My new gazelle

Yesterday Travis and I picked up my new (used) gazelle. We found it on craig's list for $25. I decided that was worth the risk I wouldn't like it. It's the first exercise machine I've ever bought. Today I worked out on it for 20 min. Now I wasn't dying when I got done but it did give me a lighter workout. I was challenged, my heart rate was up & my breathing was heavier. I have the 2nd version the Gazelle freestyle. This one allows you to lean forward or lean back and keep going, doing either of those is definitely harder and works the front of your abs more. It's quiet with just a slight squeak but I was able to hear the tv easily over it. It's easy on the joints and doesn't take a lot of coordination so it's easy to get into a mindless motion. I like that you can adjust your stride from a short one to a longer one. I am stuck doing the gazelle only when Bryan is sleeping or when someone is available to watch him because he could get really hurt if he walked too close in front or behind of it by me kicking him. It folds up if 3 steps and stands flat against the wall except for the handles sticking out. It is a bit heavy to move around folded up or unfolded. It's small enough that I'm able to use it in my bedroom which is good my space in this house is limited. I'm glad that I am not any larger than I am though or I don't think I would be able to do it. As it is right now my thighs touch it when I'm working out, nothing uncomfortable but much wider and it would be. Hopefully though after a few weeks I'll notice that I'm not touching it anymore! lol So far I like it. I plan to add it to my work outs not replace them though. I am thinking I will do it during Bryan's nap as my mid-day workout, then occasionally at night when I know I'll be watching tv for a long time.

Music Therapy

We started music therapy today. That was interesting to say the least. My youngest has a speech delay & negative pressure in both his ears. We are trying to figure out the cause of both of those & to find out if they are related. He sees an ENT (Ear, Nose, Throat) Dr at childrens for the negative pressure and is going through speech therapy through the Help Me Grow Program here. Today we started Music Therapy. It's a set of 4 cd's with music only on them. We have to listen to each one for two weeks straight-twice a day for half an hour a time-before switching to the new cd. After we get through all 4 cd's then we take a week off to evaluate the situation before moving on. Sounds simple right? The music is missing part of it's tones-they took regular music like Mozart etc and they take out a section of tones. The reason for this is that the missing tones makes your inner ear work harder, contracting and such. I believe each cd is missing different tones and we see how he reacts to each cd. I was told some kids get sleepy, some kids get calmer and some get hyper-one kid literally climbed the wall the music drove him that nuts lol So you see not so simple. Different missing tones cause the kids to react differently. Listening to the music there is no doubt it makes your inner ear work! My ears feel tingly, numb almost, it eventually went into my eyes and my forehead. I couldn't wait until the half hour was over! I know it was affecting Bryan b/c as soon as it came on he started rubbing his ear, luckily no hyperness has appeared YET. It's going to be an interesting next few months.

Old Farmhouses

This weekend hubby and I made a big decision-kind of out of the blue really. It was about old farmhouses, we both love them. We were dropping off our daughter at a party & was looking at the beautiful old farmhouses on the way. We got to talking about the farmhouses, how we love them and such. Turns out both of us have thought many times over the years that we would still like to live in one. Only neither of us had said anything to the other because at different times over the years we've both said that we didn't want to move again. After I learned he had been thinking the same as me, I told him it seems kind of silly for us to stay living in the house we're in when we both would rather be in another house. Especially since it's not always common that a couple can completely agree on where to live. It will be a lot of work & time to get the house ready & finances in order to sell this house & buy another one. After we made the decision, we both felt happy, excited, & relieved. That tells me this is the right decision for us.

Spring Flowers

They are up! I was worried they wouldn't make it this year as they started coming up almost a month ago & then we got another snow. They looked like they would die but they didn't! I have bright yellow tall daffodils in the front with a few small hyacinth in pink & purple. On the side of the house I have a nice row of hyacinth in several colors. Deep purple, magenta, a few white, pink. I love hyacinth they smell so good when the wind blows. I only wish they lasted longer!
My flower beds are far from beautiful. There is still a lot of work to be done before I consider them done. That is the one thing I miss from my old house is all my finished beautiful flower beds. Each year though I get a little farther on them.