Exercise Equipment

Exercise, it's so much work, I mean really...who has the time? Which is why purchasing exercise equipment from an infomercial makes complete sense. The prospects of getting quickly into shape, in the comfort of my own home, while watching TV.  It's almost too good to be true.

I've owned the Ab-doer, the Ab-roller, the Ab-wheel, the Ab-cruncher, and three balance balls.  I've even owned the complete set of Abs of Steel on VHS.  Sadly, my abs are nothing of the sort. 

"Oh, when are you expecting?"  A strange lady asked at the supermarket while reaching for my stomach.

"I'm not!"  I shooed her hand away. She huffed away hastily. How dare I embarrass her for insulting me.

Comments like those only motivate me to obtain another machine promising a quick fix.

The side-stepper, the stair-stepper, the treadmill, and the Gazelle were supposed to tone my legs and give me a firmer backside.  But after a few weeks, they became more ornamental than functional.

The Reebok Slider, a rowing machine, and a bike were for cardio, but the trick is, you have to actually use them. The resistance bands and ankle weights barely made it out of the box. I won't even mention the gym membership.

So I'm back to the basics. A jump rope and a pair of Reebok Easy Tones.

Well...for a few weeks.

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No One Likes a Tattle Tale

Today Rio was sent home from school with a discipline slip.

"Mom look what Rio has for you,"  Amaya said, handing me a slip from Rio's teacher.

A discipline slip.  It states:  Grabbing clothes of others around the neck. 

This is the second discipline slip this year.  The first one was for not following the one set of rules that the school has in place for tether ball.

"Rio,"  I said. "Come here."

"Ya..."  He said with his head hanging low as he approached me.

"What happened?"  I asked.  "You grabbed someone by their shirt?"

"Yes,"  he answered.

"Why?"

"I don't know?"  he answered.

"Was it because you were mad?"  I asked.

"No, we were playing,"  he said.  "And grabbing is part of the game.  You have to catch the other person.  He grabbed me too."

"Okay, well it isn't okay to grab people by their shirt.  Especially around the neck, it's dangerous,"  I told him.

"I know.  We were just playing a game,"  he said. 

"Did you tell your teacher that the other boys were playing like that too?"

"No."

"Why not?"  I asked.

"Because they're my friends and I don't want to get them in trouble,"  he said.

And he's right. No one likes a tattle tale.

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