On With Training

For the past four days I have been involved in my much anticipated Pilates teacher certification classes and I just had to drop a line to say how utterly excited and overwhelmed I am.  There is so much I have to study, practice, and learn before returning April 30 for another four days of intense education. Don't get me wrong..........I'm not complaining.........I've been looking forward to this day for more than eleven years. I don't recall just exactly how I came into learning about Pilates, but I've been wanting to get certified for what seems like an eternity.

In the 1990's, I think I stumbled onto something online about it and ate up every little morsel of information I could get my hands on from going on sites that sell the equipment to learning about Joseph Pilates and about his lifes work in fitness and exercise rehabilitation. 

I've wanted to meet Romana, one of the "elders" of the work of Pilates who actually studied under Joseph when he was alive.  She is still alive today in New York.  My dream was to be trained from her or someone else who got their education from "Joe" himself, and Romana would have been my choice, but as I am not going to New York any time soon I had to start my education here in Colorado.  The owner of the studio that I am taking my lessons from was actually trained by Romana, so I am very close to that hopeful goal as I will be taking lessons from her too soon.

I would be considered a 4th generation student as my instructor, Kristi Cooper, was trained by Rael, who was trained by one of the "elders"  that was trained by Joseph Pilates himself. I can't remember the way to spell Rael's last name, and don't remember who he was directly trained by but I'll fill in those blanks later.  The heart of this blog is that I am so very happy to be where I am now, to have started this wonderful journey and can't wait to continue on with my work.

I am currently deciding between Balanced Body and Peak Pilates equipment.  I need to purchase my reformer ASAP so that I can practice as much as possible at home.  Lessons can add up in cost, and I thought that I had invested enough with just the classes for certification, but I was wrong.  I will be spending much more before I'm through.  But it will all be worth it.  

I'm looking forward to the post that I will write that will contain a picture of myself on my brand new reformer.  That will be an emotional day for me because I've looked forward to owning my own studio since what seems like forever, and the day I purchase my first piece of equipment will be the day I actually started my own Pilates business. 

I was a gymnast, dancer and cheerleader in high school and have suffered from pain, arthritis and dysfunction from old injuries acquired therein.  Gymnastics was a very big part of my life in school and the gym was my second home.  Since leaving high school, I have been looking for that second home and found it when I became a fitness and aerobics instructor in my new job at Spa La Fem in West Jordan Utah.  From there I had to quit my job when I got married and moved to Logan Utah where I majored in Modern Dance at Utah State University.  I became pregnant with my first baby and both Nate and  I lost our jobs working for Pepperidge Farms so we had to move back to Salt Lake.  I became a full time mom and had too more children but decided I needed something more.  Nate convinced me I should get a degree in nursing instead of computers so I became an RN, and still didn't feel like I was in the right place as my gym home had not been found.  I decided to complete my degree in Exercise Sport Science at the University of Utah in exercise physiology with the idea that I would get my Pilates certification afterwords.  I have been looking to Pilates for assistance in healing and recovering those old high school injuries and after beginning my Pilates classes I believe I will be able to work through all my old injuries.  I can also say  I've found my new niche, my peaceful place, my place of sanity, serenity and joy.......................I found my new gym home.

Feeling Subservient

I really love my new job, and I like one of the girls I work with.  Her name is Emily.  But the other one is one of those type A nurses who complains about dust! You know the kind of person who has to have everything around them almost perfect and wants "YOU" to be just like them. And that little person inside me just wants to throw clothes on the floor out of spite.  

Not literally but I really don't want to do anything she says just to show her who's boss.  I have more qualifications than she does in this job, but Emily practically worships her.  And so I feel like a third leg when I'm working with the two of them because they talk to each other and I'm not truly included.

We interviewed a girl for a PRN part time position today.  I was told several days before this interview that there were a certain sub-set of questions that the director wanted asked, yet I wasn't included in what the questions were,  and as I sat there (I was informed that I was to be a part of this interview process even though I obviously wasn't truly a "part of it"), both of my co-workers kept asking all kinds of questions of this girl, basically leaving me out.  Oh yeah, they looked at me at the end of the interview and asked me if I had anything to add!  I said......"Nope, looks like you two covered it".  

I don't feel I should bring up my feelings to them because it won't help the situation, but I can't help feel a bit put off because there are only the three of us running the joint and I can't help it if I feel like I'm Cinderella.

That's kind of what Connie treats me like................Connie is the one I don't really like too much. 

Emily's only 25 or 26 years old, and is running  our rehab and she too has less qualifications than I do.  It's hard on my ego.  I just keep holding my tongue.

My honey gets to hear the run down of my feelings all the time and he advises me to sit quietly and add only when I have something to add, and in the meantime, just be subservient. I have a really hard time with that, but I feel he's right.

I don't like it that I'm nearing 50 years old and I'm feeling subservient to a 20 year old and I'm a 14 year Registered Nurse and have a bachelors degree in Exercise Science.  How do you get the respect that should come with your hard work from all the time and energy that goes into your job and diploma?  I don't know.  

===Sushi Retreat===

Parker, Heather and Whit with Techan (sushi chef) in the background. 

Parker and Heather introduced us to AI Sushi in 

Colorado Springs. 

Techan is the main sushi chef at AI in 

Colorado Springs.

He gives us all kinds of new tastes of sushi and occasional free 

whiskey shots to those who will drink with him!

Me and Nate

Heather and Parker

Whit and Sarah

Aub and her sushi! Yum!

Clara chugs a swig. 

Little James and his everlasting smile.

We went to AI Sushi the day after Valentines and it was a good thing because according to the staff, it was packed on Valentines Day. 

Brother and Sister

I wish I could find the picture that more precisely shows the likeness of Aub and Whit. One day I was fishing through some photos and came across it and to my surprise I thought it was Whit, but in fact it was Aub.  It was a close up and I was in shock to see the likeness of the two.  So we decided to take some pics to show the resemblance (although the pics are a bit kooky and out of wack we enjoyed ourselves)

Their eyes are a lot alike! (It's somewhat eerie and uncanny how much

they both appear to resemble Marty Feldman in this pic!)

They both have a natural arch in their eyebrows, have the same chins!  

Obviously brother and sister.  

Aub agrees, he is the male version of her and she the female version of him.

My Kids All In CO at the Same Time

I haven't had all my kids in the same state at once in over a year.  We've come close but are still missing one and that's Aub's hubby Nate.  We miss ya man!  Aub visiting has been a special treat. 

Uncle Whit washing Clara's hands

Aub and James

 Aub and Clara

Clara in Meme's slippers! Everyone loves 'em. 

I've got Pika pics in them too.

Great grandma J. gets some lovin' from the baby.

He's soooooo heavy!

This was a balloon type ball that popped and became a hat. 

Squnches up their faces. Lurv it!!

Me and Clara

Nate looks like he's posing for Me!

Aub caught a pic of us hugging

Heather be covered in dogs

Aub and her kiddles

James and Clara at the Mall

Whit's Tats

Oober cool! It's his zodiac sign (Aries). 

He drew a sketch of it a while ago and the tattoo artist elaborated.  I love it.

Happy Valentines Day

I sat on the bathroom floor holding James as I watched the toilet paper roll unravel......again.....only, this time it did it all by itself....... I guess maybe it was used to dropping to the floor,  or just anticipating those two little hands smacking it down to the ground for the umteenth time.  I have raveled it back up to it's original resting state at least four times! I understand the fascination but criminitly trigger! It's getting annoying.

James has a very red rash on his face from his sister spraying the tire whitening spray at him. That junk hurts your lungs if you inhale it, and obviously burns the skin.   He doesn't appear to have eye damage but poor Aub was at her wits end last night when I called to see how things were.  I brought home a Dove bar and some rotten chocolate milk from the gas station for her to make her feel better.  I didn't know the milk was rotten until she opened it up and drank it.  I about puked too.  Great way to end the day.

I don't know how she can keep up with the girl. Clara's little hands have to touch, squeeze, pull, push, drop, throw or "punt" everything within reach. Especially my poor little Pika!  Poor dog is suffering the "kick the dog" syndrome.  I can just get finished telling Clara not to kick the puppy and she'll do it again.  How quickly we forget the "TERRIBLE TWOS"! I just hope it doesn't go into the terrible threes or fours!

___________________________

Heather complained that I only write about Aub.............. and she's right.  So here's a blurb about H.  She recently started a job with Outback Steakhouse.  Apparently, Key Bank doesn't like people to make more than two mistakes in a career there so they drop kick you out if you do and she was........drop kicked.  She came home night before last with $50.00 dollars in tips. Made $75.00 last night.  Great tips, but I'd really like to get her into school.  I just don't know how we'd ever pay for it, and our country is in such a great state of being right now, loans and grants are probably very unavailable. We'll see.  Anyway, she's pretty free to look for other jobs while slapping steaks down for customers.

____________________________

Today is the much anticipated Sushi day Aub's been waiting for. We plan to make the trek to Colorado Springs to AI.     

Happy Valentines Day everyone.  

Loving The Babies

I get to help with baths. Aub takes both kids in with her and I get to get them out an dry them off. I offer lots and lots of powder to their cold little bodies just as I remember my mom doing for me when I was little.  Weird. I can remember my mom getting me out of the bath. She would tell me to shake off one foot, put it down on the towel on the floor, shake off the other foot. Then we'd dry me off, wind a towel around my head and apply powder. I can remember going from cold to warm in seconds flat with powder. 

Clara asks for some to be put in each tiny hand and then shakes both hands leaving the powder flying in the air, only little of it landing on her body. She's such a doll.

She has the cutest lisp I've ever heard.  Aub had one too.  So did I.   I remember mom working with me to get rid of mine.  I won't do that with Clara as I didn't with Aub.  They mostly just correct themselves (so I can enjoy it).  

When Aub was little she called her fingers "ginners" and I loved it.  Then one day she said it right and I found out Nate had corrected her to say it right.  I was heart broken about it. 

James is soooooooooo heavy!  And he has a non-stop smile.  I think he's starting to know me.  He anticipates getting either tickled or a raspberry to the neck and grins from ear to ear EVERY SINGLE TIME! 

He smiles so much the lady at Panera Bread followed us out from behind the counter to find Aubrey just to see him again.  She made mention that her kids were grown and that she didn't have much fondness for babies, but couldn't take her eyes off him.  Most people go out of their way to talk to him because he offers up his love in the way of smiling at everyone.  He is such a good and content baby.

I have pictures and will post them soon.