Moms of Kids and Tweens January - March

[TonyaK]

Hi all! Happy New Year!

I'm working my way through Cathe's STS. I started with Mesocycle 2 and I only have one workout left. Then I'll move on to Meso 3, the heaviest phase.

My kids went back to school today They also start basketball practice tonight. They both have it at 7:30, which is kind of late for their ages, but they can do it. It feels weird to go out to do something after it's already been dark for a few hours!

I am feeling a little sick and my shoulders hurt like they did when I had covid. I took a test and it was negative. It is probably just a cold, but I am perplexed by this shoulder pain.

I hope everyone is well! How were the holidays?

Stephanie, I hope you weren't stuck on I-95!

[TonyaK]

I've finished Mesocycle 2 of STS and I did the first Squat Rack Legs workout from Meso 3 yesterday. It didn't feel that tough while I was doing it but today my legs are really feeling it! I think the LONG breaks in between sets makes you feel stronger and able to lift more weight. I believe you have 2.5 minutes between each set.

Pratima, I'm so sorry for your family's loss. It sounds like it was nice to have your MIL visit. Will she continue to live in CO alone?
I'm glad you are feeling better after your surgery! Are you running again yet?

I hope everyone is getting into the swing of things for 2022!

[Pratima]

TonyaK, thanks for starting a new thread! Does your shoulder feel better? COVID is certainly going around again here. How often do the kids have that late practice?

So mine went back to school last week. DS on Monday and DD not until Wednesday. I did switch her to a different school and district and the paperwork wasn't sorted out. They actually started on Tuesday. She's doing OK there now. The dropoff is kind of a pain. Before I was taking DS to school and DD to the bus stop right near his school. Now I have to drop her off (school starts at 730) and DS, and then pick both up. Her new school is closer than the old one but no bus option.

My MIL flew back Saturday. She was getting really antsy. I know she was bored here, especially after DH started working and the kids went back to school. Honestly her poor hearing and the fact that none of our families really got to know the kids made it worse. None of us could really converse with her--you literally have to shout and even then she seems to only get some of the words. Since she never really talked to the kids much before (other than "How's school? Are you being good?") it's not like she has much to talk to them about now.

So yes, she will live on her own and should be fine doing that for now. I did find her an audiologist near her house and she says she'll get hearing aids. I'm hoping she finds some hobbies now that she won't spend all day talking care of her husband. Having something to do--knitting, reading, whatever--might make it easier for her to visit.

I am feeling totally recovered, though I guess I do feel a little pinch in my belly button area now and then. I've been running, well, run/walk intervals, and lifting weights. I'm back to my ol' Lindsay Brin workouts. I really wish her latest ones weren't only streaming! I may have to give in and try them.

DD has her first gymnastics meet Saturday. Her knees have been bothering her for months. It's a growth and/or overuse thing. Not an actual injury but does limit what she can do. So I'm not sure if she'll compete all four events. Still, this is the beginning of even more hectic times.

Stephanie, are you buried in snow? My supervisor lives in Virginia, I believe and sent us a picture of a ruler getting more and more buried.

[TonyaK]

Today I went for about a mile-long walk and did STS 25: Chest and Back and Ab Ripper X. The C&B workout was slow, with long breaks in between, which makes you feel strong for each set. Then the DOMS are killer the next day! My joints started complaining as soon as the workout was done. I hope they will feel okay tomorrow.

Pratima, my shoulder still hurts when I do a chest-press motion. I am trying different types of massage and stretching to see if I can heal it without going back to PT.
DD has that 7:30 practice twice a week, both on school nights. Luckily DS's practices got changed to 6:30, which is a lot better for him.
Ugh, it sounds like a pain to get your kids to two different places! Next year DD will move to middle school, so we will have to figure that out. I think they start at different times for the benefit of the school bus schedule, so it might be easier here.
I hope your MIL will find a hobby she likes! Several years ago, my mom started going to quilting classes at a quilt store and she became great friends with a few other retired ladies. It would be awesome if something like that could happen - I know it was really lucky that she found people she liked who wanted to make a new friend.
I hope your DD's knees will stop hurting soon - I remember going through that as a kid, and it was awful!

Hello to all!

[Pratima]

TonyaK do you think your shoulder pain is an injury? My shoulders always bug me--they're just weaker than my other arm muscles and I guess used in exercises that are supposed to hit other spots so get irritated easily. I'd say go see someone if it's really bugging you though. Remember a couple years ago, my shoulder was bothering me, and then my elbow got irritated from trying to compensate for it? Took months to get it all worked out.

Did you have knee pain as a kid due to exercise or growth? The growth issue is apparently very common. Almost every parent I've mentioned it to who has a teen or older knows what it is.

Do your children take the bus to school? DD was until I switched her and now it's not an option. Apparently there's a big shortage of bus drivers so that may have been an issue anyway. The good news is that when DS gets to 7th grade, they should be together the rest of the time.

My MIL has this older Chinese lady she knows in her town. That lady goes to a senior center and does classes and such. That lady's daughter is supposed to get my MIL to go to some too. We'll see how that goes.

I might do a month or two of Lindsay Brin's site. She has a new Pretty Fierce workout series releasing Monday. I'm enjoying the old set right now and it'd be nice to try something new. I REALLY wish you could download them though.

I was SO tired and achy last night, little afraid I was getting sick. Took a hot bath, went to bed earlier, got up later and feel much better. But then DH got called in to work. A vaccinated coworker of his got sick. He's working today and might have to work tomorrow, which means more driving for me. :/ They are at least paying him a big bonus, so there's that.

[TonyaK]

Pratima, I think I probably pulled or strained something in my shoulder, or specifically, where my biceps attaches to my shoulder. Thanks for the push to get help - I know I should just do it. You're absolutely right that one injury can lead to another.

My kids live just barely too close to school to be able to ride the bus (.03 miles too close). I think our district uses the same buses for elementary, middle, and high school, so they have staggered the start times at the schools. We are also short on bus drivers here.

I was told that my knees hurt because of growing pains. That was probably true, but I now know that I probably also had weak hip muscles the whole time, which made my knee pain much worse. 12 years old is also when my plantar fasciitis began. I think that's all connected, and I wish that more doctors had more of a PT mindset, looking at how different things are connected. Even at the time, I felt totally dismissed by the doctor and didn't think he was correct. My parents were never the type to advocate for their kids or push back against a doctor or other authority figure. I hope to do better by my kids!

It sounds great that your MIL might go to some senior group classes. I hope she will like it.

I am on Lindsay Brin's email list and am always tempted by her new programs. Right now, I know I do not need any more workouts in my life. I am doing STS and it will take a while. I do not need to pay for anything else (current mantra ). When I have used her streaming service, it never lagged or gave me any trouble. Hopefully you will have the same good experience if you sign up!

I hope you are still feeling well! Sorry you are having to do all the driving of the kids. That gets tiring.

Today I want to do some cardio and yoga. I better get going, before the DOMS kick in from yesterday's workout

[TonyaK]

Hi friends,

I have been keeping up with my STS workouts, but I haven't gotten in the habit of doing cardio and yoga on the other days. I am getting stronger, which I love! I know I need to work on cardio and flexibility, too. Yesterday I did Squat Rack Legs. I muted Cathe and listened to a podcast That one is so straight-forward, one doesn't need her instruction. Also, all four of the SRL workouts are the same filming, just edited differently to change the number of reps. I would rather listen to something else than hear the same comments, form pointers, and jokes each week.

Today I am having a massage. I haven't had one in over 15 years! There is a place near our house now, and DH has gone a couple of times. He loves getting massages.

I hope everyone is well!

[Pratima]

TonyaK, I'm impressed at you sticking with STS! I think the longest I'm able to do one workout set is about 8 weeks. And there have to be some changes during those weeks--I can't repeat the same workouts the entire time! I can't believe you've haven't had a massage in that long! I got my first on our honeymoon in Kauai in 2003 I believe.

All seems to have settled down with DD's new school. I take both in the morning for dropoff and have gotten the timing down. Afternoons are a bit rough because we always end up a little too early for DS but I don't want to bring her home and head out again, so we just sit in the parking lot.

I finally broke down and got DD a cell phone. She's used my old one since November on wifi only. She has an app she can text and call with for free and has done relatively well. As she gets older it seems good to have a way to get in touch with her in case there's an issue with picking her up at the gym or school. She does sometimes spend too much time on it but I have a couple of apps on it so I can monitor and block if necessary.

I did start the Lindsay Fierce 4 workouts. So far I'm enjoying them. They're all 45 minutes or less, and you do 4 per week (thought I skipped Core and Mobility this week) so i can easily hike or run too. They feel short, like not a ton of different exercises, but I've been sore after every one so I guess they're helping! I'm planning to subscribe for 2-3 months and try out some others, then cancel.

DD had her first meet last weekend. Her knees still bother her on and off but she did do all four events. I still take her to PT once a week and she wants to go even though it makes for a very frazzling day, so we'll stick with it.

Stephanie, I saw your boys are stuck at home today! Some of my coworkers live in your area and were saying it's nuts how NOT bad the weather is. Hope it doesn't last long!

[TonyaK]

Hi Pratima!

I think I'm capable of sticking with phases 2 and 3 of STS because it's my favorite type of exercise: straightforward, simple, heavy weights. Hopefully this is my gateway program into long-term, consistent exercise!

I enjoyed the massage yesterday. It was the perfect experience for a newbie or for someone who's kind of apprehensive. The woman was very interested in doing what I wanted her to do, and encouraged me to speak up about changing pressure, etc... I made an appointment for another one in a month. I think she might have fixed my shoulder/arm pain! She worked on a spot in my arm (it hurt so much, I was squirming!) and so far, it doesn't hurt. Fingers crossed!

I'm glad the school drop off and pick up is feeling better!

We got our kids cell phones last year. We have to approve any apps they want to add (Google Family won't let them add without our permission). We can track their locations with Google Maps, so we can let them roam the neighborhood a bit more without worrying as much. We can limit and shut off their internet access on a schedule or any time. It feels good that we can get in touch with each other. So far, it has worked out well for us. I hope it will continue to work well with your DD.

Ooh, it sounds like Fierce 4 is a good fit for you right now! She does make it really easy to cancel (just clicking something in your account.) I love that!

I'm glad DD is able to keep doing gymnastics. The clips that you share on IG are amazing! Did the doctor or PT have a guess at how long the growing pains will last?

[Pratima]

TonyaK, I'm finding that my preferred workouts these days are 45 minutes or less, though I'll sometimes do two 30-minute workouts or a 45 and 15. I don't like a ton of repetition, like doing the same three workouts four times, but I don't mind doing say, 3 circuits twice each (that's how Fierce 4 is). Funny how tastes change, isn't it? I used to love dancy, compex workouts and now I just don't have the brainpower for it.

I have Google Family Link on my kids' devices (all Samsungs) too. Somehow, DD manages to get past the time limits and stuff. I've searched to see how and haven't really found it. Right now the biggest thing is that we make them plug in all their devices basically right outside our bedroom door. We've caught her on her tablet watching YouTube after she's supposedly gone to sleep. And she tends to get distracted easily while she does school work but it's tougher to manage that on her laptop (not a Chromebook).

I did also put the Bark app on her phone. It alerts me if she sends texts with certain words, or takes pictures labeled as problematic. I've had issues with setting it up and such but their tech support is really helpful.

Both PTs have said DD probably just needs to manage the pain until she finishes growing, which the orthopedist estimated would be sometime this year based on the fact that she got her first period two years ago this April (just before she turned 11, just like me). Hopefully that's the case!

I ran today! Honestly I've been avoiding it because the cold is really affecting me this year. But since DH takes the kids Thur and Fri I was able to go once the sun was starting to come up and that's not as bad. It was a little tough--I'm pretty stiff now--but do feel like I'm not limited in any way now from surgery other than of course the fitness I lost.