I was determined to go swimming last night. I packed my bag and psyched myself up, even though the pool had posted the water temperature to be really cold. Thing is the timing stinks. The lane swimming starts when my kids are eating snack, then they are off to brush their teeth, bedtime story then tucked in. I am not prepared to miss that yet. In the summer, their bedtime was later, so I had time to swim before their nighttime routine started. ugh.

So instead, last night I walked to the library and back. It is about 3 km round trip, the kicker is that it is all up hill to the library. My thighs and buttocks were screaming at me! It felt great to get out there! I was over dressed even! I may have to modify the resolution to exercise 3 times a week rather than just swimming.

Ethan is down to nursing once a day. It was causing me so much pain to nurse him, that over the Christmas holidays, we weaned him of his afternoon nurse before nap. Now, although grumpily he snuggles with myself (or J) and falls asleep. He is growing, talking and changing so fast this last month. His strength and agility has skyrocketed since moving into the house. New challenges and snow pants have really helped him. He actually enjoyed MOPS yesterday. After he screamed intially he had fun playing with the other toddlers.

Becca is awesome. She loved going to kiddie aquatics yesterday, although she was disappointed that Ethan and I would not be there to watch her swim. I am the one of the only moms that stays to watch, but it means so much to her. Yesterday she knew Ethan & I were going to MOPS, so lived through our absence. She is so smart and comprhends so much, yet resists learning words and writing. Anytime I try to show her anything she is determined to do her own thing.

We are off to the library this morning. We all really missed going regularly over the holidays. Is your first week back to the grind super busy? We have appointments, classes, errands and so much to do!

For the past three weeks or so I have been walk-a-running. Meaning, I am attempting to *gag* run. I started off taking a nightly walk, then building the eumph to turn that brisk walk into a run.

Now traditionally I have been the “Only run when bear is going to eat you” kind of girl. I would glance at those craaaazy fools jogging in all sorts of weather, shake my head then sit back and enjoy my geeky pleasures of computers, gaming … even knitting, not at all close to jogging.

But alas, I am not happy with my current self. Not striving to be a la twiggy, but would like to feel a little less jiggity, more firm, strong. A lot of this lies in the fact that I want to be a positive role model for my daughter. She is going to be bombarded with images of what women *should* look like. I would like to counter that with a real perspective. That with exercise and a decent diet one can be healthy and happy with ones self.

Running just happens to be the most efficient way to achieve this exercise/diet thing. So run I shall. It hurts. However I play little head games with myself, like I am going to run just a little farther before going back to walking. I have mastered a good third of my trail running, the rest I walk like uber fast. hehe The third that I run is on a decline so gravity is helping Still it feels good for the ego that I can even run without collapsing in a heap of mush.

Ethan & I went for our follow up appointment to our so cool doctor. As you may recall there was a little concern that Ethan was not gaining weight. Well I am happily reporting a half a pound increase!!! Not too shabby for a boy that is walk/running everywhere himself!

I too passed with flying colours. My blood pressure is back to normal numbers and all my blood work came back healthy!! I was so relieved. I am working very hard on this healthy being, so to know that it is showing in my health is awesome. My doctor laughed at me describing my walk-a-run attempts and encouraged me to continue. I was expressing my frustration that after three weeks of this human torture I have not weighed in less. He said to keep at it, because even if the scale isn’t moving the health factor is good. I am hoping all this effort begins to show a little, you know for encouragement … positive reinforcement.

So when does this running gig turn into a thing people look forward to? Or do you exercise because you have to, not because you love it? Do you exercise regularly? Why? Why not?