30 Day Torture, Hidden Behind the Label of Fitness

First off, thank you for coming out of lurkdom for my last post! I learned a lot from your comments, including I had no idea there were so many readers without children. I hope my blog is proving to be a good form of birth control for you – were I 22 and reading this, I’d be putting my ovaries on ice for several years.

Yesterday I had planned out a post about getting back into shape again, following the New Year’s herd and all, but was interrupted from this task due to the very thing I was going to write about.

You may have noticed a new obsession with several bloggers: 30 Day Shred is the fitness regimen that apparently half of the world has adopted. I don’t know if it’s because we’ve all watched The Biggest Loser and thought, “If these 300 lb contestants can survive a workout designed by Jillian Michaels, I should be fine!” or if Jillian Michaels is a manipulative psychic, mentally projecting her DVD into our heads as the perfect get-fit tool. Either way, I took a flying leap onto that bandwagon and bought the DVD.

I did my research first. Or, rather, I asked others what they thought, with opinions ranging from, “It’s pure hell, but it works,” to “You’ll never feel so good bitching out your TV.” Hmmm…sounds like fun, right?

The last time I tried a new workout DVD, I had less than stellar results. So of course I once again set myself up for failure with another difficult workout by one of the hardest trainers available. This time I dragged Aaron along for the torture fun.

It sounds like a simple system: 3 minutes of strength training, followed by 2 minutes of cardio and 1 minute of ab work. Repeat x3. Only 20 minutes total. Anyone can hold out for those small amounts of time, right?

Sure, but not when those first 3 minutes are composed of alternating 45 second intervals of push-ups and squats. I had no idea 45 seconds could take so long! And after that going directly into alternating jumping jacks and butt-kicks. There was no time for a breath, no water break, no mercy.

At several points one of us would mutter “This is impossible!” and while we considered turning it off, we kept going until the end, then collapsed on the floor from our jelly legs and arms. (Did I mention that’s just Level 1? There are 3 levels.)

And that’s how I spent the rest of the day – with Gumby arms and legs, unable to even walk up stairs without holding tight to the handrail to prevent me from sliding back down the stairs when my legs gave out.

I knew today was going to hurt. Right now I am a rigid, slow-moving shadow of my usual self. When I sit or stand up, I groan louder than an arthritic 80-year old. Everything hurts.

I keep telling myself that this is a good hurt, though – I have tested my body, and it has given me a full report of its deficiencies, which can be summarized as: if you ever do that again I will slow your metabolism to a crawl, change your digestion to send you running to the bathroom at inopportune times, force debilitating migranes on you, and put your entire immune system on strike to punish you for putting me through that.

Eh, I think my body’s bluffing. It’s been through worse – like the years I did Irish dance regularly. It can protest all it wants, but I’m not quitting. I am taking it easy today, choosing Wii Fit over 30 Day Shred, because the Wii Fit’s insults don’t hurt as much as my thighs do right now. But tomorrow it’ll be time to scream obscenities at Jillian Michaels while doing bicycle crunches.

Is anyone else using a DVD or Wii Fit to help with getting fit? If so, what are you using, and do you like it? I’m wondering if others are finding it as hard to get in shape.



I’ll Send You Her Therapy Bills

I’ve noticed a trend lately among friends, family and even complete strangers when they lay eyes on my two little girls together. It usually goes something like this:

Person: (gushing) “Oh, look at Cordy! She’s gorgeous! You know that, right? She could easily be a model. Those curls are so pretty, and her eyes are such a deep blue. She’s really is a beautiful little girl!”

Me: “Thank you! Yes, she is very pretty.”

*Person then turns gaze towards Mira, and then in a less exuberant voice:

Person: “Hi there, Mira! Cute outfit. You look just like your father, you know that? No denying who your daddy is!”

Me: “Um…yeah. She does have some of Aaron’s best features, making her pretty, too.”

That’s it. They tell us how pretty Cordy is, and then totally leave out that part when pointing out Mira’s appearance.

Poor kid. Rarely does anyone tell her she’s pretty. And while I would never emphasize a need for beauty in order to be successful (because I want to be a part of killing the stereotype that women need to focus on beauty), I worry that if this trend continues it might begin to affect her when she’s older and understands.

I’m pretty too, dammit

I know I’d start to feel inadequate if someone close to me was constantly praised for her beauty while I was given a passing remark about a family resemblance. Even with constant self-esteem building, it might be enough to put a dent into an armor of confidence.

And it’s not like Aaron needs a bag on his head to go out in public, either. I’m biased, but others have confirmed for me that he is generally thought to be good-looking. But often any comparison between Aaron and Mira is said without as much…excitement? or as if there’s another message hidden underneath? I can’t be sure. Maybe I’m totally reading into something that is more shallow than I thought.

Either way, if Mira looks like Aaron it’s a good thing. She has his eyes. She sports a lovely olive skin tone that will keep her from burning in the sun, unlike me and Cordy who look out a sunny window and turn pink. It’s possible she’ll have her father’s curls, too. It’s not like she’s sporting his beard, ya know?

Hopefully these specific conversations will fade away as Mira gets older and people are more careful with their words, as we all are with other adults. And despite who is the prettiest, both girls will continue to be valued at home for their personalities and accomplishments. In our house there is no “ugly” sister – just two girls treasured because of who they are in total.

And besides, it’s not like Cordy hasn’t had her share of not-so-pretty days:


Not too far off from this, is it?



Haiku Friday: New Year’s Resolutions

Haiku Friday
My resolutions?
Eat better, exercise? Not
specific enough.

Spend more time with my
family, maybe even
be more domestic.

Look for the good, even
in a bad situation,
and be more helpful.

Prepare a facelift
for this blog – a new look for
a new year, new me.

I also will share
more stories with you – a look
deeper in my head.

Find time for lost loves:
knitting and the hum of an
old sewing machine

I want the new year
to be my best year yet – a
year of renewal.

Are you making resolutions for the new year? If so, what are they?

To play along for Haiku Friday, follow these steps:

1. Write your own haiku on your blog. You can do one or many, all following a theme or just random. What’s a haiku, you ask? Click here.

2. Sign the Mister Linky below with your name and the link to your haiku post (the specific post URL, not your main blog URL). DON’T sign unless you have a haiku this week. If you need help with this, please let me know.

3. Pick up a Haiku Friday button to display on the post or in your sidebar by clicking the button at the top.

REMEMBER: Do not post your link unless you have a haiku this week! I will delete any links without haiku!



What You Get When You Give A 4-Year Old A Camera For Christmas

From Cordy’s new Little Tikes camera:







And when said 4-year old’s 19-month sister gets her hands on the same Little Tikes camera, you get these pictures…






…and about 130 more exactly like them.



…And A Happy You Here

For those of you celebrating Christmas – or just wanting to see something cute while eating your Chinese take-out – a little holiday song by Cordy. (If you’re reading the feed you may need to click-thru to see it.)

We Wish You… from Christina M on Vimeo.

And one more, with a typical little-sister upstaging by Mira at the end. Watch your sound folks – Mira’s surprise entrance is a wee bit loud.

Jingle Bells from Christina M on Vimeo.

Enjoy your December 24th, whether it be celebrating Christmas Eve at home or at a party, lighting the fourth night of Hanukkah candles, or just kicking back and watching everyone scurry like mice to find their last gifts as you sip hot chocolate and watch the snow fall.

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