Monday, March 8, 2010

Texas Public School Week. We had open house for Pat's school tonight. The boys and I walked up to the school. Addison and Ty drove and met us there. For awhile, Travis started jogging (Patrick rode his "Big Wheel"). I started jogging since they got so far ahead of me. OH. MY. GOD. I am so out of shape it's not even funny. Not even close. As SOON as I started running, it felt like my shins were on fire. Not a slow onset. Not "eventually they started hurting." The very. first. step. FIRE. I kept going, thinking I could get through it, but finally stopped because it did not get better.

One of my work accounts now has a vascular surgeon. He talks alot about claudication. I've learned a LOT about vascular disease from this account. I actually looked up claudication when I first started because although I have typed the word a million times, I could not give a definite definition. Wikipedia says "Intermittent vascular claudication (Latin: claudicatio intermittens) usually refers to cramping pains in the legs (usually the calf muscles, but may be in the thigh muscles) caused by poor circulation of the blood in the arteries to the leg muscles during exercise.[2][3] True claudication is relieved with rest from exercise." There have been times that I have gone for walks, just since Addison was born, where if I try to walk faster than my regular pace, my shins/calves stiffen up and start to feel heavy. Do I have claudication? Then I ask myself, "how could I NOT have some sort of vascular or heart disease?" Sedentary job, sedentary life, no exercise, very poor diet. How am I even still alive? I had my blood work done after I had Addison and my cholesterol is low and my HDL and LDL levels are great and all that. But CLEARLY I'm out of shape. REALLY out of shape. I don't think I could jog to the end of the block to save my life. I can easily walk for long distances...but that's about it. TIME TO GET OFF MY BUTT AND DO SOMETHING. I want to see my kids grow up. I've been blessed with good metabolism and have gotten to do and eat whatever I want my whole life, but 3 kids and 40 lbs later...it's caught up to me. Time to fight back. Now to make the time....

But back to open house...Ty and I had a chance to talk with Patrick's teacher. We are concerned about his lack of effort in school this year. I need to figure out a way to motivate him...make him like school. I just don't know how to get through to him. If anyone has any ideas, I'm all ears!