Taekwondon't

Since the kids opted not to play basketball this season that means they're sportless until spring soccer starts in April. Landon plays basketball or football during recess at school, but Whitney tends to spend her recess time playing make-believe kind of games that aren't particularly aerobic.

We thought it would be fun to take advantage of a free weekly Taekwondo class put on by a guy from church, so Randy took Whitney and was good enough to take photos for me.


Apparently the class started out well enough, though she didn't know what she was doing.


There was a whole lot of punching and stretching and kicking and painful push-ups to be done.

And some one on one training.

When Randy and Whitney came home we had this conversation.

Me: How was it?
Randy: (hesitating) Well, it started out good.
Me: What do you mean started out?
Whitney: (in tears) It hurts! (then she begins sobbing and holding her shoulder)
Me: (stifling laughter) It only hurts because you haven't used those muscles before, I'm sure it will get easier.
Whitney: (shaking her head fiercely and sobbing) I'm not going back!

The poor girl spent the rest of the night lying on the couch watching a movie while icing her shoulder. I guess we're going to need to find a better aerobic activity.

**Have you had any experiences like this?
Did you like my title?
How do you feel about doing push ups?**

Comment Window Tidbit: My MLK day consisted of sleeping in, finishing a book, being a referee to the kids and their cousins, cleaning up a lot of messes, doing laundry, reading with Whitney, then playing Mastermind with her.

Five for Friday--Samba Mouse Trap Edition

1. I had to open and crush 5 bags of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups today for our Primary's Article of Faith Party (they got 1 topping for each A of F they memorized). It was a gooey, tempting, tasty mess!


2. I took this picture of the kids right before they left for school today. They're looking so much older to me and I realized I haven't really documented them on their scooters (which they ride every day).


3. Whenever Whitney takes a shower at night she brings all kinds of toys in there. It seems a bit treacherous and potentially painful to me, but she enjoys a Jurassic shower experience.


4. In an effort to get my body moving each day (more than just shuffling around the house) I have been alternating between walking and doing exercise videos. I don't love exercise videos, but figure if I have a bunch in the rotation it won't be too bad. I bought these two (they came together) for $6 at Ross the other day and was skeptical but willing. I tried the Samba party today and only ended up doing the warm up because it turns out my gimpy ankle affects my ability to do very basic Samba moves...go figure. I think it will be a fun workout though, so I'm just going to have to baby step my way into it. Damn my ankle...why did go off the diving board, why?


5. The mouse has not taken the bait! I have seen no other evidence of the mouse around the house, but did hear a distinct crunching sound while I was on the phone this morning (it mocks me so). I hustled into the kitchen to investigate, but saw nothing and didn't hear anything else. I cleaned behind the fridge and stove and placed cotton balls with peppermint oil on them around the house (per a website's instruction) because mice can't take the strong smell of the oil. The house and garage are minty fresh, I just hope the mouse decides to move out otherwise the neck-crushing traps are coming in!

Comment Window Tidbit: I had some questionable time-management skills today, but everything worked out. I just wonder if my movements were ever recorded and then played on fast-forward if I would end up looking like a complete spazz.

Moving Forward

Another Paris-inspired lesson I came away with, was that I want my body to be able to take me wherever I want to go and that I want to feel good doing it. The combination of my ankle injury and then my back woes really humbled me and made me realize how much I need my body to do. And then walking all day in Paris, going up and down so many stairs and not wanting to stop, but having feet and legs begging me to do so was frustrating to me.


I don't want to be limited in what I can do because of laziness. I still think of myself as an athlete (ha) but don't take care of myself like one at all. Everything in life takes effort. There are no free passes, and we value the things we work the hardest for, so why is it that I keep hoping I'm going to wake up one morning looking and feeling great when I've done nothing to make that happen? It's illogical, irrational and just plain embarrassing.


Also, I love being outside and being surrounded by nature. It's soothing and restorative and all-around good for my mental health; you'd never know this based on where I spend my time though.


This week and last week's gorgeous weather have been beckoning me to come outside. I have been walking (still with something of a limp) and have been loving it. I walked for almost an hour and a half today (not very fast) while listening to "50 Success Classics" on my ipod. I decided it was like my own little mind and body self-improvement class, and it was also a gift to myself. I really like gifts.

David O. McKay said, "Spirituality is the consciousness of victory over self." I would like to be a more spiritual person. I think all of these things are linked and that when I'm out of balance nothing works well.

**How do you seek for balance in your life?
Do you feel limited by your body?
Do you feel soothed by nature?
What keeps you from moving forward?**

Comment Window Tidbit: I've been watching the 80's TV series "Fame" and have to say there are times that I'm super close to turning it off because the cheesiness is so hard to take, but I haven't given up on it yet because it's so nostalgic for me.

Up at 6:00 on a Saturday?!

Edited to add: I removed the slideshow because hearing the music every time I clicked on to my blog was driving me crazy!!! (Monday 6/9/08)

We did our first ever 3 Generation Family 5k this morning in the rain out in freakin Eagle Mountain. I also created my first ever slide show with music, though somehow have "demo template" on it #*?@!. Oh well, I'm not doing it over again. Enjoy!

**The pictures are in case the video doesn't load and for future blog publishing.

Before the race. What in the world? There were like 50 people, what's up with that?

My dad and Olivia, cute.

We got passed by almost the whole family.

Video of Jared, Landon and Austin passing us.

Tess and Adam at the finish.

Whitney had a hard time with this "race" but loved finishing.

Our family shot (courtesy of Kelly) in our matching t-shirts.

Victory!

Classic note from my mom.

Wording by me!

Bacon!

Randy and I were so tired from getting up early and doing our power walk that we crashed when we got home at 1:00. I slept until 4:30!! Good grief. This day feels like several days in one, and the wacky weather is definitely contributing to that feeling.

**Have you ever done a 5k?
Do you love bacon?
What do you think of our t-shirts?
(Randy designed them.)**

Can't Get Enough Cheese

You're not going to believe this, but I actually got up at 7:00am on a Saturday of my own free will and went walking. I know! I can't really believe it either. This is totally something that my optimistic late-night self would plan, but that my weary early-morning self would laugh at and veto immediately. But this morning I actually woke up at 5:51am on my own (weird) and then went back to sleep until 6:50am. I really can't properly express the rarity and amazingness of this event. It could have something to do with me going to bed at 9:30 last night, but still.

{Photo of my hill, but not taken today.}

My walk was rather nice, though it was my first time tackling the beasty hill so far this year. It was rough. I seriously feared that gravity would push me back down, but I huffed my way to the top like a champ. Woohoo. (Is having the words huffed and champ in the same sentence an oxymoron of sorts?)

Even being up and going so early I still managed to leave the house 25 minutes late to go pick up my new blogging friend Becky. I guess I wasn't stressed about being exactly on time because I was picking her up at her mom's house (as opposed to meeting her somewhere), but I still felt like a putz for arriving late.


We went to Johnny Carino's for a very tasty lunch. I had the 6 cheese tortellini (because clearly I need more cheese) and she had the Chicken Parmigiana. We thought we were too full for cheesecake, but ended up sitting and talking until we felt we had enough room. We got a piece of Turtle Cheesecake and New York Cheesecake with raspberry sauce to share, they were so good.


Becky brought me this multi-pack of mini tissues because she saw them and thought of me. Isn't that nice? I love these little packs and carry them with me all the time.

I had to dash off to make it to Bella's baptism by 2:00. I made it there in time to run over to Adam and Amy's house to change my clothes and then get to the church 10 minutes early, phew.


We gathered at their house afterwards for some good food (though I was still pretty full from lunch). I made Michelle's toffee dip and must say it tasted better than ever today. I don't know what the deal was, but it was fantastic (if I do say so myself). Amy's brother Chris actually said, "I love it, I want to eat all the time." I found this highly amusing, but part of that was the way he said it so you'll just have to take my word for it. Maybe it was the awesome Mexican vanilla I have from Jenn, hmm. Just in case there's anybody who doesn't have this recipe yet, here it is.

Toffee Dip with Apples
3/4 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
8 oz cream cheese, softened

3/4 c. toffee bits (3 broken Skor bars are even better)
1 c. pineapple juice
6 Red Delicious Apples cut into wedges
6 Granny Smith Apples cut into wedges
(Any apples are great with this dip, these are just the suggested kinds.)

Combine sugars, cream cheese, and vanilla in a bowl. Beat at medium speed until smooth. Stir in toffee bits, mix well. Cover and chill.

Combine juice (to keep the apples from turning brown) and apples in a bowl; toss well. Drain apples. Place in an airtight container and chill. Serve dip with apples.

So that was my day. It felt a lot like a Sunday because of the baptism and the church clothes, and since I wore church clothes for the funeral yesterday as well my body clock is in a serious time warp. It doesn't feel like it should be Sunday tomorrow.

**Do you make this toffee dip?
Do you enjoy little packs of tissues?
What's your favorite cheesecake?
How would you do with 3 days of church clothes?**

Return of the Weighted Hula-Hoop

I ended up taking an unintentional 6 week break from being gymalicious this winter. I had been doing just fine and then just stopped. I would blame the snow, my icy windshield, my weariness, my lack of desire to go, my check-engine light that came on in my car and anything else I could think of. After a few weeks I stopped even making excuses to myself...not good.


But as of March 17th, I am back in business baby, weighted hula hoop and all! I was actually scared to go because I feared all my weights would be too heavy for me and that starting over again would be painful and unforgiving. Plus, when I got there that morning the ballistic employee was there and there were no other exercisers at that time! I feared for another near-death experience with her.

Fortune smiled upon me though and I was able to lift all my same weight amounts (woohoo) and made it through my ballistic-employee guided workout without having to lie down on the floor to regain composure (victory is mine). She had worked me out hard and shown me some new things to do and I feared the soreness I knew would be coming my way.

As I was leaving
The employee said, "I hope you're not too sore tomorrow."
I said, "After a 6 week break I deserve to be sore."
She said, "Yeah, you do."

I was definitely sore for the next 2 days, but not in a way that made me want to take meds or cry out when doing simple movements. I was amazed and impressed again with how forgiving my body can be, especially when I neglect it so badly.


So I've been back 4 times since then and am doing great. I think the spring weather is great for my morale, my psyche, my windshield and my desire to exercise. I have decided that I'm actually a nicer person when I exercise. It must be a combination of feeling better about myself, endorphins, getting up early, and feeling like I'm working on something important. I have to remember this and stay with it.

After reading Crystalyn's post today I had a meeting with myself and made of list of things that make me feel bad. One of the main things on that list was Being Fat. I also made a list of things that make me feel good, my top answer was Exercise. Does anyone see a connection here?

Happy Birthday Denise!!

**Are you surprised by how forgiving your body can be?
Did winter mess with your exercise routine?
Have you read Crystalyn's great post?
Have you ever made a list of things that make you feel bad?**

Back in the Saddle

"Desire is the starting point of all achievement,
not a hope, not a wish, but a keen pulsating
desire which transcends everything."
--Napoleon Hill

After basically taking the summer off (not what I had planned) I finally went back to the gym this morning! The hardest part was getting out of bed at 6:18, but everything after that went well. I hadn't been to the gym since June 11th (that's worse than I thought) and feared I would have to lower my weights because of summer atrophy, but I'm happy to report that I did not have to do that. I was able to lift the same amounts as before (perhaps with more effort). I know I'll be sore tomorrow, why oh why did I let myself down like this?

I'm disappointed in myself for breaking my momentum and for taking all this time off. What did I gain from not going? Weight. Some sleep. Perhaps I took for granted how great I was feeling and thought it would last. Well it didn't. Yesterday I slept in and then read in bed for a couple hours (delicious) reading Sarah's Quilt (I finally finished), but by last night I felt headachey and just not good. I'm sure it's because of my wonky sleep schedule and poor eating.


So today I'm starting over again, and rather than continuing to dwell on the time I have lost (those first two paragraphs will be the extent of my dwelling) I am choosing to move forward with anticipation to feeling so good again. It's deeply satisfying to know that I can push through the pull of the cozy to do something for myself (and for my family as well).

There are always motivational quotes at the gym and there were several great ones today. Of course I couldn't write them down, but I remembered the name Napoleon Hill so I came home to try to find the quote I'd read from him. I didn't find the same one, but it turns out he has tons of great quotes (so I linked his name to those quotes). You might want to check them out.

Being up and going so early also meant I had more time to spend with the kids this morning and time to have our family scripture time and family prayer. It's a great way to start the day and I'm so thankful now that Randy has his own car so that he doesn't have to leave as early so that we can do this without discomfort. Blessings, blessings everywhere blessings!

Happy Birthday Elisa!!

**Do you have a hard time starting over
with big goals like I do?
Do you love quotes?
Are you an early riser?
What are you doing today?**