Busy, Busy, Busy...

'Tis the season for nonstop activities and yesterday was no exception.  I kicked off my morning with a lovely run with my running buddy...

...I agree, MapMyRun, that we did a "good job."  :)  I live for my morning runs with my great friend...they are a gift!!  

Our next stop was Story Time.  It's Halloween week so of course we had to read some appropriate stories.  Yesterday's features were...

and

I have to say....my little story time friends are AMAZING.  Both of my choices were a little longer than my usual stories and the kids did a GREAT job listening.  Fun stuff!!  

After Story Time, it was time to head to music class.  Miss Rabe was fantastic as usual, always keeping things interesting.  She let them explore a variety of instruments which was a huge hit with the boys...

...and then let them each take a turn playing the didgeridoo... 

I didn't catch Colton in action actually playing the instrument, but that's him on the floor with his ear to the opening.  He thought it was a riot!!  

Colton also never passes up an opportunity to play the guitar...

...but Mason was out of sorts and stuck to the comfort of my lap...maybe next time.  

On our way home, we squeezed in a trip to the fresh Market for some chicken...it was Tuesday after all, and it's hard to beat their prices on Tuesdays.  We also got to check out Mason and Colton's coloring contest entries hanging on the wall...

...yep, that's them on the top left and top right corners of the display.  Their first gallery showing...lol.

We also picked up their new sales ad.  I get excited for all the yummy stuff this time of year...

...lots of good deals coming up too...

We spent the rest of our day at home, finding lots of ways to entertain ourselves, including some coloring thanks to gifts from Mimsy...

Before I knew it, it was dinner time which meant a girls night out for me with some of my girlfriends to celebrate Cecilia's birthday at the Deck restaurant...

...it was fun to get out and catch up with everyone and you obviously can't beat the view... 

I'm grateful for my amazing friends!

While I was off hanging out with my friends, Mickey was hanging out with the boys, decorating our front door...

...he does good work, huh?  Now it even has teeth on it too.  Fun stuff!

Now it's Wednesday and I kicked it off in my typical fashion, with a trip to the gym to crank out some miles on the elliptical while trying to make some progress on my book club read...

...I finished up with some lower body light weights before calling it a day.  

Now it's time to brace myself for the craziness of the day...MOPS, produce, story time, and pumpkin carving will be keeping me busy today.  Fun times here in Plankerville.   Have a LOVELY day.  

Yellow Ribbon Weekend Etc.

It's Monday and I feel like we skipped right over the weekend without getting a break.  I hate playing catch-up on a Monday, but what can you do??  Right now I'm making the choice to slap a smile on my face and hope this week flies by so we can enjoy our busy weekend next weekend :-)

Thanks to the military, we spent our weekend at a Yellow Ribbon ceremony in Orlando.  I'm not gonna lie, the meetings were a bit boring, except for this part where the boys were on stage :-)  ....

...but the accommodations were nice, including the playground...

...the beds...

...and the elevators and escalators the boys couldn't get enough of...haha...

Luckily,  they gave us some family time which was fantastic...

...including some fun at Downtown Disney at the lego store...

...and the disney store...

...even Mickey got in on the fun while checking out the periscopes... 

...we even squeezed in a little happy hour while listening to some live music... 

Of course the boys don't sit still for long but they loved running and climbing all around the dock area...

...oh, and the boys even made some fun new artwork with the other military kids while we sat in meetings...

...they had a GREAT time!  All in all, I'd say it was a successful event.

We even managed to squeeze in a quick trip to visit Miriam in DeLand which included a run to check out her neighborhood and move my body a bit after sitting all weekend and a yummy lunch too.  I can't believe I forgot to take pictures!!  We'll just have to get back there sometime soon to make up for it.  

Today kicked off with a EARLY trip to the gym for an elliptical and arms workout...

...I'm pretty sure I was asleep for the first half of it...lol.

After breakfast, we hit the road for play group for the boys while I ran some errands and got my teeth all shined up at the dentist.  I wish I could get my teeth cleaned monthly.  I love that feeling.

Thankfully I didn't get a report that my boys were bullies today.  They made some lovely artwork this morning too, don't you think ;-)...

...it's fun to see how they're starting to get the idea of trying to color certain parts of the picture.  Colton did manage to get the sun yellow :-)  and Mason made a beautiful orange bird.  Watching them develop is so much fun!

You know what else is fun???  Have them read to me like they did after lunch today...

...reading readiness skills at their 2 1/2 year old finest...I LOVE IT!!!  Life it good...now back to playing catch-up on my chores...reminding myself to be grateful that we have so many clothes to fold and so much food to be prepped.  God is good!

Tons O Fun

We've struck gold in the fun department around here the last couple of days.  Wednesday night found us discovering some new tricks with our "monster truck" track....

...before enjoying some fabulous weather at a fun story time at Blue Door where the featured stories were...

and...

...I'd say we're officially in the holiday spirit at story time.  Fun times!!

We even had time to hang around for a bit afterwards and sip on some adult beverages while chatting with friends.  Thank goodness for family friendly venues and well-behaved kiddos.

Thursday morning kicked off bright and early with a fantastic run with a friend in the crisp, cool weather...

...I felt like I could have run all morning.  It's been a while since I've felt that way and it was FABULOUS!  

We spent the rest of our morning tackling chores around the house, including this Pinterest bone breadsticks fail...

...terrible, huh??  Back to the drawing board for our halloween treats...

Once our chores were done, we headed off  to join some friends at the Children's museum...

Mickey and I got a little bit of a date night while the boys played with the neighbors while we had an evening out at a Conscious Discipline parenting class with Ginner Luther followed by a yummy dinner without kids at Carsons.  Yay for alone time with my husband.   

This morning, I skipped my usual super-early morning workout in favor of a little more time in bed.  It was glorious!  I ended up tackling a little Shaun T T25 workout while the boys cheered me on before we headed our for some fun at YMCA sportsworld courtesy of the Library's Family Place program...

...the boys had SOOOO much fun.  They are really starting to catch on to all the activities and love the challenges.  Mason even finally braved the block pit after telling me all week he wasn't going anywhere near it.  Conquering fears...I love it!!!  They are so much fun to watch and play with!!

The weather was just begging us to be outside so after gymnastics, we regrouped at home before heading out for a run to the park...

....the boys had fun with the park all to themselves, pretending to be pirates on the pirate ship...

...Colton and Mason love to consult the map to decide how to find the treasure.  Then the shout ahoy to everything they see...

...their imaginations are really taking off and it's incredibly fun to watch them play together.  They really make quite a team.  

Now I'm enjoying a bit of downtime and counting my blessings before the busyness of the weekend settles upon the Planker household.    I'm learning to take advantage of the opportunities for rest when they come cause who knows when the next one will come my way.  

Hump Day Fun

It's hump day...woohoo!!!  This video never gets old...

....haha  I love it!  It's always a relief to be halfway to the weekend, don't you think??

I kicked off my Wednesday with a quick trip to the gym at 5:15 for 45 minutes on the elliptical.  I was finally awake enough by the time I got back home that I felt ready to tackle some weights while Mickey went for a run.  It felt great to get it out of the way.  I can really tell a difference when I get my workout done first thing...makes for a much better day.

This morning we had a little calm before the storm of produce day that is our Wednesday to play around the house.  The boys and I have been having fun with some crafts these days.  Check out one of our latest creations...

...we now save all egg cartons, paper towel rolls, etc...such hoarders, or cheapskates :-)  You want a new toy, boys??  Let's make one :-)

Once the produce was delivered and sorted, we had a little extra time to hit up Target for some necessities as well as some fun stuff....like an Iced Americano...

...that I brought home with me to enjoy while watching my children play outside without sweating to death, finally! 

We made sure to burn off some energy with a little bike ride too...

...how cute are they???  

A workout, fresh organic produce, a trip to Target, caffeine from Starbucks, and fresh air...I'd say our Wednesday got off to a FABULOUS start.  

I spend the entire produce pick-up window in the kitchen, since it's right inside my door and everyone's produce is on the dining room table.  Spending my afternoon in the kitchen always makes me want to bake and I gave in to the temptation today.  While the boys napped and I finished up the produce pick-ups, I also whipped up some pumpkin chocolate-chip cookies...

...they're like pumpkin pie and a chewy chocolate chip cookie all in one--DELISH!!  I used this recipe and subbed coconut oil for the butter, flaxseed for the eggs,  and maple syrup for the sugars.   I'll definitely be hanging on to this recipe.  Now I can't wait for the boys to get up and try them.  They're the true taste-testers.  

Since the rain blew over, it looks like story time tonight is a GO...yippee!  I put some new tunes on the playlist and I've got some great Halloween books to share with all my story time friends.  Hope we have a great turnout in the cooler weather.  I just might go all out and sip on a glass of wine in the courtyard when it's over...might as well since I seem to be throwing caution to the wind today, right??  You only live once :-)

Conscious Discipline and Tuesday Fun

This post from Conscious Discipline stumbled onto my Facebook feed yesterday afternoon and couldn't have been more timely...

When two children are fighting, how should I handle it?
1. First, breathe deeply and affirm, “I’m safe. Keep breathing. I can handle this,” so you can approach the children calmly. 
A coach once shared a story about breaking up fight at school. He said, “I knew I really had the composure thing down pat when I noticed myself automatically breathing and saying, 'I’m safe, keep breathing, I’ve got this,' in my head as I sprinted across the court to get to Marcus and Jacob.”

2. Physically separate the children and assertively say, “Stop.” Breathe and focus on maintaining the inner state you want both children to return to. Encourage them to take a deep breath. Say, “Breathe with me,” and help them calm themselves.

3 Next, get down to their eye-level and say, “Both of you seem so angry. Something must have happened.” Let each child know you will listen to his story.

Ask the first child, “Something must have happened?” in a questioning tone. Offer support to the second child by positioning yourself next to him and putting your hand on his shoulder as you listen. The second child will often interrupt, “But he…” Reassure him by keeping your hand on his shoulder and saying, “It’s hard to wait your turn. You will get a turn when he’s finished.”

When the first child has finished, restate what he said to get clarification, offer empathy and reframe the situation with positive intent. “You were angry because he took your hat. You wanted it back and forgot to ask.”

Then reposition yourself next to the first child and ask the second child to share. Restate, clarify, offer empathy and reframe with positive intent. “You were upset about what he said on the bus and didn’t know other ways to let him know.”

Utilize our Conflict Resolution Time Machine Mat after both sides share. Use this tool to teach children how to assertively handle name calling, teasing, pushing, distraction and other interpersonal conflicts. The mat contains fun graphics and simple steps to guide you.

Here is an example:

Step 1: Ask, “Did you like it when he_____?”

Step 2: He responds “NO!”

Step 3: Set the limit on the hurtful act and include choices for the next time: “You may not grab someone’s hat. Grabbing is hurtful. The next time you want him to know you are upset with something he said, say, ' I didn’t like it when you said_____.' Next time please say or do _____. Or come ask me for help.”

Step 4: Say it now for practice.

As always, we wish you well!
#iheartcd #SEL #edchat

I have been using this method for the last 24 hours and can I just say, "WOW!  What a difference!"  Conscious Discipline is helping me SO much as I parent my twin toddler boys.  It's helping me to manage myself and become more aware of myself as well, which is NEVER a bad thing.  I am so grateful that this method found it's way into my life.  If you "like" them on Facebook, you get regular updates with great tips like the one above.

This morning kicked off bright and early with a hot, muggy run...

...at least there was good company.  I can't wait for the cooler weather that I've been dreaming about all summer.  Seriously, 90 degrees today is NOT COOL...

Feels like 96 degrees on October 22...no fun at all!!  At least is looks like we might get some cooler weather this weekend...

...highs in the 80s instead of the 90s is definitely an improvement.  :-)

The muggy weather made for a sweaty, but fun story time this morning.  Our featured books were...

...fun, simple, kid-friendly books with animals and rhymes.  What's not to love??  I hope you're ready for some Halloween books next week :-)  

After story time, it was time to head to music class.  This class involved flying ducks, the parachute, AND balls...a winner in the boys eyes and mine.  

On our way home, we stopped at the library today to stock up on new books.  The boys and I LOVE library day...not sure the librarians love us while we're there since we're still working on library etiquette, but we sure do love getting home with our new stash and snuggling on the couch to read all 10 books in one sitting.  I need to start convincing them to choose shorter ones...haha!!  I'm looking forward to the days when we can dig into a nice long chapter book.  I'm sure it will be here before I know it. 

We came home to a lovely Halloween surprise on our doorstep with this note...

...now we have to get some goodies and pay it forward.  How fun!!

I've been avoiding my chores, especially cleaning the freezer, but it's time to bite the bullet and get it over with.  Maybe if I hurry, I'll have some time to read before the boys wake up....fingers crossed!!

Thinking of tackling this workout from Best Body Fitness tomorrow ...

...wish me luck!