Day 4 - Exercise

Get up offa that thing, 

and dance 'till you feel better, 

Get up offa that thing, 

and dance 'till you, sing it now! 

Get up offa that thing, 

and dance 'till you feel better, 

It’s true.  On days that I get up and get moving, I usually have a better attitude and more energy throughout the day.  This is an area that has always been important to me.  But with three pregnancies, several moves, and a husband that has worked up to three jobs at a time, finding time to exercise has not always been easy.  

Before my first was born, I had plenty of time to visit my YMCA.  But as soon as she was born, I knew that I couldn’t continue.  Since then, I’ve tried exercise videos/dvd’s, walking (lots of walking!!), running, INSANITY (which is insane!!), jump roping, and recently, using an elliptical.  All of these have been beneficial and have met a need for each season.  So, I just want to encourage all moms out there to find some kind of exercise that you would enjoy and make it a daily priority.  It’s tough.  After nights when babies are up several times during the night, it’s hard to get up and find time during the day to shower, much less exercise.  Even if it’s just putting the baby in the stroller with cheerios in hand and walking around the neighborhood or at a local park, it’s better than nothing.  I’ve heard another blogger say, “You just need to get moving.”  So, let’s all “Get up offa that thing, and dance ‘till we feel better!”

Day 3 - Organizing Priorities

- Wake up, check email on phone before even turning on lights.  

- Have water & banana while having quiet time, check Facebook before getting up to exercise. 

- Exercise either on elliptical or go for a run.  If on elliptical, listen to a podcast; if running, listen to music on Ipod.

Do you see the theme of just the first few hours of my day?  Technology can be beneficial, but it can also be distracting and time consuming.  I’m afraid that I’ve allowed the latter to become part of my daily routine too often than not.  I’ve allowed myself to believe that I don’t have enough time to get my necessary household duties accomplished, causing me at times to feel like I’m going insane.  But honestly if I would spend less time on Pinterest and more time doing the dishes, I would most likely be a calmer mother.  If I haven’t made this clear before now, I’m writing this to help me to become more sane.  If technology helps you in this area and you are able to discipline yourself to spend the proper amount of time on it, then I admire you, rather than pass judgment on you.  I know that this is an area that I have been convicted over more often than not.  Something needs to change…

Steps to take:

 - Spend time in the Word before any technology (email, Facebook, etc).  A friend did this for Lent.  Very intentional.

 - Check email/Facebook before breakfast to see if there are any urgent messages for the day (no browsing).

 - Set a timer when I’m on Pinterest/or favorite blogs so I don’t waste time, but still enjoy a little down time (during the girls nap time or in the evenings).

 - On walks or spending quality time outside with my girls, choose to leave my phone inside.  I can return phone calls when I come back inside.

 - Not answer the phone while homeschooling.

So often I feel as though I'm missing special moments because I'm too distracted.  To see little hands painting and observe the newest insect added to our family.  Today is the day that He has made.  I will rejoice and be glad in it!  Psalm 118:24

Day 4 – It’s time to “Get up offa that thing!” in the words of James Brown.

Day 2 - Sleep!

                                                                                                      

Sleep!!  It’s what every mother desires more of.  At the beginning of our marriage, I remember going to bed around 10, 10:30 every night, except weekends.  With the birth of each of my girls, I feel that sleep has become less and less a priority.  When people told me to nap when my baby napped, I took them very seriously and have continued this habit even though my youngest is now 2 ½.  I’m not sure whether this is a good thing though.  Since baby #3, my bedtime ranges between 11 and 12 pm, yet I still desire to get up by 6 am, which leaves me sleep deprived, reliant upon my daily cup of joe, and crashing by 1 pm for my daily nap.  This endless cycle leaves something to be desired.  

I have yet to read an article or book that states sleep as unessential in the realm of daily life.  Sooooo, I am determined to make this a priority.  I believe that sleep is one of the major puzzle pieces to completing the picture as a whole.  Here are few things that I’m going to try to use to help me get a little more shut eye.

- Set a daily alarm to “wrap things up” at 9:45pm (still   

        working on this after trying for a week)

- Try not to nap in the afternoons, but allow myself to rest 

        by doing something that is enjoyable to me (read on the 

        back deck, catch up on other’s blogs, listen to a podcast 

        while folding laundry).

- Cut back on my coffee in the afternoons and evenings.

- Catch up on my to-do list before allowing myself to sit 

        back & relax in the evenings, after the girls are in bed.

- Read more, rather than play on Pinterest before going to 

        sleep.

If anyone else has an idea, please don't hesitate to share.  

Coming ahead:  Organizing priorities...

31 Days...

I may be taking on the craziest idea that I’ve ever encountered, but after reading the nester and hearing about doing the 31 days from other bloggers, I’ve decided to (try!) to blog every day during the month of October.  Crazy, huh?  The point is to pick a topic that you can write about for a month without wearing it out.  So, for 31 days, by the grace of God, my insanity will become a little more sane.  

One aspect of my life that has definitely been different over this year is my walk with the Lord.  I have felt the most distant from Him than any other time in my life.  Yet He has never moved.  I have been the one to allow other things to move in between He & I.  I have allowed complacency to creep into my daily life.

Over the past year, I have struggled with feelings of inadequacy as a mother, wife, teacher, even as a believer.  I have had times when I felt I was literally going insane!  Some days I would feel normal again and things would look positive, but the next day I would struggle to get out of bed and the thoughts of my responsibilities as a mother would overwhelm me.  I turned to books, blogs, vitamins, and even family to help me get out of this fog that has been consuming me. 

I know without a doubt that my time with Him DAILY is so essential in transforming my insane life into one of peace.  In John 14:27, it says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled.  Do not be afraid.”  My desire is to get up between 5:45 and 6 am, so that I can have that quality time with the Lord before the rest of the house wakes.  Right now, I’m using the devotional, The Frazzled Female by Cindi Wood.  It’s perfect for where I am right now.  My sweet hubbie found it for me last year, but I’m finally taking the time to use it now.  I know that there will be days that I oversleep or a little one wakes up earlier than usual, and on those days, I pray for His grace to spend time with Him throughout the day and not beat myself up. 

The hardest job I've ever had...

This has been one of those weeks that I'm reminded how hard this job of motherhood really is.  Before having children, I would have thought it would be the potty training, sleepless nights, and continual explosions of clothes and toys throughout my house that would make this job so difficult at times.  But after this week, I've realized it's so much more.  It's watching your child be shunned by so-called friends.  It's crying with another as you break some difficult news, knowing it's for the sake of the family as a whole, but how much it will hurt the one.  It's choosing to make decisions as a family that may not be in line with society or even friends.  It's in those times that my heart breaks.  I know it's only going to get harder as they get older, but I'm so glad that I get to be there to walk along side them.  For all the jobs in the world, I wouldn't trade mine for any of them.

The newest member of our family!

A few weeks ago, I scared several people on facebook by announcing that I was about to witness my little girls' dreams come true.  Immediately, I got responses of Disney World?, a new baby?, a pet?  I was hoping to download a video of the girls and their surprised faces, but had to run out the door soon after getting our little package of expectation.  Of course, the place I was at all evening had no phone signal, which caused me to kill my battery, but not before I got in the comment, "It's a dog!"

Having a dog has been Chloe's dream for years.... really, years.  If you could have seen her last Christmas list, you could have counted the word "dog" at least thirty times.  She has refused to spend her money over the last year because she was saving it for a rabbit (which Papa & Nana now have!) or a dog.  We promised when we had a yard with a fence, we would get a dog.  It's been a year now since we've moved... to a house... with a fence.  Then, I pleaded for mommy's sanity sake to wait till she turned ten.  

God had different plans though.  Our sweet little Tinkerbell was given to us as a gift, one truly amazing gift that we could never have afforded on our own.  We honestly couldn't pass her up and I'm so glad we didn't. There have certainly been harder days than others.  But to see the overwhelming love that my girls have for her on a daily basis is enough to make it all worth it for me.  

Helping Chloe with her math

Only a few days before we got Tinkerbell, Marty and I knew it was most likely going to happen.  But one morning at breakfast, Naomi lost an eyelash and blew it from my finger, making a wish.  What did she wish for?  A dog, a real dog...  My heart skipped a beat in that moment.

Making sure she'll be comfortable at night.

True love!

Trying to be like her big sisters (Can't you see Tink shaking?)

Tinkerbell helping Naomi with some school work.

Our little 4 pound guard dog.

A Day in the Life of a Homeschooler...

It is so hard to believe that we are beginning our fourth year of homeschooling.  It really doesn't seem possible.  This is our first year of officially doing two grades (3rd & Kindergarten) and I'm excited to be able to watch Naomi grow in her knowledge of phonics and reading as we learn together over the next several months.  This is our homeschool room (pictured above and below).  We had hoped to have finished our unfinished downstairs, but God's timing is perfect and it's not finished yet.  So, since we knew we had another year of school upstairs, we decided to make it as functional as possible.  Marty built my new IKEA shelves a few weeks ago and I've pulled out many of our boxes of books and school supplies to make our room feel as welcoming and learner friendly as possible.  

Instead of backpacks this year, I made the girls their own canvas bags using the simple tools of a ruler and sharpies (Thanks to Pinterest!)  They were a lot of fun to make and the girls were excited to have new bags with their names on them.  

 

French Toast for breakfast!

Excited to start school ... seriously!!

Some new school goodies (mostly freebies or super cheap items from Staples & Target).  I have recently discovered Mike's Used Books, which has been great for purging through our old books and finding some new ones.  All of the girls received "new" books in their bags (American Girl doll book, The Art Lesson by Tomie de Paola, and If Jesus lived in my Heart - board book)

Sophie got in the spirit and got all these puzzles out herself before we even began our school work.

I am blessed with three precious students!

The principal and his girls!

Our precarious, I mean... precious preschooler

Our kangaroo of a kindergartner (always jumping) 

Our thriving third grader (constantly learning and reading)

Sophie's attempt at the Pledge of Allegiance

Proud to hold the Bible

Watching Super Why on the Ipad 

A little mammal classification with the help of Pinterest

Science Experimenting

One morning we went to the park first thing to avoid the heat of the day.  Our Sophie can certainly be full of "joy" on mornings like this.

My little explorers at the park

Once again, avoiding the heat by staying inside with my artists.

Overall, the week was a success.  Did I accomplish everything?  No way!  Was coffee an extreme necessity every single morning?  For sure.  Did Sophie cover herself with chapstick during naptime one day?  Oh, yeah!  Did I get stressed that my schedule wasn't going as planned?  You betcha!  But at the end of the week, do I still want to do this homeschool thing?  Only by God's grace, YES!