The benefits

I have decided that while exercising in a group or with other people can be possibly one of the most embarrassing and humbling experiences ever it is the best thing for me. I have discovered that when I am held more accountable and I have encouragement from others I push myself harder, I am more apt to actually begin the workout process and I actually have fun. I was introduced to the Stroller conditioning class, which should be named Stroller boot camp, by Jeanelle. The first time I participated I was pretty sure I would not be going back, it was ridiculously hard and I felt so out of shape. But I have been going back and now I LOVE it. It is great to be able to work out with the girls and other moms who are in the same place that I am. Most of the mothers have children right around the girls age and it is just a great bonding thing. The instructor is fabulous. She is hilarious and is such a motivation. Now this class is not just walk and push your stroller and chat. Oh no, it is sprinting and lunges, squats, push-up, tricep dips and much more. It truly is a boot camp, but with a free babysitter because the instructor entertains the kids while have our booties whipped into shape. Jeanelle and I have also been attending a Pilate's class, which I love as well. The instructor has to be in her 60's and she is in the best shape. The class is 60 minutes, which is in itself a challenge sometimes and my legs feel like jelly when I am done, but I know that I am getting toned and more flexible. I like this class because there is no jarring on my body parts and while it is a strenuous workout for me, it is also at the same time relaxing as well. I like these two classes because I have people to talk too. I am making friends, but most of all I feel like I really need to work and not slack because there are other people there who will encourage me and keep me going. So if you are lacking motivation go and start a group class somewhere and you will find that the benefits far out way the temporary embarrassment that you may feel in the beginning.

What's that puddle?

This afternoon has been a little rough. Maddie feel off the couch and bite her lip, it of course started bleeding and getting plump so I gave both the girls some ice to suck on. Well, a while later I went into the kitchen to start dinner and there was a puddle on the floor by the fridge. Natalie was standing there and I asked Tom how the floor had gotten all wet, while Natalie proceeded to slip and fall. Tom told me it was probably from the ice. Once Natalie was back on her feet she kept looking down and saying "oh no." At this point I realized it was not water, but that her swim diaper was leaking and it was dripping all of the floor, Natalie and now me. Ugh I said and started to take it off of her, at which point a huge puddle of pee came flying out, all over my hand and the rest of the floor. At least she didn't run, but it was pretty gross to know that she had gone slipping and sliding in a puddle of urine and not plain old ice water....gross, I am ready for the potty training to take effect.

One, TWO...

I always knew the day would come, I mean it is a milestone...Right? Counting that is, or mock counting. Our discipline method is 1,2,3 magic and it works great. I love it and wouldn't change it and would do it over again, but now that the girls are learning to count, Natalie especially mocks me. If I say One, she automatically says, TWO and smiles. It really is hard to not laugh or say good girl when I am trying to get her to stop doing some "bad" behavior, because I mean seriously it is pretty cute. So for now I am trying not to laugh at her in the middle of the discipline process, but I am pretty proud of the little one, I mean soon we will be able to ask her how old she is and she will be able to say, Two!

Fall is a comin

Over the last few days I have started to notice suttle changes in the leaves around our house and our walking path. Each day the colors seem to be changing and there have already been some leaves on the ground. I can't say that I mind too much, I love fall. The ability to wear jeans and a sweatshirt, (I HATE shorts and hot weather). Sipping warm drinks and not over heating and eating Carmel apples. The girls have already discovered that they enjoy crunching leaves under their feet. They will step, step, step and then stop and listen and say, ohhhhhh. Pretty cute. I just hope this year we have a fall and we don't dive into winter, the cold doesn't bother me, but the messy snow. Pretty snow is okay,but the messy kind is not cool. So I hope the leaves take their time changing and we can enjoy lots of beautiful colors and some cool nights and days. I am just thankful that I can sit in my nice house and actually see the trees this year and will be able to see all the prettiness around me as mother nature paints her next picture.

Speak out: The r-word

Well, I had this big long blog all set complaining about how annoyed I was at our eye doctor and our hour and 45 minute wait today, but something more important has arisen, so I will share that instead!
As some of you know, I used to work at Special Olympics Indiana. It was a great organization and the athletes are amazing. This evening I received an e-mail from one of my friends who still works there telling me about the new Ben Stiller/Jack Black movie and how it uses the "r-word." Here is some of her e-mail:

Lots of you may have heard about the controversy surrounding the new Ben Stiller/Jack Black movie Tropic Thunder, and its depiction of people with intellectual disabilities.

Without going into too many details, the gist is that the movie completely makes fun of and demeans people with intellectual disabilities. The “r-word”, retard (it makes me cringe to even type that word!) is used over 20 times in the film. I find it shocking and appalling that this is considered funny. I love a good joke as much as the next person, but to make fun of the most vulnerable population in the most callous way, in a format that will reach hundreds of thousands of people, is simply mean. And in no way funny.

Special Olympics, Best Buddies, Down’s Syndrome Association and many other disability advocacy group are strongly protesting this film. One of the ways in which Special Olympics is doing that is through the petition “Change the Conversation…Stop using the r-word.” You can visit http://www.r-word.org/ and sign an online petition to not use that word and to help erase it from the popular vernacular.

I agree with her and many, many others and cannot believe that this word is still being used. So if you get a chance visit the the above site and Speak out against the use of the "r-word."

Oh the Noise

I am not sure why, but for some reason our neighborhood is unusually LOUD this morning. It has not been like this all summer and today it is nuts. Cement trucks and the community people mowing the community grass and big dump trucks driving around and around. Of course today would be the day that I decided to go cold turkey on the coffee and to try to start potty training the girls. What was I thinking? I am so sick of changing diapers that I may be a little crazy in thinking they are ready, but when they go they tell me, after the fact, so I know they know what they are doing. We will see though I hope to last through the week, not many plans or outings so it should go okay. I mean really, is it a big deal if they have an accident in the sand box or on the grass?! As for the coffee thing, I was hoping to have kicked that habit while we were on vacation, but I think it only became worse so here I am trying to go cold turkey, which I have an immense feeling will be horrible and won't work. So here I sit, wishing for one of those nice quiet days were we can hear the birds chirping and the occasional airplane fly over instead of the cement trucking be cleaned across the street. Oh well, it could be worse, and at least it is sunny and the temp. is awesome!

Dear Allison

Dear Allison,
You are now among the angels, but will never be forgotten here on earth. I was fortunate enough to be a part of your life in the blogging world and I wish that I had had the opportunity to meet you in person. Your strength, courage, love for life and for you husband, family and friends was truly amazing. I have learned so much from you over the last few years and you will be missed. You are a woman who walked through this life with grace, style and a beauty that is unbelievably hard to find. I am so blessed to have stumbled across your blog and you and Tom have taught me more about being loved and loving another. The love you two shared was a special love, a rare love. So as the sun sets on this chapter I want to thank you for all that you have done to teach people about loving, being loved and about fighting cancer and know that your lessons will continue and that you have touched more people, more strangers, than anyone I have ever known. Allison, for now I say good bye and thank you, thank you for being strong and inspirational, thank you for sharing your story with so many and for letting us into your life. And as they say, you may be gone but you will never be forgotten.

Bite, Bite, Bite

It seems like not only have we entered the terrible two's, times two, but Maddie has entered a biting phase. Let me tell you, I will take the terrible two's over this biting thing, because it is painful. Yesterday, we were out for our usual walk and all of a sudden Natalie was screaming. I looked at her arm and she had a very fresh and deep bite mark laid into her arm. I couldn't believe it. They had not been fighting or anything, actually there hadn't been any noise at all until she started screaming. I was none to pleased. Then last night I was laying on my bed and Maddie was trying to climb up and I guess I wasn't helping her fast enough because she bite my leg. Into time out she went, laughing the whole way there! Once her time out was over I was having her say she was sorry and she bite me AGAIN. AHHHHHH, back into time out she goes, once again laughing. Thankfully it stopped there, but I could not believe this. She has bitten me a few times before, but it has gotten serious now. I guess I will have to enforce that it is not allowed at all and hope that this phase passes quickly, because it is a pretty painful phase and I am sure even more painful for the little sister!