The Girls, and the Shred
Most evenings I take pictures of my girls when I get home from work. I started to realize though that the backdrop is always the same: our living room, our dining room, our kitchen. If it weren’t so hot outside I’d go somewhere else and have pretty outside backgrounds but with it being 95 everyday and the heat index being well over 100, I choose to stay inside and try to be creative. Well, I told Hannah “Alright, I’m getting my camera. Be cute!” Some days she’s all “MOM! Take my picture!” Others? Well, just look.
So I begged and pleaded “Hannah PLEASE! Just be nice. Just for 3 minutes smile and be cute like you usually are!”
“FINE Mom. But only if I can do this.”
Done!
Livie is definitely more into the camera.
She sees me take it out and she immediately starts following me around. The problem is that with the lens I use she can’t be too close or else I can’t get the picture so I’m constantly running away from her and then whipping around to snap some pictures.
So it became kind of a game. She ran after me then I’d turn around and snap snap snap.
It literally cracked this girl up!
So I was all “OMG Livie you’re being so cute. Let’s make you even cuter and put a bow in your hair! Yes?”
More like no. It stayed in for a total of about 1 minute.
And that was the end of that.
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As far as The Shred is concerned, I’m almost done! Today is day 25 which means I only have 5 more days to go! Tuesday will be my last day and I’m planning on a post dedicated to my analysis of the whole month and my thoughts/feelings about it all. And of course a weight loss total (cause there has been some!) and general overall changes. So stay tuned!
How I almost died…and how my girls saved me
So I didn’t really almost die. But omg…I moved up to level 2 of the shred last night. Holy hell. I’d explain how I felt but really, I think my tweets from last night would do a better job.
Keep in mind that this was directly after I finished and I had to rant for a moment.
(Autotext got me there. It’s supposed to be “hell”)
And this is true. I feel like if I can keep up and actually do the workout as it’s intended without taking breaks I’d be thin and lean and TONED. Here’s to hoping I can get there in a couple days. I had to build endurance in level 1 and finally about 2 or 3 days ago I was able to pretty much do it without stopping. Now that I’m on level 2…well there is stopping. I’m hoping that in the next 5 days or so I’ll build up MORE endurance and be able to not stop. Jillian Michaels. She is effin tough. Good lord.
So after my workout, I sat on the couch in an almost comatose state as my girls ran around me and played.
Hannah was on the floor and Livie would run forward…then run backward and try not to look as she made it to Hannah’s arms. Then Hannah would hug her and Livie would crack up and then she’d burst free and run forward to do it all over again.
I was glad I had my camera nearby because I had to hobble to get it. But these are some of my favorite pictures of the girls. Livie was so happy to be playing with her big sister. And Hannah was just thrilled that she could play with her without hearing her whine or cry. They were both so happyand having fun. The whole scene was exactly what I had envisioned when we planned for another baby. Someone to look up to Hannah. Someone for Hannah to play with.
They healed me last night. Not physically but emotionally. Which is exactly what I needed.
The Heat, the Park, the Beach, and the Shred
And in that order. Yes. I don’t know how I live with only 2 days for a weekend. I need at least 3 if not 4 to be content, to be honest. But this weekend was a 2 day-er per usual and so we squeezed in a lot in those 2 days.
It’s hot here in south Texas. And by hot I mean 95 degrees everyday with a heat index that makes it feel like it’s over 100. EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. It crept up on us this year. It was unseasonably cool in April and the beginning of May. And then outta nowhere it hit 90 one day and never went back. Needless to say, we are melting. It’s that kinda hot that just makes you wanna cry. At least it makes ME wanna cry. Most summers I stay cooped up inside if I can. But with 2 kids now…it’s just too hard to. Hubs used to take Hannah to the park while I relaxed inside because this former Ohio girl can’t take the heat. But now that Livie is here…I just can’t send Hubs to the park with both kids. So off we went Saturday afternoon at like 12 noon with the sun high in the sky to the park. We lasted about 20 minutes out there but it was a fabulous 20 minutes for my babies.
Livie got in a swing for the first time. She was unsure at first but by the end of it she was letting her big sister push her while she laughed and pointed up at the sky.
After we left the park and blasted the AC in the car as we drove home, we decided that although it was so hot it was much too nice of a day to just stay inside the rest of the day. So we got together with Hubs brother and sister and their significant others and headed down to the beach for the sandcastle competition. At first, I was super excited about this. I’ve never been to one before and lately, although it’s been so hot, I’ve been liking the beach more and more. I like to drive down and look at the water and watch my girls play. So we slathered on the sunscreen, put on our flip flops and drove down to the beach. After realizing that the parking was insane at the beach the competition was held at we decided to park at a different beach and walk along the water IN THE SAND to the beach where the sand castles were. We thought maybe it was a mile or a mile and a half walk each way.
We were wrong.
Try THREE miles each way. Barefoot. By the time we got to the sandcastles I was over them. I didn’t even care about seeing them. My feet hurt SO bad. My legs were aching. I was worried because I left Liv’s sunscreen and bottle in the car thinking we’d be back a lot sooner than we actually would be. Me and my mother mind stressed out. So I looked at a few castles and then I was just done. The few that I saw though…they were awesome.
Rockband anyone?
After that, me and Liv headed for shade while everyone else finished looking. She plopped down right away and starting flinging sand all over and laughing. She was so glad to be out of the sun and chilling for a bit….and so was I.
I tried to gear myself up for the 3 mile hike back to our cars but I couldn’t. I whined. I complained. I lagged behind the entire way. I was almost sure my feet were going to fall off at any given point. But alas, they didn’t. I made it back to the car. I was still alive. Then I thought about how I had to shred the next day and I wanted to cry all over again. It was gonna hurt. BUT I was determined.
And I did shred yesterday. I did both days this weekend. I did it for 7 days straight now. That’s the longest stretch of working out I’ve done ever in my life. So, drum roll please. Total weight loss after 1 week of shredding? 2 pounds. I’m happy with this. I dieted SOME but not hardcore. When I did weight watchers I dieted hardcore…felt like I barely ate anything and MAYBE lost 1.5 pounds a week. So stay tuned next Monday for week 2′s weight loss update. And until then, say a little prayer for me as my legs and feet are still hanging on by a thread.
Barely.
Shredding
So, I’ve taken the plunge. I’m shredding. For those of you who have never heard of this, it’s Jillian Michaels’ work out plan for 30 days straight. She’s the trainor on The Biggest Loser. She’s also kicking my ass. I’ve decided that I NEED, not want..NEED to lose 25 pounds by the end of summer. Just for my overall health. 25 pounds ago I felt good. I need to feel good again. I need to be able to walk up a few flights of stairs without huffing and puffing. I need to see definition in my legs again. I miss seeing my abs. I felt good 25 pounds ago. I felt great 35 pounds ago. That’s my ultimate goal for the year. By the end of 2010 I wanna be 35 pounds lighter. Hopefully Jillian will be a good kick start.
I’ve been using 3 pound weights. I keep hearing about girls using 5 pound weights. I don’t understand how their arms don’t fall off mid exercise. Maybe I’ll work my way up to that. So I’ve completed 3 days straight and I’m noticing that my endurance is already getting a bit better. I’m committed to doing this everyday for 30 days. I’ll keep you posted on my results. THERE BETTER BE RESULTS!
So yesterday Hannah stayed with her Nana so it was just me and Livie.
I wish someone was home to take a picture of what this girl does to me while I do crunches. She sits on my stomach. Makes it even HARDER for me. And laughs at me the whole time as I’m “uuggghhhh-ing” through each crunch. Stinker.
Since I was on the floor I happened to look over and I noticed Hannah’s favorite boots. They looked like they had been flung across the room carelessly with Livie’s cowboy hat nearby. I knew that Livie was the culprit and as I was preoccupied with jumping jacks she was preoccupied with destroying my dining room. I let her because she was having fun and I could work out. After I finished I took a picture of these two things. Her little hat. Hannah’s little boots.
I’m probably going to save both of these things forever. Even if we don’t have anymore kids….I want them forever. I may not be able to stop time and keep them little forever. But I can take pictures of them as they’re little to freeze the moments for a bit. And I can save things like boots and hats and try to freeze those moments because really, they DO go by so fast.
Can't help but hum this…
“im up in the gym just working on my fitness” lately. why? because for the past 2 days i’ve went running. and i detest running. well i used to anyway. i’ve actually liked it the past 2 days! i dunno if its cuz i know i’m doing my heart and blood pressure my favor…or if its cuz i know its the quickest way for me to get this ass down to its appropriate size in 6 weeks for our costa rica trip! yes 6 weeks is all i have left. talk about it creeping up on me! either way- i’ve been running AND i intend to go tomorrow, monday and tuesday. *GASP* i can’t believe it either.
now if these lbs dont start melting off i’m kicking some ass. not sure who’s yet but someone is going down for it!
A couple things
so i jump roped yesterday again. i’m still walking like i ran a marathon today. i thought i was in shape doing my step aerobics during the week but i see now that i’m not really THAT in shape. but this jump roping is gonna get me there. i googled jump roping and i read that it burns about 100 cals to jump rope for 10 minutes. i’m trying to get up to 15 mins and thats 150 cals. thats not too shabby! i think actually what i’m gonna try to do is jump rope for 10 mins every single day and then also do my step aerobics 3-4 days a week. that oughtta work out well. i’m sure this bores you so moving on.
Nettie’s been totally playing up this whole giving her dora kitchen back to santa thing. the other day she told me she wanted me to give rico back. and then yesterday i’m putting her in the car and she asked me if i remembered when she was being bad in her bed and she told me to give back her dora kitchen. i rolled my eyes at her and told her yes i did remember, and i still dont find it amusing. and then i closed the door, got in my seat, and smiled.
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