Happy Saturday, friends!! I hope this blog finds you all doing well and for those of you who had kids start back to school this past week: Hallelujah!!! I started back to work and my kids start back this coming week. I am so glad to be back to work and off the couch.
I spent a lot of time on that couch this summer and over the course of the 10 or so weeks I was off, I learned a few things about myself. Thought I would share.
1.Though I tell myself at the start of every summer that THIS is the summer I am going to work out and get the last couple pounds off, it's not going to happen. I have learned and accepted that being on my feet for 6-8 hours a day for 9 1/2 months warrants me laying on the couch for a couple weeks. And any weight I may gain (this summer it was 3 lbs) I will burn off the first week of work. And I did.
2. I have become a master at the art of what I like to call "conversation redirection". Having a child who is ADHD and Autistic has really honed this skill and he put me to task all summer. Question to parents out there: is it normal for 9 year old's to want a new toy EVERY SINGLE DAY??? Or is this an obsessive thing he has going on? And when he does get new things, it is never good enough, he always wants something else. Here is where I have become the master of redirection. He wants everything NOW and I have learned that if I tell him no local stores carry the item and it will take 7-10 days to ship, he drops wanting it. So if he asks you why local stores don't carry any toys......go along with it....please.
3.If I am going to ask someone for advice, I best be prepared to hear things I may not want to. This is a hard one to swallow but I am working on it.
4.Punching a punching bag is really good therapy. You can picture anyone on there and pound away.
5. I have some really wonderful friends. I mean, I knew this anyway, but was reminded quite often over the summer. My bestie, Beenie Weenie, gave me the best advice ever about relationships: In a marriage, though you are going thru the same things, you will both react differently. This really has made me look at how my hubby and I react to things, and there really is no wrong way to go thru a difficult time. And a shout out to Mighty Mouth for being there for me for the past 14 years. You are a keeper. And to my neighbors, nothing but love and summer nights on the porch.
6. Sometimes, medication is the best way to go. After three years of trying to deal with youngest's ADHD thru diet and herbal medications, we have decided to try medication. So far it is going well and if it helps him be successful in school and friendships, then it is the right thing to do for us.
And lastly....
7. I have my hands full with my three kids, work and starting my new business. Most of the time I feel like none of these gets enough of my attention, but at the end of the day, I feel like I did my best. And I am thankful to have a husband that loves and supports me to a ridiculous degree. Again, I knew this but was reminded over the summer.
As far as the FitCat part of my life, I am running again on the weekends. I don't wear my watch, I don't time it and I go as far (or not) as I feel up to. Week days I am doing a program that my hubby put together that goes like this:
3-5 minutes on the elliptical, full speed
a few minutes on the punching bag
a few minutes high knees on the mini tramp with arms over my head
back to the punching bag
back to the elliptical and do another round.
Takes about 13-15 minutes and kicks my butt!!!
I manage to get over 10k steps in every day between work and after work activities, so all is good in that dept.
Are there things about yourself that you are surprised to learn? I think the best thing about life is learning new things. I am always asking people, sometimes strangers, questions. You would be surprised by what people know.
Have a great weekend. I hope to post more since I feel more in a groove with being back to work.
Cat
