The 10-day blogging challenge

Hi all - Earlier today, I stumbled upon a really cool challenge on a local photographer's blog. The photographer's name is Melissa Sigler and her photos are incredible. That aside, I loved reading about this challenge she is doing and told her I was thinking of completing it myself. 

Each day, for 10 days, she is posting a blog note about a given topic. Topics are listed below. I love stuff like this. I love it because it kinda makes you stop and think about some things for awhile. You know, not just JUMP IN with any old answer. These are some thought provoking questions, and I thought it may be a good addition to the kids' blog here. After all, looking back on this blog {which we will do for years to come}, it will be nice to know a little about what I was thinking, doing, feeling, etc. at this point in my life. So, the topics are:

~~~~~~

Day 1: Ten reasons you love your job.

Day 2: Nine things about yourself.

Day 3: Eight ways to win your heart. 

Day 4: Seven things that cross your mind a lot. 

Day 5: Six things you wish you had never done. 

Day 6: Five people who mean a lot {in no particular order}.

Day 7: Four turn offs.

Day 8: Three turn ons. 

Day 9: Two emotions that describe your life right now. 

Day 10: One confession.

~~~~~~ 

Aren't those super cool? Some easier to answer than others. But still, I'm game. And it gives me something to write about and if you know me, you know I love that! :)

I hope you consider joining me in this 10-day blogging challenge. Don't be shy. You may learn a thing or two about yourself or someone you know & love. :)

Here goes. Day 1: Ten reasons you love your job. In no particular order. 

1. Every day I train, I am inspired by someone I'm working with. My clients work extremely hard and I get to witness them push through personal barriers, physical limitations and more. They inspire me.
2. I get to try new things every day. Nothing is ever the same one day to the next. Variety IS, after all, the spice of life.
3. I answer to no one but myself. :)
4. I make my own schedule every day.
5. I get to meet new people all the time through clients, workshops, health fairs, etc.
6. I am able to justify purchasing a whole SLEW of fitness equipment & fun toys that otherwise would be considered frivolous. {YAY!} :)
7. I am happy - happier than I've ever been as a working professional. Let's put it another way - IT SIMPLY DOESN'T FEEL LIKE WORK!!
8. I'm able to spend more time with family.
9. When else are you paid to yell at someone? {HA!}
10. Fitness is a passion and I get to share that passion with everyone I meet. 

Enjoy your day! :)

Silly photos...

 

CRAZY night {again} tonight. Dinner was fast and furious so we could get Keely to her softball game.

 

But of course there is {always} time for silly faces at the dinner table. Notice the rice on Abby's lip? {She'd love it if she knew I was drawing attention to that.} ;)

 

Apparently, we need to work on getting everyone in the shot...

That's a little better, I suppose. Where's dad during this party? He missed out on all the fun. :)

FUN TIMES AT THE DINNER TABLE!

On a roll...last one...SUMMER IS HERE!! :)

The school year is coming to an end. This summer will be the first summer in my grown up-mommy life that I will not be working for anyone but myself. To say I'm thrilled about this is an understatement. I have many friends who stay home with their kids, and for a very long time, I envied them. Now I am able to do the same. 

I also have many friends who, after years of staying home, are opting to go back to work. I admire them. 

But if I have my way, I will never work for anyone else again. It's me, myself and I and I cannot wait for this summer to take full advantage of it. 

I train all summer - have people scheduled and will continue to do what I have really, really grown to love - helping people feel better about themselves through physical activity. But I get to do it on MY time. MY schedule. MY terms. Love. Love. Love. 

Summer has never been like this. I can't wait to enjoy every minute of it. 

But there is another reason I can't wait for Thursday to come and go. Two months of no carpooling, no extra-curricular activities, no mandatory meetings for school plays, or recitals, or tryouts, or sports. 

And there is also more time with the kids. :)

And finally - there is the fact that I think my kids need a break from school. It's been a touch-and-go year for Abby. 6th grade hasn't been easy, so I welcome a much more laid back, carefree, less drama-filled existence for her throughout the summer. She will see friends at the pool she hasn't seen all year. She will smile more, which, in turn, will make me smile more. Maybe she'll gain some of her confidence back. I can only hope. 

So here's to the SUMMER!! To fresh air, poolside talks, camping trips, fireflies, snowcones, trips with family, NOT getting up early, NOT having to stay up late for homework, riding bikes, staying up late and everything else this fun season brings. 

Have a great one. :)

As if you haven't seen enough photos of my kids...

There's this thing called Instagram that I recently downloaded to my phone. I know, millions of people have had this app for a lot longer than I have, but I just got it and have begun taking the most random photos of my kids and, well, everything about them.

Surprised, aren't you?

Seriously, though, who invents this stuff? Overnight I have become a master photographer, capturing images of them scooting, looking at me, smiling, eating, playing. You name it. And then there are the photos of their shoes, their fake tattoos, their t-shirts, their hair, EVERYTHING.

And it all looks super cool on certain settings. Seriously, I posted a photo of Connor's SHOE, for heaven sake.

I tell myself it's so I can capture the moments forever, but is there even a way to get the photos from Instagram into, say, this blog, which IS, truthfully, supposed to be the stories of their lives that I keep forever and ever?

{Who has time for baby books, people. I have 4 kids. They each have a special memory box in their room and they each get stories written about them for them to pass on from generation to generation. It's the best I can do!}

If there is a way to get those Instantly AWESOME Instagram photos on here, I don't know it. But perhaps I should look into it. Till then, I'll continue "WOWing" myself with my obscure  - but oh-so-professional-looking photos of Libby's finger, Abby's eyebrow, Keely's nails and Connor's shoe. I know you can't wait to see them. I promise to share them on their blog...if I ever learn how!

I wouldn't want to keep you from seeing what a stellar photographer I am. Hell, with that app I can take a photo of a rock and it can look somewhat cool. 

Wish I'd invented it. ;)

 

No! No! No!

This is the face of the child who, in one day:

woke at 4am crying and angry because it wasn't time to get up {WAKE UP, MOMMY!}

adamantly refused to take a nap {NO!}

adamantly refused to get out of the gym in the basement as I was training a client {NO!!}

adamantly refused to go potty when I begged {I DON'T WANNA!!}

reprimanded me {see photo with the pointing of the finger} for not giving her juice, a snack, some gum, her scooter, a glass of water, a permanent marker and her sister's wallet. {MOMMMY!!!!}

All in one day.

I'm one tired momma. 

And I don't care if I don't hear another peep from this child for the rest of the day. 

Oh heck. She's crying.

Could it be that she's TIRED??? 

Naaaaaah.

Lord give me patience.

Better go be a nice mommy for just awhile longer. 

Hello? Is anyone there?

Hi again. I am telling you it seems like FOREVER between posts now. Things are so crazy busy that I find it hard to simply sit and write...something I love to do. But I'll try to do some of that to update everyone on our crazy lives. 

So Aspire Fitness LLC has completely taken off! Chris and I are so pleasantly amazed...we had faith it would grow, but the pace at which it is growing is a bit astounding. I currently have the privilege of working with a friend of mine who is a peri-natal fitness educator, so she and I have launched a post-natal bootcamp that includes an educational segment each time we meet {which is twice a week}. These women have kids ages 19 months and younger and they have been awesome to work with. I'm completely enjoying this group and am learning a lot as well. Sara {my co-trainer} is a wealth of knowledge.

Beyond that, it's a lot of group training in my home - {we are slowly transforming one of the unfinished rooms in our basement to a gym} or at clients' homes. I train couples, which is a hoot. Love seeing them play off each other. Motivate. Tease. Encourage. Small gestures that they don't even know they do with one another are awesome to watch. 

Chris and I began training together too, and we are both enjoying that. {Well, maybe more me than him. He claims I'm a bit too tough on him! ;)} There are times the kids join in, and what's so cool is that they are not only witnessing us exercising, but they are also participating. It's just FUN! :)

Also landed a job as a fitness instructor at another club in town. I have missed teaching, so this addition to my schedule is perfect. :) So...business is great. I couldn't be happier. I am blessed. 

Chris is doing well too. Just received a promotion at work, and seems to be coming into his own. He's such a hard worker...always striving for more. And people love him. So...you know anyone who needs some help planning for retirement? Estate planning? Trusts? He's your man! :)

And the kids. Let's see. Seems like yesterday Abby was Libby's age, yet now she is asking for a mo-ped as a gift. What??$()&% We tell her not to hold her breath on that one. She is doing well in school, and I, admittedly, am trying to come to terms with her growing up. Seems she has entered the world of "I love my friends and I can do without my family and just let me do what I want, k?"

She is a great young woman, but yes, is growing up. I cherish the moments she decides to stay home instead of run around with her friends {those times are not so frequent anymore}. Seems that I was concerned in the beginning of her year that she wasn't happy...didn't have friends...now I worry that she DOES! I suppose a mother's worry never goes away...it only changes. Love that girl. :) She is growing up to be a wonderful woman. :)

Keely is active as ever - between softball, scouts, math competitions, choir and hip hop dance, this girl has me driving from here to kingdom come! And that's no lie. She is so active in so many things - it's awesome. She is approaching the end of her 4th grade year and is beginning to babysit her sister and brother when I need to run a quick errand and her sister {surprise} isn't home. :) 

Connor has started soccer and is really pretty good. He loves it and has quite the competitive side to him. He, too, is scooting around the neighborhood playing with his friends. I wish I had taken a photo of him on his way to his friend's house recently - his backpack was filled with play guns, bow and arrows, knives, nets, etc...It looked to weigh about 200 pounds, but he packed it on his back and scooted down the street - without a care in the world! :)

And Libby - what can I say? She is adorable but has the highest pitch scream when she doesn't get her way. Quite a temper on her too {must be from her dad.} She recently broke the back panel on her day bed because she was mad at daddy. Yikes. A stubborn little thing, she still isn't potty trained. I gave up on it...I'll try again this summer. 

I think we have decided to enroll her in a Mother's Day Out program in the fall instead of preschool. Because of her birthday being in September, she would have to attend preschool for three years and we opted to try MDO instead. I think she will like it - and I know I will do my best to get enough done in those mornings as possible.

WHAT? No kids at home AND I work my own hours? I think I've died and gone to heaven! ;)

So that's all of us. In a nutshell. I will try not to go so long between posts. The funny stories still occur...I just don't get them written down and I will try better because this is the book/stories I will share with the kids as they get older.

Until then, if you are still reading...THANKS!! :)

Baby sock bouquet

Here is the other project I did for the baby shower today - baby sock bouquet. Materials:

5-6 pairs of socks
Floral wire
Floral tape
Tissue paper
Fake leaves
Ribbon of choice

Start by rolling the socks, from the bottom up. Then carefully pull the tops over the bottoms to get what looks like the top of the flower. Taking the wire, bend a hook on the end and place it inside the "flower."

Using some floral tape, wrap the sock around the wire until secure and continue the floral tape down the wire, adding leaves where desired.

Wrap in tissue paper, or a cloth diaper, or other fun fabric and tie with a ribbon.
Done. :)
This was another fun one to do - and handy. Little babies always need socks. :)

Artwork for the baby room

I can't believe it's been a month since I posted. Wow. Well, all is great here, and today I celebrated a friend's baby shower. I was asked to "get my craft on" so I made her a few things. This is a simple & cute wall piece that is three 11x14 canvases, some cute baby boy fabric & some spray adhesive.

That's it. That's my kind of project. Anyway, photos posted here, in no particular order. I love the animal print. How cute is that? Coupled with the brown and blue spotted fabric, together I hope she likes it in her little boy's room.

Make sure to fold the corners super tight and avoid using too much fabric or you will get lumpy corners. Not so cute.

Love this stuff - so easy to use. And it really sticks!!

Finished product. I can't wait to see it on his wall!

Play time at the park

Just a few photos from our trip to the park before school this week. Such fun. :)

Potty training, day 1

I started the potty training today. Chris thought I was crazy and told me to wait till it was warmer and she could run around naked if she wanted to.

I told him that I would be home with her, so he didn't have to worry. So our journey began.

We're at about 530pm and we just had our first accident. Not too bad. I've been placing Libby on the potty every 20 minutes, give or take. She's done pretty well. Nap time and when we were in the car picking up kids I had her in a diaper.

What strikes me as funny, and what I wanted to share, is just how funny Libby can be. The timer had about 15 more minutes on it - last time we sat down she didn't go - so I thought for sure, this time she would.

Well, she did. She just forgot to tell me and decided it was more convenient/easy/fast/plug in your own word to pee on her floor.

Upon coming downstairs, as she was holding herself, I thought "Wow! She really gets it! Libby - do you have to go potty?"

Beaming inside, convinced that I had trained my 2 year old to pee in the potty in less than 24 hours, I walked her hurriedly to the bathroom.

"Mommy...I pee on my floor but I go again. My princess panties yucky but that's ok. I go pee! I go pee!"

{Sigh. Ok, so maybe it takes more than 12 hours. I can deal.}

Anyway...a little long winded here...we are done and she hops of the potty, again, points to the underwear on the floor, says "ewww...yucky..." and then begins to walk away.

Her little bare bottom exposed, she starts strutting her stuff around the house and then points at me, doesn't miss a beat, and says "Let's go mommy. Let's go see my pee!"

Happy as a clam, she prances upstairs to show me where her accident occurs.

"See mommy? I pee! I pee!"

Something not registering here: pee+potty = good. pee+floor = not so good.

But how could I not smile? New panties on {also princess, so she really thinks she's looking quite - well - dapper} and once again, the timer is on...

The day's not over yet...maybe I can have her trained in 24 hours. Just to be on the safe side, I think I'll have some diapers on hand! :)

It's sometimes easier to just.stay.home.

"Remind me of this night the next time I want to go out to eat."

That's what I said to Chris as we left dinner tonight. Tonight wasn't our night. I had a pretty full day, and I can't complain about that, but it did mean that dinner - you know, feeding those little people - had been put on the back burner.

Naturally, I called Chris to suggest eating out. I'm always the one who opts to get some "easy" and go out. So he agreed.

In no particular order, I witnessed {and winced at} the following:
1. Connor playing under the table.
2. Libby sticking her hands in her pants and then proclaiming, "Mommy, I poopy!"
3. Connor eating popcorn he had just spilled all over the floor. On the floor. As in, UNDER THE TABLE, on the floor, eating popcorn he had just spilled.
4. At least a half dozen nasty looks from our poor, unfortunate table neighbors, given to us each time Connor's chair hit theirs.
5. Libby & Connor {misery loves company} burying their heads in their seats, butts up in the air, complaining about how long it was taking to get our food.
{In their defense, it DID take especially long tonight, so I kinda sorta understand this one}.
6. Keely falling prey to the behavior of the 2 and 6 year olds, and beginning to slip in her seat, extremely bored and ready to go.
7. Multiple trips to the bathroom, the drinking fountain, and, of course, the popcorn machine to get more pre-appetizers, which came before the appetizer, which came before dinner, which neither Libby nor Connor wanted to eat after eating the pre-app and the app.

The only one who was well-behaved tonight was Abby, and that's only because she was so enthralled with texting people that we barely knew she was there. We tried to engage them in conversation. How was your day? "Fine." What did you do in school today? "Not much." Anything you want to share? "No, not really."

However, even though they weren't engaging in conversation, because of #1-7 above, it was difficult - at best - for me and Chris to engage in conversation either.

Get me out of this hell.
So we hurried with our drinks, I didn't finish my meal, and we left. Outta there. In the clear, right?

NOPE!
As we walk up the stairs, Keely somehow manages to seriously lodge a splinter about a 1/2 inch long - LITERALLY - in her hand. If you know my kids, you KNOW this wasn't good.

One who didn't witness the splinter incident would think Keely had just been stabbed because of how she was acting. {Granted, that was THE BIGGEST splinter I have ever seen, but she was a bit, shall we say, over the top. Tweezers didn't do the trick when we got home. Chris pulled out the PLIERS to get it out. It was huge.} Gross.

So, that was our night with the kids at dinner. I know so many of you are jealous. Come on, admit it. Tomorrow night? I don't care if I fall behind in preparing dinner. I am NOT going out to eat for awhile! :) Tonight was r.i.d.i.c.u.l.o.u.s!

Dinner Time Talk

Hi all. I stumbled upon this list as a "before bedtime" list of things to ask your child. 

If your child's bedtime is anything like ours, it sometimes can be - shall we say - chaotic, at best. 

Between bath time and story time and tucking in time and getting me some water time and re-tucking me in time and talking about the weather time and discussing why we can't sleep in the basement time, there is LITTLE time for anything else. 

But dinner time...dinner time may work. Because many times at dinner, we ask our kids what their day was like or what they did in school or how basketball practice went or who is going to the school dance, etc. etc. etc. Still, sometimes the answers are a bit more monosyllabic than Chris or I would like. 

So here's the deal. I took the list, designed it into a printable sheet that you can laminate {or not} and post in your kitchen. Then, at dinner time, when everyone is around, start with the questions. 

One person chooses the question of the night.

One person speaks at a time.

Everyone gets a turn. 

No answer is a wrong answer. 

:) I'm printing mine right now. If you do the same, let me know how it goes for you tonight at dinner time! 

It could be kinda fun to hear the answers. :)