As I sit here watching Heart of Dixie (my guilty pleasure) I am debating whether or not to write this post. People get so offended now days, I guess we can't always worry about who we offend. People also have a choice whether or not to be offended, being offended is sometimes (not always) a choice. On to my potentially offensive post, while sipping my glass of Pinot. I am and have always been vain; yes, some people I know may not know this. I am talking about physical fitness.
I have been so disappointed in myself lately (last 2 years) that I don't want to go out. Why? Because I don't look like I used to. I have always been physically fit, somewhat so after my 1st child. I am still not in bad shape, but NO where near where I think I should be. My husband doesn't seem to mind, either that, or he doesn't want to hurt my feelings (kudos to him). When my husband and I got our first "real" honeymoon in Puerto Rico (Yes, it was a business trip for him, but not me) I had every reason to get in shape and fast! Nothing like a little motivation.
Now I belong to the local YMCA, and I see moms of every shape and size. I also envy them all for their differences. I envy the ones who are obviously-out-of-shape and revel in it, they aren't ashamed of what their bodies did and what they look like now ( it is a lot of work). I also envy (and wonder) the moms who are in better shape than any 20-yr-old dreams of, and I wonder how do they accomplish this. Is there a happy medium? Being a mom isn't easy. Choosing priorites are different for everyone. So how do these moms, that appear to have it all, do it? I don't believe you can have it all. Yes I am religious, I believe in prayer and god, but I don't believe he gives everyone, everything they ask for. I believe sometimes, regardless, we have to work for the extras we want.
I am a homeschool mom. I thought this would solve all my problems. I thought my kids would instantly be geniouses (not true), I thought I would have all the time in the world to become a fitness queen (not true), I thought my housekeeping skills would be greatly admired, especially by my husband (again - not true). Being a homeschool mom, is a lot of work. A LOT OF WORK. Don't get me wrong, I usually love it. Yes. There is always a child that has to push it, but are they really, or are they just pushing the boundaries our our thought boxes. OK, now I am blabbering.
I have seriously neglected my and our physical fitness. I have neglected teaching them healthy eating habits, I have been too worried about their academic status. I have realized what a waste this has been. I am trying to prove to the public school system why homeschool is better. I have seriously failed. Homeschool is not better because we outshine (normally) on testing, it is better because we can tailor to our individual students needs (and our own). Exercise is a great way to reduce stress, and for me this is true. As the saying goes "I run to outrun the bitch." I need to outrun this on a daily basis, however in the winter this is not easy (especially for those lucky of you who live in the south).
Well this past week, I have exercised 5 out of 7 days! I am back in the game. It is not only good to be an academic example, but also a physical example. How can I teach them to be only brain smart and think they just assume the need to be physically healthy (smart). I can't. We need to lead by example. By this, I don't mean we need to be fitness models, but we do need to model healthy living, including regular exercise. Below is the video I did yesterday. I normally did P90X (no where near this fitness level now) but these videos are excellent, and they are free! If you can afford to give them a donation, they deserve it.
I have been so disappointed in myself lately (last 2 years) that I don't want to go out. Why? Because I don't look like I used to. I have always been physically fit, somewhat so after my 1st child. I am still not in bad shape, but NO where near where I think I should be. My husband doesn't seem to mind, either that, or he doesn't want to hurt my feelings (kudos to him). When my husband and I got our first "real" honeymoon in Puerto Rico (Yes, it was a business trip for him, but not me) I had every reason to get in shape and fast! Nothing like a little motivation.
Now I belong to the local YMCA, and I see moms of every shape and size. I also envy them all for their differences. I envy the ones who are obviously-out-of-shape and revel in it, they aren't ashamed of what their bodies did and what they look like now ( it is a lot of work). I also envy (and wonder) the moms who are in better shape than any 20-yr-old dreams of, and I wonder how do they accomplish this. Is there a happy medium? Being a mom isn't easy. Choosing priorites are different for everyone. So how do these moms, that appear to have it all, do it? I don't believe you can have it all. Yes I am religious, I believe in prayer and god, but I don't believe he gives everyone, everything they ask for. I believe sometimes, regardless, we have to work for the extras we want.
I am a homeschool mom. I thought this would solve all my problems. I thought my kids would instantly be geniouses (not true), I thought I would have all the time in the world to become a fitness queen (not true), I thought my housekeeping skills would be greatly admired, especially by my husband (again - not true). Being a homeschool mom, is a lot of work. A LOT OF WORK. Don't get me wrong, I usually love it. Yes. There is always a child that has to push it, but are they really, or are they just pushing the boundaries our our thought boxes. OK, now I am blabbering.
I have seriously neglected my and our physical fitness. I have neglected teaching them healthy eating habits, I have been too worried about their academic status. I have realized what a waste this has been. I am trying to prove to the public school system why homeschool is better. I have seriously failed. Homeschool is not better because we outshine (normally) on testing, it is better because we can tailor to our individual students needs (and our own). Exercise is a great way to reduce stress, and for me this is true. As the saying goes "I run to outrun the bitch." I need to outrun this on a daily basis, however in the winter this is not easy (especially for those lucky of you who live in the south).
Well this past week, I have exercised 5 out of 7 days! I am back in the game. It is not only good to be an academic example, but also a physical example. How can I teach them to be only brain smart and think they just assume the need to be physically healthy (smart). I can't. We need to lead by example. By this, I don't mean we need to be fitness models, but we do need to model healthy living, including regular exercise. Below is the video I did yesterday. I normally did P90X (no where near this fitness level now) but these videos are excellent, and they are free! If you can afford to give them a donation, they deserve it.