Attack and Tone

And so it begins:  the exercise portion of the doctor's recommendations.  Since I have not attempted this order over the past couple of weeks, I assumed that I would not stir up the gumption to work-out along with my XBOX Kinect "Your Shape:  Fitness Evolved" game.  I tried that game the day that I bought it over a year ago and I think I pulled my hamstring so I never trusted myself with it again.

My solution was to join the local gym and go to classes.  I am not a big fan of using the 'machines' or 'free weights' because I feel like I'm being watched by the other gym-goers.  The last time I exercised--the Summer of 2008--I really enjoyed the teacher-led classes for the fact that I could blend-in with a group and listen to music at the same time.  The other reason I like them is because there is a knowledgeable person in the field of exercise directing my every move.  When I try to use the machines on my own, I don't always know what each one's purpose is, so it can be a bit daunting just choosing one, let alone using the thing.

Today was my first session and even though the class was called "Attack and Tone," I greatly underestimated the difficulty level.  In the waiting area, all of the other class members were an average age of 52 so I did get a bit confident that I would be able to handle the routine.  And for the first 15 minutes, everything was going swimmingly.  I was hopping and kicking to the beat with the rest of the class.

Then I felt 'the burn' and I began lagging behind everyone else.  My bubbly, energetic jumps and jabs quickly faded and although I kept smiling, I was reduced to a mere marching-in-place while the other women were grape-vining this way and that.  By the end, my goal was to maintain my physical position within the line-up so that I didn't trip-up anyone else.  The most nerve-wrecking part was when "Di," the instructor, yelled out, "Turn!"  This meant that I found myself in the 'front' and suddenly, the adrenaline kicked in (pun intended) and I was Di's new protégé, moving in-time with the beat.  As soon as the pressure was off though, it was back to the marching.

After 30 minutes, I was looking forward to the cool down, but when that didn't happen, I thought maybe Di was running overtime.  Two more times, I thought that surely the cool down stretches were coming our way.  It turns out that I inadvertently signed-up for a 45-minute class.

The rest of the day, I have had so much more energy than I usually do and I feel better that I'm back on the road to good health.

Showing us his toys and 'explaining' how to play his game

 

Posing with his new haircut

Supermarket Sweep

 

Racing right into Mommy!

Howdy, Partner!

Developmental updates:  Jackson mimicked saying, "Peek-a-boo," this week.  It was pretty close to how it should sound.  He helped us unpack the groceries and we were shocked when he carried the bag holding 10 pints of milk to the refrigerator!  We were also shocked the next day to find a brand new pack of ham laying in the garbage can.  To ease into bedtime, Jackson likes to read a book in bed to himself and to his stuffed animals.  He also read to me in the car on Thursday on the way to nursery.  He said a 'sentence' and then gave a loud 'roar'!  (The book was Dinosaur Roar!)  I guess that he's memorised the pattern of the book and now he can recite it in his own language.  Today was the first time that Jackson has had any hair cut.  He just needed the sides and back trimmed so I did it at home and thankfully, he sat still long enough for me to get it done and he had no idea what was happening.

If you see Sammie Miles Davis, Jr. and Bella, give them my love.