near my house, and think that I’ll go there in the future for my gym needs. (In case you didn’t guess, I think I’m keeping the gym for the summer… But we will see.)

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I got home, packed a quick picnic and we headed out to St. Edward Park for a quick hike and extended play structure time. I realized, recently, that in my quest for fitness and health I had also stopped allowing long, kid-focused park times for hanging out, swinging on swings and playing lava monster. I’d get sweaty then too cold to stand around. Bored. Thirsty. Tired. So we’d leave. I’m making it a goal to give my kids time, while they’re still little enough to want to play, to leap around the park. I’ll bring sweaters, food and water so I won’t have a reason to take off. Today we were successful and it has been a wonderful, active, family-focused day. 🙂

Summer Break is Here

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I finished out the school year on Wednesday. It’s funny how there’s always so much to do, so much pressure I put on myself, I feel so far behind, yet… I always manage to finish my very last task about 2 minutes before my contract day is up on the last day. I’m usually walking out to my car right on time as though it’s any other day of the year.
It was really hard to walk away this year. So much of it has to do with having learned to love teaching again this year to the point that I can’t imagine my life without including this job. I love teaching and doing it in a new place with new colleagues and a new set of students was key in uncovering that truth. When I ended the school year last year I was already discouraged about the next one, uncertain that I wanted to do this anymore, unclear on whether or not I was any good at it, wondering if I even remotely enjoyed teaching anymore. I fell in love, again, with my chosen profession. To add another layer to the stress this year, I took a job interview for a teaching position in another district altogether. I have to be honest and say I’m still not sure if I’m being offered the job or not, but what I can say is that it made me reflect about where I am, what I do, the philosophies that guide me and my strengths as an educator. I was forced to realize how very happy I am, how talented I am and how, again, how I pick being a teacher over anything else I could do. It’s a gift to do what I do. An honor. That’s not to say it’s perfect and I still assert that I work in a system with serious flaws that need to be changed, but I still pick teaching. Color me happy.
The picture is of my last group hug of the year with my students. So many are leaving my school this year, making the last day very bittersweet indeed. I cried the ugly cry… As parents we get nearly two decades with our babies, as teachers we get nine months with our students but the bonds and connections run deep; I love them like they’re my own. Separating from them can be very emotional and this year was definitely no different. I love them and will miss them tremendously.

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I’ve done a solid job of working out this week, which makes me pretty happy and impressed with myself- last week of school and shark week, all in one. I hit the classes like I said I would. My friend, Nan, hit Zumba with us on Tuesday and I was extra proud on Wednesday when I hit the gym for body pump after the last day of school. I was the only one in my group there, but it was still fun and I got an amazing workout. There was a different instructor and she did a good job of pushing me. She’d tell the class that she was challenging us, to not give up, to push through and she reminded us that we were going to be so proud of ourselves if we could finish the reps/keep the heavier weight/push a little harder, and she was right. My pecs are sore, my biceps are sore, my thighs… I got some good burn and I feel proud of what I did in there. Unfortunately I have a dental appointment right before my Friday class of Boot Camp, so I’ll miss that.
I’m stopping going to the gym for the summer. I’m going to try to get Bradley, who is recovering from a neck/back injury, back into the swing of things with me as runners together. Yesterday I got on the treadmill and elliptical for a solid 3+ mile workout while he went to the store. Today I want to get him out for a walk and I think I’m going to try some YouTube Zumba. I’d like to get up a little earlier this summer and be regularly hitting 5-7 miles by the time August closes out. I don’t have a big weightloss goal for the summer; I’m going to focus on just staying fit and maintaining my current levels, hopefully get toned and build some muscle, but mostly I just want to enjoy using my body to be active. I suppose that’s a pretty great goal as well! I have the 10K coming up in September and I really like having that in front of me as a guide.
Food wise, we had a huge fifth grade party here yesterday. There was pizza, soda, chips, dip, candy… Yes, there were lots of fruits and veggies too, but just like the kids I chose poorly. It was a high calorie day. Today I’m getting back into the swing of things and turning the crud away. Well, the kids mostly ate it all so there’s not much to avoid, fortunately. Ha! But you get the idea. I’m turning over the new, healthy, green leaf and trying to eat fresh again.
So, here we go! Cheers to the start of a fabulous, active summer!