I Keep Good Company

You are worried about seeing him spend his early years in doing nothing.  What!  Is it nothing to be happy?  Nothing to skip, play, and run around all day long?  Never in his life will he be so busy again.  ~Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Emile, 1762

I got a surprise while I was on Day 8 of the 30 Day Shred.  My little guys who I thought were happily playing upstairs, came to join me.  Riley has joined me on my workouts before and so has Boo.  In fact, the other night while I was doing my video, she climbed up on the elliptical machine and started pumping as fast as her little 2 1/2 year old legs would take her.  When I was ready to head back upstairs, she told me, "Mom, be quiet.  I have to concentrate."


I love it when my kids join me to exercise.  We were doing hip circles to warm up and Boo had her little hands on her hips and was carefully swaying around and around.  I had decided to do level 1 today but incorporated a lot of the more challenging level 2 stretches and cardio in.  When, instead of doing punches, I did "skaters", Riley told me, "Um, Mom?  You're doing it wrong."  He's paying attention.


I love to see their little legs flailing spastically as they try to do jumping jacks.  They just haven't mastered the concept of arms and legs out, arms and legs in.  It's more of a ARMS OUT LEGS IN ARMS TWIRL LEG JUMP RUN ARMS LEGS IN motion. 


I even love when I'm down on the floor grunting through the ab workouts and they take my weights and look like miniature Hulk Hogans the way their little muscles strain as they attempt to do bicep curls.  Seriously, they're pretty cute. 


But one of the things I love best is that Hubby and I are setting good examples that exercise is important.  I have always struggled with my weight.  All through my childhood I was always a little overweight.  When I was in my early 20's I was over 200 pounds.  I had quit smoking and started eating.  I was miserable. Finally when I couldn't even walk up the stairs to my 2nd floor apartment without having to stop, I had had enough.  I taught myself how to eat and made myself exercise.  Eventually I got to a healthy weight.  And at 140 I'm not completely unhealthy now, just trying to get back into my clothes. 


Anyway (have I mentioned I love tangents, too?), kids struggle enough.  I don't ever want weight to be an issue with my kids.  I'll admit their diet needs some improvement, but I'm working on that too.  I have started serving EVERYONE a salad before dinner now.  That way they are so hungry they'll eat vegetables no matter what. (hee hee! my diabolic little plan is working too!)


Hubby and I may not be perfect role models, but we are getting some things right!