…I disappeared. And, honestly, I am not ready to “re-appear” just yet. Things were extremely hectic while The Husband was in the police academy and, towards the end, there just didn’t seem to be a break between work and home to spend time online.

The Husband is home now, and we have a new employee at work, so things should settle down in both areas soon. But with the holidays so close, I would rather spend my few quiet weeks hanging out with my family and not online.

Mommy in Motion will continue regularly scheduled posting in January!

…I posted this entry on the blog I had at the time:

It might be crazy but…

… I’ve started giving some serious consideration to pursuing work as a personal trainer. I’m sure many people who know me think I’m a little off my rocker. And I might be. I’ve certainly had my share of doubts about it.

I wonder if I am going to be able to find work right now, with the economy bad. I wonder if the pay will be enough to help support our family now that we are no longer associated with the military. And I wonder if I can even do this. After all, I have a hard time keeping myself on track- how am I going to help others stay on track too?!?

BUT… I think I really want to do this. I think this might be the right thing for me. While job hunting, my FIL told me to picture something I really enjoy doing- and then pursue that. I’ve been interviewing for secretary positions and, while certain aspects of the job are appealing to me, I can’t picture myself waking up in the morning happy to go to work.

But I like to exercise. I enjoy the feeling I get when I know that I am making the best choices for myself each day. And I think I would like sharing that feeling with others. So I’ve decided to pursue it, and tackle my doubts along the way.

1) The economy- I have no intention of trying to start my own business at this point, so I am not too worried about that. I have applied for three gyms so far, and that’s just the three on this street! I have a list of 20 others that I am planning to call over the next few days- and I am sure I will be able to get my foot in the door with at least one of them.

2) Income- I’ve been looking into getting certified. I know that general floor workers are not going to make a lot of money off the bat, but with a certification I can make more, and perhaps even teach some classes. I found an article that lists the 7 accredited Personal Trainer Certification Programs, and I am starting to do some research on them, and will pick a program based on which ones are most highly accepted in this area to increase my chances of getting work!

3) Staying on track- I think that this might actually be the push I need to keep myself in check! Afterall, what better way to stay accountable in a healthy lifestyle than to focus on health, nutrition, and fitness for a living?

I’m still not 100% sold on the idea, but this is the most I’ve been excited about anything in years- so I think I might have found my calling.

It’s so amazing to me to think about how much my life has changed in the past year! And scary to think about how quickly I dove into this new life- head first with no life jacket! A week after I made that blog post, I got the job at Fitness Lady. A month after that blog post, I had begun studying for my AFAA certification. 5 months after that post I was certified! 7 months after that post I made a spur-of-the-moment decision to take the group fitness certification and passed! 8 months after that post I began my job here at Anytime Fitness.

It’s been crazier, more hectic, scarier, and more stessful than I could have ever imagined. And I wouldn’t change a thing about it. Through and through, I know that this was the right decision for me. What a difference one year has made for me!

I mentioned that I brought some resistance bands to Memphis with me. Sunday- I took the kids to the gym with me, and they saw me using the free weights, and machines. On Monday, I wanted to let them see that working out doesn’t have to be in a gym, that they can be healthy anywhere. Normally they don’t see me do my workouts, because my home equipment is in the basement (and they are not allowed down those stairs!)

So, we pulled out the resistance bands. I showed them the charts that demonstrate some of the stretches and exercises. And we practiced them together. We also did some body weight exercises. The Girl liked the curtsy lunges (she pretended she was a princess) and got a kick out of “helping” me with my push-ups. Normal push-ups: 20. Push ups with 40lbs of wiggling four-year-old on my back: 5.

The Boy took it all so seriously. He outpaces me with pushups everytime (darn kid can do 26 before he loses form!). He struggles with squats though. We talked a lot about being safe when we workout, and he just can’t seem to keep his knees behind his toes. He did a great job with the bands, though. He practiced reverse flys, seated rows, bicep curls, and upright rows.

It was a fun night. The kids lept around the den and laughed and played. And I think they learned a lot. Because over the course of two days they saw how to keep themselves healthy and strong, both in a gym and at home. And they are applying those choices each day- which is impressive to me. They are well on their way to being the healthy, confident, and happy people I want them to be. Nothing beats that!

 

October, 2004 was a great month for our family. I was pregnant again and absolutely thrilled about it. The Husband’s family came to visit us for the first time, and we took a trip to Scotland. We went to the highland’s to see where The Husband’s ancestors had once lived. Taking that trip with The Boy, The Husband, and my father-in-law was really special for all of us, but definitely for the men in the family.

I remember a lot about that trip. I remember how tired The Boy got with all the walking we did. The Husband and I would pass him off between us when he was too tired to walk. But every time The Husband would pass him to me, my mother-in-law would tell him “she’s already carrying one of your kids, you can carry the other one” (Hey, pregnancy did have it’s advantages!)

I remember going to the Wallace memorial and all.those.stairs. The Boy walked about 3 of them. Then the four adults took turns carrying him. When we got to the top, he held Teddy Bear over the edge, and I was so scared he was going to drop him! After we finished the long climb down, The Boy was given a certificate for completing it.

That Teddy Bear went everywhere with us in Scotland. The Husband had given it to our son when he was born, and the poor little gray bear has been through the mill and back. Dragged through the dirt, tossed over the ledge in castles, dropped in the loch- everything!

We stopped at a rest center on our last day, and there was a pasture near by with one of those huge, furry Scottish cows. There was a sign on the fence introducing him as Hamish- and telling how friendly he was. So we went over to see him. The Husband was carrying The Boy and they both went really close and pet him. The Boy squealed with delight!

For some reason, I really wanted to pet him, too, so I followed behind them. But, apparently, Hamish was done with petting. Because as soon as I reached for him, he swung his head around and smacked me in the face with one of those big, heavy, hard-as-heck horns! I landed in the mud near the fence, and spent the rest of the trip with ugly red marks on my face and neck. The Boy thought it was the funniest thing. Apparently, so did my father-in-law, because he bought The Boy a stuffed cow as a souvenier!

Easier said than done!

Thursday morning I had to drive to Memphis (actually, Southhaven, MS) for work training. I started the day off pretty unhealthy- since there is no way in heck waking up at the ungodly hour of 3am leads to a well-rested Mommy! I took enough time to shower and make a pot of coffee, then poured the entire thing in my thermos and hit the road with only Tom-Tom for company.

I arrived at the hotel around 8am, and to my great delight discovered more coffee waiting. And yes, I know caffein overdose is probably a real concern for me, but it was literally the only thing that kept me functioning those two days. The conference was interesting. I met a lot of people from other Anytime Fitness gyms, owners, managers, and the people who are technically my co-workers (since they also work in gyms owned by the same couple who own the Meridian location)

I learned a lot. Most of it about work-related things. Some of it about me, and a) how much I desperately needed a night by myself and b) how much I desperately need to muster up some willpower! On the second issue…

1) I managed to order a semi-healthy lunch, I hope. I don’t know the nutritional info for Newks, but vegetable soup and a salad with no dressing can’t be too bad. I learned that my sweet tooth will yell inside my head if I deny it though. Since I didn’t know what dinner was going to be like- I turned down the desserts that were offered to me at lunch. And then proceeded to think about them the rest of the weekend!

2) Speaking of dinner- I learned that I will use other people as an excuse to eat poorly. I know what I want to eat. I know what my body needs to feel energized. But when someone says “You have to try the fries here” I say “ok” (insert Homer Simpson “D’oh” here.)

3) I learned that I am not a social exerciser. I get very distracted. I attempted to do a run, but got bored after a mile. So then I thought I would try some strength training. And I did. For about 10 minutes. Then I talked to some of the other people there working out, and the owner of that location. (Very nice guy named Mike. He let me in even though my key didn’t work!)

4) I learned that I cannot get a full nights sleep even when there is no reason to get up early. I didn’t have to be back at the conference until 9am on Friday. So I set my alarm for 7. And then woke up at 5. But I had brought my resistance bands with me, so I did manage a quick workout in my room before it was time to shower, pack up and go have breakfast.

5) I learned that saying “I’ll work harder when…” never works. “I’ll eat better when I get back to Brandon” (where I spent the next two days) or “I’ll get a good gym workout in on Saturday” Neither one happened. I had Burger King for dinner Friday night, and didn’t even look at a gym on Saturday. But then I felt really guilty about not going, because I had asked the manager of the Pearl gym to manually enter my key in their computer so I could go. So…

6) I learned that guilt is a very powerful motivator for me. I didn’t want to workout on Sunday. I wanted to try and sleep before driving the rest of the way home. But after we packed up and cleaned the house, I took The Boy and The Girl with me and went to the gym. I got the run in that I wanted to do Thursday, and kicked my own butt with a new strength training routine. And yes, I did get distracted and talk to some of the people there. But that’s just me. I have a short attention span, apparently.

All in all, the weekend wasn’t too bad. I made a lot of choices that I shouldn’t have made (and my scale seems to agree with me!) But, looking back, I made some choices that I never would have made in the past. Workout on my “vacation”? You’re kidding right? Turn down dessert? Not on your life! But I did both. And that’s got to count for something!

Ok, so I know I was supposed to do this post on Sunday. But after a hectic weekend away, I decided to relax and not worry about updating the blog. As a result, I am going to go post crazy tonight. Wheee!

So far, I think I am doing ok on most of my goals. I haven’t hit on all of them yet, and some I have done, but not in the way I intended. I’m getting there, though!

1. 15 minutes every day. find one thing in your home to declutter.. Do it in small increments and your home will be decluttered in no time. Pick with one area of a room and just keep moving on from there. This one hasn’t gone the way I intended, but I am making an effort! I started this project on a Sunday following a trip out of town- and the first two days my 15 minutes were spent trying to un-pack. And then on Tuesday I started spending my 15 minutes a day packing to go out of town again! Home again yesterday and the cycle has repeated itself. Thankfully, we get to stay home this weekend, so I can actually start on the de-cluttering projects I had planned!
2. Donate, donate, donate. If you haven’t used it in the past 6 months, accept that you are more than likely probably not going to use it if you haven’t already used it in the past 6 months. Yes, I’m fully aware of repeating myself.  So if you’re not going to use it, perhaps there might be someone who can. Goal #9 on my 101 list- in progress, completed, I’m not quite sure! We didn’t go down to the soup kitchen to volunteer- but we did donate to a soup kitchen this afternoon. The Boy, The Girl and I got two bags of groceries and donated them through a program being run at a local grocery store. The looks on their faces when I explained what we were doing just melted my heart- they looked so proud, and so solemn as they each placed a bag in the donation box.
3. Take Vitamins Do some research and figure out what vitamins are best for your lifestyle. Start with researching the best multivitamin. Consumer Research.com is a good place to start. I have been taking vitamins. But not the ones I intended. Somewhere in the clutter of my house are my vitamins. And, until I can get around to de-cluttering, I have been taking the ones I bought for the kids. Hey- even grown-ups like flinstone’s chewables, apparently!
4. Try a new workout you haven’t done before. How about some power yoga outside in your backyard? Why not try that new tango dance class you heard about? What about that treadmill in your basement? Try walking backwards. Seriously, try something new. Ok, so I haven’t found the time to pull out The Wave. I did dust off the box today, though! I have been trying new workouts. I have really been pushing myself with my runs (when I took the time to do them, anyway.) Thursday I tried some strength training moves I have never done before using machines not available in my home gym. Same thing on Sunday. And Friday morning and this evening I did some playing around with my new set of resistance bands. Lots of fun!
5. Stretch & Breathe. If a workout cant be fit into your day, at least take some time to stretch and breathe. Stretching while breathing deeply (think Yoga) gets blood flow moving, reduces the tension in muscles, and also releases endorphins, the feel good hormones. Done. Once. But I did do it! I am really bad at stretching my muscles though. It’s that whole vicious circle. I am not flexible because I don’t stretch enough. I don’t stretch because I am not flexible and stetching hurts.
6. Think about all those wonderful motherhood moments that moved you emotionally. Write about them so that you don’t forget how much you enjoyed those moments. Definitely done! See posts Motherhood Moments: 1/30-9/30. I have been reflecting my butt off!
7. Read those books on that book list. Borrow one from your library and vow to read 2 chapters every other night. Yeah, so I suppose I should have picked a book from my 101 list. Instead I picked Please Kill Me: The uncensored oral history of punk. I had grand intentions of reading all kinds of classics. But this one is just so much fun! And it counts (for this project anyway) because I have been meaning to read it ever sense I gave it to The Husband way-back-when we were dating.
8. Create a relaxing space in your home. Try your bedroom first. Buy some delicious scented candles, decorate with soothing colors (blue hues can help create a calm environment), and wrap yourself up in a warm, soft blanket with a cup of apple cinnamon tea and a good book. Not done yet. Although I did buy a very cozy comforter for our bed. And that was definitely relaxing!

Two tonight. I was too tired last night after my long weekend (more on that later) to post.

Every mom has those days. Those pull-your-hair-out-and-scream and you’ll-laugh-about-it-later kind of days. April 5th, 2006 was one of those days. By noon The Boy had managed to lock himself in the bathroom with the sink running (thus flooding the downstairs of the house!), “fix” his own breakfast by pouring an entire box of cheerios into a bowl (and the table, and the floor) and run through the house and trip over the phone cord, ripping it out of the wall and possibly breaking it.

I tried to remain calm, and pieced the phone cord back together to plug back into the wall. I gave The Husband a call at work, and asked him to call me back so I could be sure that the phone still worked. I sat waiting by the phone enjoying the blissful silence that had engulfed my house. When the phone rang, The Husband and I talked for a moment, and then he commented on the giggling that could be heard on the other side of the kitchen door. “At least they sound like they’re having fun“

Wait a moment. Quiet, and then giggling? This is never a good sign with little ones in the house. I hung up the phone and swing open the kitchen door. Yep. Not a good sign.

I hadn’t gotten around the cleaning the kitchen from making breakfast yet, and The Boy had managed to pull a bag of flour down off the counter on to The Girl. It was apparently the funniest thing he had ever seen, and she seemed to find it hilarious too.

I quit! I swept the flour into a pile and tossed The Girl in the tub. Then I gave up any plans of cleaning or housework, put the kids in the car, and we went to the playground for the rest of the afternoon. Somedays it just wasn’t possible to be a homemaker- but at least they enjoyed it!

I think most mother’s remember their kids first steps. The Boy’s first steps unsupported were at playgroup. He was trying to catch up with a little girl a few months older than him, and let go of my hand and just took off. The Girl’s though- definitely stick out to me.

It was March 12th, 2006. The Husband’s parents were visiting us in England, and we were taking them sight-seeing. We went to Warwick Castle that day. The Girl was just shy of 11 months old. She had been cruising along at home for about a month at that point. She walked mostly on her own, but always with one hand on the wall, or a table, running her fingers along as she went for that extra sense of stabililty. The walls in our house were like the training wheels on The Boy’s bike- a feeling of security and independance all rolled into one.

That day I remember I really wanted to get a picture of her. She had that bright blue sweater on that really made her eyes stand out, and I thought she was just adorable. I stood her up next to one of the castle doors to take her picture. She wobbled a little bit, and smiled at me around the edges of her pacifier. I took the picture, and then turned to The Husband to show him the image in the viewing screen.

I looked back at her in time to see her stepping confidently across the space between us- 10 small steps, but with nothing to hold on to. She was grinning the entire time- it was like she knew that what she was doing at that moment was her own little history in the making.

She loves to hear that story. After all- how many kids can say they learned to walk in a castle!

October 2nd, 2006. The Husband and I got a bike from the thrift store for The Boy that summer- but he spent most of his time simply admiring it. Sure, he would sit on it. He would turn the handle bars and grin from ear-to-ear. Then he would climb down, push it to a new spot in the yard, and sit on it again.

In the fall, though, he was finally ready to learn how to ride it on his own. It was a cool day, but sunny, so we gathered together bike and helmet, and then The Boy, The Girl, and I went out to the back yard. There was a sidewalk that ran behind our house and it was the perfect place to practice.

We had several false starts and rocky attempts, but The Boy was bound and determined to master the skill. He kept trying and trying until he could finally pedal the bike forward a few feet. He was so proud of himself, I don’t think I had seen him smile that big in over a month (this was during The Husband’s second deployment). He rode that bike (three or four feet at a time) for well over an hour, until it started to get too dark to see anymore and we had to go inside for dinner.

 

Happy Birthday to me! In December of 2005 I had one of the best birthdays of my life. It wasn’t a crazy celebration, or even a big one (my birthdays have never been crazy or big, though). This one was just me, The Husband, and my two kids. We had dinner at home and opened a few presents. Then we had a pajama party in the living room. The Husband was nice enough to clean up after dinner while I got some extra cuddle time in with The Boy and The Girl.

I remember how giggly both kids were. They were all smiles and laughter (the best gift a mother can get!) It struck me that night, that The Boy and The Girl get along amazingly well for siblings. I don’t remember ever having gotten along so well with my own older brother. But The Boy loved to help with his little sister, he was very protectve of her. And The Girl fairly idolized him.

I spent my birthday enjoying giant smiles, chubby cheeks, and bright, cheerful smiles. I spent it feeling blessed to have two such amazing children in my life. Their happiness gave me reasons to be happy too.