Places, everyone!

Some might say that a home with children and pets in it is very similar to a three-ring circus.  Somedays, I might even say that. 

But as much as my home and family may resemble a three-ring circus, they really don't have as much in common as one might think.  For one thing, no matter how many rings a circus might have all of those rings are organized.  They may look like chaos and there may be people and animals alike going in what seems to be every which direction.  What we don't always take into account are the countless number of hours of planning and practice and the exact precision that is required to make that show possible.  Every person has an important part to play in a successful act and others will suffer should one of them not carry out their own job. 

And there seems to be a job doing ANYTHING in the circus.  After an elephant or tiger 'leave their mark' on the circus floor, a couple of people appear out of nowhere dressed in black and promptly throw down some sawdust and sweep up whatever mess there might be.  It happens so quickly and smoothly that you'd almost think it was ever there at all. 

Of course, my 5YO notices.  That actually might be her favorite part.

The circus is also about calculated distraction.  While all eyes are to be fixed on whatever the spotlight shines on, large crews seem work tirelessly in the dark to set up the next scene or stunt.  If you let your eyes just follow the lights, the circus seems even more magical.  I myself can't help but watch the figures in the dark spots, frantically putting the next things into place before the spotlight comes back to them.

Couldn't we all use that sort of skill in life?  Perfectly timed distractions to take the spotllight off our own mishaps and bad hair days and let us prepare for our next important scene?  SIGN ME UP!

The bottom line is I don't think the sort of mayhem that ensues in most households could actually be planned out and rehearsed.  And we certainly couldn't put on the same exact show twice, which is really a good thing because the audience is usually the same.  Might as well see a new show every time!

What we do have in common is this:  No matter what might happen, THE SHOW MUST GO ON!  And I could totally use one of those background poop cleanup crews, too.

The Side Effects that You Don't Hear Enough About

I must say, I really do have a love/hate relationship with this thing!

WARNING:  Exercising regularly and healthy eating may have certain side effects that you may or may not be ready to deal with.

For starters, you will have more energy.  I know they say this.  And the logical part of my brain understands this.  But my inner spoiled brat wants to know how I could possibly get less tired from doing something that makes me SO TIRED.  I am still working on shutting that brat up, but I can say that I feel different at the end of my day.  I am more alert the last half of the day, when I would normally be dragging.  Yet, I still sleep like a rock once I actually go to bed. 

Funny how that works, isn't it?

Another crazy side effect of living a healthier lifestyle is that you might start taking better care of your appearance.  For me, it was painting my fingers and toes.  I haven't wanted actual color on my nails in YEARS.  There's just something about wanting to make my outside feel more like my inside, I guess. 

Something else that is happening is really crazy:  I've started wearing tank tops again.  Even though my arms are still freakishly huge, they are already less jiggly and more defined.  It's not a huge difference, but I can see it.  And I'm proud of it.  It's sort of like knowing I'm actually doing something about my flaws that just makes them something to be proud instead of ashamed. 

And I'm going to stop returning calls to the NFL recruiters that want to put me on their offensive line.  The answer is 'NO' okay?  These arms were meant for greater things...

I've also had quite a bit of fun just shopping in my own closet lately.  It doesn't take much of a difference to be able to wear another pair of pants that just never fit right before.  I wore a pair yesterday that I've had for two years and have never been able to wear.  They are the same size and brand as a second pair I got, but that other pair has always fit and these have not.  Until yesterday, that is.

I must confess that I did not make it to the gym at ALL last week.  Having all three girls home with me and squeezing in trips to the gym is not as easy as I'd hoped.  However, I didn't use that as an excuse to not work out.  Instead, I'd hop on my trusty elliptical or work out with the Wii.  Or go swimming.  There are so many opportunites to move that I really haven't taken much advantage of until recently.  I will still go to the gym and take classes, but that damn Wii actually hurt me worse than the classes do.  Plus, the game I'm working out with counts your correct reps and doesn't move on to the next maneuver until you've finished the reps correctly.  At the gym, I can just stop for a second or grab a drink of water and pick up with the next exercise. 

I'm not so focused on the scale as of lately because it really doesn't matter.  Not today, anyway.  If I'm doing something every single day to get me closer to being a healthier me, then that number means very little in this stage of the game.   My motivation is shifting, too.  I used to just focus on the aesthetic part of weight loss; I wanted to look better.  Who doesn't?  But more than that, I want to feel better.  I don't want to be part of my family's rich history of diabetes and high blood pressure. 

I have been blessed with a body that works.  Use it or lose it, right?