Keep up!

Oh, Steve , you would be so proud of me. I did 50 mins' exercise this morning walking to school and back. I feel great for it...

Supernanny, you would not be so proud of me. As we left the house a few minutes later than I like to when we are walking, I felt like I was nagging Big J to keep up and telling him repeatedly that we didn't have time to stop. I also had frequent mini-rants about the children talking over each other or interrupting when I was talking, so it wasn't quite the quality time it could have been.

They did, however, get some fresh air and exercise though, which gives them a great start to their school day.

Here Wii Go...

I blogged last April about a new exercise regime to lose weight. What I don't think I did blog about, was that by July I had lost 2 stone 7 lb and had dropped 2 clothes sizes (not dress sizes - I almost never wear dresses!). Lots of people asked me how I was doing it, thinking that I must be spending £60 a week on some amazing 'lose 3 stone overnight' milkshake or maybe that I was going to the gym twice a day between teaching, planning, housework and school runs. In fact, I was simply taking good old Steve Miller's advice of exercising more and being more sensible with what I ate.

As I am sure any teachers reading this will appreciate, by July I was exhausted; work took over my life and I stopped going out for my walks and stopped doing the Wii fit+, both of which had had a huge positive impact on my weight, fitness and general health. My intention was to get back into routine during the summer, but the summer holidays came and went and then before I knew it, it was Christmas and I still hadn't started.

In all that time, I hadn't dared get on the scales, because I just didn't want to know that all that hard work I'd put in had been undone, but after finally making myself get on the scales this weekend, I realised I had gained 1 stone 9lb of what I had lost. That still puts me 12lb lighter than I was when I started, but having given away all the larger clothes that no longer fitted me I didn't want to put any more of that weight back on.

So, yesterday we walked to school. That's about 50 mins exercise for me as I also have to walk back after dropping them off. Today it was raining so we couldn't walk to school, but I did 30 minutes of aerobic exercise (step, boxing, hula-hooping) on the Wii Fit Plus instead. I feel great now I've started and it's not a chore, because I do actually enjoy doing it. I just need to make sure I stay as active as I can during the day, only eat at mealtimes and make time for the extra exercise sessions on the Wii Fit.

Imagine if...

Out for my daily brisk walk with my Ipod, I like to use the time to lose myself in thought. So a few days ago while out walking, having already reflected on the week's events, and feeling pretty good about myself for doing lots of exercise and for having lost 17lb so far, I started to have a bit of fun with my imagination (a bit dangerous if you are me!). I started to compile a list in my head:

Imagine if...

... while walking along this busy road full of rush hour traffic, I started singing along loudly to my Ipod and dancing along the road to weaving in and out of the cars.

... I squeezed the bum of that guy who pretended not to see me as I walked past him.

... I walked into one of these big posh houses, went into the living room, put on the TV, kicked off my shoes and sat down with my feet up on the sofa.

And so the list goes on. I'm sure I must have been grinning to myself as I walked along thinking these mad things. I am also sure other people have these ideas too. So, if you have something to add to my ' imagine if...' list, please leave a comment.

UPDATE: JANUARY 2011

I recently spoke to a psychotherapist about these thoughts. She said everyone has crazy thoughts that then make them think, "Where did that thought come from." So, I now don't feel so crazy after all and will continue to have fun with imagination! Hmmm..... I wonder what would happen if....

Feeling like a Loser

A horrible day's supply a few weeks ago at a school which should not remain nameless, but will because I'm the soul of discretion (!), during which I was called a 'fat witch' and was told by the same 'delightful' girl that I have a fat a**e and eat too many cakes, prompted me to not only decline more offers of supply work in that part of that school, but also to realize that I was sick of hearing the comments (some coming from no other than my own 5 year old son!) about my size or weight.

We'd been watching 'Fat Families' with Steve Miller on Sky 1 and although I would never consider myself to be in the same situation as most of the families features in the program, what Steve Miller said each week just seemed common sense. His basic advice to everyone was to "Eat less, move more".

So, I started on Sunday 14th March by going out for walk in the New Forest with the family. Since then I have just taken Steve's advice. I have cut down my portion sizes, stopped eating sweets, chocolates, crisps etc. reduced the amount of bread I eat and most importantly I have exercised every day for at least 30 minutes. I lost 5lb in the first week and 2lb the second week and 3lb so far this week. The best part is that it hasn't cost lots of money. I don't go to a gym. I just go out walking. I have tried to build it into the day, so instead of driving, I park the car and walk. The only thing I have bought is a pair of black trainers so that I can walk comfortably to work without looking silly in work clothes and white trainers!

Easter is going to be tough, but I am allowing myself an Easter egg and have made sure I have some healthy treats in, like fruit I don't usually buy and expensive fruit juices.

I don't feel like I'm missing out, but I do feel much better in myself for losing weight, being able to get into clothes that didn't fit before and am feeling so much healthier for all the exercise I'm doing.

What a day...

Feeling energetic, I woke up this morning and decided we would walk to school. So having hurried to get ready for school, I ushered Big J and Little Z out of the house to take Big J to the childminder's. Despite the fact that I am going to the school and could take Big J myself, it is a long way to walk for him and I don't want him getting worn out before starting the school day. I am also trying to keep him in some kind of routine so that he knows he must go to the childminder's every morning whether mummy is working or not.

So, after dropping Big J off just around the corner, Little Z and I had to just pop back home to get her bags and then we could go. That is when I realised I did not have my house keys with me. Having been in such a hurry to get out of the house on time, I had pulled the door shut behind me without taking my keys out of the other side first. Great!

Little Z and I tried for 10 mins to open the door from the outside using the very sophisticated 'twigs through the letterbox' method. We were not successful. Luckily I had picked up my car keys and so we were able to drive to school where I had to drop Little Z off without her school bag and lunch and then had to go into Big J's school for sharing time, where he gets to take me around the class and show me all the things he has made etc.

I then had to go to the Junior school for an informal meeting with Mrs C, their ELSA (Emotional Literacy Support Assistant) which was very beneficial to both parties. I was able to express my concern about Little Z's recent change in behaviour at home, namely her frustration and anger, and Mrs C agreed to try to see Little Z today to give her some time to talk through anything which may be worrying her and which she has not felt she could talk to me about.

I felt very positive after the meeting with Mrs C, however, I still had the issue of the keys to sort out. Thankfully, Larry had not yet left his office to go on delivery so I was able to collect his keys from him.

After such a busy few hours, I was glad to be able to sit down and relax until at 11.55 I suddenly realised that I had not taken Little Z's bag to her at school (it had been locked in the house and so left behind) and she therefore had no lunch! So much for trying to be economical with petrol this week. I called the school. They were not answering and I was not going to leave a message. I jumped in the car and took her bag to her.

As luck would have it, the deputy, who is also the SENCO (special educational needs coordinator) was in the school front office and having just had a meeting with the Ed Psych was able to give me some feedback on that meeting and its outcomes. It is a big relief to know that finally something is being done. I have to say. I think the school are being fantastic. The class teachers and SENCO are very supportive and have been receptive to recommendations I have made. Having then also spoken to the class teacher at the end of the day, he seems to be taking the recommendations of the Ed Psych on board and in addition to the things he already has in place for her, is considering how he can support her further.

I have spent months with my 'Teacher Parent' head on, not knowing which one to be and not being able to separate the two roles. Now I can relax and just be a parent where Little Z is concerned. She already has a teacher who is doing a good job, she doesn't need another one.

Very Surrey

We really wanted to get away for a week in the campervan this summer, preferably to Devon or the Wye Valley, but money is short and although we could probably scrape enough together to pay for the petrol to get us there and back and to pay for the pitch, we would not have enough money to do very much and would not enjoy constantly having to worry about how much things cost. So, we decided to stay at home this year and do some jobs around the house (mostly tidying) and have a couple of trips out to visit people.

Yesterday, we took a trip to Hersham in Surrey to see my Aunty Di. It is only an hour or so from here and we have been saying for a long time that we should visit her, but she was very ill last year with breast cancer and was not particularly keen to have visits from family so we didn't go. She is in her 70s so it is pretty impressive that after lots of treatment with some fairly unpleasant side effects, she has made a good recovery and is now looking very well indeed.

We arrived about 11am and had a short walk around the retirement village where she lives. We then went out of the village and walked about a mile and a half down the road to a garden centre for lunch in their restaurant. It was a lovely walk and the children enjoyed it, although Big J is not too good at walking very far as he has always been taken everywhere in the car and has never had to walk far. Unfortunately, when we got there the restaurant was closed due to no water supply and so we had to turn around again and walk back to the village. We were all worn out after the walk back, which was slightly uphill (why is it always uphill on the way back?!) and so were relieved to get to the club house back in the village where Aunty Di ordered lunch for us all. Little Z and Big J had immaculate table manners as usual (for an ogre). After lunch we had a look around the church and then took a walk to the lake where Big J warned a man to be careful of the dinosaurs. Then it was time to drive home.

We will definitely visit again and hopefully next time we will take my mum with us as she would love the village.

A week in the life of....

Do I have too much time on my hands?

Mon 3 Sept
Took Little Z to INTECH, the Science Centre, for the last day of her summer holiday. INTECH was a lot of fun for both Little Z & I and highly recommended. Science has never been my strong point and having forgotten a lot of what I learnt at school but still being expected to teach it to children, it was really good to be able to have the opportunity to experiment with all the interactive exhibits.

Tue 4 Sept
Little Z started Junior school. On the same site as her infant school, but nevertheless a different school and still slightly daunting for her. She got on well and her new teacher seems very pleasant. I am pleased to hear the class do not come in on monday morning to sit down and write in their weekend diary, but do thinking skills exercises and that the teacher regularly does "brain gym" type exercises with them.

Most of my close friends know what I did on Tuesday and have advised me strongly against doing this again. (Nothing sordid, just don't want to upset anyone by posting about the details.) I decided I have enough friends and so does my son!

Wed 5 Sept
Took Big J to Southsea's Blue Reef Aquarium. Big J walked for over 3 miles to and from the Aquarium to where we parked, which is not bad at all for a 3 year old. During the walk as Big J showed my how to crawl along the promenade like a wolf, I understood how he is going through a pair of trainers every 3 weeks. The aquarium was good, but quite a lot of money for the amount of time it took to get around. Big J liked the sharks best of all and has not stopped talking about sharks ever since. I confirmed what I already knew, which was that Portsmouth is a rip off tourist city. Each time I have been there, I have been intentionally short changed or overcharged by someone in the tourist trade. Next time I will go to Bournemouth instead where the tourist traders are more honest.

Thu 6 Sept
Went to a friends for lunch. That sounds like she made me lunch. In fact, I went to her house and made lunch for both of us while she did some DIY work which she should have been doing while we had been chatting for over an hour on the phone earlier.

Visited some friends in the evening and the weather was so lovely we sat in the garden. They have a lovely garden. Big J liked it so much he watered the flowers, which we only found out when he emerged from the other end of the garden pulling up his pants and saying "I've done a wee!" I am so proud.

Fri 7 Sept
Went to another friends with some exercise equipment she wanted to borrow. Didn't intend to stop for lunch, but did. Didn't have to make the lunch myself.

Seany went on his holiday. Well, at least it should keep my mum out of the pub!

The Walking Week!

Little Z and I have been very healthy this week:

On Monday we walked about 3 miles from near to Little Z's school (where we parked our car after dropping Big J off at Nursery) to Shirley Library and back.

On Tuesday, as the weather was supposed to be the best we have had for a long time, we drove to Bournemouth and walked 1.5 miles along the seafront from Bournemouth Pier to Boscombe Pier. We then got the train back as it was too hot to walk, stopped in a cafe for a healthy lunch and then went to the beach!

On Wednesday, we walked about 4.5 miles from home to Shirley and back.

Having read Seany's post on his trip to "the pictures", I decided it was about time I went to the cinema too, so on Thursday, feeling tired and not wanting to walk anywhere, I surprised Little Z by taking her to the Odean Cinema at Leisure World to see Shrek the Third. We both thoroughly enjoyed it. I really wanted to go to see Harry Potter, but although I know some poeple have taken their children to see it, I know Little Z would be frightened by it and would either want to leave part the way through the film, would hide her eyes for the whole thing or would not sleep for weeks! I will probably wait for that to come out on DVD unless I can get a babysitter so Larry and I can go together to watch it.

Today we are preparing for our trip to Bridgwater in Somerset to see Larry's family. His mum turns 60 on Saturday so we are all getting together to make it a special birthday for her. I am not looking forward to it very much as lots of family invariably means lots of bickering and petty arguments and lots of diapproving looks about the way people choose to live their lives.

After that the plan is to take the campervan off to North Devon for a few nights. Not sure where we are going to stay yet, but I am looking forward to the four of us spending some good quality family time together.

We will enjoy ourselves no matter what the weather does!