*NOTE* The winner of last week’s Picot Pilates giveaway is Commenter #6 Renee Hesseling. Congratulations! I know you’ll love it! (Please email us at info [at] peekaboopicks.com with your shipping info.)

I bought my exercise ball about six months ago with some of my leftover birthday money. I’d been considering the purchase for a while, and decided that it wouldn’t hurt to give it a try; I was tired of dumbbells, and my toning sessions had dwindled down to almost nothing. I told myself that maybe I would have more fun if I toned up using an exercise ball. What I didn’t count on was how much fun my kids would have with it!

I brought the ball home from the store and sat down in the kitchen with the tiny manual pump included in the box. Pumping up the ball was a workout in itself. It took half an hour to get that sucker inflated! Meanwhile, my children hovered like vultures, watching my every move and trying to steal the pump when I wasn’t looking.

Finally, the ball was adequately inflated, and I hopped on to take a test run. My little vultures circled around me, their beady little eyes focused on the giant new ball. They couldn’t understand why Mommy would buy them this amazing new play thing and then monopolize it. As I draped myself over the ball in an extremely precarious position, attempting a modified push-up, my son decided that he had resisted temptation long enough. He walked up and smacked the side of the ball, sending me flying.

After my first few sessions with the exercise ball, my kids learned that knocking Mommy down is a good way to lose exercise ball privileges. We’ve come to a delicate balance (pun intended) in our relationship with the ball. I use the ball for half an hour, which is long enough for me to get a decent workout, and not so long that the kids rebel and take the ball by force. After that, they are allowed to play with the ball for a while, provided that they refrain from throwing it at each other’s (or their parent’s) heads.

Although my children have agreed to my exercise ball terms of usage, that hasn’t brought an end to the vulture-like behavior. They know they can’t play with the ball when Mommy is using it, but they still circle me while I’m working out, their hungry eyes fixed on my ball, repeating their favorite ball-time mantra, "Mommy, is it my turn yet?" It’s a bit frustrating, but at the same time, rather hilarious to watch.

And if I leave the ball unattended for even a second, to use the restroom or get a drink, I am certain to find that at least one little vulture has swooped in during my absence. Without fail, when I return to my exercise ball, a child will be bouncing it or draped over it, forcing me to shoo away the scavengers so I can get back to my workout.

Overall, I’m glad I purchased my exercise ball, even though my balance leaved a lot to be desired at first, and the fact that the ball brings out the vulture in my otherwise normal children. It’s a great way to tone up and have a little fun at the same time. Plus, as my kids have discovered, it’s a lot of fun to bounce that sucker!

Check out ExerciseBallWorkouts.net for some great tips and ideas for using your exercise ball.