Summertime…

Is it just me, or did the summer just fly by?  It’s so hard to believe that summer is over! 
 
I decided that this year, I was going to do my best to make it really feel like summer at home.  Traffic is lighter, so I decided to let the kids sleep in a little later than usual.  And, I attempted to take a day off each moth to do something fun with the kids.  Plus, we tried our best to do some fun summer activities - spending time at the pool, going to baseball games, etc.  We managed to see the Corpus Christi Hooks play the San Antonio Missions, plus we went out to Constellation Field to see the Skeeters play.

Hanging out at the neighborhood pool....

The kids enjoying a Hooks game!  Who am I kidding, they're enjoying the popcorn more!

In June, I took a day off from work to see Big! The Musical at an outdoor theatre. We had lunch downtown, explored Houston’s tunnels, ate cupcakes and just had fun. 



Checking out the skyline, providing child labor at my office, checking out the artwork downtown

At Hermann Park, after the show

The July outing didn’t happen, but I did manage to take 3 days off in August for some summer family fun.  We headed to the neighborhood pool, saw a movie (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), stayed a night at a local resort (think water slides, lazy river, s’mores, dive-in movies….) and checked out the Downtown Aquarium for the first time ever.  Not exactly a Disney Cruise like last year, but still a much needed break from the daily grind.

On the Ferris Wheel at the Aquarium...don't worry, the Munchkin is just being silly.  He's actually having fun.  Really.

 

Rough life, right?  Having fun on the lazy river at the resort.

 

So now what?

Well, I am still patiently waiting for my broken foot to heal. The good news is that I can walk (or hobble) more now without pain.  If I overdo it, my foot does ache, but it’s nothing like the pain I had the couple of weeks following the break. That.was.brutal.

I had my 4 week check-up and things seem to be progressing.  To be honest, I thought my x-ray looked pretty much like the original one.  But, the doc said it is healing and is exactly where he expected it to be at 4 weeks. 

Here's the lovely pic of my 5th metatarsal with the break....

 

As for the workouts, I had already been swimming for about a week, but the doc said I could now add the stationary bike, spin bike or trainer to my routine.  However, I had to promise not to make the tension too high…in other words, no simulating hills.  Yeah, I got it.

My friend Jill and I headed to the gym last weekend and rode side-by-side stationary bikes for an hour….Jill is recovering from a nasty fall off her bike.  It’s funny, because swimming is not my favorite activity at all, but while swimming that first 25 yards, I swear I had a HUGE grin on my face.  I was just so stinking happy not to be working out in my living room (no offense to Tony Horton or the guy on the Brazil Butt Lift DVD).  I felt the same way about the stationary bike…I was sweating!  My heart rate was up!  It was AWESOME.  Since then, I've been visiting the spin room a couple of times per week.  Not exactly exciting, but whatever.

Dark room, no a/c...riding nowhere fast.

 

I guess I’m learning to appreciate the little things. J

So, from here I can start attempting to transition to wearing my running shoe.  The doc was very adamant about this being a very gradual transition.  I was supposed to wear my shoe for 1 -2 hours each day for awhile and then wear it longer if there was no pain.  Last weekend, I wore my running shoes for about 6 hours and was okay…so we’ll see what happens.  I have my 8 week appointment next week, so keep your fingers crossed.  If I’m lucky, I might be able to graduate to the elliptical!

(Did I mention that I hate and despise the elliptical?)  (Maybe by then I will be so desperate to do something other than swim and bike, I will love the elliptical?)

So that’s where I’m at.  I’ve worked my swims back to 1 mile and some change, I can sit on the spin bike for a little over an hour…I’m getting there.  And, I am trying to do strength training a couple of times each week, too.

Still, I’d rather be running!