working out for Disney

[HouCuseChickie]

I managed to make it 3 days in a row, but it was tempting to skip. I got the older one out faster than expected this morning, so I indulged myself with an extra 10 minutes in bed after drop off...before hitting the bike. My energy is really low today, so I settled for 9.25 miles. I was torn between making today a traditional arms day or doing kettlebells. I did three sets of kettlebells...swings, deadlifts and tricep presses along with one set of passthroughs. I just was really struggling. I also did abs shortly after that...no ball this time for the crunches and a modified version of the 100 to keep my abs engaged for a bit.

I'm praying that by the end of this coming weekend, we'll have some resolution on this softball stuff. Unfortunately, last night was something I was dreading. My daughter was planning on going to a particular tryout, got a message from old coach's daughter asking if she was going, and we had to endure 3 hours in the bleachers with them. I guess my theory on him sabotaging our team for his kid was off, so in a way, that's a good thing. It still doesn't excuse his poor judgement calls and lack of ego control with blowing things up. In any event, the mom tried to talk to me...just a little offhanded comment...but I shot her that look like "why on earth would you dare speak to me," and everything else was uncomfortable silence. A couple of other kids from our old team were there, but they were newer ones that didn't start until mid-spring this year...and they have no idea what he's been like for the rest of us over the last 3+ years. So, they played nice and kept the jerk distracted so we didn't have to deal with any additional attempts at communicating with us. Ultimately, 1. I have no idea why this team holding tryouts. They had a very full roster as it was. 2. I wasn't getting the greatest vibes from these coaches. Technically, this was an open practice...and the tryout is tonight...but in a practice, you expect a taste of the coaching your child will receive. There was none of that. 3. My daughter picked up on both of these things and hated the idea that she could wind up on a team with the ex coach's kid...so she wants no part of it. Fingers crossed either something from the first tryout works out or the one we're doing this weekend winds up being the one.

 

[Songbird76]

E can finally walk pretty normally. She got a sock and shoe on a few days ago, but we didn't want to push it by walking too much, but she seems fine now, though her toe is a really bright blue now. So next week, we'll do the city escape experience we had planned for last week that didn't pan out because she couldn't walk. So yay!

 

[Songbird76]

Yes, this is Sam. Every child impacted by this is in the 12-13 year age range. Kendall has opted to just stick with school ball, since she learned how hard it is to juggle a full academic schedule and club travel ball. You really need to stay in the game, so we've started shopping her (Sam) around to other teams. She had a private tryout for one on Sunday and was part of a group practice with them on Monday. Tonight, she's doing a group practice with another team and tryouts tomorrow. We have a few other options, but one is a longer drive than we'd really like and the other two would be steps backwards...like we'd only use them to keep her playing while we look for other options. Sam is also going to be trying out for school volleyball next week, so I'd like her secure with a team before she has to work on that. Things are typically broken up by two seasons per age group...so 16U would be the next time she moves up. We really need her settled in a team at that point because that's when it gets really serious. Ultimately, we need to get her on the field playing ASAP. This may sound like overkill, but I'm going to start using my camera gear to create a YouTube channel with her highlights. We're also going to be keeping a list of teams we've played and notes on what we think of them. If at any time Sam decides she wants to move on from wherever we're at, we'll reach out to teams privately and see if we can arrange something mid-season.

Tonight should be interesting...the girls have batting with their private coach. Sam is skipping to make it to this open practice for this other team, but I'll be taking Kendall. Our coach works with Sam and three other girls from her old team. The other main batting coach in there works with Sam's best friend and is the manager of the club that Sam looked at Sunday and Monday. I'm anticipating a lot of questions. I know they both know that things blew up and while they had been urging Sam to move on, they both manage teams and have a lot of experience.

Well it sounds like she's not locked into anything regardless, right? She can always do a tryout for a different team later if she's not happy where she is? How far is farther than you'd like and what's the difference in distance? Are we talking a few minutes longer drive or an hour more? Sam seems so athletic...softball, volleyball....my daughter doesn't have an athletic bone in her body. Well, I think she'd be ok at dance, but she is rather clumsy. A is decent at tennis, though he doesn't play competitively. I can't imagine driving all over creation for athletics like you have to. So given all the options, would you rather drive a bit farther to have something at her level, or take something closer for now and then switch later when she can attend a tryout for a better team that's closer?

 

[Songbird76]

I understand this like a higher level of softball and more is expected of these girls, but this guy sounds like a tool.

I am hoping things get better for young athletes, too. Just because things have always been that way, doesn't mean they shouldn't change. I was reading in the Olympics thread, someone was saying she choked. So what if she did? What does she have to prove at this point in her career? I can't imagine carrying around that burden of being the "GOAT" in your sport. She has performed maneuvers nobody else has and her pulling out of the games will never diminish that.

Totally agree! And even if she choked, can you blame her? How many of us have the world watching us, literally millions of people watching us and expecting huge things? That's an INCREDIBLE amount of pressure. If your job depended on how you performed in ONE moment with millions of people watching, wouldn't YOU be filled with anxiety, hoping you didn't let everyone down? And really, like you said, she's done things no one else has...she is arguably the best at what she does. How many of us can say that we are the top of the top in our fields? What she's accomplished is already amazing...she's proven herself over and over again. Why does she need to do it again? Why should she put herself in danger for OUR entertainment? She has nothing to prove....she's done it already. Anything else is icing on the cake. People just feel entitled to her performance, like any celebrity. And who doesn't get time off now and then from their job? Why shouldn't she? If I'm feeling overwhelmed, I can just call in sick and no one but my boss knows. It's not broadcast to the whole world and I'm not treated like a failure because I needed a breather. I think it took a huge amount of courage for her to do what she did and I'm so glad she was able to come back and get the bronze in Beam, but I think it's SO important that she took that time off. There's such a stigma attached to it....it's implied that she's weak, or that she is selfish, or whatever, but the younger athletes are watching and I hope more of them take a page out of her book and stand up for themselves when they need a time out.

 

[Songbird76]

Yeah, my dad had a freakout all the sudden a few days ago over me not being vaccinated. He suddenly was like, "Can you get vaccinated before our trip?" I was like, um, no Dad, I can't. He was like, "Well, can't you get J&J?" Um, no Dad. That's the one my doctor said absolutely not to get. Then we went through the whole thing all over again. He finally concluded that no, I cannot get vaccinated before the trip.

I think it'll be okay because of Disney's mask requirement. Plus, based on the charts, it looks like Florida got to their peak, so now it's going to go down from there.

For me, the other thing is that August and September are my worst breathing months here and by September, I'm going to need a break. Back in 2019, I had to go to the ER with my asthma. No good reason that we can figure out; just stopped breathing. And my parents were in WDW, and my mom's best friend who I ordinarily would have called, was in Ocean City, so I just got in the car and drove to the ER. Not one of my finer moments. My thought process was, "I am NOT paying for an ambulance."

Have you heard of "peak weak"? There's a week in September that sees more issues with athsma and allergies than any other time. Third week of September...high allergen levels, plus kids going back to school and spreading germs, etc....it all comes together to make that week a dangerous one for anyone with allergies or conditions involving breathing.

 

[Songbird76]

I managed to make it 3 days in a row, but it was tempting to skip. I got the older one out faster than expected this morning, so I indulged myself with an extra 10 minutes in bed after drop off...before hitting the bike. My energy is really low today, so I settled for 9.25 miles. I was torn between making today a traditional arms day or doing kettlebells. I did three sets of kettlebells...swings, deadlifts and tricep presses along with one set of passthroughs. I just was really struggling. I also did abs shortly after that...no ball this time for the crunches and a modified version of the 100 to keep my abs engaged for a bit.

I'm praying that by the end of this coming weekend, we'll have some resolution on this softball stuff. Unfortunately, last night was something I was dreading. My daughter was planning on going to a particular tryout, got a message from old coach's daughter asking if she was going, and we had to endure 3 hours in the bleachers with them. I guess my theory on him sabotaging our team for his kid was off, so in a way, that's a good thing. It still doesn't excuse his poor judgement calls and lack of ego control with blowing things up. In any event, the mom tried to talk to me...just a little offhanded comment...but I shot her that look like "why on earth would you dare speak to me," and everything else was uncomfortable silence. A couple of other kids from our old team were there, but they were newer ones that didn't start until mid-spring this year...and they have no idea what he's been like for the rest of us over the last 3+ years. So, they played nice and kept the jerk distracted so we didn't have to deal with any additional attempts at communicating with us. Ultimately, 1. I have no idea why this team holding tryouts. They had a very full roster as it was. 2. I wasn't getting the greatest vibes from these coaches. Technically, this was an open practice...and the tryout is tonight...but in a practice, you expect a taste of the coaching your child will receive. There was none of that. 3. My daughter picked up on both of these things and hated the idea that she could wind up on a team with the ex coach's kid...so she wants no part of it. Fingers crossed either something from the first tryout works out or the one we're doing this weekend winds up being the one.

Was this one of them that would be a step back for her, or was it the one that's farther away than you wanted? Would a pro/con list help? It doesn't sound like this one was a good match for Sam.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

Well it sounds like she's not locked into anything regardless, right? She can always do a tryout for a different team later if she's not happy where she is? How far is farther than you'd like and what's the difference in distance? Are we talking a few minutes longer drive or an hour more? Sam seems so athletic...softball, volleyball....my daughter doesn't have an athletic bone in her body. Well, I think she'd be ok at dance, but she is rather clumsy. A is decent at tennis, though he doesn't play competitively. I can't imagine driving all over creation for athletics like you have to. So given all the options, would you rather drive a bit farther to have something at her level, or take something closer for now and then switch later when she can attend a tryout for a better team that's closer?

Was this one of them that would be a step back for her, or was it the one that's farther away than you wanted? Would a pro/con list help? It doesn't sound like this one was a good match for Sam.

Honestly, there are so many factors that are at play...and even if you consider all of that before going for a tryout...no guarantees you're making that team. So, we're kind of forced to keep all options open. She had a bit of a meltdown yesterday because she's tired. I can't blame her. It's been emotionally draining, the time wasted on this team that blew up was equivalent to five tryouts, and she'd been to three others on top of that. She's also never had to experience this before since she's always been tied to someone forming a team or filling spots who knew she'd be the right fit. We were going to have her try out for another over the weekend and set up two more for the beginning of next week, but she was strongly opposed to that idea. Thankfully, we got a call last night with an offer for one of the teams she did like. So, we're taking the next steps in moving forward. This one is farther, but the practices are later, so it gives traffic plenty of time to die down and time for her to get in whatever for school athletics (she starts volleyball tryouts on Monday) and whatever homework that may need to be done.

In reality, we had it really easy over the past few years with practice locations. The fields the old team used are just 5 minutes from us, so we were only driving around like crazy people for tournaments. Before we moved to this area, we had much longer drives on a regular basis and most of the families on our old teams had significantly longer drives to get to the fields. No guarantees that this team will be a long-term fit for her, but she's going to have better tools and resources than she had before and would have had with what blew up. I still plan to start filming her to start working on a YouTube channel for playing highlights.

 

[StarWarsGirl]

Have you heard of "peak weak"? There's a week in September that sees more issues with athsma and allergies than any other time. Third week of September...high allergen levels, plus kids going back to school and spreading germs, etc....it all comes together to make that week a dangerous one for anyone with allergies or conditions involving breathing.

Yeah, my uncle is a Hopkins doctor. When doing his residency, he gave out all the Albuterol in the peds ER one night.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

Workout update...I really wasn't sure how to handle today. I don't want to break the streak I've got going, but today is my early day at work. I log in early, take a shorter lunch, but also can log out early as well. I didn't want to push this to the end of the workday, since I have to pick up the main part of Kendall's birthday present, but there's not enough time to get in the minimum amount of cardio I'm requiring of myself between school drop off and start of work. So, I approached it sort of backwards.

It's arms day, so instead of breaking up arms during short breaks throughout the morning...I did a 28 minute workout before work that included extra arms work, including a round with heavier weights, my full ab routine on with the ball, and some adductor and abductor work with the ball that I haven't done in a while + stretching. I still biked 30 minutes + a short cool down, but I biked it in little breaks (kind of taking the place of arms). I force them to be sort of microbursts at a higher pace since I am not dealing with the same level of fatigue this way. Wound up going 10.27 miles.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

It's amazing, I went off the meds I started a year ago for my anxiety and suddenly I have all of this energy back. I'm still gradually increasing, but I at least found the energy to wake up early on a Saturday for a workout. I can't remember the last time I did that and got a lot done. I biked a little over 10 miles, did barre style legs...three sets of five different exercises...I had the crazy urge to grab the light kettlebell and do a few quick sets of around the head stuff...and then it was on the floor for abs. I tell ya, that stuff really helped me for the anxiety at the time and I may miss it at some point, but I feel like I'm coming out of a fog. I still have a ways to go to undo all of the everything from my time on the med, but I can already feel a difference with clothes.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

Yesterday was another successful workout day, although...I was dragging a bit. I really want to get back to 6-days a week and yesterday was day 6. So, fatigue is to be expected. I biked a smidge over 10 miles, did my standard arms workout...but upped the weight, and then it was on the floor for abs. The lactic acid buildup was really getting to me so I split the abs routine into two segments vs. pushing all the way through. It still got done...just a bit differently. Today is a break day. A college friend, who opted not to use her degrees and is happier as a fitness guru, says you never should have Monday as your break day. I tried to live by that for a while, but her world is quite different than mine. Her kids have since graduated, but with her flexible fitness instructor schedule, she could drop the kids off at school and get in her personal fitness before working with others later in the day. Not all of us have that luxury, so rather than cram in a workout with the chaos of a Monday...I think making Monday my break day is possibly one of the best things I can do.

In other news, the older kid turns 15 today. She hasn't been very fun to be around of late and to top things off, she asked that I not make her a cake this year. She said she just wanted a plain white cake from a grocery store like normal people. So, I ordered her a white cake, with white buttercream, white decorations, and a white bday greeting. It's probably more white than she really wanted, but she did ask for an all white cake. She's also all cranky that we won't get her the one thing she wanted for her bday...a queen bed, new bed frame, and all kinds trendy bedding. 1. What she wants is close to 3x my birthday budget 2. She got a pricey trundle bed/sofa set up 2-years ago so she could have friends sleep over and be comfortable...and it's still in perfect condition 3. She's being sort of all-or-nothing inflexible on things. I suggested we get her a new mattress and bedding for the current bed...she said no. I suggested she save her bday gift $ for the holidays so we could combine proceeds and get her what she wants...husband and daughter both said no. So, she's stuck with my original plan...which really isn't bad. I got her a big tv for her room, so she'd stop frying her eyes watching on tablets and she wants a second piercing in her ear...and i have an appointment for this weekend. Spoiled and it's probably all my doing.

 

[MinnieM123]

In other news, the older kid turns 15 today. She hasn't been very fun to be around of late and to top things off, she asked that I not make her a cake this year. She said she just wanted a plain white cake from a grocery store like normal people. So, I ordered her a white cake, with white buttercream, white decorations, and a white bday greeting. It's probably more white than she really wanted, but she did ask for an all white cake. She's also all cranky that we won't get her the one thing she wanted for her bday...a queen bed, new bed frame, and all kinds trendy bedding. 1. What she wants is close to 3x my birthday budget 2. She got a pricey trundle bed/sofa set up 2-years ago so she could have friends sleep over and be comfortable...and it's still in perfect condition 3. She's being sort of all-or-nothing inflexible on things. I suggested we get her a new mattress and bedding for the current bed...she said no. I suggested she save her bday gift $ for the holidays so we could combine proceeds and get her what she wants...husband and daughter both said no. So, she's stuck with my original plan...which really isn't bad. I got her a big tv for her room, so she'd stop frying her eyes watching on tablets and she wants a second piercing in her ear...and i have an appointment for this weekend. Spoiled and it's probably all my doing.

Sounds like the teenage years, and probably not much you can do about it. It's a phase that we all went through (what's up is down, and what's down is up).

Hang in there. Things will revert back to normal -- in time to come. (Realize that your offer for a cake, and gifts, within budget, were very kind, and the rejection is all on her.) Eventually, as she gets older, she'll learn about the real cost of things -- and just how expensive it is to live in today's and tomorrow's world.). She's lucky to have you as a mother.

 

[Songbird76]

Yesterday was another successful workout day, although...I was dragging a bit. I really want to get back to 6-days a week and yesterday was day 6. So, fatigue is to be expected. I biked a smidge over 10 miles, did my standard arms workout...but upped the weight, and then it was on the floor for abs. The lactic acid buildup was really getting to me so I split the abs routine into two segments vs. pushing all the way through. It still got done...just a bit differently. Today is a break day. A college friend, who opted not to use her degrees and is happier as a fitness guru, says you never should have Monday as your break day. I tried to live by that for a while, but her world is quite different than mine. Her kids have since graduated, but with her flexible fitness instructor schedule, she could drop the kids off at school and get in her personal fitness before working with others later in the day. Not all of us have that luxury, so rather than cram in a workout with the chaos of a Monday...I think making Monday my break day is possibly one of the best things I can do.

In other news, the older kid turns 15 today. She hasn't been very fun to be around of late and to top things off, she asked that I not make her a cake this year. She said she just wanted a plain white cake from a grocery store like normal people. So, I ordered her a white cake, with white buttercream, white decorations, and a white bday greeting. It's probably more white than she really wanted, but she did ask for an all white cake. She's also all cranky that we won't get her the one thing she wanted for her bday...a queen bed, new bed frame, and all kinds trendy bedding. 1. What she wants is close to 3x my birthday budget 2. She got a pricey trundle bed/sofa set up 2-years ago so she could have friends sleep over and be comfortable...and it's still in perfect condition 3. She's being sort of all-or-nothing inflexible on things. I suggested we get her a new mattress and bedding for the current bed...she said no. I suggested she save her bday gift $ for the holidays so we could combine proceeds and get her what she wants...husband and daughter both said no. So, she's stuck with my original plan...which really isn't bad. I got her a big tv for her room, so she'd stop frying her eyes watching on tablets and she wants a second piercing in her ear...and i have an appointment for this weekend. Spoiled and it's probably all my doing.

Happy birthday, Kendall! Wow....I'm shocked....who wants a store bought generic cake instead of a homemade one? Homemade tastes SO much better, and you can have whatever you want....if she wanted a plain white cake, I'm sure you could make a plain white cake that tastes loads better than one from the store, plus it would be cheaper. Sounds like the "terrible teens" instead of the "twos". Why exactly does she want a Queen bed? My kids both have singles, and I wouldn't be opposed to getting them new beds since they've both had their beds since they were a year or two old, but they are SO expensive!! Not something I had really thought about for a birthday present, but if she's already got a good bed, why specifically a queen? Is there something she wants that you can only get for a queen size bed? Could you maybe have her save money to buy her own if she wants it that badly? It just seems an oddly specific request...I could see "new bedding" as you grow up and your tastes change, or a new mattress if the one you have is not comfortable, but specifically a queen bed...there must be a reason she wants that particular thing.

Why should you never have Monday as your break day? I think it totally depends on your life style and what works for you. Not everyone has the same responsibilities, the same days off work, the same work hours...I only work evenings because that's what fits our schedule. That way I can be home to get the kids going in the morning and off to school, make their lunches and remind them to make sure they have this or that...my son would forget his head if it wasn't screwed on tightly, and my daughter will walk right past her lunch sitting on the counter as she goes out to get on her bike if I don't remind her. A has a hard time with our front door lock, so if I'm not home, he can't just come in the back, which I leave open for them. So me working evenings just works better for us. Some people hate working evenings, but you do what works for you, and if that's a break day on Monday, I say go for it. Words like "never" or "always" can be misleading. There are exceptions to every rule.

 

[Songbird76]

Sounds like the teenage years, and probably not much you can do about it. It's a phase that we all went through (what's up is down, and what's down is up).

Hang in there. Things will revert back to normal -- in time to come. (Realize that your offer for a cake, and gifts, within budget, were very kind, and the rejection is all on her.) Eventually, as she gets older, she'll learn about the real cost of things -- and just how expensive it is to live in today's and tomorrow's world.). She's lucky to have you as a mother.

^^^^This! You offered so much more than I would have. The rejection is on her. She probably doesn't realize how much those things cost.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

Sounds like the teenage years, and probably not much you can do about it. It's a phase that we all went through (what's up is down, and what's down is up).

Hang in there. Things will revert back to normal -- in time to come. (Realize that your offer for a cake, and gifts, within budget, were very kind, and the rejection is all on her.) Eventually, as she gets older, she'll learn about the real cost of things -- and just how expensive it is to live in today's and tomorrow's world.). She's lucky to have you as a mother.

I'm sure that's a lot of it. She's old enough to want all kinds of things, but not at the point where she's got perspective on costs and reality. I also don't think she understands how some parents put on a show when they have guests. She thinks it would be so much better to live with this person's family or that person's, but she is seeing them in guest mode and not really understanding. She forgets that she has friends who would prefer to be at our house. She's also under punishment...which doesn't help either, but she broke the "no food in your bedroom" rule in grand fashion and then tried to spin a web of lies to get out of it. At the end of the day, she got a nice gift and hopefully she'll come to appreciate it.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

Happy birthday, Kendall! Wow....I'm shocked....who wants a store bought generic cake instead of a homemade one? Homemade tastes SO much better, and you can have whatever you want....if she wanted a plain white cake, I'm sure you could make a plain white cake that tastes loads better than one from the store, plus it would be cheaper. Sounds like the "terrible teens" instead of the "twos". Why exactly does she want a Queen bed? My kids both have singles, and I wouldn't be opposed to getting them new beds since they've both had their beds since they were a year or two old, but they are SO expensive!! Not something I had really thought about for a birthday present, but if she's already got a good bed, why specifically a queen? Is there something she wants that you can only get for a queen size bed? Could you maybe have her save money to buy her own if she wants it that badly? It just seems an oddly specific request...I could see "new bedding" as you grow up and your tastes change, or a new mattress if the one you have is not comfortable, but specifically a queen bed...there must be a reason she wants that particular thing.

Why should you never have Monday as your break day? I think it totally depends on your life style and what works for you. Not everyone has the same responsibilities, the same days off work, the same work hours...I only work evenings because that's what fits our schedule. That way I can be home to get the kids going in the morning and off to school, make their lunches and remind them to make sure they have this or that...my son would forget his head if it wasn't screwed on tightly, and my daughter will walk right past her lunch sitting on the counter as she goes out to get on her bike if I don't remind her. A has a hard time with our front door lock, so if I'm not home, he can't just come in the back, which I leave open for them. So me working evenings just works better for us. Some people hate working evenings, but you do what works for you, and if that's a break day on Monday, I say go for it. Words like "never" or "always" can be misleading. There are exceptions to every rule.

Both girls had actually asked for queens at some point. I know several of their friends have them, but that doesn't mean they need them. When I redid Sam's room for her Christmas/Bday gift, rather than get her a queen, I upgraded her twin mattress. She hasn't had one complaint or request to get a bigger bed since then. For Kendall, we did a whole bedding makeover for her when she got the trundle. She wanted a green room and found this really pretty bedding to go with it. The sheets are a bright green and the comforter and shams are sort of like tropical rainforest meets a blue green kaleidoscope. The trundle bed is gray, so it looked sort of like tropical foliage growing from stone when it's all put together. I know she'd wanted to redo her room...and that's fine...new paint, new drapes, new bedding. We'd even be good with getting her a new mattress if she likes Sam's better than what we got her in 2017. I think it's just that everyone else has one. The reality...if these kids live in dorms when they go off to college...they're going to be back to twins. So, no point in getting used to a huge bed.

Oh, I agree. I think it's just being in the fitness profession and passing on all of these mantras and such to your clients. At the end of the day, what works for her isn't for everyone. She's not obnoxious about it or anything, but it got into my head. I was really tired this morning and it was tempting to go back to bed after taking K to school...especially after doing so yesterday on my break day...but the same could be said with not wanting to roll out of bed any day. In the end, just have to do what works best for you.

EDIT- as for the cake, she loved it. She acted a bit cold at first with me about it, but my younger one said she posted on social media about how beautiful it is. First bite and she was singing its praises...like best cake ever. I wasn't sure if I should be offended or happy that she liked what I got. In the long run, it's a lot less time and money to have the grocery store make her a cake.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

After yesterday's break day, I was back in the gym this morning. It was rough...I was tired (still am) and not sure I helped myself with my bike ride entertainment. More recently I'd switched to music because it helps push me to work harder, but I remembered that the newest season of Atypical was added at some point while we were away. So, I decided to watch that while working out. My numbers weren't bad, but the definitely could have been higher and I just wasn't pumped up while working on arms the way I had been with the music. I did a different ab workout a little bit later that felt a bit better...works certain things a bit harder and forces other movements. So, that was good.

I think with all of the kid stuff, I've just been in such a funk. We really didn't do much of anything for my bday either, so I decided to gift myself with some pretty things...that wouldn't break the bank. A friend had messaged me about ShopDisney getting this whole Mary Blair Alice in Wonderland line...and it involved all kinds of porcelain goodies. It was tempting to buy it all, since I've always wanted a full tea set... but 1. I really don't want this to be my official tea set 2. I don't really sit down for tea or host tea parties. So, I bought the cookie jar, the bowl set, and the spoons. I had some Disney rewards from the trip, so it was mainly tax I was covering out of pocket...about $8. Happy Belated Birthday gifting to me!

 

[Songbird76]

Both girls had actually asked for queens at some point. I know several of their friends have them, but that doesn't mean they need them. When I redid Sam's room for her Christmas/Bday gift, rather than get her a queen, I upgraded her twin mattress. She hasn't had one complaint or request to get a bigger bed since then. For Kendall, we did a whole bedding makeover for her when she got the trundle. She wanted a green room and found this really pretty bedding to go with it. The sheets are a bright green and the comforter and shams are sort of like tropical rainforest meets a blue green kaleidoscope. The trundle bed is gray, so it looked sort of like tropical foliage growing from stone when it's all put together. I know she'd wanted to redo her room...and that's fine...new paint, new drapes, new bedding. We'd even be good with getting her a new mattress if she likes Sam's better than what we got her in 2017. I think it's just that everyone else has one. The reality...if these kids live in dorms when they go off to college...they're going to be back to twins. So, no point in getting used to a huge bed.

Oh, I agree. I think it's just being in the fitness profession and passing on all of these mantras and such to your clients. At the end of the day, what works for her isn't for everyone. She's not obnoxious about it or anything, but it got into my head. I was really tired this morning and it was tempting to go back to bed after taking K to school...especially after doing so yesterday on my break day...but the same could be said with not wanting to roll out of bed any day. In the end, just have to do what works best for you.

EDIT- as for the cake, she loved it. She acted a bit cold at first with me about it, but my younger one said she posted on social media about how beautiful it is. First bite and she was singing its praises...like best cake ever. I wasn't sure if I should be offended or happy that she liked what I got. In the long run, it's a lot less time and money to have the grocery store make her a cake.

When I was little, I wanted a canopy bed like my friend had....then I wanted a waterbed like one of my other friends had, then I wanted a day bed like someone else had...we didn't have money for new beds. I actually had to sleep on the floor for a while because my brother had a habit of coming in and flopping down on whatever piece of furniture was available, and he flopped onto my bed one too many times and broke the frame part of the box spring, so my bed was crooked. I would have rolled right out of it. So I had to sleep on the floor until there was a mattress available at the community closet that we could afford. I had the same bed until I went to college. Now I look back and think how impractical some of those things were...waterbeds....not the most practical of furniture. I'm sure it's just a matter of the grass always being greener on the other side of the fence. We THINK we want the same whatever that someone else has, but the if we get it, we find it's not all we were expecting. I'm sure she'll get over her disappointment when something else comes along that she thinks would be amazing.

I'm glad she loved the cake, but I just can't imagine taking store bought over home made. My mom used to make cakes for people in town because we didn't have a bakery in town....we had to drive 40 miles to order a cake from a bakery. People would actually pay my mom to bake and decorate a cake for them...homemade is SO much better. But I guess at that age, "fitting in" tastes best. Some day, she'll look back and be grateful that you always took the time to make her cakes, and she'll wonder why she ever wanted a boring one from a store.

Edit: My daughter said she wants to make her OWN cake and decorate it herself. She did A's last cake, too.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

When I was little, I wanted a canopy bed like my friend had....then I wanted a waterbed like one of my other friends had, then I wanted a day bed like someone else had...we didn't have money for new beds. I actually had to sleep on the floor for a while because my brother had a habit of coming in and flopping down on whatever piece of furniture was available, and he flopped onto my bed one too many times and broke the frame part of the box spring, so my bed was crooked. I would have rolled right out of it. So I had to sleep on the floor until there was a mattress available at the community closet that we could afford. I had the same bed until I went to college. Now I look back and think how impractical some of those things were...waterbeds....not the most practical of furniture. I'm sure it's just a matter of the grass always being greener on the other side of the fence. We THINK we want the same whatever that someone else has, but the if we get it, we find it's not all we were expecting. I'm sure she'll get over her disappointment when something else comes along that she thinks would be amazing.

I'm glad she loved the cake, but I just can't imagine taking store bought over home made. My mom used to make cakes for people in town because we didn't have a bakery in town....we had to drive 40 miles to order a cake from a bakery. People would actually pay my mom to bake and decorate a cake for them...homemade is SO much better. But I guess at that age, "fitting in" tastes best. Some day, she'll look back and be grateful that you always took the time to make her cakes, and she'll wonder why she ever wanted a boring one from a store.

Edit: My daughter said she wants to make her OWN cake and decorate it herself. She did A's last cake, too.

I remember wanting a canopy bed so badly. My parents bought this really nice bedroom set for me from an ad in the classifieds, and while the seller and my parents both chose to keep it as a standard bed, the finials in the corners could be unscrewed to convert into a canopy bed. My mother refused, insisting the canopy would collect dust and be a nightmare for my allergies. I remember I used to unscrew those pieces and hope that she'd cave in over how unsightly it looked without them. She also saw it as a fire hazard. She caved and got my brother a water bed when he was in high school. That thing was HORRIBLE! I fell asleep on it a few times and my body woke up very angry. That's awful about your brother breaking your bed and having to sleep on the floor. Most kids won't understand how good they have it until they're in a situation where they're struggling. Some of her demands may be a grass is greener mindset, some may be that she thinks having these things will magically make her happier...or something like that. In the end, she still got a really nice main gift. She gets her other gift on Saturday...ear piercing...second hole, lower lobe still.

I'm back off of gluten, so I didn't taste the cake, but the frosting tasted so artificial. It made me sad that there was no real buttercream leftovers lying around for me to sample. At the end of the day, I think the cake was her way of just wanting to be more like other kids. Many of her friends have seen my cakes and eaten my cakes, but I think she just wanted "normal." Next year is Sweet 16...so, who knows what she's going to want...and she might not care if it doesn't involve getting a car.

That's sweet that she wants to make her cake!

 

[HouCuseChickie]

So far, I've biked about 9.5 miles, did a full barre style leg routine, did my abs workout with the ball, and threw in a couple of sets of around the head and wood choppers with the lightest kettle bell. My cardio is still less than what I'd like it to be so...

1. I'm thinking of adding a 15 minute power sprint on the bike with a 1-2 min cool down each day, either during lunch, after work, or for part of a meeting where I won't have to speak or take notes. I don't like starting new things mid-week, and I've already been through two full workouts for this week. So, I'm probably going to implement this next week, starting on Tuesday.
2. My employer recently had all of our bosses facilitate "new normal" discussions with us. One of the focal points is bad habits we've picked up over the last 1.5 years at home...and not moving around enough is one of the biggies. They are encouraging people to get up an move a bit each hour, so I'm thinking of jumping on the mountain climber or squat machine for a couple of minutes here or there when I get restless or have been sitting too long.

I'll report back tomorrow with how this additional stuff goes. Beyond that, I actually got some sleep yesterday. I thought I was getting sick, but I think I was just overtired. I logged off from work around 4:30pm, hopped into bed, and next thing you know...it was 6:30pm and my husband was waking me up. I was back in bed by 9pm and slept until my alarm went off around 6:30am. I'm still a bit tired, but nothing like the way I was feeling yesterday. So, maybe some sleep was all I needed.