Monday, October 06, 2014

What makes a good granny?

Or, more specifically, a suitable person to look after a child. I ask because tomorrow my suitability is to be judged. And by a 19-year-old boy. Okay, I exaggerate: he's probably in his twenties.

If they were to ask my grandchildren if I were a suitable person to look after them I know what their reply would be. 

But is the ability - and willingness - to sing, 'zoom, zoom, zoom, we're going to the moon', 83 times non-stop enough?

We shall see tomorrow. I've made a special effort and cleaned today but I don't think George would appreciate being deodorised. We shall have to be on our best behaviour and I must try not to say anything stupid.

Talking about stupid things have I told you about the latest fitness trend that has affected our circuit training sessions? It's called tabata and it's acclaimed as a fat-burning miracle - to which my fat seems immune.

Look it up on the internet and you'll find it associated with phrases like superfast, high intensity, fast and furious, bootcamp style. Got the picture? Jules, our trainer, introduced it to our sessions a good while ago now and he fits 3 tabata 4-minute extras in between our circuit stations proper.

If you fancy trying it here's one of my least favourite groupings.

So you're going to work as hard as you can for 4 minutes. There are 2 different exercises in this: squats and 'lie downs'. When you're squatting make sure your weight is on your heels and that your knees don't go in front of your ankles, and squat deeply. Do that 10 times.
Then stand up before lying down so that either your chest or your shoulder-blades touch the floor and then stand up straight again. Do that 10 times.
Keep on alternating between 10 squats and 10 'lie-downs' for 4 minutes - or until you can't push yourself any more.

You think it doesn't sound too bad? Lying down must be nice. You'd be right and wrong. Lying down is fine; it's the getting up that finishes me. You wouldn't believe how long 4 minutes can be.

After having to do that twice last week I'm really really hoping we're not going to have to do it tonight. 

6 comments:

Katney said...

Do I get to use my trekking pole (aka what my brother used when the doc told him to get a cane because a cane made him look old) to get up with--from either of these positions?

Liz Hinds said...

It would probably help, Katney!

Furtheron said...

Cooking... sewing (esp repairing teddy bears)... reading to you... slipping you money when your parents have said no to whatever it is you want to buy that week... getting you to cycle when your parents haven't got the patience to hold the back of the bike again... Listen to them prattle on about the latest toy, programme, game, book, etc. that is dominating their life and show sincere interest... etc. etc.

Just remembering some of the many many many things my darling Mum did for my kids and for which I know they love her still so much.

Rose said...

My grandkids know where all the candy and the sweets are stored at Grandma's house... I'd probably flunk the "suitability" test despite the fact my grandkids love to come here and know Grandma and Grandpa will do just about anything with them,

As for the tabata...I wouldn't last one minute:)

Liz Hinds said...

Furtheron and Rose, yes, that's what grandparents are meant to do!

Strangely my interviewer didn't seem at all interested in those sorts of things!

Anne in Oxfordshire said...

I don't think grandparents are "meant " to do anything. It is what you want to do. . My son's taught their children to ride their bikes and spend time doing lots of fun things.

My mum baked with my boys and other grandchildren ..took them to the seaside and bingo.. I do none of them. I take them on open top buses or even buses and trains. I take them out for lunch ..and take them to book shops. And the latest one was a fashion show. I wouldn't give them money for something that parents had said no too ..and I don't very often buy them sweets. We all have different ways of doing things ..I like that word. ..Suitability ..