Good in theory

October 18, 2012

My grand idea to bond with my boy has practically killed me.

I don’t have a lot of opportunities to spend significant amounts of time with each of my children independently. When you have three kids, you tend to divide and conquer. And by “divide,” I mean I always end up with two and my husband one.

So when I was given a “Speed Camp” flyer that advertised a once-a-week-for-seven-weeks workout to both children and adults alike, I thought to myself, “Now HERE’S something I can do with Austin (my middle child).” He’s not a complainer and loves spending time with anyone who enjoys his company. I knew I needed to get in better shape and that he would benefit from the extra conditioning as we head into basketball season.

I filled out the flyer, wrote out the check, and walked blindly into the light.

The light that would become my death.

We have officially completed two sessions. Five remaining.

As the time ticked down on our second session, I did something I swore I would never do: I stopped working out before the workout was scheduled to be over. Because I didn’t want a gym full of kids to see me puke or faint.

I don’t think you understand how painfully embarrassing that is to a washed-up former athlete who prides herself on her overall health. To be fair, I donated blood less than 24 hours before the workout.

So when my son gave me a smug little smile once the rest of the group completed the full session, I announced, “I saved a life.”

Oh yes I did. I couldn’t let it go. I couldn’t let all of my competition know how weak I was.

Bonding over buttered popcorn at the movies would have been a better choice in hindsight.

Created by Heidi Woodard

I heart the heartland

October 6, 2012

I want to travel and see parts of the country (dare I say, world?) as I continue to grow. I sometimes beat myself up for having not expanded my horizons when I was young and able to move more freely.

And while I realize reading about faraway places isn’t nearly as fulfilling as living and breathing them in, some of the blogs I follow have given me glimpses into parts of the world I have never visited. I love reading certain blogs not only for their narrative, but also for their ability to expose me to the unknown.

This made me wonder if anyone who happens to stumble upon (or, best case scenario, follow?) my blog enjoys it partially because my world is so different from theirs.

It’s Husker football game night and our fam is camped in front of the TV shouting at the screen with the false belief we can influence the game. As the University of Nebraska-Lincoln fight song boasts, “There is no place like Nebraska.” This makes me laugh as I imagine parts of Iowa, Missouri, and Kansas aren’t that foreign from our state.

I didn’t have an ocean to walk alongside today. No (literal) mountains to climb. Not a single traffic jam to stew in.

Instead, I got to run and clear my mind. At the risk of furthering the stereotype that we have nothing but farmland here, I took some pictures of…you guessed it…

Fall horizon. I beg for the tolerable temps to remain as long as possible.

I live within a city that borders along countryside. My favorite part of the run is looking out to a lifestyle I’ve never lived.

Not sure why these images remind me of a song about Tennessee, but I’ll leave this for you to enjoy as well.

Don’t we all want to stop living with doubt?

Leave a comment about where you’re from. I’d love to learn more about your little part of the world.

Created by Heidi Woodard