BBQ at Joe and Julie's House

Stroller Strides with Dads Day

My new recent obsession is Stroller Strides. Since I started the SAHM thing, it has been surprisingly hard to incorporate workouts into our daily routine. Eva throws an absolute fit every time that I take her to our gym. They have a fifteen to twenty minute limit on crying and she pretty much maxes it out just about every time we go. Imagine how hard it is to get motivated enough to go to the gym, pack up your baby, and then have them page you within fifteen minutes on the treadmill. I got more exercise walking up the stairs to drop her off! Clearly, the 24 Hour Fitness Kids' Club wasn't working for us. My next plan of attack was to work out at night when Jeff got home. That didn't work either. We get so little time together as it is. I gave it a go for a month and a half and finally called it quits after I saw how it affected our quality of life.

About that time, Eva changed her nap schedule to one midday nap, and all of my baby classes ended. This freed me to explore other options, which is when I decided to check out Stroller Strides. It's really quite the dream scenario. The group meets about a block from my house and the work out is absolutely killer. It's all the things that I would rarely do on my own like pushups, squats, crunches, sprinting, etc. I do fine running, cycling, and swimming on my own but I really need someone to push me to do this kind of work out. I love the fact that it is outside, and oftentimes we end at a park where we have an informal playdate. The women are incredibly supportive of each other and understanding of the inevitable issues that come along with this sort of hybrid workout.

Now, I know what you are probably thinking: "Oh, good, you finally found something where Eva doesn't throw a fit anymore!" Make no mistake: Eva wails the entire time that I am out of her sight. But the difference is that the women and trainer know that it's all a part of the process. They assure me that Eva will get better over time and they even share their own war stories. While I am modeling for Eva what a fit, healthy mama does, our trainer, Tracy, wheels her around to see me or sings a nursery rhyme to Eva and the other babies. I'm incredibly grateful to have finally found something that seems to be working for both of us. I look forward to more adventures with this group and the fitness dividends that will come from it.

A final note: the Dads joined us today and Jeff was shocked by the intensity of the workout. He had his heart rate monitor on and burned 600 calories. The photos above are of the moms, dads, and babies/kids enjoying the post workout high together in the sunshine.

The Weekend with Daddy

My best friend from college, Jessica, surprised me with a last minute trip to Seattle. We are famous for our "Adventure Diva" weekends. This was our first "Adventure Diva" weekend since I have had Eva. It was also the first time that I had a break away from her since she was born. I was away for a week in January for our National Sales Meeting, but anyone who has attended NSM can vouch for me and say that it is the furthest thing from a break, especially if you are a new mamma trying to pump every few hours! Let's just say this was a well earned break. Jessica and I had an incredible time relaxing at the Chrysalis Inn in Bellingham, a hotel that I used to frequent for work travel. We luxuriated one day with a massage followed by an incredible dinner. And, as luck would have it, we hit the one night in Bellingham where there was salsa dancing just a few blocks away! The next day we spent relaxing in our room and capped off the night with a cruise on a sailboat to watch the fireworks. Heavenly, divine are words that come to mind.

While Mama was kickin' it at the spa, Daddy had his own adventures with Eva. He's always wanted a rough and tumble girl and he sure put that theory in action while I was gone! Eva went hiking, swimming at Pine Lake, and also hit a few playgrounds as well. The pictures tell a better story.

Our Spirited Lassie

So, Eva's spirited nature is well documented in our blog. Our latest adventure with Eva has been cycling. However, she is not crazy about riding in the bike carrier and even less crazy about wearing her helmet. We have succumbed to her dislikes for a good year now by limiting the amount of time spent in cars, airplanes, strollers, and carriers. But, Jeff and I have decided that we would like our active lifestyle back so we are doing a version of sleep training in the bike carrier and jogging stroller. I started with twenty minutes, worked up to thirty, this week forty. I hope to work out for an entire hour by the end of the month. While Eva's in the Charriott, she can have her fill of Cherrios and yes, even the previously banned Pirate Booty which reappeared on the planet for this special task. Wish us luck!