Biological Lessons

When we woke to wind and cloudy skies (with rain on the ground), I groaned because of putting off the zoo yesterday. Two hours later we arrived at the zoo, to find blue skies, 58°F-68°F temperatures, and a deserted zoo full of frisky animals (thanks to the rain). Today was our third week in a row we've gone to our Biological Park for the morning. I don't realize just how many times I press that shutter... until I get home and download over 270 photos from just 2 hours at the Zoo. Here are the top 10% from today:

Jack is quite pleased that he's starting to be able to read words like "zoo".

There are several photos of the boys as they walk (backwards), but I love this one where Jack is looking up to Frank.

You've got to love Photoshop Actions where you can save even a fuzzy, out of focus photo, and make it look "aged" or intentional! Thanks again Pioneer Woman for your amazing (free) Action Sets! This photo has the "Heartland" Action, from Set 2, applied to it.

Ever since the 6th Grade I've been interested by Flamingoes.

Just because I had knobby knees, weighed under 60 pounds, and wore hot pink all the time, that wouldn't have had *anything* to do with said "interest".

No matter the reason why, I do like flamingos and am quite pleased that the exhibit at this zoo is front and center by the entrance/exit. I can stop and watch them coming AND going.

For the times when Mom is taking too many pictures, the boys get going on their own with a "C'mon MOM!"

Like water on a (Carolina Wood) Duck's back, I tell you!

Now THIS is the kind of Birthday Portrait I've been after for the past two weeks... well, minus the raincoat and sun hat, but this expression! That's what I'm talkin' about!!!

Got sun, just add tree branch.

Instant shade AND a snack all in one!

Such a funny expression and pose.

The orangutans are given cardboard and paper; which they play with, sit on, and eat (not necessarily in that order).

The exuberant young'en reminds me of my own...

Right down to monkeying (pun DEFINITELY intended) around during meal times!

Another shot showing how the little guy looks up to the big one.

There is a small Parakeet aviary at this zoo (we've been finding many new areas during our weekly excursions).

Ever wonder why there are so many green parakeets? Natural camouflage, baby!

You knew that Koala's are nocturnal, right?
You knew that Koala's are from The Land Down Under (Australia), right?
You knew that Koala's are marsupials (carry their young in pouches), right?
You know that Koala's hardly drink any water because they live by eating Eucalyptus, right?
DID YOU KNOW, that Koala's have five digits on each limb, but on their arms, they have three fingers and TWO THUMBS? Neither did we... until today!

I think Jack actually has a hard time holding a "normal" pose for a photo!

Just yesterday, Tom was telling the boys about his SCUBA diving days. The boys were delighted to watch the workers cleaning the Seal & Sea Lion Tank today.

Actually, they wouldn't leave the area until the three SCUBA diver's exited the exhibit!

When I tickle Jack JUST before the camera goes off... then things look more natural!

And THAT was our third visit to this zoo. We are finally getting our groove on for what to take, how long to go, and how to relax and enjoy ourselves while there (which I am learning from the boys!)

Things I Have Remembered

Slow and steady wins the race.
While my pant size has been changing, my weight has remained about the same. Now though, I've noticed a definite difference in my endurance, quality of sleep, and general overall feeling.

Exercise makes me feel good.
Yesterday I ran. Actual running. Just down and up my street, but as I spontaneously did it, it felt so great! I remembered that I use to "Run for Fun" all the time. I think I'll start again.

Following my body's natural sleep rhythm helps me be more productive.
Even if everyone around me thinks I'm nuts to start getting up at five in the morning again!!!

It's Time to Get Up and Move!

Thanks to my friend Marie, I've been thinking of riding bikes again.

Today, during a break from cleaning MY bedroom (usually I'm cleaning my BOYS' room) I started looking at pictures from our recent trip. Wherein I found a photo I'd snapped of a super cute Sunflower Beach Cruiser by Nirve. ACK! I guess I *do* have good taste, at least in bikes... I don't think I can justify $450 for a new bike, not when I have a Juki TL 98Q Quilting Sewing Machine I've been eyeballing. So, what to do? I remembered Becky raving about Craigslist recently, so I thought I'd peek around there.

No luck anywhere near me in Wyoming, so, I started searching in Utah. Wherein I found this little setup:



Listed for JUST $100!

I guess I'd seen this type of trailer / tandem thing before, but never really thought about it. In the past, I've looked into getting a trailer for the boys, but it seemed cumbersome, after reading about the In-Step Pathfinder, it seems to be just what I'll need to ride with Frank and pull Jack along.

Even though it was 3 1/2 hours away from me, I was excited about it. Well, I have talked with the seller twice today. Turns out that TOMORROW, she's driving to Denver, and can drive right through my town and deliver it to me! YEAH!

So, I went from thinking about riding bikes one week ago, to being able to do it tomorrow! Sometimes this Law of Attraction stuff is just so cool!

New goal, starting as soon as I'm over this cold, I want to start riding with the boys to the grocery store (about 1 mile away) and then the library (1.5 miles). The rec center is about 2 miles, so we can go there too. I'm really excited about this!

Twelve

Twelve never sounded so good!

After twelve nights away from Wyoming, I went shopping today and I bought two pair of size twelve pants (cords & jeans). I'm so excited!

Last year on my trip down here, I was in a size sixteen. I'd gained all this weight over the sedentry, cold winter and hadn't even realized it. Then, I came and saw my girlfriends (who'd all been walking in the nice Arizona weather, and going to the gym) and they had been loosing weight while I gained it. I.felt.horrible!

I went home with an plan. I've not been perfect about it, but I have been consistent and aware of it. I wanted to be in a twelve by the next Arizona trip... and I did it!

My next goal... size ten! And continuing to add more exercise and better diet and more rest and, well, there's always room for improvement... isn't there? :)

Fit for Life - My Great Day has Begun!

This week the "bones" were all installed in my Studio (aka: sewing room). Paint on the walls. Furniture in place. Storage cubbies repaired and hung. One furniture thing remains... to replace a broken piece of glass in a hutch... but I can unpack around that.

So, this morning, I started unpacking my boxes. I have a little fabric put away, cutting mats out and sewing machines up. Still need two machine cords, iron & mat, notions. BUT... it's starting to look and feel like a usable space! YEAH!!!

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A few days ago I mentioned that all my summer clothes were still in boxes *somewhere* in the garage. Of course I knew the general area, they were in the "MSTR" section, but that's behind/past the "KIT", "LR/FR", "LIBrary", "SEW", and "BOYS" sections AND the aisles' I've created are being clogged up with things from Tom and the boys! So, I dreaded going out there for the summer things. Well, two days later, Tom surprised me with two boxes of my Summer things. Yesterday I unpacked 37 shirts (sleeveless and short-sleeve) and today I tried on the "bottoms". I was kinda dreading that part, because, as you know, over the Winter I gained 25 pounds. It was a surprise to me when I realized it in February, and since March I've been doing things to remedy the situation. In March and April I went to the gym, since then, I've been VERY active preparing to move, painting, moving, unpacking, doing yard work, sports-camp and such.

Well, today I tried on my summer "bottoms"... six pair of capri's, 4 skirts, and 2 dresses. In February I bought size 16 to fit comfortably, today, the 14's were loose and half of the 12's fit a little snug while the other 12's were *just right*! I'm so happy to have worked myself back down to where I was last summer. Now, to get them all so they are loose this summer, and then next year, I think I'll make a trip in June to Arizona (14th = Aunt's B-Day, Father's Day Weekend = my Brother's Annual Gaming Convention). During that trip, I'll plan to shop for size 10 or maybe even 8 clothes! 10 is my goal, if I could ever see 8 again I would be so flabbergasted! Anyway, I am very happy right now to have gone down 2 sizes in four months!

I'm especially tickled because I haven't been to the gym in 2 months, or measured myself in 2-3 months, but, I have been aware of what I'm doing and eating. Now... to work on my baby-belly. Time for some serious ab work! ... Uh... how do I do "serious ab work"? Besides sit-ups and crunches; I don't know. What's worked for you?

Some Sort of a Record...

This is the first time I've typed on a computer today! I did sit down to log on once before, but my laptop was turned off and I didn't have time to wait for it to boot-up, so, I just skipped it!

I do have a growing list of things to do on the PC, but I also have been enjoying my productivity with it closed and or turned off more.

This morning I went to the gym (on my off day) and walked. I'd been walking around the Ice Rink while Frank skated, but classes ended last month, and I haven't been fiting it in. So, yesterday I thought I'd go in the morning, since I've got that routine down anyway three days a week, for my walking too. It worked well.

I've been feeling more invigorated and alive since I started working out about a month ago. Tom and I have also noticed that I'm MUCH more calm and patient... with others and myself! These are all good things... actually, I can't think of anything bad that's come from working out!

Fit for Life - Action Plan

I just wanted to give you an update... or maybe I should just be informing you in the first place. I recently realized that I gained weight this past winter. This was a surprise for me. It's never happened to me before. I mean, well, once, I worked - consciously - for a FULL YEAR to gain almost 20 pounds. But since last fall, I gained 25 pounds... without even trying OR being aware of it. Okay, maybe on some level I knew I my clothes weren't fitting quite the same, but I had NO IDEA that such a thing would ever happen to me! My whole life has been one of those "I can eat whatever I want and I'm still always skinny and healthy." It's just been like that for me. Always and forever. Well, then I had two babies (does this story sound familiar) and with each pregnancy I gained about 50 pounds... I grew 'em big! (10 pounds 2 ounces and 9 pounds 3 ounces big!) Still, it was three years ago when I birthed my last child and since then, things have been sitting pretty much the same. I've been fluctuating around a size 14. I just figured the weight would slip away without much effort on my part, because I never had to think about it before.

I think I'm rambling. Yep! The size of the previous paragraph says I'm DEFINITLY rambling! (I do that when I'm tired, which I am).

This wasn't suppose to be a rambling or a whiny post. Just a quick little update, and then relax for the night...

So. Suffice it to say I recognized *something* had happened and it needed to be corrected. With the assistance of my Aunt, I devised an ACTION PLAN to help me get back to a size 10, around 128 pounds... I liked that weight. That's where I plan to get back to.

This plan includes:

• regular water consumption
• vitamin and mineral supplements
• regular, nutritious food choices
• yoga
• meditation
• self-reflective periods
• consistent sleep patterns
  
• walking
• stair-climbing
• bike-riding
• swimming

Now, for the original point of this post, the quick update...

I've been "doing" the exercise portion of my Action Plan for two weeks now. Yesterday I noticed a bit more of a spring in my step and also more energy. I'm glad to feel these things, even though all of the parts of my plan have yet to be implemented and even though I'm still working to forge better habits.

So far, I've been doing the following:

• regular water consumption
• vitamin and mineral supplements
• yoga
• walking
• stair-climbing
• bike-riding
• swimming

Oh, one other thing... I'm going slow and taking it easy on myself. I started with 10 minutes biking and 10 minutes swimming, three times a week. Also, walking and stairs and yoga each day, but just in small, manageable portions.

Now, this next week I need to get my sleep and eating habits on track. Then my meditative periods (or maybe visa-versa, I'll have to think about it.)