Mark got Student of the Month!

Today was a really great day! Mark came home on Monday with the news that he was chosen as Student of the Month by his reading teacher! He was given a little invitation to the "Breakfast of Champions" where he and 2 adults are invited to attend a breakfast at the school.

We arrived at the school and went into the gym and found a really nice little breakfast laid out. There were fruit and cheese danishes, bananas, strawberries and grapes, breakfast pound cake, mini blueberry muffins and mini cinammon pinwheels. They also had orange juice, water and Starbucks coffee! Mark had 2 plates of food and really liked the pound cake. The cheese danishes were really good too.

The school Jazz Band was there and they were really good! I mean really impressive!

We sat down at the table and ate our breakfast and then Mark's teacher joined us. We talked about how well Mark was doing and she said he had transitioned really well in the short time he had been at the school. She said he had gotten caught up to where the rest of the class was and that he had been working really hard. Whew! That was so good to hear!

The principal presented the certificates by grade and then each grade gathered together for a group picture to be hung in the office and also to be sent out in the school newletter that we get in the mail.

I could tell Mark was very proud of his accomplishment. His Dad and I were beyond excited and proud of him!

Congratulations buddy! Your Dad and I love you and are so very proud of you! Keep up the good work!

Love, Mom

I'm a bit surprised...

I got to work today and decided to get on the scale and see what my weight is. And guess what?!

I have actually lost 6 pounds!!

This is not from my little ‘ol workout, but mostly from watching my diet for the last few weeks. I texted Louis and told him my good news and he panicked and thought I had lost that all 6 pounds in one week. I texted him back and told him that they were cumulative over the last few weeks. My sweet honey was worried about me, isn’t that sweet?!

I am not really overly concerned with weight as much as toning myself and the fit of my clothes, but I do monitor it all the same. And a 6 pound weight loss is exciting!

Keeping up the good work...

Another workout down! Louis is still going with me. He is not only my best friend, but now he is my work out buddy! I had to ride a bike for 20 minutes today because all the treadmills were taken. I liked it better actually and I think I worked up more of a sweat than I did on the treadmill so I think I may stick to the bike from now on. I stretched before I got on the bike and after and I think that helped my soreness. The leg press (which is the first machine I use) was tough, but I worked through it and stretched some after it too for good measure. I made it through everything else pretty easily. It feels good to be working up a sweat and to be doing something good for myself!

Let the soreness begin...

I am sore today! Not terribly, but enough that I definitely notice it. Especially after I sit at my desk for a little bit and then get up to walk around. I stretched really well after I worked out last night and I have been stretching today off and on to try and help with the soreness and tightness. I go back on Friday and hopefully that will help work the soreness out even more.

Louis went with me again last night. It is nice that we are working on getting fit together. We are both going to be hot bodies before long!

The first of many...

My first complete workout completed! Woo hoo!! Louis went with me and worked out on the “regular floor”. That is where all the “fit” people and “men” are. I work out in the women’s only room. It is much safer in there. I like it in there. No one judges you and there are no men to look at you when you are on the thigh machine! You know the one I am talking about – the one where your legs are spread open and you squeeze them together. I only used that machine once when I worked out in gyms before. The men in the gym stared at me while I was on it and it was embarrassing. Of course, that was back when I was in good shape, they would probably barf if they saw me on it now!

Anyways, I got through the whole workout pretty well except I was not able to finish the very last exercise. It is hard to do at the end of a workout. I am supposed to lay with my hands under my butt and lift both my legs straight up to work my lower abdomen. My legs were completely tired out from everything else I did that I just couldn’t finish them. Oh well, I will get to where I can do them soon!

The day after...

So it is the day after my first trip to the gym and I am a tiny bit sore from the training session. I can’t even call it a workout because all I did was the treadmill for 10 minutes and one set on each machine the trainer put me on! I am embarrassed that I am even sore from it. I knew that I was out of shape, but this is ridiculous! I am not looking forward to how sore I am going to be Thursday morning after working out Wednesday!

I Started Working Out...

So I joined the gym yesterday (actually, Louis, Chris and I all joined) and I had my first session with the trainer to set up my workout today. I need to loose these rolls of fat that I have around my belly, on my back and thighs! I also just need to get into shape for my health. I thought that if I put it in writing on here, I would be more likely to go and keep it up. The body fat assessment was painful and sad. I was not happy with what the trainer told me about fat to muscle ratio and just my weight in general. But that I why I have started working out. So I can change it and be a healthier, happier me!

I started watching my calorie and fat intake about 3 weeks ago and have lost a couple of pounds just from doing that. But I decided that exercise would not only speed up the weight loss, it would just be good for me.

Since I just started today, I didn’t do a whole lot. I only did one set on each machine, but I will go back on Wednesday and do the whole workout – 20 minutes on the treadmill and 3 sets on each machine. I am sure I will be sore, but it will be a “good” sore!

Here’s to the weight and the rolls falling off me!

Happy Birthday letter to Mark ~

Thirteen years ago today, you made your entrance into the world. While I wasn’t there when you were born, I have been in your life since you were about 18 months old. You were a spunky little boy who could charm the pants off anyone with your cute little smile and “who me?” look and you still can! I will never forget all the cute little ways you would say things. Hamburgers were “hang-a-burgers” and tortillas were “tort-tid-das”. For the longest time you couldn’t say Angela and it came out “Annie”. Now you call me Mom and that is the most awesome name I could ever have!

You have the cutest little laugh and are a happy-go-lucky kid who never fails to ask me and your Dad how our day was. Even on weekends! Not a day goes by that you don’t tickle me to death by saying or doing something hilarious. You don’t think a lot of times before you do something, which has gotten you into trouble or hurt more times than I care to remember. But you are all boy and your spontaneity is one of the things that makes you who you are.

I worry about you, I say prayers over you each day, I am proud of you and most of all I love you! I can’t believe you are 13! And although you have already started to develop that “teenager attitude”, your sweet boyish ways are still there. You stole my heart when I met you and I couldn’t imagine my life without you in it!

I love you buddy!
Love,
Mom