Next Monday, March the first, I will be starting out on a quest and I am inviting you to come along. I have spent the past two weeks mentally preparing for it and just like any challenge, when it comes down to it, you just have to take the first step and do it.
I am calling it MARCH MADNESS for MOMMIES and here is the challenge:
To work out every weeknight in March and burn some major calories to sculpt my mommy body into something desirable.
It may sound simple, but for me this is huge! I will be posting regular updates... you are my accountability, I haven't enough courage to go to the Gym! I have a couple basic workout videos that I am counting on ( Kathy Kaehler's Total Fitness Workout and Fitness Class).
Why am I doing this? Well, first of all I've alleviated all of my excuses:
-not having the time: for me, once my two boys are asleep I have just the right amount of time to get through a 45-minute workout and shower before my husband gets up to work the night shift. Finding the right time is key. Before I always told myself that I didn't have time, and therefore never made any.
-Not knowing how to workout: Well the video takes care of this for me. I have been preparing myself by doing the video 3 times a week for the past few weeks and I love it so far. The instructor is very encouraging and the moves are basic.
-doing something for me: At first you might think this doesn't sound like an excuse, but I know I am not alone in feeling like I am not worth the time and effort it takes to accomplish a goal like this one. Moms and Women in general I think, struggle with this and that is why I want you to come along for the ride. We are worth it and it is within our grasp to look and feel fabulous every day.
My other reasons for doing this include:
-a desire to be healthy and have energy to play with my children
-finally getting rid of that muffin top!
-my baby just turned one feb. 4 and the "mommy body" needs to go
-my husband and I are celebrating our 5th anniversary this June and I want to feel and look better than I did on our wedding for the special trip we are taking to Seattle.
-lastly I just want to prove to myself that I can do it!
Note: In addition to my workout regimen I will be trying my best to eat healthy. This is going to be the hardest part honestly. I love sweets! It's my biggest downfall, and we all know that sugar is the number one enemy! But I also know that complete deprivation only ends up in a series of binges, so I am going to make some allowances for myself.
Allowances/Rewards:
-once a day I will allow myself a small treat such as one dove dark chocolate or one milano dark chocolate cookie
-once a week, if I have completed all five workout sessions, I will reward myself with my favorite drink from dutch brothers
-I will also continue my daily intake of chai tea... just can't live without it!
Monday, February 22, 2010
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Sunrise Cuddles
After having kids, you'll never have to set an alarm clock- ever again (at least until they are teenagers I suppose).
My mornings begin a little after six (sometimes before depending on the day) when my three-year-old saunters into my room, his favorite blanket tucked in his arms along with as many stuffed animals as he can carry. I pretend I don't hear him, that he's just part of my dreams. Sometimes he'll climb up the side of our king size bed, usually asking for assistance, and snuggle under the covers with me for a few minutes. That's when I take it all in. I know those moments are growing more and more few and far between. He never waits longer than five minutes to start his prodding, after all he's had ten hours of energizing sleep, he's ready to rev the engines of PLAY! "mommy... it's light outside," he usually begins with, "it's time to get up, come Onnnnn!" Sometimes, if he's really eager, he'll pull the covers off, or even worse, turn the light on. Our bedroom is like a sweet hibernation cave due to the cardboard in the window that we put up when Martin started his night shift. I groan and moan as my little guy pulls me out of bed, but secretly I'm enjoying every bit of it. Who else gets such a wake up call, with someone just longing to be with you wanting to start their time with you at the mornings first instant?
As soon as we are out in the living room where the sun's rays shimmer through the windows, he says, "See told ya... it's light outside!" and smiles with his whole face. I sigh and rub my eyes. "You're right," I say, "I guess it's time to start our day."
The problem is, I've never been a morning person. I dream about staying in bed all day... or at least until sometime reasonable (especially on Saturdays, but that's another thing about kids- they don't understand the concept of "Saturday" so yes, even on the weekends us parents get up at six). I've learned to adjust. In fact, I can hardly sleep past 7:30 on the occasions when Martin is home and gets up with the boys. But I know the ironic truth: someday I will miss these early mornings, the prodding, the exclamation that the sun is in fact up, therefore we must get up too, and most of all the sunrise cuddles.
My mornings begin a little after six (sometimes before depending on the day) when my three-year-old saunters into my room, his favorite blanket tucked in his arms along with as many stuffed animals as he can carry. I pretend I don't hear him, that he's just part of my dreams. Sometimes he'll climb up the side of our king size bed, usually asking for assistance, and snuggle under the covers with me for a few minutes. That's when I take it all in. I know those moments are growing more and more few and far between. He never waits longer than five minutes to start his prodding, after all he's had ten hours of energizing sleep, he's ready to rev the engines of PLAY! "mommy... it's light outside," he usually begins with, "it's time to get up, come Onnnnn!" Sometimes, if he's really eager, he'll pull the covers off, or even worse, turn the light on. Our bedroom is like a sweet hibernation cave due to the cardboard in the window that we put up when Martin started his night shift. I groan and moan as my little guy pulls me out of bed, but secretly I'm enjoying every bit of it. Who else gets such a wake up call, with someone just longing to be with you wanting to start their time with you at the mornings first instant?
As soon as we are out in the living room where the sun's rays shimmer through the windows, he says, "See told ya... it's light outside!" and smiles with his whole face. I sigh and rub my eyes. "You're right," I say, "I guess it's time to start our day."
The problem is, I've never been a morning person. I dream about staying in bed all day... or at least until sometime reasonable (especially on Saturdays, but that's another thing about kids- they don't understand the concept of "Saturday" so yes, even on the weekends us parents get up at six). I've learned to adjust. In fact, I can hardly sleep past 7:30 on the occasions when Martin is home and gets up with the boys. But I know the ironic truth: someday I will miss these early mornings, the prodding, the exclamation that the sun is in fact up, therefore we must get up too, and most of all the sunrise cuddles.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Corny Valentines
Martin and I are the kind of couple that other couples call corny. We've danced at restaurants where there isn't dancing. We give each other hand-made presents. And yes, more than once a year someone is served breakfast in bed.
I was thinking about Valentines Day today... how could I avoid it? We've never been able to do anything "big" for any holiday really, especially not one that doesn't require traveling to see family or a day off from work. About a month ago, I decided that this year we were going to do something. I didn't know exactly what, and I knew yet again not much money could be put towards it, so I told Martin, "We can each spend ten dollars on each other. Do whatever you want, but you can't spend more than that." It may seem silly, setting aside ten dollars, and you may be wondering, what can you do with ten dollars? Well I'm not about to tell you that I did some surprising wonderful, magical thing with my ten dollars because that's not really the point. It could have been one dollar, I just wanted to be allowed the freedom to do something.
Love is often expressed without monetary means at all. Our first Valentines Day as a couple, we weren't even able to spend together. We had been dating for eight months. I was a senior in high school and he was away at college. I sent him a poem that I had rolled up and stuffed into a abstract looking bottle. But of course I couldn't leave it plain, (here comes the frosting of corniness) I had to decoupage pictures and love quotes all over the outside of the bottle and tie ribbons around the mouth of the bottle near the cork. It was a work of art, and symbol of my love for him!
So as I thought about what I wanted to do with my ten dollars, about a thousand things came to mind... many of them however, required a babysitter (a major difference between Valentines passed and now). I thought of taking a long stroll downtown with two hot cups of coffee and pumpkin scones. I thought of buying some fabric paint and making him a t-shirt that would read: "Thief" on the front and "you stole my heart" on the back... I know... corny. But he wouldn't care, he would have worn it proudly and he probably would have even made people read it, telling them that his wife had made it for him.
That's just us. We're not the couple who does extravagant things in order to impress each other, or out-do one another. We know our love is real. Valentines Day is really just another day. I like to think of it as an excuse or a reminder to show each other our love. It's a big blinking red heart saying, "be grateful for the love in your life, and don't forget to share some in return!"
Yes, I did finally decide what to do for him. It's nothing big or flashy, and you know exactly how much I spent on it. It's corny... and he's going to love it!
I was thinking about Valentines Day today... how could I avoid it? We've never been able to do anything "big" for any holiday really, especially not one that doesn't require traveling to see family or a day off from work. About a month ago, I decided that this year we were going to do something. I didn't know exactly what, and I knew yet again not much money could be put towards it, so I told Martin, "We can each spend ten dollars on each other. Do whatever you want, but you can't spend more than that." It may seem silly, setting aside ten dollars, and you may be wondering, what can you do with ten dollars? Well I'm not about to tell you that I did some surprising wonderful, magical thing with my ten dollars because that's not really the point. It could have been one dollar, I just wanted to be allowed the freedom to do something.
Love is often expressed without monetary means at all. Our first Valentines Day as a couple, we weren't even able to spend together. We had been dating for eight months. I was a senior in high school and he was away at college. I sent him a poem that I had rolled up and stuffed into a abstract looking bottle. But of course I couldn't leave it plain, (here comes the frosting of corniness) I had to decoupage pictures and love quotes all over the outside of the bottle and tie ribbons around the mouth of the bottle near the cork. It was a work of art, and symbol of my love for him!
So as I thought about what I wanted to do with my ten dollars, about a thousand things came to mind... many of them however, required a babysitter (a major difference between Valentines passed and now). I thought of taking a long stroll downtown with two hot cups of coffee and pumpkin scones. I thought of buying some fabric paint and making him a t-shirt that would read: "Thief" on the front and "you stole my heart" on the back... I know... corny. But he wouldn't care, he would have worn it proudly and he probably would have even made people read it, telling them that his wife had made it for him.
That's just us. We're not the couple who does extravagant things in order to impress each other, or out-do one another. We know our love is real. Valentines Day is really just another day. I like to think of it as an excuse or a reminder to show each other our love. It's a big blinking red heart saying, "be grateful for the love in your life, and don't forget to share some in return!"
Yes, I did finally decide what to do for him. It's nothing big or flashy, and you know exactly how much I spent on it. It's corny... and he's going to love it!
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Our Impossible gift
We've lived in our house for just over ten months now, and the newness of it still hasn't faded. I can't get over how perfect it is for our family of four; three bedrooms, two bathrooms, hard wood floors and a beautiful kitchen complete with new stainless steel appliances and a granite tiled island. I'm still amazed at how it all worked out, and I still feel like I don't deserve it.
Last February, we had just welcomed our second baby boy into the world and we were living graciously in the empty home of church family who were gone temporaily. The plan was to find our own place to live sometime in March, most likely another apartment. But I had vowed to leaving the "home searching" up to Martin, my hubby, hoping that would eleviate the stress, and with a new baby, I really didn't have any extra energy.
Martin made a few calls after looking through the newspaper one Saturday morning and then asked, "Do you want to go look at a house?" A house? Had he lost his mind? First of all I knew there was no way we'd be able to afford anything on the market, second of all, I had a two week old baby in my arms and house hunting didn't sound all that appealing.
I humored him anyways.
He promised it would be fun just to get out of the house and it couldn't hurt just to look.
It could hurt.
Though the house was unfinished, as soon as I walked in the door, I had fallen in love with it. It had vaulted ceilings, and felt so open, but yet cozy too. I could easily imagine the boys playing in the living room, and making a splash in tub of the nicely sized bathroom. As I walked through the rest of the house I began to do the numbers in my head, but no matter how I worked it, there was no way we could afford this house.
On the way home I couldn't help but wish there was a way."What do you think?" Martin finally asked.
"I love it!" I said half smiling. I couldn't deny it, but what could we do?
"That's all I needed to know," he said.
Over the next month he worked with the bank. Under God's good graces we qualified for a loan just over the price of the house. I couldn't believe it. I felt like I had just been handed the keys to the door of impossibility. I had been ready to accept renting again, though I dreaded it.
We moved in the middle of April into the little brick-faced house on Iago street. The boys do play effortlessly every day in the spacious living room, and make a splash out of bathttime in their very own bathroom, and every night when I'm turning out the last light in the house I thank God for this impossible gift.
Last February, we had just welcomed our second baby boy into the world and we were living graciously in the empty home of church family who were gone temporaily. The plan was to find our own place to live sometime in March, most likely another apartment. But I had vowed to leaving the "home searching" up to Martin, my hubby, hoping that would eleviate the stress, and with a new baby, I really didn't have any extra energy.
Martin made a few calls after looking through the newspaper one Saturday morning and then asked, "Do you want to go look at a house?" A house? Had he lost his mind? First of all I knew there was no way we'd be able to afford anything on the market, second of all, I had a two week old baby in my arms and house hunting didn't sound all that appealing.
I humored him anyways.
He promised it would be fun just to get out of the house and it couldn't hurt just to look.
It could hurt.
Though the house was unfinished, as soon as I walked in the door, I had fallen in love with it. It had vaulted ceilings, and felt so open, but yet cozy too. I could easily imagine the boys playing in the living room, and making a splash in tub of the nicely sized bathroom. As I walked through the rest of the house I began to do the numbers in my head, but no matter how I worked it, there was no way we could afford this house.
On the way home I couldn't help but wish there was a way."What do you think?" Martin finally asked.
"I love it!" I said half smiling. I couldn't deny it, but what could we do?
"That's all I needed to know," he said.
Over the next month he worked with the bank. Under God's good graces we qualified for a loan just over the price of the house. I couldn't believe it. I felt like I had just been handed the keys to the door of impossibility. I had been ready to accept renting again, though I dreaded it.
We moved in the middle of April into the little brick-faced house on Iago street. The boys do play effortlessly every day in the spacious living room, and make a splash out of bathttime in their very own bathroom, and every night when I'm turning out the last light in the house I thank God for this impossible gift.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Grey's Anatomy: Ease the Loneliness
I started this blog partially due to the fact that ever since my husband starting working nights, I find myself functioning differently. He leaves around 9:30pm every night. The house is quiet with only the ticking of our kitchen clock.
A few nights a week I occupy my time with addictively staring at the T.V. watching old seasons of Grey's Anatomy play on the screen (thanks to Netflicks). Of course I knew this would happen, I had almost planned the whole thing... my addiction to Greys Anatomy, that is. Once he told me that the night shift job looked promising, I made him promise me Netflicks, and then the affair began. I knew I would need something to keep me distracted from the loneliness.
And it worked.
The first few weeks I happily distracted myself with the first season. It had me laughing and crying, and undenyably falling easily in love with the whole silly ordeal. As soon as both boys were asleep, I'd grab my snack of choice, or a cookie I'd been hiding and dreaming about all day, situate myself on our heavenly comfortable couch and as soon as the theme music sang in my ears I wouldn't feel alone anymore. I felt like my living room was full of friends. Though my day may have taken many unexpected turns like cleaning up 3-year-old messes, and running to the store hoping the last diaper holds until the new ones are paid for, I could count on my "friends" being there for me when the house again was quiet.
I realize it's sort of a silly indulgence, and that I do need some actual human friends to come be in my living room, but a little retreating can't hurt. That's where I've decided to set my limits, on a little retreating. I have to admit that some nights I couldn't bring myself to push the stop button. It wasn't just because I needed to find out what happens next, but it was that feeling when you're at your best friends house and you just don't want to leave. You stay an extra hour or two, lunch becomes dinner, and when you finally bring yourself to put on your shoes, it's so dark you can't see where you parked your car.
So you get the idea, I have fake T.V. friends who I have the power to keep hostage.
But now, when the house is quiet I need more than that. So I am limiting my guilty pleasure. My goal is to allow myself one episode per sitting. Quiet time beyond that, I have to fill with something else...writing this blog for instance.
p.s. currently I'm on season four... Derek is dating Rose! Ugh! He better get his act together! (I'm not obsessed, really)!
A few nights a week I occupy my time with addictively staring at the T.V. watching old seasons of Grey's Anatomy play on the screen (thanks to Netflicks). Of course I knew this would happen, I had almost planned the whole thing... my addiction to Greys Anatomy, that is. Once he told me that the night shift job looked promising, I made him promise me Netflicks, and then the affair began. I knew I would need something to keep me distracted from the loneliness.
And it worked.
The first few weeks I happily distracted myself with the first season. It had me laughing and crying, and undenyably falling easily in love with the whole silly ordeal. As soon as both boys were asleep, I'd grab my snack of choice, or a cookie I'd been hiding and dreaming about all day, situate myself on our heavenly comfortable couch and as soon as the theme music sang in my ears I wouldn't feel alone anymore. I felt like my living room was full of friends. Though my day may have taken many unexpected turns like cleaning up 3-year-old messes, and running to the store hoping the last diaper holds until the new ones are paid for, I could count on my "friends" being there for me when the house again was quiet.
I realize it's sort of a silly indulgence, and that I do need some actual human friends to come be in my living room, but a little retreating can't hurt. That's where I've decided to set my limits, on a little retreating. I have to admit that some nights I couldn't bring myself to push the stop button. It wasn't just because I needed to find out what happens next, but it was that feeling when you're at your best friends house and you just don't want to leave. You stay an extra hour or two, lunch becomes dinner, and when you finally bring yourself to put on your shoes, it's so dark you can't see where you parked your car.
So you get the idea, I have fake T.V. friends who I have the power to keep hostage.
But now, when the house is quiet I need more than that. So I am limiting my guilty pleasure. My goal is to allow myself one episode per sitting. Quiet time beyond that, I have to fill with something else...writing this blog for instance.
p.s. currently I'm on season four... Derek is dating Rose! Ugh! He better get his act together! (I'm not obsessed, really)!
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