I wanna be just like the Cirque du Soleil momma

The kids often like to exercise along with me to my strength training videos. I alternate days walking on the treadmill while they watch a kid show or doing the weights video.

I had been doing 'Kathy Smith's lift weights to lose weight" but recently switched to "The Perfect Pregnancy Workout" led by a 7.5 mo pregnant former Cirque du Soleil performer - so cool! Barbara and Jimmy try to do all the moves along with me. When I'm supposed to use a chair for balance, they grab their little kid sized chairs. When I'm using weights, they each grab one of my little 2 lb weights. You should see Jimmy doing some of the exercises!

Anyhow, today the kids said they were too busy playing to join in, but once I'd started, Barbara heard the video and peeked down to see what I was doing. She decided it wasn't worth it today and went back to what she was doing. Next Jimmy comes running down and calls from the stairs, "Is it the one with the Grandma?" (In the Kathy Smith one there is one older lady- she might be 50- who we say is the Grandma, who demonstrates the easy modifications.) When I say, no, it's the one with the mommy-with-the-baby-in-her-tummy, he cries out, "Aw man! I want the one with the Grandma!" and runs back upstairs. Sorry to tell him I've retired the one with the Grandma until post-partum.

If you're ever pregnant and looking for a good exercise video, this is a good one. It's real strength training, no cheesy chearleading and annoying banter that you come to memorize and hear every time. She goes right from one thing to the next, and saves the explaining for a separate section on the DVD. Once you've watched it once you don't want to hear the explanation every time. She's totally ripped, even with her 7.5 month belly, but not scary skinny. I love it.