Super Mom/Wife working late hours

So I played the roll of busy wife/mom tonight, after I got home around 9pm. Let's just say the BFF's evening didn't go as planned. I walked in the door kind of late worrying about him getting to work on time. That was it. I walked in the door and there was little more I could do without walking on the mess that was the living room. He apologized profusely but when I saw him in jeans and a T-shirt I knew it was more important he get ready for work. Apparently they'd just gotten home 20 minutes ago or so. He had an appointment to get to, for which he was later than he wanted to be, and the kids delayed him quite a bit. (And he's usually the more capable parent.)

After making sure he didn't want help getting out the door, and seeing a plate of dinner set before me which made my stomach growl, I decided it best to eat first, clean later. After he shoved off, I had work to do. One stress reliever I've discovered is leaving the dishes for the morning (within reason). Food was scraped off and dishes set up for cleaning and that was that. Tomorrow is trash and recycle. With the kitchen cleaned up enough, I started going for trash bags from the back to the front. I grabbed the bathroom's and noticed the toilet. Yeeeaaahhhh.... Jess did mention something about Bekah getting in there and clogging it. He didn't mention the back splash of... ick... So I paused in trash duty for, uh, that duty. There, whew! Back to trash and set it in the foyer for him to pull out in the morning. Now for the living room.

We have two toddlers. I used to teach preschool. It's only natural I wanted to trade the messy toy box for a nice toy bucket organizer shelf-like thingy. Word of advice for those as anal retentive as me: it doesn't stay organized. I know, "Duh?!" But really, I still try, besides most of the toys were already scattered about between their room and the living room floor, kitchen, couch, and stroller pocket. By the way Jesse, please make sure to remove the items in the lower bin before folding said stroller. The Dora book barely survived. :)

I tidied up the million animals in their room as well and after that... it was ME time! P90X Plyometrics, here I come! So proud of myself for getting into this routine, and for Jess for getting me those DVDs. Workout complete, house mostly cleaned, toilet definitely cleaned, a small basket of kids' laundry to fold, dishes to be left for the morning... It's time for a shower and maybe one DVR'ed show.

Maybe it's the workout talking, but I feel accomplished tonight... and effing tired really but hey, we all need a super-mom/wife feeling once in a while. Tomorrow brings a dance party for the kids at the library, then hanging at Mama's before work. House shouldn't get too out of shape then... maybe...

Round is a Shape

Okay so there's looking 'thin' and feeling 'thin' and really I'm not so much concerned about that as I am feeling fit. I could gain 15lbs and not care if it meant I was in better shape. I used to dance four nights a week and I was in awesome shape, but then I also had horrible wind; no cardio ability whatsoever. Years later I got into Kenpo karate thanks to a friend in a Cardio-kickboxing class. It was a rough road for a while but I found my wind thanks to an amazing instructor. So there I was, in my prime (yes, I'm going there), physically fit with cardio ability and all. Okay, so I wasn't exactly a marathon runner, but I was in great shape for me. (I also weighed 15-20lbs more than I do now for those who follow numbers. Proof they aren't everything.)

Right now, two kids and years of no hard physical activity later, I couldn't take 15 minutes of a karate class let alone a kickboxing class. I can barely climb stairs without getting winded. My kids are each about 28lbs and I can't carry both at the same time without some back pain... okay, even one without back pain. Really, it's not my style to be this un-fit. I have lost the weight, and I had about 75lbs to loose after recovering from my son. I'm less than when I got married, but I'm not that shape anymore. Child-bearing changes more than one's belly. My ribs are wider, boobs sag, chest and waist and hips are completely different proportions than they used to be. It's not about getting a different size; I have to shop for different styles than I could get before. Very frustrating! I can't tell you how many times I had to buy new bras. They are not cheap! Blasted things probably cost me a pay check.

Here's the plan: Lent starts tomorrow; so do I. I can't afford those high-profile programs like the P90X, but I do know how to work out a workout. I know how to do push-ups (albeit I'm not great), I can don sit-ups (though not like I used to), I can do jumping jacks and cardio workouts. I'll be slow at first, mostly stretching and slow strength training, but I'm going to try to stick to it. I have a couple friends who've said they'll hold me to it. Accountability is my issue. I'll go to a class if I'm signed up. I'll take my kids to the park when it's in the plan. But will I take an hour or even 30 minutes between coming home at 9pm and going to bed by midnight to actually exert myself? That's where I need someone to make sure I'm making myself do it.

So, wish me luck. No idea how much time I'll be able to commit each night, or how long this will last, or how effective a quiet, nighttime workout can be, but I'm giving it a shot. Someday, if my schedule changes, maybe I'll be able to get back to karate, or even back to staging (which I also miss dearly!!), but I won't be able to do either until I get myself back into shape, a healthy, fit shape regardless of any numbers.