A Fit Family

 Spring is a time of kicking butt! I'm learning again, in a new way, how to find my inner fit chick, strong woman, inspirational overcomer and hometown approachable athlete. I am working out! Daily! Craziness, right? Once in a while my workout ends up being raking or shoveling compost or chasing my kids around on the playground and occasionally over the past couple of weeks I have missed my workout but I just get back on the train. I'm working on letting go of the guilt and being more and more of my own cheerleader when I mess-up, feel weak, procrastinate or don't hit my goals. Most of my issues are in my own mind.

 I haven't been blogging so much this week because I have been working so fixedly on switching my mindset on fitness. I'm determined to develop strength, to learn to love moving, to be proud of my muscles and work ethic and to create a lifestyle of activity instead of intimidation and sloth. I'm over making fun of the girls who run and over being a household of couch potato experts. My boys are normal kids and like to run around so there's hope. I added "Workout" to the daily routine for every single family member. Today was the first day that the boys did their chores, their morning routine, their school work  AND each did a workout. The tide is turning.

 The weather is warming and its starting to be lovely to be outside sometimes, and almost never wretched outdoors. I am feeling proud of what I am eating, tracking my water (a first for me!), following a couple of workout apps (I'll share which ones soon!), wearing my FitBit and targeting 10,000 steps a day and working diligently on rising and going to sleep at a decent time. The world is looking up, and I am starting to get biceps! Yay!

 The boys are mostly excited and sometimes slightly intimidated by the new things their crazy mommy is doing. I'm feeling the same way. Sometimes I feel kick butt and sometimes I feel ridiculous and out of shape, but I always feel righteously like what I am bringing into the home right now is something I am very proud of. I want to normalize activity, strength and physical caretaking of ourselves, eating well is good but we need to use these machines we are caring for!

Happy Spring from our newly active household to yours! I can't wait until I can do 12 push-ups in a row, I'm gonna be the change!

An American Pastime

Summer is here! We hit 90 degrees today and I watered the veggie garden twice to keep it from wilting. There is iced tea on tap and weekly watermelon purchasing happening to boot. All of spring has gone except for the dogwood blossoms which are lingering with extra vigor this year. Even my roses have finished blooming and now the garden is all lilies and daisies and anytime soon now the purple coneflower will join in.

Our first "extracurricular" type activity has just ended as baseball wrapped up this past week. So much fun sitting on the mini-bleachers with the other moms through blazing sun and even a little rain and watching smash hits and foul balls alike as our boys learned the basics of the game together.

 I never expected to feel so very fond of a sport but Little League has my heart. So much of it has to do with Ru's intense love for the game...any game really, but he sure latched on to baseball. He loved learning from the neighborhood dads who coach, loved the hard work of studying stances and getting the particulars of procedures nailed down, and he felt so incredibly spiffy and official in a real, live uniform.

 I just put the pants and socks in the Goodwill bag but he's keeping his jersey in his sentimental box and still wearing his team cap around the house. I wonder if it will the first of many uniforms I stain treat over the years. I think we are headed to the sports department for good, this one is an athlete.

Stairs? Check.

Somebody climbs. 

This week he made it to the top  of the stairs that connects the downstairs with the second floor for the first time. All self propelling....zip, zip, zip, right up  there. No pauses, no refunds.

Its official. He's a climber. Let the Olympics begin!

Still working on teaching him how to back down them again. Might want to get serious about those lessons right about now, eh? 

He's a wild one. Fits right in.