Ode to the Rec Center

John and I decided that for Christmas this year, we should buy a family pass to our community rec center. I was super excited, but I had no idea how awesome it would be. First of all, it was super cheap. We paid for the whole year up front, so for our entire family it comes out to less than $30 per month. Well, that seems cheap to me. What do I know? Anyway, the place is fantastic! There's a super cool play area for the kids, complete with a little grocery store and mini shopping carts. The pool is one of those with a gradual slope so that any age kid can find the perfect depth, and there are tons of contraptions squirting and dumping water. There's also a toddler duckie slide and a lazy river. I've never been there when I couldn't find a machine of my choice available, be it a bike, treadmill, stair stepper, eliptical, you name it. And the weight room rocks! But the most valuable part of our membership, by far, is the hour a day of free child care. When John and I go together, we drop the kids off and go work out, then pick them up and go swimming. For some reason, this seems like such a treat when I go by myself. I drop the kids off and run to burn as many calories as possible in 60 minutes. When I go to get the kids, I'm energized and ready to have fun with them. This really was a great idea for our family Christmas present.

I have to give a shout out to my husband, because my motivation has been really lacking for a few months now. In our 6 1/2 years of marriage, he has learned to inspire me without coming across as pushy or judgemental. His sincere comments like, "We'd all have more fun if you came with us," have really made me want to get off my tush and go. And once we get there, it's amazing how stepping on a treadmill can make me go from not wanting to move a muscle to trying to walk as fast as I can. (Oh, I miss my beautiful walks in Spokane!) I know that he knows as well as I do that I really need exercise and a change of scenery, if only for a few hours, for my emotional well-being. (Of course, I'm getting to that "chubby" state of pregnancy, so I need to burn some calories, too.)

I'd like to say that I'm off to the gym, but I'm actually off to get my hair done. That will do at least as much good for my psyche as a workout would, don't you think?