I'm looking at sun-dappled leaves & noting their changing shades. *sigh* It's a paradox - hot sun, new colors telling me the change of seasons is approaching. Where has summer gone?? This is always a time of anticipation of a new school year... and depression, with my all day, every day of summer spent with my kids disappearing. I cherish these days so much, it isn't even funny! With school starting, I'm still in denial. It just doesn't seem real.... wasn't I just waving at departing busses yesterday??
Fall & spring are my favorite seasons of the year. With fall comes the crisp cool weather at night & the warmer days, but not too hot. It seems like the stars show up brighter against the night sky & aren't softened
by that summer haze that seems to be around so much lately. In the fall, I always find myself thinking about when I went back to finish my degree in LaCrosse - the night before I left, we sat out in the driveway at my parents, looking at the stars, and it is one of those moments in a lifetime that, for some unknown reason, leaves a lasting memory. The night was dark & the air was cooling after a warm day, so the breeze was warmed by the heat rising from the blacktop, but we would feel the wisps of coolness woven in from the already-cooled-down woods behind the house. We talked about what we were hoping for, and how nervous we were for some of our classes, hoping they weren't too hard & that our roommates wouldn't suck (2 did, 2 didn't, and of course, I didn't - 5 girls, one apartment).
I wish I had known then about some of the things in life would go once I drove away from home the next morning... I would have made a point of running in to Chicago some weekend to see Uncle Bob before he was no longer with us. I wish so much that I would have been able to give him one last hug & hear him laugh one last time before that sad day. I would have tried harder in my stupid PE Methods class so I could have offset my partner's lack of effort & had the 4.0 I deserved instead of the 3.975 that I got and am still mad about (I need to learn to let go a little more, huh?). I would have argued with the PE Methods teacher when he gave me the A- that I DIDN'T deserve, but which my partner so generously gave to me through her idiocy. (Don't worry, I'm sure she will never see this blog, and even if she does, she won't remember me... right, Lisa? LOL...) I would have kept running & working out so a healthy way of life was MY way of life. That one would have been pretty key...
Speaking of the weight loss / exercise journey, I'm joining the YMCA on Tuesday, and I'm really excited about it! It should work out PERFECTLY with our family schedule, regardless of what hours Tim is working, because we will be able to go right after school while we are still in town, out & about. You know how it is - once you are home from work, you just don't want to get back in the car & go to work out... so we will go every day for an hour to an hour & 1/2. That will be fun, and a new experience for all of us!
We went to the Y once last winter to go swimming, and I was amazed at the facility they have & how much they have going on, then I checked their website & they have a TON of things to do!!
I think Makenzie will want to do the gymnastics & Ryan will want to do whatever sports he can get into, plus, they can take swimming lessons there. :) That will be great for us. I'm not so sure what I will do - probably stair climbers & treadmill & some nautilus/weight work. I'd like to get more evenly toned - my arms suck, but I can see the definition in my leg muscles. I'm using arm band things and they are HARD, but it helps...
I also want to lose 20 - 25 lbs by Christmas. That goal seems huge to me - what a difference it will make to my body image & obviously, my health! :) One thing I would like to learn to do is take a favorite recipe & know what I can substitute to make things healthier, but still have some of the things I love to eat, and still lose weight. I will have to see if there is a place to find stuff like that - surely there must be a website for that. If there isn't, I think maybe we should start one!! :)
Well, off to clean the house one last time before the end of the carefree days. I started yesterday with the kids' rooms (spent 4 hours - think I left that a little too long!) & our room. Tim has started picking up the living room now, so I'm sure my computer time needs to come to an end & folding the laundry needs to get started (AGAIN)... the never ending cycle - no pun intended!
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