Monday mornings typically consist of me trying to squeeze every last bit of sleep out until I hear Boston banging on his door for me to come get him. That's my cue to see how fast I can make the bed, use the bathroom, brush my teeth, and get dressed. If I can do all of the above before he gets impatient, it's my lucky day. Once I get the first rush of to-do's over with, I open his door and start the next rush of to-do's which include diaper changing, dressing, breakfast making, and gathering all the supplies we need for music class. Seeing as Boston usually wakes up around 8:00, and we have to leave for music class by 8:45, it makes for a frenzied morning. I always seem to forget that I need to leave enough time for at least three temper tantrums somewhere in there; one for the diaper change and/or getting dressed, one for getting him out the door and to the car/in the car seat, and one for a miscellaneous who knows what will set him off today. However, last night before I went to bed, I decided to try a new Monday routine.
I got up just before 7:00 and instead of hearing banging, I heard peace and quiet. Instead of starting my day with a frenzied list of to-do's, I got to read, and think, and exercise in peace and quiet. I was amazed at what a difference it made in my day! I felt so much more prepared for my little tiger to wake up and take on whatever temper tantrums he had in store for me.
After I finished soaking in the peace and quiet of some reading and thinking time, I counted how many days I had done Level 1 of Jillian's 30 day shred in my workout log. It was 10 days which meant today was the day I got to see if I could hack level 2. Here's how it went....
Never in a million years did I think 20 minutes of exercise could give me that much of a workout. The difference between Level 1 and Level 2 is quite a difference in my opinion. Let's just say I could get away without showering after the Level 1 workouts, but there was no way I was skipping the shower this morning.
That being said, it was an awesome workout, which is always much easier to say after it's over. During the workout my thoughts were more like, "Holy crap, I think I'm going to die." I really am enjoying this new exercise routine though. I could definitely use something besides pure cardio. Also, I'd much rather do an intense workout at home for 20 minutes than spend half my morning driving to and from the gym. I think I need to invest in some more workout dvd's with the amazon gift card I got for my birthday!
Turns out I needed the extra zeal I got from my early morning routine because, while we loved the end of the year music class party, it wasn't without it's temper tantrums and time outs. Neither was the rest of the morning! However, I realized today as I was putting B down for his nap, but feeling more like I was trying to tame a tiger, that preparing and expecting several temper tantrums throughout the day helped me with my patience and willingness to deal with them.
I was grateful for such a good morning, and for the reminder that getting up earlier than I have to is sometimes worth it. Of course, there will still be days that I soak in every last bit of sleep, and I'm sure the extra sleep will definitely be worth it too on those occasions.
P.S. Do you have a favorite workout dvd?
I need ideas!
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