Health and School

Health and Happiness talk

Making time to work out has been my biggest struggle since having kids.  There are so many excuses that come up that working out was always put on the back burner.  This week I think I have finally found a schedule that fits my schedule.  I even created a separate blog to document my hard work that I’m striving for…and hubs too.  My goal was to aim for 3 days a week, but I think I really need 4-5 because I need to lose 45 pounds and I want to do it in 10 months.  I’ve already lost 4.4 pounds in the three weeks since I officially started.  Go me!

My schedule so far:

• Monday-no gym, I assist in the kids class at school all day
• Tuesday-gym after I drop the kids off
• Wednesday-gym during lunch hour, I assist in the preschool until noon
• Thursday-gym after I drop the kids off
• Friday-the kids and I go to the gym first thing
• Saturday-either the gym first thing or go to the trail as a family
• Sunday-day of rest

Creating ‘healthy’ meals has also been a struggle since having kids.  Or maybe since forever?!  With kids, I do find it even harder when you have an extremely picky eater (Sterling!).  Although she does love her some fruit, dairy, and carrots, but she bores from them quickly and goes on strike.  She often goes to bed without dinner because “I don’t like that,” and I’m that mean mom that won’t make a separate meal now that she’s old enough to understand.  She never complains she’s hungry before going to bed, so I don’t think it’s hurting her any.  Anyways, I tend to try to find easy and fast dinner to whip up every night.  Since returning from vacation, we’ve only ate out 4 times (that’s GOOD for us!).  I need to find some new recipes that taste good (have flavor!) but are still light in calories and carbs.  Since I haven’t found much lately, I’ve just cut back on the amount I eat, which has been working great.  I still have my sweet treat every day.  I have to.  It’s like a must or I might die.  Really, it’s that bad. 

There are a few reasons I want to get my health in check.

• One, for myself.  To be happy and confident
• Two, for my kids.  They deserve to have a fun, active mom
• Three, we’re going to the Caribbean!
• Four, BABY FEVER!  (Maybe this should be #1?!)  Man, is it ever present in our house.  It’s all hubs talks about.  But, I want to shed at least 15 pounds before conceiving so we’re hoping to conceive this year and baby next year.  We all know that it don’t matter what we’d like, because it’s all in His timing.  We’re hopeful though.  I just would hate it to take another 10 years to conceive a healthy, successful, full-term baby!  I’m going to be 35 this year and I feel if it takes too long, we’ll lose our chances at baby #3.

School talk

I’m absolutely loving school.  It’s challenging, yes.  But, I love it.  I still enjoy the readings and learning new ways of talking and interacting with children.  What skills are essential for children and how to help children achieve high-level language.

I love that my kids’ school director and teachers are willing to allow me in their classrooms to assist and observe.  It’s teaching me a lot and will give me so much more experiences over the next year and half.  This fall will be a big change for us.  I’m volunteering to be a permanent assistant in the preschool.  I’m stoked and ready!  I don’t know how many days yet, but I’ll take what they can give me.  Having the experience is invaluable to me.  Starting in the fall, I’ll only be in one measly class each semester until graduation in 2017.  One!  It’s okay, I’ll fill my time with volunteering and gathering knowledge from seasoned preschool teachers so that way I can be the best that I can be when it’s my turn.

I’m ready for spring break though!  I have some major plans around the house and I have to get it organized for those plans to come to fruition!  The kids will still be in school during my school break, so I’ll have uninterrupted kid free days to organize!  Stoked?, why yes I am!  I’m crazy excited for March 9th to get here!

 

Bikes

My Kids don't have "big kid bikes" but will be getting them for their birthdays this year.  I don't know what size to get!  Because they'll be 3 and 4, do I just go ahead and get a 16 inch because they'll outgrow the smaller ones faster?  Or Stick to the smaller 12 or 14 inch? What would you do?  Will a 16 inch be TOO big?  Both kids are over 39 inches tall.  I'm at a loss and could use some advice.  Thanks, if you can offer any advice!

Valentine’s Week

The week of Valentine’s was crazy hectic.  Sick kid.  Lots of homework.  Buying supplies.  Assembling crafts.  I went super easy this year, compared to last year.  We did 2 days of really easy, as in buy a box of cards and attach candy to them.  Then 2 days ‘fun’. 

Xander’s ‘fun’ gifts to his preschool friends

One of Sterling’s ‘fun’ gifts to her class, her other one was the popular “you make my heart glow” with a glow-stick attached

Teacher gifts

  

On Valentines Day, I set up the scavenger hunt.  Sterling was quick, while it took Xander a few minutes to get the idea at what was going on.  After that, he quickly scrimmaged around his room finding his surprises.  The loved this and I think we will keep this as a new tradition.  The idea came from The Dating Divas and I had plans to do one for Hubs also, but yeah, that didn’t work out, time got away from me.

  

After the kids found their items, I reminisced about my childhood days and having a Raggedy Ann of my own.  I thought I had it downstairs in my tote of toys/games from growing up, but it wasn’t there.  There were other dolls in the tote that I pulled out for Sterling to have now that she’s into dolls.  She loves them, especially the one with a bow!

It was a fun week, although chaotic.  Every. Single. Day.  I do it for the kids and for the excitement in their little bodies!

Life Lately

Man, have we been busy!  It’s been over TWO whole weeks since I last blogged.  Far too long.  Going back…

February 8th, Sterling was in urgent care for a nasty constant cough.  Sent home as nothing more than a scratchy throat.  Feb 13th we were back in urgent care because her cough had gotten worse and she developed a fever and no interest in eating.  This time she was diagnosed with upper respiratory infection and given amoxicillin.  Within 2 days, her cough was down to an occasional cough and now nothing.

The week of February 9th we prepped valentine goodies for the kids’ friends and teachers and bounced in the bounce house a lot.  I’ll make a separate post on the valentine goodies (and the scavenger hunt)

February 14th, Happy Valentine’s Day!  I gave the kids a scavenger hunt first thing and they loved it!  The idea came from The Dating Divas.  I think this will be a new tradition.

February 15th, Sterling figured out how to have a dark place to sleep

February 18th, I assisted in the preschool classroom.  After I came home, I had homework due that afternoon, so I finished that up.  After I finished and had the kids home, we played three rounds of UNO MOO.  The kids got this for Christmas and didn’t really understand it then, but on this day, the grasped it and we went with it and kept playing.  So much fun when you can play a game and it’s not ruined with a kid storming off because they are frustrated.

We’ve also been using our Brain Games book to help Sterling…and Xander…become familiar with new concepts in learning.  It’s a great book!  I actually got it before our trip in December because I thought it would be great in the car, but that didn’t work out so well.  When you are prone to car sickness, it’s not always best to keep turning around.  So we had to put it away.  But, we’ve been using it a lot over the last week.  I’ve started having Sterling trace the letters with her fingers because her tracing skills need improving, so we’ll start with her fingers then move to pencils or crayons.

  

Last month, Xander had the letter ‘I’ for show and tell and as I was going through things/ideas for him to take, I came up with imagination, showed him where it was and described what it was.  (He actually took a flashcard with the letter ‘I’ and an iguana) So, every since that day, he lets me know when he uses his imagination to create something.  He’s not usually that great at block building by himself, he don’t have the patience for it, but he used his imagination and created this tower.  All on his own.  He was so proud, he said, “mom, come look what my imagination did to build this big tower!”  So proud of himself!

We’ve been working out a lot and today we took a change of scenery (I go to the gym and Nick hits our home gym) and hit our favorite trail.  It was blistering cold out, but we all survived.

Five on Friday

Happy Friday, Friends!  I love Fridays because the kids are home from school, but this one was extra special because hubby stayed home from work.

{ONE} We finally got plummeted with snow!  Saturday it started and continued into Sunday, so on Monday, schools were cancelled.  Then it started snowing heavy again Wednesday morning and schools were cancelled again.  In total we had about 15 inches of snow.  As Xander said, “I wished for snow so I could make an angel”  Well buddy, you got it!

We took advantage of our snow day and worked on crafts.  Monday, we did canvas art.  The kids made handprint trees with heart “leaves”.  On Wednesday, I worked on applique while the kids colored and played under the table.

This was Sunday morning at 7:30…

{TWO} I think I’ve finally found my place in the working out arena.  I’ve started going after I drop the kids off at school and it’s working out great.  I’m not setting up “scheduled” days off, but rather will take of 1 or 2 days that just don’t work out.  For example, when I volunteer at the school, it will be in my workout time so I’ll skip that day, and workout the next.  I’m not going to beat myself up over it.  This month my goal is to make fitness a habit rather than a chore.  No counting calories, no hardcore fitness, just getting there and getting a workout done.  Something is better than nothing!

{THREE} Playing in the snow is so much fun.  Getting them dressed and bundled up…not so much, but totally worth it for the kids excitement.  Today I built the kids a snowman, then Xander was deliberately trying to push it over (because it’s fun!), then we used the snowman as a sledding ramp, and then I made a dinosaur fort out of it.  SNOW much fun…

 

{FOUR} Being a kid is tough stuff.  The other day Xander and I were upstairs folding laundry and I told him Sissy is being awfully good and quiet downstairs watching Peppa Pig.  He went down and came back up saying she was laying her head down and her eyes were closed.  Sure enough, no tricks, she was knocked out.  I love seeing them so tired that they just pass out anywhere.  I call that a successful and productive day!

{FIVE} I’ve always preached to the kids that it’s important to take our time and color slowly so that we can tell what the picture is.  I know they are too young, but I’d still always remind them to slow down and enjoy it.  This week, Xander did just that and I was so impressed because he even made his picture the correct colors!  He didn’t have his little “santa’s helper” next to him (it was upstairs!), but he managed to make it look awesome.  SO proud of this moment!

Linking up with the ladies again this week.

Have a great weekend!