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Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Music, Haircuts, Rodents, and Murky Water

We had a great time at music class, as usual, yesterday...


The drums, the balls, and the pianos were a huge hit.


We also got to go on a pretend picnic and the boys thorougly enjoyed their waffles and chicken. 


It reminded me of an amazing meal of chicken and waffles we had at a restaurant in Hilton Head.  If I remember correctly the name of the place was A Lowcountry Backyard.  That lowcountry food is out of this world...DELICIOUS!  We went twice in the week we were there.  Check it out if you're ever there.  ANYWAYS...

We also were fortunate enough to have Heather come over to touch up the boys hair.  She had given them their original haircut exactly as I had asked her too, just trimming the front, but when several people, including their dad thought it looked like a mullet, it was time to revisit the look...


Thank you, Heather!  Check out their new dos...


...of course they were too busy to look at me this morning while I took their photo.

We've had a very low key day today--lazy breakfast, play date with a friend, a trip to the gym for some weights circuits and a little time on the elliptical followed by a quick stop in the pet store.  Of course we couldn't pass up a visit to the hamsters and other rodents...





I'll go there every week to visit them before one of those is coming in my house.  I am so not a rodent person.  I think my little sisters did me in with their breeding of dwarf hamsters.  Talk about hamster overload.  The icing on the cake was the one that escaped and holed up in the furnace to die.  The smell the next winter when we turned on the furnace was lovely to say the least...I keep getting off subject...woops!

I've been a cleaning machine while the boys are napping.  Gotta get ready for my sister's visit.  All that's left is the vacuuming...don't want to wake the boys...and I love an excuse to avoid it.  Now if we can just maintain it until Saturday...

Since I've been going off topic a bunch already in this post, I thought I'd share one more tidbit that's been going around and around in my head the last couple of days.  It really struck a chord with me.  
One of our pastors made an interesting analogy in church on Sunday that I keep thinking about this week and I was reminded of it again as I was chatting with a friend during a play date this morning.  I think it relates to so much of life and I wanted to share it with you.  I hope I can do it justice...
He presented two glasses of water.  One was full of water that looked very murky, like pond water, clearly something you would not want to drink.  The other was filled with crisp, clear water and looked quite refreshing.  He then proceeded to point out that the clear water was toilet water, something we consider gross and water that no one would ever want to put to their lips.  The first glass was clearly dirty but the second one had hidden dirt.  That water is like our sin--some of us walk around wearing very obvious sins, but some of us walk around appearing to be doing a better job of getting life "right."  However, we have to remember that we're all sinners and in need of a savior whether our sins or hidden or obvious.  Be careful not to judge based on appearances.

I think this analogy applies to mothering as well.  Some of us walk around looking like we've got it all together, that life is perfect, we're well-rested, well -fed, with perfectly behaved children and it appears that we don't have a care in the world.  Others of us walk around clearly tired and disheveled, with cranky, disobedient kids, kids just trying to hold it all together while we flounder from one task to the next.  Our status may change from one day to the next or we may be stuck in one state or the other for a period of time.  Regardless, we all have our flaw and struggles, whether hidden or obvious, and need other people to help and support us, including a God who loves and forgives us and gives us a chance to start fresh each day.

I'm learning it's ok to let my murky water be seen sometimes.  It's easier to be real if you don't try to hide your struggles all of the time.  I'm extremely flawed, whether it's obvious to others or not.  I get very tired, we don't always eat perfectly, I lose my patience with my children, they don't always obey me, my house isn't always clean, I get overcommitted and stressed out at times, and feel guilty when I take time for myself, I mess up and ask for forgiveness on a daily basis.  The list could go on and on.

Of course I want to strive to be pure water, the crisp, clean kind straight from the tap, but I am learning that I'd rather be the murky water than the toilet water.  I find I am more blessed when I don't try to hide who I truly am.  Some days I feel like pure water, straight from the tap and other days I'm certain I look and feel like the murky pond water, full of dirt and nastiness.  Thank God I have a Savior who makes me fresh and clean each day as well as friends and family who love and support me along the way.  I am blessed!

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Catching Up From the Weekend

It's been a few days since I've blogged...life got busy.  No complaints here, though. We got a lot done and had a lot of fun.

Saturdays workouts included a 30 minute run and 30 minutes of yoga.  Sunday was more of the same only I did a longer yoga session.  Yesterday, I did a Jackie Warner DVD in lieu of the Best Body Bootcamp workout for the day...it was raining, I'm bored with the bootcamp workouts, and wanted to not have to watch the clock myself...


It was definitely a challenge!  She really can kick your butt and leave you spent in just 30 minutes.  I am still checking out all the of the free videos on Reflexion yoga.  6 days of my 30 day yoga challenge are done.  SO far I'm loving it.  Does anyone know if it's better to run before or after doing yoga?  I got to thinking about that the other day...

Saturday we spent most of the day at a military family event and got lots of good info and socialization in.  We got home in time to enjoy a pina colada and capri suns poolside with our fabulous neighbors before I got to go out with some friends to celebrate Jenny's birthday.  It was a fun night!



Cheers to such a great friend!  She is the picture of calm and has lots of realistic wisdom to share with me.  She's just a little ahead of me in her very similar walk of life so her experiences are fresh enough to remember  as she helps me out. Her bridal shower is the reason Mickey and I met, she introduced me to MOPS, and told me about all the great stuff at the library...pretty much everything about her is wonderful!

Sunday was a great family day filled with yummy food...



I even finally made an omelette that looked like an omelette...


followed by church and some pool time (the big pool is WAY toooo cold) ...





We also got to FaceTime with some family which is always fun.  What did we do before technology?!

Yesterday I worked the boys' play group.  We had a rowdy, fun group that wore me out in the 3 hours that I worked.  We were all ready for nap time after lunch but I muscled through and got some stuff done while I had time to myself.  The dreary afternoon gave us an excuse to have a lazy afternoon inside.  It did finally clear up enough that we were able to get in a short wagon walk before the sun went down.  

Our day finished up with a visit from my friend Heather, who gave the boys' hair a little trim around their eyes before she gave me some highlights.  It was great, as always, to catch up with her.  She is SUCH a good friend!!  Check out our little surfer-boys with bed head...





Trains and giraffes....two of their latest obsessions.  They even sleep with them.  
  




Today's scheduled story time features are...


and


Time to eat some breakfast before tackling our busy Tuesday.  We're eating our last one of these with our breakfast this morning...


If you have an opportunity to get your hands on these little balls of love, do not pass it up.  I think cara cara navels are the best oranges I've ever tasted and the boys agree.  I'm ready to try planting a tree.  They are incredible!

Friday, February 22, 2013

All Kinds of Play

What a busy, fun last couple of days.  Yesterday kicked off with a run, followed by another yoga class from Reflexion Yoga's website.  This time I tried the other core workout with Ben.  I preferred the instruction of Kyle's class yesterday but I was once again impressed with the FREE workouts on the site.  Today I tried out the balance class with Matt.  I'm starting to see why people get so hooked on yoga.  I'm so glad I discovered  this site so I can explore this new to me world of Yoga a bit more from the comfort of my own home.  Now I just need to find a longer mat for my tall self.

Since I'm a stick-to-the-plan kind of gal and like to follow through on my commitments, I also did a modification of Tina's Best Body Bootcamp workout for today.  I was NOT a fan of today's workout since it was WAY too redundant for my taste, which is why I changed it up.  I did eek out the 120 burpees though with my navel to my spine the whole time.  Thank goodness my core is coming around and my workouts can return to somewhat normal.

Yesterday was also produce day and our group continues to grow.  Check out all these boxes I got to sort and distribute yesterday...


I'm super excited about the berries and blood oranges as well as the sunflower sprouts.  YUM YUM!  

While I sorted the produce, the boys entertained themselves with puzzles, boxes and wooden spoons...silly boys!







I was able to get the new toy box built during nap time.  I'm a much happier momma when things are organized...as much as trucks, balls, and trains can be organized.

I worked a little last night for a catering company and the boys had a hard time falling asleep with the babysitter.  I spent about two hours cuddling Mason, trying not to get annoyed but to treasure the moment since it won't last forever.  Easier said that done most times for me when it's the end of the day.    He sure does love to cuddle though and does a darn good job of it.  


Needless to say I wasn't feeling too energetic this morning.  Nothing two cups of coffee and a long chat with my husband couldn't fix though.    Then we were off to a play group I had heard about at the Civic Center in Port Saint Lucie.   How cute are my passengers?  


I thought it was for toddlers but it was definitely structured for preschool-aged kids, or kids who are at least able to pay attention for extended periods of time.   Thank goodness the leaders didn't give us a hard time for not being engaged by their activities   We sure did enjoy their toys though....




Notice everyone in the circle in the background doing what they were supposed to do.  Oh well, we'll try again in a few months.  It definitely was a great program and completely worth the $2 admission.  


The boys are going to be dribbling before we know it.  They can get 2-3 dribbles consistently and are very determined and focused when it comes to mastering that skill at least.  

We swung by target and had some fun with the toys there while stocking up on some necessities.  I tried to get the boys to choose these frog eyes as their gift with their valentines day money....




...but they chose some matchbox airplanes instead.  Which they have been playing with nonstop since we got them.  They shared their lunch with them (their new favorite thing to do with any kind of figurine)  and are even sleeping with them as we speak.   And yes, this is the 2nd time they've worn their Thomas the Train shirts this week.  I did laundry yesterday so they were ready for wearing again and the boys never pass up an opportunity to choose their Thomas shirts.  We've gotten our money's worth from those shirts already without a doubt.  

Off to do some more reading before the boys get up...


It keeps getting better and better.  It's definitely a must read if you happen to spend any time with the male species, which I'm assuming 99.9% of us do.  Have a lovely weekend!



  



Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Lots to Learn

I learned so much today and it was fun to kind of feel like a student again.  Our morning kicked off at MOPS where we had a guest speaker who spoke to us about helping our children create healthy relationships with food.  I need to take her course of having a healthy relationship with food as an adult, I think, but I'm happy to have some new knowledge to help my children to have that peace about food and not have it be such a consuming part of their lives.  My goal is to create what she called natural eaters-- people who recognize when they're hungry and stop when they're satisfied, people who can have a plate of cookies in the house and not feel like they have to eat the whole thing, people who don't have good foods and bad foods, but eat in moderation, with awareness and joy.  How freeing would that be?!?!  I'm hoping that helping my boys will help me as well.  It's always been a tricky area for me.

A key step to creating natural eaters, she said, is to create predictable and consistant mealtimes, eating on dishes at the table, using it as a time to come together in love.  She also emphasized the importance of providing a variety of choices and being ok with what your child chooses to eat...so maybe you put out cheese, nuts, some crackers, and hard boiled eggs, being sure to include at least one thing they like and possibly something new or not so appealing to them and allow them to take what they'd like.  Or if you're doing taco night, bring all of the ingredients to the table unassembled and let them choose what they'd like.  Maybe they'll only choose meat and avocado but that's ok.  It's definitely a new way of looking at meal times for me.

Starting tomorrow, I'm going to try to have more consistent meal times and try having them choose from several options.  I'm looking forward to seeing how it works for us.  In case you're interested, she recommended the books by Ellyn Satter as a good resource as well.  You know I'll be checking them out.

While I educated myself, the boys had fun making this craft...


This time Colton chose the minimalist approach while Mason got a little more into it.  I don't think I'll ever figure those two out.  

On the way home from MOPS, I asked the boys if they wanted to go to the gym or to our house and was surprised to hear they chose the gym.  Good thing I had thought ahead and packed my gym clothes.  We swung in there for a quick 30 minutes on the elliptical, doing a variation of my favorite elliptical workout.  I've decided to do my own thing on the cardio days for Best Body Bootcamp.  It's working for me.  I am looking forward to another power circuit tomorrow though.

Now that I'm finished with The Best of Me by Nicholas Sparks, which lacked his usual happy ending by the way, I started a new book while I was on the elliptical and was blown away with how intriguing it is as it teaches me about the male species...


If it wasn't in my kindle, I seriously think I'd be highlighting the whole thing.  I am only about 10% of the way through it but so far I say it is a must read, especially if you have boys or just want to understand your husband better...or if you're a man and want to figure out what makes you tick, since that's the audience it was primarily intended for.  I am reading it based on my husband's recommendation, and my friend's reminder that Beth Moore referenced it in her wisdom series.  

Here's couple of quotes from John Eldredge book so far...
“The recipe for fun is pretty simple raising boys: add to any activity an element of danger, stir in a little exploration, add a dash of destruction, and you’ve got yourself a winner. The way they ski is a perfect example. Get to the top of the highest run, point your skis straight downhill and go, the faster the better. And this doesn’t end with age; the stakes simply get higher.”          
“A man needs a battle to fight; he needs a place for the warrior in him to come alive and be honored, trained, seasoned. If we can reawaken that fierce quality in a man, hook it up to a higher purpose, release the warrior within, then the boy can grow up and become truly masculine.
“Masculinity is an essence that is hard to articulate but that a boy naturally craves as he craves food and water.”
And I stumbled across this one as I googled him to find out more about him...


As a woman, men often confuse me, but I'm already seeing how this book can help me to understand them better...and hopefully raise them well.  I'm telling you, it's intriguing stuff!

During nap time I was able to get in some yoga, something I'm trying to do more of, and had a workout I thoroughly loved thanks to this wonderful site I stumbled upon... Today I tried out the Core Work with Kyle and will definitely be doing it again.  It was SUCH a great workout.  I'm hoping to try out lots of their other free content as well.  

I also got to brush up on my Geometry while I helped a student student for a geometry test tomorrow.  It had been a while since I'd used Sin, Cos, and Tan...good stuff!  I'm a dork, I know.  

Our day winded down with a visit from a great friend who came bearing pizza and wine.  If you've never had the white pizza from Carmelas, and I hadn't until today, you've got to try it...it's worth the splurge if you ask me.  I'm working on having more balance in my life anyways, right?  A little pizza once in a while with a good friend does the body good.  Lucky for us, we have some leftovers too!

Off to put my feet up with some tea and my kindle.  


Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Cuddlebugs

We stayed up WAY too late last night but we were having such a good time, it was hard to call it quits. Good moods in the evening are hard to come by around here so when they do happen, I try to soak them up.
Mason has been especially cuddly lately and Colton never wants to miss out on a photo opportunity.  I have a feeling he'll be taking his own photos in no time.  He loves cameras.  

You'd think a late bedtime would have helped the boys sleep in this morning but it seems the later they  get to bed, the earlier they wake up.  What's up with that?  I was grateful I had gone to bed right after them last night so I was still up for almost an hour before they got up.  I was able to drink my coffee in peace and get in most of my workout before Mason started calling for me.   Colton decided to snooze a little longer which gave me a some one-on-one time with Mason.  It doesn't happen often so I seized the opportunity to snuggle with him on the couch.  He's such a cuddler.

When Colton woke up, he was less interested in cuddling and more interested in riding his bike.  Fine by me...They rode their bikes around the living room while I finished up my workout.  Today's Best Body Bootcamp workout was NO JOKE!  Try these alligator walks out and you'll see what I mean. Those were preceded by pushups so when I got to the balance kickbacks, my core was spent and I had to modify the last exercise to keep from re-injuring my core.    She doesn't mess around in phase 4.  I'm sore already and scared for how I'm going to feel when I drag myself out of bed in the morning.  I'm hoping to squeeze in a quick run this evening in my new shoes since the workout wasn't too focused on the lower body and my legs still feel pretty fresh and ready to test out my new kicks.

It was great to see some new faces at story time as well as some friends who got to come back after a hiatus.  We love our story time friends! The featured books at story time this morning were...

source
 Dinosaurumpus by Tony Mitton is full of great rhymes and fantastic artwork.  I was wishing I had a friend like Ross Gellar from Friends to let me know if I was pronouncing all of the dino names correctly.  Good thing the kiddos don't know the difference.    He would have though...

source

I miss that show.  It ALWAYS made me laugh.  

We also read Kitty's Cuddles by Jane Cabrera.

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It was full of beautiful artwork and lots of descriptive vocabulary.  It's a very sweet book, especially for new brothers or sisters.

Music class was fun as always.  Colton seemed to need extra cuddles while we were there, maybe making up for the cuddles he passed on this morning.  They were really hoping for some drumming and leaving without doing so was difficult.  You can't always get what you want...It's a tough lesson to teach your kiddos who don't understand your explanations.  Now we have something to look forward to for next week though.    

We enjoyed the rest of our morning outside by the pool and we're jonesin' to get back outside as soon as nap time is over.  Dinner is already slow roasting in the oven which will hopefully make this evening a breeze...I try not to get my hopes up too much though.  Those boys sure do know how to throw me some curveballs.  They keep life interesting and I wouldn't have it any other way.  What's not to love?...

I keep forgetting to add this bike photo to the blog.  They are in heaven with their new bikes.  They're still trying to figure out the pedals but are up for the challenge. 
I can't wait to catch up on The Bachelor after the boys go to sleep.  Hometown dates are always entertaining.   Bring on the drama!  Happy Tuesday everyone.