Small Victories on the Path to Success

My schedule is still a bit goofy with the kids. My ex is generously taking them so I can have a nice long recuperation time. (I will pay, believe me, I will pay, haha, he's already given me a long list of weekends he wants to trade in return.) Anyway, it is really wonderful because I've had lots of time to rest and recuperate.

But, oh my God, have I ever missed my kids. They are home tonight and I think I drove them all a bit nuts with the love and adoration. :) Anyway, they're only here for two nights: I'll get them off to school Wednesday, return to my first day at work, and "X" will pick them up after school Wednesday. Then they'll be home Sunday, and we'll fall back into our normal routine of me having them Sunday- Thursday, him having them Thursday - Sunday.

Anyway. So, I had the kids tonight, and since I wasn't working, and I got a clean bill of health from the surgeon to start exercising...we went to the YMCA.

Here's the small victory - you knew it had to be coming sometime, right?

We had a great time.

Up until now, going to the YMCA with three children has been agonizing. I stopped even trying months and months ago.

1. Child #1 (daughter, almost 12) only wants to work out. Insists on me being with her (this is actually a facility rule, too).

2. Child #2 (son, almost 10) hates "child watch" (supervised child care). His alternative? He could swim -  he is old enough to swim alone, but does not want to be left alone at the pool. His brother is too young to be left at the pool.

3. Child #3 (son, 5) loooooves child watch. He's actually the easy one in this case (laugh! It is uncommon that he is in the position of being my "easy" one.) He loves child care and also loves to swim.

Well - lo and behold, Child #2 is now old enough to use the work out facilities! Well, close enough. He's almost ten, and that's the magic age. Today, he received training from one of the trainers on all of the cardio equipment and much of the weight equipment (not free weights). He was ECSTATIC!

And that is how it came to be that we all had a wonderful time at the YMCA. I did twenty minutes on the treadmill. My oldest used the elliptical for 20+ minutes (I am desperately hoping to bring her weight down along with mine), my middle kid used some cardio and a lot of weight machines and was as proud as a peacock of himself. My youngest played happily in the child care area and after an hour, we left the YMCA, sweaty and satisfied.

YAY! This is a major milestone for me and my family. We have already made plans to do it again tomorrow. The logistics of taking the family to the Y has been a TREMENDOUS obstacle in my desire to work out and exercise. The fact that everyone is now content with their available options there....well, it is extremely promising for all of us. I am beyond happy about it.