Joshua's Work-Out Plan for Aaron

It's no secret that Joshua loves fitness. He loves to be fit...loves to lift-weight and work-out. It has helped him to be successful in the Special Olympics Powerlifting world, but it has also kept him strong and healthy for all aspects of his life.

He's not shy about telling people what is and what is not healthy to eat...but then he's also the first one in line when I pull some sort of warm, gooey dessert out of the oven.

So do with that what you will.

I call my son-in-law the "Joshua whisperer." Sometimes, Joshua can be very stubborn and you kind of have to go in through the back door to get him to cooperate. Not always...just sometimes. He can sense if you are serious about what you are asking him to do, and if he doesn't really want to do it...or he doesn't really want to do it RIGHT NOW...he will dig in his heels and you are hosed because it's not happenin'.

But Joshua adores Aaron. Aaron is a big kid himself, and doesn't mind playing basketball or swimming or throwing the football...all on Joshua's level. It's certainly different from playing games with his brothers, or with Joshua's brothers, where it's cut-throat and competitive and every-man-for-himself.

It's also no secret that Joshua likes his room. LOVES his room. He likes order and he likes his things and he likes his routine. He has trouble hearing, but in his room...he can hear everything because he can adjust it to suit him. He doesn't have great vision, but he opens his blinds all the way, even on the hottest and sunniest Arkansas days...and he can see to write at his desk. He's comfortable up there. He told me that, during the day when Clark is at school, he kind of feels like the whole upstairs is his own apartment.

Anyway, as Clark would say, notthepoint.

Sometimes, in order to get Joshua to come outside and hang out with him, Aaron will say, "you know, Joshua, you said you were going to be my trainer and help me get some exercise...and if we could swim for a while, that would really help." And Joshua will usually go outside with him.

So the other day, Joshua comes downstairs with a piece of notebook paper and gives it to Aaron. It's "work-out " instructions for Aaron. It.was.hilarious. Joshua had written down things that they like to do together: swimming, pool basketball, Baggo and throwing the football. But here are some of the other things he put on the list:

*couch coushin (cushion) lifts (not gonna lie...I was pretty impressed with his spelling)
*remote lifts (as in, lifting the tv remote up and down)
*Marley lifts (Marley is their little 13 pound Yorkie)
*Full-body lawn-chair lifts (WHAAAAT?)
*Guitar chest-presses (Aaron does play the guitar, but seriously?)
*Marley's kennel lifts

Is this not the funniest thing you've ever read?

But wait...I saved the best one for last: "toilet paper lifts over head."

I told Aaron that if he worked really hard on everything on this list, he would be so buff by the holidays.

"Have I not commanded you: Be strong and courageous..." Joshua 1:9