It Starts!

WHOLLY MOLY!  What have I gotten myself into?!?!

I laughed as I hesitantly told my husband this morning of my latest venture...I purchased a 4-week bootcamp class from Groupon, that meets from 5-6AM!  I told him my "All In" approach is beginning to make me feel like Jim Carrey's character from the movie The Yes Man.  Things come up (email, conversation, etc) and I pause for a moment to consider it and decide, "Sure, why not?!"  LOL

I reasoned that it will help me on multiple fronts and since one of the reasons I'm doing this blog/journal is for nutrition this bootcamp will help me to capitalize on those efforts.  Win/Win.  (although the thought of waking at 4:30 in the morning does NOT sound like a win at the moment...and I'm almost positive it won't feel like one on Monday!)

I'll have time to hate myself later I'm sure!

I'm still dragging out my nutritional efforts.  My reasoning is that I can't start until I go to the grocery store.  I have to set myself up for success after all.  What am I doing you ask?  Basically I'm going to try to follow the nutrition recommendations of the P90X program...without doing the program itself.  What this means is that I will workout on my own (via the aforementioned bootcamp and then various programs at the YMCA) instead of their home DVD program while following their nutritional recommendations.  I may do some of the videos to subsidize where needed, but honestly a room full of other people is more motivating to me.  The first step of the nutrition plan is the shred (loosing weight initially via a high protein/low carb plan).  For example I will get 7 servings of protein a day and only 1 carb, 1 fruit, 4 veggies, 3 dairy, 2 'snacks', etc.  IT IS GOING TO BE ROUGH!  So, I have not had to go to the store yet because we still have food for dinners so far.  AND much to my delight we were just invited over to the inlaws for dinner today...yet extending our rations a bit longer!  This also works out well since I have a lunch planned with my dad on Monday at The Cheesecake Factory and I fully intend to eat what I want!   =D
So, before we get officially started, yes we are accepting dinner offers!

On another note - my All In approach with the kids is going...
I've had a number of run ins with Thea lately.  She's 8 and all things considered "should" be at the easiest stage right now.  (2 year olds are well, 2 years old....and preteens STINK!)  I have been up with her every morning this week and have been lied to, manipulated or out right disrespected.  Today was the last straw.  After taking both her and Taylor to tumbling I told Steven about my recent encounters and he flat out said I needed to spank her.  (and that it needed to come from me and not him)  After returning home I asked her to wait for me in my room and we had a good conversation.  I then let her know what her dad had recommended and as she started emotionally withdrawing and letting herself be emotionally carried away I was able to ask calmly, "Do you think you deserve a spanking?"  She nodded and after obvious proceedings I hugged her and told her "I love you".  As sad as this is to admit, I can honestly say that such a peaceful exchange of punishments has only happened maybe a handful of times.  One of the "wounds" I got from my parents is my keen ability to fly off the handle at the drop of a hat...the whole "spank first, ask questions later" kind of approach.  I'm not saying I'm proud of it...I'm just saying.  I gave her some time and came back and told her we're not going to let this affect the whole day.  I'm not going to hold it over her head.  It's done.
After a workout at the gym (so that monday may hurt less) I returned with Chick-fil-A and took the girls to the park for a picnic while Steven and Thomas had some wild wings and watched football.
....It's going!!   =D

...lastly and maybe TMI (so stop while you're ahead)...how is "All In" going for my role as wife?
It's funny...without specifically trying...well I suppose the daily bible verse/encouragement emails could be considered trying; Steven is looking at me in a whole new light.  To sum it up, using his words I'm making myself "irresistible" to him.  He sees my heart growing and is drawn to me...I'm being supportive (and not that I wasn't before, but I'm SHOWING it!), I'm investing in our children (in multiple avenues and discussing what I want, what I see, etc), I'm bettering myself (but not at the expense of my husband or kids).  He's turning around...that gloom attitude that was defeating him just days ago is lifting and he seems to be finding his joy again.  I'm not bold enough to say that's just me...but I am pointing it to the one who's changing me.