Cool Down

Tonight the last words to my children were, “Goodnight! You guys are the best kids in the world and you should know I am done parenting for the night! I love you!”
Then I closed my bedroom door. I considered locking it, but then I thought about emergencies and fires and scared little kids running from the boogie man and I decided to leave it unlocked. You never know.

I’m just really tired this weekend. I love my students this year, and I often say I’d much rather have sweet, busy kids than mean, mellow ones, but this year that statement is really being tested. I’m one busy teacher with a room full of busy third graders, hopping around my classroom, teaching, sharing lots of love with these people. This past week was crazily difficult after the four day weekend, after the music performance, after the glow party… and it left my head just spinning. Cross that over with my second formal observation for the year coming up on Tuesday and you might as well smack me upside the head and prescribe a few nights of no sleep with massive worrying over what might/could/probably will go wrong. ACK! I know it will all be fine, but still, I have to worry, I suppose. And I have to over-prepare, over-plan and be as shiny as possible. So I’m tired.

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Does that mean I get to stop exercising and eating smart?! NO!
What if it snows? NO!
(It actually snowed all morning and, while it didn’t stick, I wasn’t interested in running in it.)
Around 10:00 this morning I sniffed out the kind of day that was bearing down on me and I decided I had better work out before I started laminating paper, planning my week and altogether avoiding that whole working out thing.

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So we did the Jillian Michaels again. Today I was not feeling it at all and really had to force myself to stick with it with actual effort after 45 minutes into a 57 minute routine. Jillian asked, towards the end, why I would do all that hard work in the beginning to finish weakly? She told me to finish strong, and I really needed to hear that right then because I busted out my best and hit it hard. I’ll admit it; I was being a little lazy for a few minutes before that. Afterwards I did a little Bowflex too, but seriously, I was not into it. Just wiped. Out.
But glad I did it, as evidenced by the pictures Bradley snapped during the cool down phase.
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This weekend my goal was to eat smart and avoid gaining back anything I lost. So far I’d say I’m doing ok. My daughter made peanut butter chocolate chip cookies. If I have a weakness secondary to ice cream, it is cookies. Add peanut butter and m&m’s and I am a goner. I have eaten two cookies and one gob of dough. Considering what could have happened, I’m calling it a success!
Tomorrow, we run!
I weigh 209 right now. I’m not sure I’m going to make my diet bet. I’m not sure I care. Is that terrible?!?
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I posted this then took it down in the middle of the night because I get worried about posting such immodest pictures. Unfortunately, these are the only pictures that I’m taking lately because I’m working out inside and wearing clothing that goes with that warmer, more private environment. The thing is, I don’t really worry about people seeing my body as long as they are not snarky about it. I liked these pictures because of the way my legs look. 🙂