Inside and Outside the Comfort Zone

I finally tried NIA today.  The whole concept of a dance-based class with bouts of free-form movement scared me so much that I'd checked-in and canceled twice before, but today I was determined.  And then, in case my determination failed (and it did), I told JP to make me go.  And he did, getting the kids to cheerfully say goodbye and wish me luck at my dance class.  Very effective.

It wasn't quite as scary as I'd feared- about 75% of the class is choreographed, but it's so far out of my comfort zone I don't know that I'll ever be able to make myself go again.  I'm pro-boundary pushing, but this was uncomfortable in a way that didn't ease until I was back in my car 75 minutes later.  There were whole intervals of "just feel the music" and "follow your body's way."  My body's way is precisely what I'm told it is.  This why I adore barre: clear instructions, repeat 16 times, feel the burn, do it again.  I will work through out of control muscle spasms and leg shaking and pain if a teacher/authority figure tells me to, but I cannot wave my hands in the air at a general suggestion to do so.  But because I've been told to do something, I also can't just stand still, so I end up awkwardly swaying and counting down the seconds until I get directions to do something else.  It is very uncomfortable.  Clearly though no on else in the class thought so- they were smiling and dancing around, moving their heads and feet and arms and CELEBRATING THE BODY just like I was supposed to be doing.  I walked out and immediately checked-in on my phone for the barre class that was starting 2 hours later.  I like math problems with answers boxed in and excel spreadsheets of document discovery.  Nia is simply not for me.

But I went, and I'm glad I tried it.  It was a good work out.  You don't stand still ever (unless you are awkwardly swaying like me, and then you're almost still, but not still enough to be disobeying the teacher because Type A lawyer oldest children don't do that), and the time went by quickly when not in free-form mode.  If you like dance and are more uninhibited than me (not hard), you'd probably love it as much as everyone in the class seemed to.  But I'll stick with barre, which I still love with every fiber of my being.  A year ago I never would have thought I'd write that sentence about an exercise class, but it's true.  Saturday's class nearly killed me and I walked out filled with muscle spasms of JOY.

helping

Other than my 3 workout classes and JP's swim practice, we've enjoyed a lazy weekend.  No travel, no big tasks, no errands except for Trader Joe's.  JP and I enjoyed a wine and cheese date night at the dining room table after the kids went to bed last night and it was lovely.  He had lots of swim school work today (he's totally booked for spring and registration opened 3 days ago!) and then he went for a 3 mile run with Landon riding his bike beside him.  This is their new favorite thing to do together and I love it.  Cora took her 3 daily naps and was delighted not to leave the house all weekend- moving from her crib to someone's arms to her monkey bouncer to her playmat.  Always surrounded by her family and smiling anytime anyone made eye contact.

spied the mommy behind the camera

I made a delicious bolognese sauce for dinner tonight that made our whole house smell good, and I think I have a fool proof menu plan for the rest of the week.  I hope so anyway.  JP was home all of spring break (the pool he coaches at follows the school schedule, so it was closed) and it was WONDERFUL. He and Landon had big adventures every day- from bike rides to hikes to multiple stops at our favorite neighborhood donut shop and in the grand finale, a Lego movie excursion, and he dropped off the girls late and picked them up early from school, so I came home every day to three happy kids and dinner cooking on the stove.  We ate early, played games and read long books before bed (multiple long books even! so different from our usual pre-bed refrain of "okay, but pick a short one."), and everyone enjoyed enjoyed a mommy who could fully enjoy everyone else.

I miss it already.