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The Nat Pack: The super fashionable, super mod, super hip family consisting of Nat, Pete, Jakob, Brock, Troy, and Ivy. Like The Rat Pack, only younger, cuter, and not as rich or famous.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Murphy's Law

My sister decided to instigate a "Biggest Loser" contest in our family. She recorded our current weights, and our goal weight. After a few months (I think we're ending at the end of May) we'll record our weight then, and for every pound we don't make it we put a dollar into the pot.

So. I'm not really at the point where I want to lose weight, but I DO need to exercise, and badly. Sure, I go up and down the stairs multiple times a day. I'm constantly lifting my children, and getting up and down off the floor. Once a week I push a heavy cart of children and/or groceries around a store for an hour. But it's still not a condensed, get-your-heart rate-going kind of regimen.

The last time I went skiing with my family I made it about a run and a half, and then I was kaput. It was embarrassing, to say the least. So instead of poundage, I decided to make my goal to exercise three times a week for a half hour each time. And I thought it would be simple-I'd get up before the kids, exercise for half and hour to TaeBo or with Dance Dance Revolution, and then get all showered and breakfasted before my busybodies are up and at 'em.

This is where Murphy's Law comes in to play. Every time I try to get up before the kids, they end up waking up early. They're usually 8:30ish kind of kids. So when my alarm goes off at 7:15, inevitably at least one of my kids gets up about then, too. What's up with that? I've only half-succeeded just once: I started the TaeBo tape, and about 30 seconds later Jakob wandered out of his room. As I attempted to force my limbs into movements they haven't done in ages, Jakob took one questioned look at me, and said, "Uh, Mom? What are you doing?" I replied, "Working out. Do you want to join me?" He said, "No. It's stupid." Although later in the tape when they were doing side kicks Jakob said it was "cool". And this morning when my alarm went off, I hit it, and immediately Troy started scream-crying, so I pulled him into my bed to calm him down (mostly so he didn't wake up his sister), and he and I fell back asleep. (It actually kind of rocked, because all my children slept until 9:15. It was like a reverse Murphy's Law.)

I guess I could work out after the kids are in bed. If I make Pete go in the other room. I have a hard time exercising in front of people, because I'm so uncoordinated. I'm the person in the step aerobics class running into the others, and missing my step, and standing there for a while with a bewildered look on my face because I can't figure out the sequence of moves.

So until I get some kind of miracle wherein my children stay asleep until they're supposed to get up (Benadryl?), maybe I should count that extra hour I'm awake as a half hour of exercise, eh?

10 comments:

Kar said...

Wow; you are so lucky that your kids are "8:30ish" kind of kids!! Sadie has been getting up at 5:45 lately. Not a joke. And Dylan gets up at about 6:30. They suck. I know what you mean about finding a good time to exercise. In the day wasn't ever the greatest, because I would have to stop fifteen times to help kids. And now, in the morning, I have a hard time getting up at 5:45, let alone half an hour earlier to work out. And after the kids are in bed, I'm too tired to think of exercising. I'm doing a horrible job with this competition. I'll probably end up gaining weight...

Jennifer said...

If you find the magic to keep them sleeping so one can exercise count me in!! Good luck with you goal.

amanda said...

Good luck with it! I have started exercising before Sean goes to work in the morning so if the kids wake up- they are all his.
I hate doing exercise videos infront of people too. If you're in the room with me, then you have to be doing it too!

amanda said...

I just read your $50 post...
Both of my dog-lovin' boys cried during Bolt. We won't be buying it.

Mindy H. said...

Good luck with your goal. Its too bad we can't earn "get out of opposition free" cards that we can present to the powers-that-be in times when we just need everything to fall into place.

Shera said...

I can't tell you how glad I am that you said you were not at a place where you needed to loose weight, but just exercise. After 4 kids you look better than I did BC (before children).

Rachel said...

I have to agree with Shera's comment about you not needing to lose weight. My advise on the exercise is do it anyway even if they do get up. Other than your baby they should be able to wait to eat breakfast while you do your 30 minutes. I may be a bad Mom, but that is what I do. If they get up earlier than they normally do, then just let them wait. (Unless there is an emergency)

Blaire said...

I can't exercise in front of other people either. I didn't have a choice when it did DDR though. Chris just ignored me while i felt like i had to comment about my skills- it was a little weird, but still fun. Don't worry Pete won't judge you . . . too much :)

breymom said...

I'll let you know if I find a solution this has been my half a life long goal since I had kids!

Amy said...

I need to be doing that too- the exercise thing. And if it helped me to shed some poundage- all the better. Now for the motivation part...