School. Days.....? Oh, forget it.

Nothing really exciting going on around here on the home front. The kids have been generally very pleasant and cute to be around these days so I guess that means no interesting blog stories. Jeez, happy kids are boring. Pffft.

Evelyn is at school today and the babies are napping so the house is eerily quiet. I hear random banging and humming from Oliver upstairs so I know he's ok. He's just chugging along with his trains.

Chugging.

Trains.

Get it? I'm hilare!

......so.... anyways,

I called the school recently to ask about next year's kindergarten program and turns out Evelyn will be going all day next year. That means, everyday. all day.

Five. Days. A. Week.

Now, if you asked me how I felt about this six months ago, I would have probably told you how sad I feel or how much I'd miss her, but now that I've had a taste of what a quiet household school life is like for all of us, I'm really excited. More importantly, she loves going to school and always comes home smiling, regaling me with story after story. I'm sure one day she'll wake up and declare she "hates school" and is "never going to go again", but I'll enjoy her innocence and excitement for as long as I can.

***

So, we're all finally almost all better around here. Thankfully, the kids are 100% - I'm the only one holding onto the disgusting congestion and cough. Plus, I've been having sinus pain the last couple of days, which has made me even more pleasant. Har.

I've managed to work out a total of five times in the last two weeks, three of which are from this week. I'm trying to make a habit of it so I don't make excuses for myself to skip and get lazy. I haven't lost any weight, which.. FINE, universe. YOU WIN, but I definitely have more energy and am a little less moody. Hey, I said a little.

***

Ooh, babies are awake. Time for lunch and then I have to load them in the car to get Evelyn. Fun times.
OMG. I make myself sound so exciting. Somebody stop me.

Day 13. 14 and UGH

I have been living in the House of Cough and Snot for the last week or so. Turns out Evelyn had an ear infection on top of her horrible coughing and high fever. Wesley, Elliott and Oliver all had fevers and buckets of snot dripping from their noses.The kids are finally on the mend but I am still holding strong to mild congestion and a hacking cough. So basically I feel like hot, roasted ass. Lovely.

***

I hadn't worked out since last Wednesday since, you know, my lungs were in danger of being expelled from my chest with every hack. Sunday was definitely my worst day so far and thankfully Lisa took the kids out to the park and for a walk so I could veg at home in relative silence. On Monday, I felt relatively well enough to attempt the Shred video and got through Level 2 without fainting. Tuesday, I decided to push myself with Level 3 and let's just say, today - Wednesday - I am paying for it. My legs are s.o.r.e. I am taking a break today because I still feel stuffy and congested. Can I just not be sick anymore? Please? Thanks.

Day 11 and 12: I'm a machine!

Day 11: Level 3. OMG

Day 12: Level 2. Still difficult but like a walk in a field of roses compared to level 3.

I'm sore but in a good way. Very unlike the first few days of the shred when I was sore to the point of immobility.

Man, I'm boring. What else can I talk about besides exercise? SNORE

Day 10: Level 3

Level 3.

OW

Just...

OW

Day 8

I snuck in a Level 2 workout on Tuesday and I definitely felt the burn. I haven't worked out again since but I've got some excuses - sick kids, tired mom, etc... I'll resume my workout schedule very shortly.

***

And I also promise I will write about something less mundane than working out. Ugh. Who am I becoming.

Day 7: A weekend!

I know I had said earlier that I'd like to avoid working out on the weekends but today I found myself home early after church with not much to do. As I write, Lisa and Pat are driving back home from a road trip and John is at work. Kids are playing and dogs are napping. In other words, I am enjoying a rare quiet moment.

I decided I'd try to fit in a workout since I had some free time. Thank goodness each workout is only 20 minutes! I decided to do Level 1 again to see if my strength had improved over the week, and indeed it has. I definitely felt stronger and less winded than I did the first week. I don't notice any signifant changes to my body but I do feel stronger, less bloated and ever so slightly less flabby.

I am shocked to say that I no longer loathe exercise like I used to. I still don't love it but I don't hate it, and that is saying quite a bit. I have noticed an increase in energy and a couple of people have said that I've been less evil... moody... mean in a better mood lately. So really, everyone is winning!

Day 3.. break....then 4, 5 and 6!

Whoops, I forgot to update my shred status. Let's see here...

OH. So I did Day 3 Level 1 of the video last Friday. By day 3, the soreness from the first two days had worn off just ever so slighty and I wasn't quite as winded by the cardio and I could manage the strength series without dropping my weights. Also, by far the abs series are the most difficult for me. Seriously, the ones where I have to lift both my legs AND my chest? Yeah...ok, right. The abdominal muscles... you know... the ones where my stomach is? They don't exist, those muscles. I had three babies who wrecked my body and left my skin a lifeless, striped sack of flab who have brought me nothing but joy. But nevertheless, three babies, each whom stretched me as far as I could go.

Then we went away for the weekend, which meant no exercise - which, honestly... was totally fine by me. But I did resume the shred on Tuesday, the first full day back at home. Surprisingly, I found that I could actually do a "real" pushup now, without having to rest on my knees. It may seem like a small feat, but I don't think I've been able to do a plank pushup for years. or maybe even ever? Anyways, I finished the week with two more workouts, on Thursday and today, which is Friday. The Level 2 is obviously more challening than Level 1 and I feel like Level 1 definitely prepared me for Level 2. Plus, it was more difficult given the fact that Oliver kept trying to sit on my back during the pushups. Hey man, I'm not that strong. Yet....

So here is what I've done so far:

Week 1: Level 1, three times (Tues/Wed/Fri)
w/ one session on hot hatha yoga on Wednesdayevening

Week 2: Level 2, three times (Tues/Thurs/Fri)
w/ one session of hot power yoga on Tuesday evening

Week 3: (Next week)
I will do 3 times/week on level 3 and hopefully I can get a hot power yoga session in. The combination of the two is great and I love the feeling of rejuvenation when I'm done with the hot yoga.

I have decided do each level thre thrice weekly but somehow fit it in between Mon-Fri so that I can have the weekend off.

And now you've finished reading what is officially the most boring post I've ever written. Yeesh.

***

My current fave Jillian Michaels quote:

"I want you to feel..... like you're going. to. die"
(Level 2)



.

Day 2: Ow. Ow... ow....

OW

I'm sore. I went to bed feeling sore and woke up feeling sore. But I got through day 2 of the shred. Some of the moves were harder today because of my sore muscles but the cardio portion felt a little bit easier to bear through. I definitely think abs will be the most difficult part for me. Three babies and late night McDonalds runs have done nothing for my muscles...and my thighs... and my butt.

So. Day 2 is done. And I'm sore.

***

I'm trying hot yoga tonight with Macalla.

I'm scared. So.. scared.....

Day 1: Not shredded just yet

I just finished my very first workout with Jillian Michaels.

After the first set of strength training with little 2 pound weights, my arms were burning. After the first set of jumping jacks, my knees were protesting in pain and I could barely use my so called abdominal "muscles" to do a proper sit up.

Verdict?


I am horribly out of shape. And obviously in need of some exercise.

I can't say much in terms of change just yet, but I can tell you that I do feel better after a nice brisk workout. We'll see how long I can keep this up and how soon I will see some, if any, changes in my body and my mood.

Day one: DONE