Fit Friday Week Something

This will be short and sweet. This week has been crazy busy but I have managed to keep up with my exercise and haven't completely blown my food consumption. I haven't been on a scale, but I am pretty sure I have just kept steady, which is okay considering the week.

We are leaving in about an hour headed to FL to spend Thanksgiving with Mickey. I am not sure if I will ever get a chance to check in or not and am pretty sure I will not be able to post next week...or diet...or stay with my exercise routine. But people, it's DISNEY! Give me a break!

Have a great Thanksgiving!

We Now Take a Break From Our Regularly Scheduled Whine

I am not exactly sure how it happened. I know it is undeserved. It was DEFINITELY unsolicited...but I was given an award today!
I received this award from: My Compass Points South.

Here are the rules for this one:
1. Mention the blog that gave it to you and comment on their blog to let them know you’ve posted your award.
2. Publish these rules.
3. Share 6 values that are important to you and 6 things you do not support.
4. Grant the prize to 6 people.
5. Mention the blog that gave it to you and comment on their blog to let them know you’ve posted your award.

Here goes!Six important values/beliefs:
1. I believe I am a sinner saved by grace
2. I believe Jesus Christ died on the cross for my sins and offered me salvation not because of anything I had done myself but because of his love for me and for His purposes (John 3:16, 2 Timothy 1:9)
3. I believe that my purpose is to share that love of Christ to everyone I can and to live a life that Honors God and turns people toward him
4. I value my family, friends, and church as precious blessings and gifts from God
5. I value the freedom we have to worship and live in a free country and I NEVER want to take that freedom for granted
6. I value the privilege I have to stay home and homeschool my children. I don't always like it, but I do value the freedom to do it!

Six values/beliefs I do not support:
1. I do not believe in the overall good of mankind, there is none righteous, not even one! (Romans 3:10)
2. I do not believe I (or anyone else) can ever be good enough to make it to Heaven on our own, our salvation comes through Christ alone. ( I know that is not the popular opinion, but I believe it is the truth.)
3. I do not believe in hiding what I know to be true because it is unpopular
4. I do not value material possessions above my true blessings (like family, friends, and faith) or at the cost of peace in my home...I have found that often the desire to accumulate "wealth" often robs me of the peace and simplicity I really desire.
5. I do not believe our President Elect is the answer to all of the country's problems and we are in serious trouble if we put all our hopes and beliefs into the ability of one man.
6. I don't believe in Santa...although I love the idea of such a round and giving man bringing lovely treasures I otherwise could not afford. And so, if he really is out there, I would just like to throw out this suggestion: Wiifit!
Okay, that is far deeper than the usual quality posts you get around here! I am truly thankful for something to blog about besides my whining and business.

Six bloggers I pass it on to:

1. The Mother Load

2. Growing With It

3. Sewsensible

4. Happy Mommy

5. We Are That Family

6. Four Little Penguins

I know I have seen this award around and I was trying to think of people who haven't yet received it...if you have already, sorry...I second that motion and will not be at all offended if you totally ignore this post! Have a wonderful day!

Runaway Train

Ever feel like you were on one? Speeding by everything and unable to stop! That is life right now. I know, it is the same for everyone else out there, they just handle it better than me, but at this moment...I JUST WANT OFF!

I will do my darnedest to keep up with everyone this week, but things are CRAZY! We leave Friday to head to sunny (or not so sunny) Orlando, FL to spend Thanksgiving week with Mickey and Friends! Us, and about 3/4 of the rest of the country as far as I can tell!

Now, to all you laid back, easy going folks that sounds like loads of fun. But to an uptight, early Christmas shopper, it means.....AAAAAAAGH! I only have 3 days left to finish Christmas shopping so that I do not have to step foot in a retail establishment after Thanksgiving. And people, it just AIN'T gonna happen!

We are almost done with the kids and most of hubby's family. I have NOTHING for my family. Or for teachers. Or for the people who work for my husband. Or for my husband!

This week, we need to make a hygrometer, a barometer, and a weather vane for F.B.'s science fair project so we can begin as soon as we get home. One of my good friends is beginning to sell Premiere Jewelry and her first party is tonight. I have homeschool and tutorial (which I am behind on my grading by about 2 weeks). We have Angel practice on Tuesday and Thursday night, church on Wednesday, a birthday party and dance on Thursday. On Thursday B.B. also has his county fair day to end his Charlotte's Web unit. He must dress up, enter at least two contests, one of which must be the baking contest and we are signed up to bring...something, I can't remember what. The same day, Dancer has her Thanksgiving Feast. She must dress up as an Indian and bring napkins and rolls. Tigercub is supposed to bring toys and money to make a Christmas shoebox and F.B. has a Spanish presentation in which he must bring props and dress up like a pilgrim.

We leave Friday morning to begin the trek to the land of the mouse, so on top of all of that, I must pack, do laundry and try to find my house. Tigerfan wanted to get the Christmas tree set up as well. So it was done when we returned. Not going to happen! He also had a MARVELOUS idea last night that sometime in Dec. we should host a holiday Open house for our friends. I LOVE the idea, but all I can think of is How? When?

So, is anyone else already frazzled this early in the season? Any words of hope or advice? Or perhaps the number to a nice peaceful place with padded rooms and happy little pills? Either will do nicely.

I will try to be back this week with something profound or at least less whiny, hope everyone has a great week!

And HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Purple Diva. Your gift is supposed to be in the mail! I forgot it when I went into town, just to add to the wonderful day/weekend you already had!

Fit Friday #4

Taking a little break from my bloggy break to check in with my Fit Friday Friends. My report is this: DON'T ASK!

My diet has severely suffered from the attack of the blahs not to mention the fact that, while I started the week off with a bang exercise wise, I ended it the last two days with nothing, NOTHING! I hope to get some in at some point today, but frankly, sleep has just won out for me. I have not stepped on a scale (too depressing!) so I do not know what the numbers say.

I will try to get back on track this week (sounds freakishly familiar, doesn't it!) because if I don't just get into a habit of healthy eating and exercise soon I think I am going to have to change my goal from "Hot for the Holidays" to "Slim in the Spring" or maybe "Sweet by the Summer" or, if I continue on my current trend "Fantastic for the Fall".

Good luck this week to all my Fit Friday friends, may you eat light, exercise hard and watch another pound slip away! For more Fit Friday go to It's Almost Naptime.

Blah, Blah, Blah

I've got the blahs. It is probably directly related to a little monthly visitor I am entertaining right now (I know, WAY too much info.)but still, I am feeling blah.

My house is a mess. I don't care.

I have papers to grade and record overflowing. I don't care.

I have Christmas shopping that desperately needs to be done. Not even going there!

I don't want to play, I don't want to teach, I don't want to play mommy. I want to have a little pity party with lots of chocolate and Diet Coke and pouting.

But I can't. So, I am going to take a break from the bloggy world for a day or two until I can play nice!

Have a wonderful week!

Ramblings

I can't put together a meaningful post so I'll just let ya know in list form what is on my mind.


1. A week or so ago, we had watch day for Dancer's dance class. Her teacher thought she could give us some shopping advise by telling us what NOT to get. She said the two WORST things to get a child who wants to be a dancer or play sports are: 1. a mat-too dangerous and 2. a trampoline-because your child's muscles lose the ability to jump by themselves. Guess what we WERE getting our kids for Christmas this year? I'll give you a hint, it wasn't a dance mat!

2. If someone in your house buys a new pack of gum and that same person puts that pack of gum in their pocket and then does not check their pocket before putting those pants in the dirty clothes and does not check pockets (even though they KNOW they are supposed to) when they get clothes ready for the wash and you wash and DRY clothes with an entire pack of blue gum in them...there is hope! When you open the dryer and it is completely blue with huge sticky globs all over, do not panic! There is a not totally simple solution! Heat your dryer for about five minutes, then using a Magic Eraser pad, start scrubbing (the internets also recommended a moist dryer sheet, but of course, I did not have one of those). Scrub until the dryer cools. Stop. Reheat dryer. Go back. Stick your entire body into a 200 degree metal drum and scrub some more. Repeat for approximately 1- 1 1/2 hours until the gum is removed! No sweat (okay, in all honesty, there is a lot of sweat because the dryer is HOT people!) Anyone wondering how I know this? If you really want a challenge, include this on a Wednesday, the single busiest day of our homeschool week!

3. My oldest baby boy was in a church musical last night. It was the Middle Singers. Grades 6-8. Can I tell you what it did to my heart to see my baby up there with the BIG KIDS? I still remember dressing him in green tights, shorts, and a flower hat so he could join the preschool choir helping out in a children's musical. (I wonder if I can figure out how to get THAT picture on here...he would KILL me!) Next year he will be in the youth! Where did the time go?

4. Ramblings must end. I have chaos abounding and school must begin. So we are starting 45 minutes late...what's new?

Fit Friday

After a VERY rough week last week, I was determined to do better...and I did!

I did not miss a single day of exercise (yeah, me! and yeah, kids!). Just that alone makes me feel so much better! I would like to get some different workout videos and I am trying to convince Tigerfan that I really NEED WiiFit for Christmas! But, regardless, I exercised! This morning I even did a little dance workout I found on YouTube...oh if you could have been a fly on my wall this morning...cause, people, this white girl cannot dance!!! But it was fun, so who cares?

I did better eating as well. This was quite an achievement considering the busy weekend, 3 sick children, dance lessons, angel practice for the boys, etc. It has been a wild week. Perhaps the most deadly thing to my diet was the extreme desire to drown my election woes in chocolate. And I did...to some extent...but overall, I did better than I have in two weeks.

The result...drum roll, please, NO LOSS! In fact, I may have even GAINED a pound back! I cannot remember what time I have been weighing in, so I weighed twice..once I was steady, once I had gained a pound.

I guess I shouldn't whine...I mean I do deserve it after the last two weeks...but, really! I think I'll chalk it up to water retention due to my increased exercise this week--I feel better that way. And, I should probably remove all signs of Halloween candy from my sight! By now the kids are sick of it (imagine that!) and so it just sits on the counter and mocks me! I think I probably gain a few tenths of a pound every time I walk into the kitchen!

Anyway, I am going to keep trying this week. Does anyone have any good low fat, low cal dinner suggestions? I do pretty good with breakfast and lunch but could really use some help with relatively quick and easy supper ideas.

Hope everyone's week went well! For more Fit Friday, check out It's Almost Naptime!

Mom and Dad, Can We Talk?

Two days a week, I teach 5th gade at our Homeschool Tutorial. The past couple of weeks, we have been studying cells. So, today we began talking about passing on traits and how our genes help determine our characteristics.

Every year we do an activity where the kids gather data about their classmates: eye color, hair color, etc. Then we compile the info. and study the most common traits. This leads into a discussion about dominant and recessive genes.

Today we were doing that activity. I was explaining the meaning of dominant and recessive and how if Mom has blue eyes and Dad has brown eyes, you are more likely to have brown eyes.

All of the sudden, one of my kids said incredulously, "You mean if I am in my mom's tummy, I could get my dad's eyes!"

I began explaining that you could get the gene from the father. Then it began: "But how? If I am in my Mom's tummy...how do I get my Dad's genes?" In five years of teaching this curriculum NO ONE has ever gone here! I began searching for an answer.

Suddenly, another child joined in, "I think you get them from kissing. That is why our moms and dads kiss all the time! Is that how you get them?"

My response..."Ask your mom and dad tonight!" Oh, I would like to be a fly on the wall of some 5 th grade houses tonight!

Like an Ostrich

You may have noticed that I have not mentioned much about the election. Okay, I haven't mentioned anything. I have read many other blogs with political themes, I have even commented a few times. But, overall, I have kept quiet. I am not a political strategist or greatly knowledgeable in the running of our country. I have my opinions, other people have theirs.

I loved many blogs I read today and found this and this, both from the Mother Load to be great reads! But mostly today, I have been of the "stick your head in the sand" philosophy. I am so sad and so disheartened by the elections. I know the results were no surprise...I guess I was just hoping for a miracle. And so, I haven't watched T.V., haven't read the paper, haven't listened to the radio. I just can't take it. I don't want to see the celebrations, don't want to hear the liberal media's commentaries, don't want to hear interviews about how lucky we are!

I have even read comments today from people from other countries (obviously not on my blog) saying how lucky we are and basically we need to stop whining because we just don't know a good thing when we see it! Perhaps, however, the MOST alarming thing I have heard from both sides of a pitiful argument are that the moral issues really don't matter. Look at the real issues, the important issues!

Sadly, that is where we are in America today. But, America wasn't founded on a great economy. America didn't find her foundations in great healthcare or incredible foreign policy. America was founded by some who were seeking adventure, some who were seeking wealth, but mostly, America was the answer for those desperate for religious freedom. Freedom of religion, not freedom FROM religion. We have turned so far from our roots that no one seems to remember where or what we came from. That is what causes me so much sorrow!

I can't help but let my mind wander to so many stories in the Bible where God allowed His CHOSEN people to be taken into captivity, slavery, etc. because they had turned to other gods. His own people that he led out of captivity, his people that he spoke to,...His people! Are we so self assured in America that we think we are above that? Because while we are blessed, while we are included in His plan of salvation...we aren't, as a nation, his chosen ones! And I look and see a country that began willing to give their lives for Him, now serving the gods of wealth, fame, sports, beauty and so many other things.

I do not think this election took God by surprise. I know He is and always will be, in control! But I wonder, could He have just decided to allow us to live with the choices we have made this time? I do NOT think that one man can destroy this country. My god has the power to overcome a president, a congress, an army. He also has the power to let us alone. And while one man may not destroy our country, our country, most certainly, can destroy itself. I see the signs, a country more concerned with saving whales than saving babies, a country that takes prayer out of school and destroys the sanctity of marriage. A country that rewards "free thinking" yet condemns the ten commandments. What will it be next?

So, yes, I have faith that God can overcome. I believe that we can survive the next few years. I believe that this life is temporary and the eternal is so much more important. But I must tell you, I mourn today for where our country has been and where I fear it may go!

Belling the Baby

Remember the story about the mice who wanted to put a bell on the cat so they would always know where he was?




The boys have subscribed to that philosophy around here. They got tired of me freaking out because Tigercub would suddenly disappear and they would be forced into a man hunt. And so...they belled the baby!




Notice the little green band around his ankle? That is the wrist bells from their instrument kit! Surprisingly, he leaves it alone and we ALWAYS know where he is....until I have had all the jingling I can take! Hey, it works for us!

The Decline Continues

I may have stated once or twice that I have been having a bit of trouble pulling myself together recently. What I once thought I had a grasp on, I now realize was always just a step from slipping out of my hand.

Friday I had a little bloggy rant and I had one person comment that indeed, I needed to be more organized. And while I TOTALLY appreciate the spirit in which that comment was offered, the comment is a little like telling someone who just had a limb removed that they need to get help or they will bleed to death. Or telling a drowning person that they should really swim to shore. Or commenting to a flunking student that they should really get their grades up. I KNOW I need to be more organized. I get that! I just don't know how.


Now, if you can help me out with that, feel free to just comment away. Or call. Or visit. Or send a little team of organizing fairies!


Anyway, My point is that I realize life has gotten a little out of control. BUT, just in case you do not believe me and in the interest of full disclosure an utter Internet honesty, I would like to present you with some after pictures. I didn't take before shots. These lovely little pictures are from Thursday. After I spent 2 1/2 hours cleaning. Remember...these are the AFTER pictures:

I would like you to notice the very clean table in the background! Martha Stewart should be calling any day now!

I cleaned again today! The whole floor has been vacuumed, the table is clear again, and the rest of the house? Well, it looks just about the same!

Halloween

Okay, in the interest of time and sanity...we are going with the brief, not at all amusing, but terribly cute, holiday in pictures. We always go to our church's Halloween alternative Fall Fun Fest. This year, Baseball boy was invited to a friend's to go trick or treating. We allowed him to go because he was sooo excited and had never been trick or treating before! Thus, I have no pictures of the little guy...don't judge me, I am doing the best I can!


Anywhoo...we went the route of cheapness on costumes. Baseball boy wore his LSU jersey and borrowed football pants and pads. Voila--football player!


Tigerfan reprised his role as LSU superfan adorning himself with as much purple and gold as he could find. Last year, Tigerfan even painted his face like a tiger...this year, no face paint, oh well!


Dancer was going as an LSU cheerleader (do you see a theme here?) until Thursday. Thursday, she had rodeo day at tutorial and loved being a cowgirl so much, she decided to go with that.


Tigercub suffered at the hands of a tired mommy and had no costume. Nothing.


So, Friday morning I had to go get a haircut and my "stylist" asked what the kids were wearing. She said I should dress Tigercub like a cowboy. I said I had considered that but all I had for Tigercub was bluejeans. When she was through with my hair, she volunteered to put Dancer's hair in some cowgirl braids and then told me to wait a minute. She disappeared upstairs and returned with tiny little boots, vest and chaps for Tigercub! What a blessing!

Okay, so here are the pictures...Halloween '08:

Please notice the lovely Halloween decoration (aka: dead fern) that is gracing my front porch!

The kids had loads of fun, and fortunately for me, decided riding horses, climbing rock walls and bouncing in hoppers was way more fun than playing "silly" games for candy...so, although we have plenty, we did not come home with the extreme amount of sugar that we have in the past! Which is another blessing considering my struggle with pre-holiday weight loss!

The final Halloween blessing, which, actually, was the first was a little surprise gift from CJ, the Purple Diva, she sent my kids a wonderful box of Halloween goodies (which they finally got once I convinced Tigerfan it wasn't a gift from a crazy person filled with anthrax) just because she is the absolute sweetest thing on earth! You really must go check her out if you don't already because she will make you laugh EVERY DAY!!! And her energy level, at least on her blog, is comparable to that of a two year old boy...need I say more?