Ellipses...Ellipses

The elliptical machine is a wonder and a mystery all at the same time.  It's definitely kinder than a treadmill (wondering what I mean by that?  Try taking your hands off the heart rate sensors on the human ear-torture machine for 2 seconds and then tell me you didn't know treadmills could be unkind).  But ellipticals are funny.  I mean, I'm not really sure whether I'm supposed to be on the balls of my feet, all bouncy [bounce bounce bounce] or keep my feet flat on the pedals [feet leaving annie - feet running away from annie].  I can go much faster on an elliptical -- over three miles in 25 minutes.

The victory of this morning was, though, that I used the weight machines!  Peter walked through them all with me, showing me how to use them, and then I did them, all on my own, after my cardio.  What a pleasant time!  Picture dorky me, in the middle of all the huge weights that the guys come in and use, pumping my little 5 pounders, trying to tone my triceps.  Ah, well.  Little bit at a time. (My dad will be happy to read that sentence. :)

Here's my problem, though.  My back hurts.  A lot.  I've been stretching, and that makes it feel better for a little bit, but then it hurts again.  Take now for instance.  I am sitting in a nice cushiony chair and it aches just a little.  If I try to move to get up, though, it's intense pain and, well, I don't like it.  I have the back pain of a 67 year old and I am...not 67.  Eek.  I need a free chiropractor. :(  I need something!  I read that for sciatica (that's what we assume I kinda have) it's better  to do exercise than bedrest (not that I would go on bed rest anyways).   But my back hurts.  Like mad.  Ouch.

Tonight, I am babysitting.  The baby is so, so cute.  He woke up and I had to go put him back to sleep.  It took a while but I sat and rocked and sang and held and, oh, I miss babies.  The little ones that you hold and rock and sing to.  The other day, in the midst of small-child craziness, my sister asked "You still think you only want to be a mom?!" and I thought "Yes.  Yes I do."  It's what feels so right and so good.  I hold a baby and it's like I've suddenly found what I was made for.  I am totally serious.  That is exactly what I think to myself.  "I was made for this."

Lastly, I have a friend in this babysitting.  His name is Malachi and he looks like this.

Only with pointier ears.  He is massive.  But it's kinda cool having this gentle giant walking around.  Someday maybe I'll have a dog that my kids can ride until they're eight.