Changing life with kids at home and work and well everything at home =)

 

Above is a photo from MinneDemo drive in. 

It has been some time since I posted. Everything in life is at a distance including me thinking about staying in shape for some time. I have been working at home since March and it is not the end of August. My kids also ended the school year in March and are looking at this year at home as well. It has made a big change in how we all live life. The biggest positive is that we are all healthy and get to spend time together.

I have been getting in better shape as of late with getting back into longer bike rides (35+ miles at a time) and doing some running. About 2 months ago I injured my big toe on my left foot and have been unable to run for some time. Running along with biking is a big tool for me to keep my weight down. I have had to really shift my diet to keep the pounds down while I could not run much. One lifesaver was online workout classes first from my friend Doug at the Firm and then from Carmen at Lynx fit. I am still doing the classed online a day a week with Lynx Fit 7am Monday if anyone wants to join. I find as I get older I love and need the group fitness classed, partially so I have someone to yell at me and motivate me to keep going when I am not feeling like it.

Many of my friends laugh about the COVID 15 as in everyone has put weight on like when you start college. I agree that I fell into that bucket a little. Now is the time to keep the weight off and prep for the winter and probably not going back into a gym for some time. I currently have 2 treadmills, a full weight gym set up a kickboxing heavy bad setup, and 2 fluid trainers. I think I am going to get a TRX and maybe a low impact elliptical for this winter. Remember it's not just me but the whole family so 6 of us trying to work out at home.

My weight specifically has going up to 290 and back down to 280 over the last 6 months. I want to get down to 270 and am trying really hard. Sitting at a desk all day at a home office does not help a lot. I need to make sure I get up and walk around. I find myself sitting for 2-3 hour blocks working and sometimes not really moving at all.  I realize that as much as I need to keep moving I need to help my kids do so as well. With no recess and no fall sports, they are doing my kids will also need to be a focus of the exercise. What a crazy time where we need to focus on so many things we have not had to before. When parents become teachers and amazon becomes your shopping trip life gets real interesting.

If you have tips on what you are doing I am always looking. Things to stay in shape, help with kids online learning really anything.

I realize when I start writing how much I love it and how much I need to be connected to a community. I will do my best to blog more and I hope you are doing the best you can. Be true to how you are feeling and try to get outside and exercise as much as you can.

Death of the last Grandparent , Driving 4 kids around Driving me Nutz, Fall Weight loss and more!

So I learned last week that my last grandparent, Helen Hinton had passed away. She was 90 years old. She was a loving person who always saw the best in life and lived unconditionally. I was not close to my dad growing up for many reasons. He and my mother separated when I was 3 years old. Good or bad that was how it was. I saw my moms family a lot and my dads family a lot less. Over the years I lost my grandparents on my moms side, my grandpa Hinton passed away a long time ago in his 60's. He was a green beret in a select group named Merrill's Marauders he picked up some nasty jungle rot in his foot and passed before his time. Grandma lived alone in Winthrop Minnesota and as I got older I started to visit on my own. Usually 3-4 times a year I would drive down with the kids and bring lunch. It was a good time to connect. On January 1st of this year I got the call that she had a stroke and would be in the nursing home. Well it kinda sucked. She hated being there but she needed full time care. Me and the kids visited 5-6 times over the 9 months she was there. a week and a half ago I got the call that she had a massive stroke and would not be on the earth much longer. I packed the kids up in the car and we went and visited one last time. Although grandma could not talk I know she could hear me  and I could feel family members that have already passed smiling down from Heaven ready to welcome her home. 

We learned 3 days later that grandma had passed away. We celebrate her life tomorrow night and a Catholic funeral will follow on Friday. I am happy I have no regrets about my visits with grandma and she will be happy in Heaven. A note of advice - make the time in life to visit loved ones, even if you think life lasts forever you never know what will happen and you can always work more tomorrow.

On a more annoying topic driving 4 kids around AHHHHH!

I traditionally resist signing my kids up for things that are to far away or that require a large time commitment of parents sitting and waiting. You just can't do it when you have 4. In the past we have had grandparents help drive to and from tennis and swimming lessons and other special after school events. This year our oldest is going youth ministry at our church, service work feeding the poor and helping run club on Sundays. This means at least 3 days a week to and from our church 30 minutes away. Then our youngest is in preschool 2 days a week and at the YWCA 3 days a week. each one of these is 2-3 hours and requires drop off and pickup. Leaving me about 2 hours or less of time to get work done. On top of my day to day kid driving there are special events, these seem to happen at least 2-3 times a week. Either a choir or orchestra concert, meeting with teachers, come club after school or a field trip or sporting event. Then there is all the stuff that I want to do, like Twin Cities Startup Week this week  #TCSW I swear we need Uber for kids =) 

Only partially kidding on that, if you have kids you either know what I am talking about or you soon will. Funny thing about this is when I talk to my mom about it she says she never did as much running around for family stuff as I do. What has our generation done to itself?

My weight oh my weight. 

I have not gained weight since last week but I have also not dropped weight. I have been working out more. Adding in power lifting and trx as well as a little running. I am holding off on a lot of running until I lose a little weight. I have been doing 40-60 minutes of cardio on a non impact arc trainer 3-5 days a week. I am also still kickboxing with my oldest every week. I think or rather I know I need to keep decreasing my portions and stay away from sweets. This is really hard with the funeral because I tend to stress eat. I will make it through somehow.

I hope you are having a great week. Wherever you are on your parenting and weight loss or workout journey I wish you the best. Come lift with me anytime!

-Gabe