Defining Moments

My Mother In-Law visited for a week a few weeks ago. It's always a difficult time, all of us living together under the same roof. This visit was no exception. But it was good.

A couple of times during that week I had some defining moments. Moments where something in my body and soul shifted just enough to have the strength to support some major changes.

You see, for the past 4 years or so, I've been letting myself go and all the while I've been feeling like I've lost my strength. Don't get me wrong, I've been working my tushie off - the figurative tushie more than the literal one - keeping a young child alive, tending to the needs of my work and earning a paycheck, keeping the daily flow of wake-eat-poop-work-sleep. The worst part is that I've lost a bit of my happy "Sass n' Tude" in the process.

It's not going to be like that any more. I'm taking it all back.

She didn't get away without my saying something; about how it's hard to live together, how being 3 is even harder, how we are the grown ups, and that we must talk in order to make it better - after all we're a team.

I've committed to my health and well being TOO and enlisted the support needed to get more.

I negotiated three days a week. Two weekday mornings to go to the gym and to work early and one weekend morning to do as I see fit - which is probably to go to the gym. Wood will be responsible for Twig on those mornings. Breakfast. Clothes. Teeth brushing. Hair Combing. Lunch. Getting to daycare. 100% Dad.

I've begun Acupuncture and Chinese Herbs and committed to doing so for at least two months to get ahead of how crappy I feel physically. I've been following Doctor's orders around food. Quit caffeine and alcohol.

I joined Weight Watchers. I lost 3 pounds in week 1. Damn that feels good! I'm going to lose 29 pounds more and feel even better.

Twig starts a new pre-school soon. It's less than a mile away from our house and is an excellent school. No more driving 20 miles to get to my work that's only 4 miles from my house any more!

Time, Weight Watchers, exercise, herbs and acupuncture. Slightly different focus. Better Balance.

More me.