Thursday, July 11, 2013

Needing a Groove

I need to find me a new groove.

Now that my personal training package at Powerhouse is done I just dont feel like driving in there anymore.

Dont get me wrong. I love the classes and the people...

But the drive is starting to kill me especially after just joining the rec center in Livonia yesterday.

Yup. For $39 a month for the entire family, we now have access to a tree fort for the kids (indoor play area), indoor and outdoor track, workout machines, free weights, lap pool, lazy river, skate park, outdoor splash pad for kids, HUGE climbing wall, an indoor water slide and pool, a kids center where they babysit them while you work out, saunas, hot tubs, a gymnastics room, an open gym for things like half court basketball, soccer field and so, so, SO much more!! I feel like such a gym traitor!!

Yesterday after I signed up, the kids played in the tree fort area for about 90 minutes before I finally said we had to leave so we could eat dinner, get Aaron and come back. Then when we came back we did the outdoor splash pad for an hour because the indoor pool was closed until 7pm for swim lessons (I didnt even mention the different classes you can take!! A little extra $ but not bad at all!) and then went indoors. I didnt think Landry would want to do the waterslide because of how tall it is but he was all about it. But he insisted and our first trip down (both kids have to go with a parent because of their size) the raft dumped into the water but he was a total trooper and wanted to do it again.

Xavier did too. We would dump here or there but most of the time I was able to dump on my feet and grab  whichever kid I was hanging onto. My legs got a workout too continuously climbing the stairs to get up there.

I had to tell the boys though that we can only do the waterslide when there is mom and dad there. I cant take both kids at once incase we dump. They had a great time though. We did that for 30 minutes or so and then went and got cleaned up and let them play in the tree fort again until 8pm.

So I am not sure what to do.

Do I keep my Powerhouse membership just for the classes? The Rec Center doesnt have the Les Mills classes that I like and it is set up per session...not just an ongoing thing...

The Rec Center does have all the cardio equipment that I love...treadmills, ellipticals, the dreaded rotating stairs...PLUS stuff I have NEVER seen before!

And my other gym is about 35 min away...so time and gas is involved...

Maybe if I just plan on doing my gym for Thursday RPM and Friday Zumba...but is that worth $30 a month? 8 classes a month...That is cheaper than drop in rates at the Rec Center which is $7 a visit...

I just feel like I need to find my groove again. Yesterday was a great time and I am taking the kids back today  while we wait for my mom to come down. I told her to text me when she is on her way so I have an ETA so I can be here to help her into the house.

She can now walk after surgery but cant do stairs but on her butt and our driveway is a bit broken up so I want to make sure we are back.

Like yesterday (and if you didnt read yesterdays blog, please do) I am asking for opinions here about the gym thing. Y'all know that I love Zumba which is the Friday class at my gym BUT I teach that twice a week already at a different gym. So I have been hit or miss for Friday especially with summer and stuff going on.

I just know that I am going to be hitting the Rec Center just about every evening to go lift. Aaron wants to go in the morning before going to work but of course he overslept today. LOL

Oh and in regards to yesterdays blog...

As soon as we got home from the first trip to the rec center yesterday M was over. Like immediately. Asking to play. I told him in a few minutes because the boys were getting changed into swimsuits because we were going to be having dinner and go back to the rec center.

No problems. He came back and the boys were already in the backyard playing.

Immediately they asked to play inside. But by now it was cool out so I said no. Outside. I was trying to get the house picked up for my mom to come down (you know how it is).

Well M didnt want to play outside and left.

Then he comes back a few minutes later and once again Xavier comes inside.

This time Xavier says to me "M is going down to the Dairy Barn for ice cream but all he has is change. Do you have a dollar you can give him?" WTF? Really? I told Xavier that I did not have any dollars he can have. Then Xavier looks at me and says "well I do!!" I had to tell him no, that that is HIS money and not M's. So M left again to hit up another neighbor.

I dont know if M was using his own money, or if his parents even knew that he was going down there to GET an ice cream, but the dad across the street from us gave M some money and his 8 yr old son B some money and they went down by themselves (the 6 yr old and the 8 yr old) to the busy street and got an ice cream. Granted it wasnt like they had to cross a busy road or anything but I am not comfortable with that.

Then when they get back, M comes over with his ice cream wanting to play with the boys. Now how do you play while you are eating ice cream? I didnt think that was fair to my kids to watch him eat ice cream and we were getting ready to have our dinner so I told M no. That their dad (Aaron) was going to be home in a few with pizza and that we were eating and leaving again.

Still bizarre to me. Not sure if this is normal kid behavior or what.

But then last night after we got home after 8 and got our kids to bed, both M and B were outside wandering around and it was almost dark. I guess I get the 8 yr old being out a little later and maybe it is because M is 7 and I forget he is older than Xavier that it bugs me when they are out so late. Oh well.

Now that we are members of the Rec Center, we wont be around as much and M being over all the time will be a thing of the past. The Rec Center is literally right across the busy street from us. So down the block and across. The boys and I could even walk there. It is like having a pool without the maintenance. So I am sure we will be there just about every day.

That is the news for now. I am off to make coffee and get myself ready. You know those kids are going to want to go to the Rec Center just about as soon as they wake up! LOL. Plus I need to finish cleaning before my mom gets here today.

I will fill you guys in more on probably Monday. Tomorrow and Saturday are art fairs that we are going to and Sunday Aaron and I are hoping to have someone to watch the kids so just he and I can go do something. We shall see!

Have a GREAT day!!

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4 comments:

  1. That rec center sounds amazing! Since it's the summer, I don't think a gym membership break would be terrible considering your kids might want to go to the rec center every day! When school starts, you may want to pick up the gym again? Just a thought.

    Do what works for you though! Great way to avoid the whole awkwardness by keeping the kids busy and OUT of the house :)

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  2. It's great that your new community has such a nice rec center and activities for the entire family at a reasonable cost. If you really enjoy the gym you belong to, why not give yourself three months to see how many times you are actually going and if you want to continue driving 35 miles after seeing if you like the classes at the new rec center and how what type of instructors are leading the classes.

    I feel bad for M not having any structure in his life. From your description, the parents are not parenting or supervising their children and M is trying to find a place to escape to. It sounds as if you are handling the situation correctly, allowing him to play with your son, but setting appropriate rules and boundaries for when he can be over. Children can be great talkers and maybe he will open up to you about what is going on at his house or drop clues as to his parents' behavior if you chat with him casually when he comes by. I'd suggest continuing to keep an eye on the situation for a few more weeks and if things don't improve or change, you may want to call social services without giving your name and talking to somebody there informally to see what they think. I don't feel any child at age 8 should be wondering around at 10:00 pm at night with the parents no where in sight in this day and age, they should be a home in bed.

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  3. The rec center sounds AMAZING! We don't have anything like that around here. I'm just wondering if M will want you to bring him with you when you go! Don't even do it once or you'll never get out of it! I am super protective of my kids and they're 15 and 17! I would never pawn my kids off on anybody else. It sounds like a sad situation and I know you would like to be a bright spot in his life, but not at the expense of your own sanity! Let us know how things are going.

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  4. I say stick with what WORKS for you... I changed up my routine to chase a different kind of goal---and now find my LOATHING my workouts. If Les Mills works for you, I'd keep going... Just my two cents. :)
    Sarah
    www.thinfluenced.com

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