Sunday Snapshots

I have a lot of snapshots this week, we hosted a "Messy Playdate,"  I shared the link a couple weeks ago.  We did several of the activities.  A blast was had.

Four loves swimming.  Baby fish.

Water colors.

Glow Sticks in the tub. (They are having a light saber fight here.)

We learned the characteristics of an insect.  And, did this butterfly craft.

Created a "habitat" for a plastic lizard.

He had a special yogurt treat.  He was super happy!

Spaghetti bin at our Messy Playdate!

Shaving cream fight (an addition to our messyplaydate.)

Sibling love....

This is The Bestie's eldest, with my big girls.  They had fun (even if The Bestie's daughter doesn't look like it. LOL)

Notice that they are all still armed (I forced them to pause for this picture...)  One, Two and a great friends One.  

Water Balloon bulls-eye, another addition to the messy playdate, an idea originated from my Summer Fun Pinterest Board.

The aftermath...thankfully, we had a great bunch of kids, and it cleaned up pretty easily with all those hands, and a hose.  *wink*

After the messy playdate (which was originally supposed to be for the WEE-ones, but I think the big kids gave them a run for their money-fun wise,) we took the Bigs skating.

Wordy Wednesday

This week, on my mind has been chores and schedules.

I'm running through in my brain our "fall" schedule.  I will have a student in EVERY level-one high schooler, one middle schooler, one elementary schooler, and a pre-schooler!  Holy.  Moses.

I've been looking online at high school transcripts, since, ya know...it counts now and stuff.  If I ever get around to buying the curriculum I really want, it will take a lot of the stress off me.  But, ya know, I've been wanting it for an entire year...so...we'll see if that happens.  *shrug*  Either way, I can handle it.  Cause, ya know, I rock.

I need to enforce a rule where my boy children CLEAN UP THEIR TOYS.  I always end up doing it, and I'm over that shit.  Scheduled into our day will be two clean up sessions, one before quiet time, and one before bed.  Possibly one more before dinner.  We'll see how it looks when I start trying to put everything on the schedule.  It's amazing to me how having it WRITTEN down some where makes it so in my world.  I'm so much more capable of discipline when their is a plan.

Two for Tuesday

Olympic Download

Olympic Unit

Snapshot Sunday

From my summer fun board on Pinterest



The chase is on....

Hitting himself in the face with the wet sponge, goof ball!

For quite time, I broke out this activity.  He LOVES it.  He's asked several times to play it, but I insist it stay a "quiet time" activity, this will hold his interest in it longer, making it seem special.  This is a Haba Pegboard.

Lazy Housewife

For dinner tonight....

Best Burger Recipe;  Changes I made:  I caramelized onions instead of using the onion powder.  I used a mix of ground beef and ground turkey because that's what I have in the freezer (we buy both at BJ's then mix them together.)  I don't think I had 2 lbs of meat, so they had a hard time staying together, since I didn't adjust the amount of bbq sauce (D'oh.)  Just the larger ones crumbled, the medium/smallish ones stayed together just fine.  Lesson learned.

Did my crew think these were the best burgers ever?

They got rave reviews!  I tweaked Four's burger (ya know, all those damned allergies!) but he got cheese, caramelized onions, salt and pepper and declared his burger the best ever!  This makes a mama happy.  The Punk and the other kids thought they were YUM-O!  We'll def do these again.

I also made homemade "fries."  Just cut up your potatoes, toss them in a bowl with salt, pepper, olive oil and bake on a cooling rack.  :)  Simple, and yummy.

Two For Tuesday

Play At Home Mom

Kindergarten Common Skills

Manic Monday

Summer is making my Monday's not so manic.  :)  It's nice.

My Zumba instructor is on vacay this week, so there was no class today which allowed me to spend some time at the park with people I really like (you know what I mean...there are always people you spend time with that you don't REALLY like.)  I hope they read that...lol

TMI:  Today is the 2nd day of my period, and it's been atrocious.  I had to will myself out of bed this morning, as my body kept insisting that NO we did not need to get up.  I spent time at the park, came home, had lunch, put Four down for a nap and collapsed into bed.  I took some meds, and feel better this afternoon.  I have been eating horribly as well...I made funfetti cupcakes for the kids (yeah, for the kids *wink wink*) on Friday and well...I think I've eaten more than all of them combined.  You shouldn't make cupcakes when you have PMDD, just FYI.

Anway...since I've been eating so badly, I knew I needed to work out, but look back at the info I've given you about how I felt today...it was not really something I want to do.  But, we were just talking at the park about being fit and losing weight, so I felt doubly bad about it.  Honestly, I'm 5 lbs from my goal, and it is SOLELY because I work out-especially when I don't want too.  I have zero will power when it comes to food, so I KNOW I have to work my ass off-literally.  I'm in a size 4 for the first time in a decade, and almost to the weight I want to be at.

So, what's a girl to do when she really doesn't want to work out but NEEDS to burn calories?  Tabata to the Rescue.

http://www.shape.com/fitness/cardio/tabata-4-minute-fat-burning-miracle-workout

It's 4 minutes.  I did it.  YOU can do it.  Now.