Friday Focus 26/02/21 – Exercise

I’m trying to get a bit fitter at the moment and do a little more exercise. This week my husband and I have been trying a little harder to make space for each other to get outside for a walk or a run without having to have the children in tow. This little chunk of time for myself has been much appreciated and I’ve felt a lot less stressed this week as a result of it.

 

The word 'exercise' with a doodle of a woman doing star jumps for the 'x'

 

I’ve started using the couch to 5k app on my phone again. I’m not reattempting couch to 5k though. I’ve never made it past week 3 in any of my previous attempts. This time I’m just using it as a guided workout and I’m quite happy staying in week 1 for the foreseeable future!

 

Sophie and I have been joining in with PE with Joe three times a week since the start of lockdown. I have to confess that it’s been something I’ve mostly endured during that time but this week I’ve actually found myself enjoying it. I was feeling quite anxious on Monday morning about the PM’s ‘roadmap’ announcement and I have to admit it did help to imagine him standing in front of me while having to do punches!

 

As it turned out, the announcement wasn’t as bad as I thought it might be. I’m a little nervous at the thought of everyone going back to school on 8th March, but the rest of it sounds more cautious than I’d expected it to be. I’m not going to get excited that everything will be back to normal after 21st June though – a lot can happen in four months – but I’m hopeful that we’ll be closer to it by then.

 

 

What I’ve been grateful for this week:

 

A Tiny Ticker situs doll with a name tag saying "Jessica Charlotte"; a beetle drive game sheet; Thomas sitting in a cardboard box with toys; a cup of tea and a bar of chocolate; a purple crocus; the top of my laptop in the foreground with Sophie and Thomas playing in the garden in the background; Thomas sitting on Daddy's lap as they both relax on the sofa - "#365daysofgratitude 2021 - Week 8"

 

  • Day 50 – I am grateful to Tiny Tickers for letting me know that this little situs doll we donated towards, named Jessica Charlotte, in memory of our beautiful girl has been sent to a hospital on the Isle of Man to help sonographers with scanning babies’ hearts. We were very thankful that Jessica’s heart condition was picked up at her 20 week scan – had it not been, I am sure we wouldn’t have had six and a half years with her. Thank you Tiny Tickers for all you do to help raise awareness and improve early detection of CHD. I quite like the fact this little Jessica has gone to the Isle of Man too as I have very happy memories of our family holiday there and finding the last of the gold postboxes in our gold postbox challenge.

 

  • Day 51 – I am grateful for a fun evening doing a virtual beetle drive with friends from church. Brought back memories of the last time we did a beetle drive at church – it was Jessica’s last evening at GB and she loved it so much we ended up playing it a few times on our last family holiday. She would have enjoyed tonight every bit as much as Sophie did.

 

  • Day 52 – I am grateful for the simple joy of a big cardboard box to play in.

 

  • Day 53 – I am grateful for chocolate and tea.

 

  • Day 54 – I am grateful for little signs of spring in the garden.

 

  • Day 55 – I am grateful that this is my view while working from home this afternoon.

 

  • Day 56 – I am grateful for little moments of calm when Thomas is just chilling out happily with Daddy and not being a little pickle getting in to everything.

 

 

Other things that have made me smile this week:

  • Reminiscing with hubby over our university days and laughing over the memories. We haven’t laughed together like that for a while.

 

People doing acrobatic rock 'n' roll in a dance competiton
This photo was when we were both competing in acrobatic rock ‘n’ roll. Hubby is in blue with his partner and I’m in purple. They came first, we came second (hubby’s never let me forget that. We beat them in subsequent competitions though!) Our dance partners also married each other after university.

 

  • A couple of very late Christmas presents arriving in the post for Sophie and Thomas.

 

  • Having a walk along the river with Sophie and Thomas.

 

Sophie and Thomas standing next to the river, in front of a bridge

 

 

  • Having bunches of tulips and daffodils around the house.

 

A vase of rainbow coloured tulips next to the wooden carving of Jessica

 

  • Getting washing out on the line for the first time this year.

 

  • Sophie’s finished rainbow painting in our window.

 

A painting of a rainbow with a pot of gold with yellow buttons for gold and white pom-poms making a fluffy cloud at the other end

 

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30 thoughts on “Friday Focus 26/02/21 – Exercise

  1. exercise is good. I love that old photo of you and your husband competing against each other. I’m glad you enjoyed reminiscing. You have so many lovely things to share this week. I do love your window rainbow…we need to do some window art.

    1. Thanks Anne, I love that photo – it brings back some happy memories. Sophie had fun making her rainbow for our window.

  2. What a good idea to keep going at week one. I’m back running this spring, so I might try the same. It is so difficult to fit in exercise when they are younger. I love the idea of a doll in Jessica’s name helping others over on the Isle of Man. Wonderful tribute. I’m grateful of the signs of spring too. Those tulips are beautiful. #wotw

    1. It is hard to make time to exercise. Sophie being encouraged to join in with PE with Joe for school helped give me the motivation I needed to get started though and it’s nice not to have the pressure of trying to complete Couch to 5k this time around. Makes the running a little more enjoyable.

  3. That is great you have found some time for yourself to exercise. We have done more this week too. Walking and digging the garden was a workout.
    Ahh! It doesn’t matter if you stay at week one on the couch to 5k app for a while, you are making the effort and will feel healthier for it.
    I am not getting excited for the 21st of June either. I think that date will be pushed back a few times before we get that freedom.
    Tiny Tickers are an amazing charity! What a lovely thing to do with the dolls.
    Lovely photos, especially the old one, x

    1. Thanks Kim. Digging the garden is certainly a workout in itself! It’s been good not to have the pressure of trying to do Couch to 5k – I’m much happier sticking with week 1!

  4. I’ve never even looked at this app thingy but I like your idea of using it for guided exercise. Those tulips are beautiful 🙂 I love daffs as well. Not holding my breath for 21st June either but it does seem to be a small light at the end of the tunnel 🙂

    1. It is a small light at the end of the tunnel and it’s nice to have that hope even if the date might end up being pushed back.

  5. Love the rainbow painting. I wish I’d done some dance at uni but that was when I gave up – I did a lot of squash instead, and wind band. How funny that the 4 of you ended up between you getting married. That’s lovely that the Jessica doll is going off to do good things for other families.

    1. Thanks Emma. I was the other way around – I got more into dance at uni than I had previously!

  6. Getting the children to exercise it’s a great idea, as it motivates you to keep going because it’s beneficial for them, and, of course, it’s really good for you too.
    I thought the roadmap is well planned and I hope the data will continue to improve, so we can get out of the lockdowns.

  7. Love that rainbow made by Sophie. Thomas is starting to look too big for the pushchair, won’t be long before you’re having to reign him in for sure. Love the photo of the dancing, you and your husband and how funny both your dance partners married each other also. I joined in with Joe Wickes this week, but the senior work out, start small.

    1. Thank you – he is getting a bit big for it now. I love that Joe Wicks does a variety of workouts to encourage people to get fit.

    1. Thank you, I’ve struggled with this through previous lockdown so have been trying to make more effort this time.

  8. I love that you are getting the time to exercise. I tried Joe Wicks once lol. I have let being active slip this month as I have found life a little overwhelming. I love that dancing competition photo. You have a great history with your husband. I wish I had met my husband earlier in my life #WotW #365

  9. I tried the couch to 5k a few times and never got very far either!

    Cardboard boxes are just the best aren’t they lol!

    The kids started off with Joe Wicks but never stuck with it.

    1. We didn’t manage to stick with Joe Wicks first time around but were much better at doing so this time.

  10. I completed couch to 5k last year and week 3 is definitely the hardest! I stopped running at the end of October and am now waiting for the weather to warm up so I can start again. Love the pic of you and hubby dancing. A cardboard box brings limitless fun!

    1. That’s reassuring to know that week 3 is the hardest. I’m still sticking with week 1 for now!

  11. What a jolly photo of you dancing in your Uni days! And a lovely story to go with it.
    Cardboard boaxes are the best. Mine were always climbing inside all boxes, like cats. Sophie’s rainbow is so pretty! Tea and chocolate are the best stress-busters.
    What a wonderful charity, and having a doll sent to the place where you spent happy childhood holidays is extra special.
    Glad to hear you are finding time to exercise. I walk everywhere in town, so that’s my exercise. 🙂

    1. Thank you. I’ve not done very much walking recently so needed the encouragement to get out a bit more and do some exercise.

  12. The situs doll is such a good idea and it must be comforting to know it is helping. That wedding photo with your tulips is just beautiful

  13. Ahhh that’s so lovely that uni brings many happy memories and that your dance partners married each other too! Can not beat a cardboard box for playing in. I could do with starting something like couch to 5k. The river looks like a wonderful place for a walk. I do feel extra grateful for Spring this year. Hope you have a smooth transition back into the routine.

  14. I do the same get out to take the dog just so I can have a little me time! It’s not for long but it helps calm me. What a lovely donation you did, sounds like they are doing some fantastic work that really makes a difference. We enjoy beetle run too, we played it this week. Oh yes I am always grateful for chocolate and tea too.

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