I've got a long ways to go...

To wit:

World-Class Fitness in 100 Words:

■ Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar. Keep intake to levels that will support exercise but not body fat.

■ Practice and train major lifts: Deadlift, clean, squat, presses, C&J, and snatch. Similarly,master the basics of gymnastics: pull-ups, dips, rope climb, push-ups, sit-ups, presses to handstand, pirouettes, flips, splits, and holds. Bike, run, swim, row, etc, hard and fast.

■ Five or six days per week mix these elements in as many combinations and patterns as creativity will allow. Routine is the enemy. Keep workouts short and intense.

■ Regularly learn and play new sports

(From Crossfit.com)

I'm learning a lot! I'm enjoying my gym time. I'm actually excited about challenging myself and getting there. I think I can see changes in my body composition already. It's fun.

I can tell my energy is already up--for instance, we had people over here until midnight last night, and after cleaning up a little went to bed. Then Denton was up before 7, and I'd already doze-nursed him a couple of times. I still feel great and it's quiet time. I haven't even thought about going to take a nap.

I'm loving it!

Square Foot Gardening (SFG)

So you may remember I have been in the past a gardening fail...

However, this year I may have turned the corner. I discovered Square Foot Gardening. My uncle gave me his book, and I fell in love. It's a little different from simply raised beds and it's working really well for me.

Words to the wise though: Even if your husband is sure that the manure behind the bed is completely composted because nothing is growing in it, you would be wise to check it first before you combine it with your Mel's Mix.

Chances are it is full of weed seed and has not been heated enough to be fully composted, which thereby completely defeats the purpose of mixing it with vermiculite and peat moss to have ideal soil, because you'll STILL have to weed!

But you'll be able to keep up with it, and due to the beauty of the grid, you'll know you're not pulling up your baby plants.

Also? Broccoli looks nothing like red root pig weed. Don't bother carefully weeding around it because then your dad will say, "What's that weed you're so carefully tending there?" And you'll say, "Isn't that broccoli?" And he'll have to say, "Sorry sweetie, that looks nothing like broccoli."

Besides, that broccoli was from old seed and was never going to grow; which brings me to tip number three.

Don't use seeds from 2006. Or 2004. Especially if they've been stored in the garage. Even if you think there might be a chance they'll sprout, and you may as well since you have them on hand, you're really just wasting your time.

Keep these little tips in mind, and you may just grow something and it won't be so overgrown with weeds that you can't even find what you planted. You'll be able to make Texas Caviar with cilantro from your very own garden and rosemary potatoes fresh from the yard!

You'll be so proud of yourself you may just forgive yourself for tending to a pigweed for a whole month and not even knowing it.

early June

early July!

I think we've made progress

Giving me a complex

A couple months ago, a guy I know at church put his hand on his belly, while looking at mine, and asked, "So when's the big day?"

Knowing what he meant, I innocently responded with "What do you mean?" and let him stumble around until he passed off that he was asking about Denton's first birthday.

A few weeks ago, someone I haven't seen in a while queried, "So how are you feeling?"

"Just fine," I answered. "Why?"

Startled, she replied hurriedly and in a very small voice, "oh. no reason."

(In case you haven't noticed, people always ask the pregnant people how they are feeling, and ask regular people how they are doing.)

Yesterday the librarian flat-out asked me when I'm due. And she wasn't talking about my books.

NEWS FLASH, PEOPLE: I. am. NOT. Pregnant.

As a matter of fact, I weigh only 3 1/2 pounds more than I did when I got pregnant with Aviana, almost 8 years and four babies ago.

As I'm whining about all this, my ever helpful husband reminds me that muscle weighs more than fat.

Pregnant pause. (pun intended)

"Thank you, dear."

It is true though. I had to order the largest size offered of bridesmaid dresses for my brother's wedding because of my waist measurement. Unless I consciously suck in my tummy or wear a corset (where could I find a corset, incidentally?) I look about five months pregnant. Discouraging.

I'm going back to the gym--made it three times this week. I'm switching up the workout with crossfit. I'm still not eating (much) sugar and I'm still off soda. I'm drinking lots of water. And I'm trying not to develop a complex about this or get too worked up about it.

So if you see me, please don't ask me about expecting. Anything.

Thank you, my fragile ego appreciates it.