Skinny Housewife

If you read here much, you know I do a lot of cardio.  I'm a dancer for a living, I also go out a few times a month and dance my A$$ off--just for fun.  I also am a runner.  I'm at a good weight for my frame, and I feel FIT.  But, I need some toning in upper body areas.  My upper body strength is nil.  I'm working HARD on this right now since I'm doing two obstacle races in May (one of them is Warrior Dash, I'm SO EXCITED!!!)  I posted a good arm workout link a few days ago, and this is another area I'm working on:

Core Exercises

I had 4 babies, y'all.  All but one of them weighed over 9lbs.  My stomach is not my favorite body part (it's not my LEAST favorite though, but that area can ONLY be fixed through plastic surgery....another post!)  It has seen pretty vast improvement over the last year or so though.  Slimming down, the skin regaining some of it's elasticity (lotion, and water...lotion and water...hit it inside AND out.)  I still have a load of stretch marks, but those aren't going anywhere and I've learned to just sort of live with it.

I believe in setting goals.  I posted in a FB group yesterday that my goal is to be comfortable enough with my stomach to teach my class in just my sports bra this summer.  That's almost 3 months of core work.  I think I can do it!  I'd also like to be comfortable enough to wear a bikini.  Yikes.  

Wordy Wednesday: You

Occasionally, I like to write posts about ME.  It seems self-centered and possibly self serving, but I think it helps others too.  Recently, I had an opportunity to discuss with my eldest (15 yr old, One) how women often "lose themselves" to motherhood.  I explained that I did, long ago when her and her sister-18 months apart-were small and taking care of them consumed ALL of my energy.

I realize some of my fatal mistakes, and hope that by sharing them I can save (or at least minimize) her this experience.  Maybe some of you are new(er) moms,  maybe some of you aren't newere moms but are ONLY moms (having lost yourself to motherhood, and been unable to find yourself again,) maybe YOU can benefit from my learning, too.  Mistakes I made:

1.  I didn't take care of myself.  Like, at all.  I ate poorly.  I didn't exercise.  I didn't read.  I didn't dance.  I didn't DO any of the things that I LOVED and ENJOYED prior to becoming a mother.  It was like giving birth ripped who *I* was, right out of me.

2.  I didn't have a partner.  I had a man who lived in my house.  He played with our children.  But he was NOT my partner.  I don't say that with any contempt or blame for him, truly.  I knew what he was like going in.  I chose to think it would change, or somehow would be different.  That's MY fault, not his.

3.  I cut myself off from the outside world, and therefore, any possible support system I could have developed.  I'm an idiot.

I see mothers every day who are clearly lost in motherhood.  I can remember a time when if someone had asked me "What I like to do?" or "How do you spend your 'free' time?" I'd have had no response...I'd have had to think of ANYTHING that had ANYTHING to do with ANYTHING other than my children.  Maybe that's what some people want from life.  It wasn't for me.  And, I have a hard time believing that those people are fulfilled or happy in their core.  I think we have an innate being in us, and that being doesn't cease to exist because we procreated, or adopted a child.  That being will suffer from being ignored just as much as a child would.

I encourage you, yes YOU, to find YOU.  You are still in their somewhere.  That being, the girl who existed BEFORE anyone called you Mom, she's waiting for you to return to her.  Nurture her.  Love her.  The rewards will be JUST as great as those you are already receiving from being "Mom."

Lastly, I promise you the TWO of you can co-exist.  "Mom" and "You" can live in harmony.  Strike a balance.  You will benefit.  Your relationships with others will benefit.  Your child will benefit.

Love you.  It allows you to more effectively love others.







I continued this in a part 2, and 3.

Body Systems

I'll be leading our First Grade Co-op lessons...starting mid-month, or for April (I was supposed to lead March, but following the death of my aunt I had to ask my fellow members to step in for a couple weeks,) we'll be doing a study of body systems.

 I'll be starting with respiratory system, and found this:
Respiratory System: TeachersPayTeachers

Also:  Nervous System, Skeletal System, Components of blood, Digestive System

And:  Smart Art Body Systems this one is $3.00 but when you are using in a small group like this, it's not a big cost.

Manic Monday

Phew!  Monday...Monday....

I taught my Zumba class (which was amazing!) then showered off at the center.  Had lunch and starbucks with the kids, followed by a few minutes at the park.  Bowling for One and Two, and school in the bowling alley for Three and Four.  Now we're home, and the weather is beautiful (over 70 degrees, and sunny, WOOT WOOT) so the kids are outside.  One *might* be wearing her swimsuit and "tanning."   I just did that arm workout video I posted on Saturday and my arms are SHAKY again, YAY!!!  I'm going to have great arms for summer.  Yes, I am.

I have to go chop potatoes/sweet potatoes for breakfast for dinner--we are having breakfast bowls.  Eggs, cheese, potatoes/sweet potatoes, bacon/sausage...YUM.  All I really want to do is sit on my bed and read my book.  I'm currently reading the last book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series by J.D. Ward.  The next book comes out April 1, and I'm trying to stay ahead.  I also want to read "The Fault in Their Stars" because it has captured the attention of One--who doesn't read anything for pleasure, except One Direction FanFic (yeah, that's a REAL thing.)  I don't complain because reading is reading...and I figure if she can hang on to enjoying it...she'll grow up enough to WANT to consume other literature at some point.  It is also coming out in movie form on my birthday, and One wants to see it pretty desperately.

Tomorrow we have NOTHING to do.  I love Tuesday.   Wednesday morning I will leave for Florida to attend the funeral service for my Aunt Sue(y,) with my mom, sister, aunts, cousins, and The Boy.   I'll be home on Saturday.  I hope to get a few posts typed up and scheduled (I have one already for tomorrow, that I put together on Saturday....look at me, being all ahead of the game!!)  Have a great week!

Sideways Saturday

A little bit of this and that for you on what looks to be a fantastic Saturday here in my neck of the woods.  The sun is out, and after this GLOOMY week, I need it!  I'll be sitting outside in a little bit, soaking in the sun (and some tunes.)

First, I didn't get around to posting the Two for Tuesday links, so here you go:

Printable Geography Passports these are free to print from Montessori Print Shop (I've purchased stuff from them in the past, but this handy little item is a free printable.  Check out their entire page of freebies!)  We'll be studying different countries, and geography for the rest of our school year (with a tie-in of a great book entitled Easter Around the World) and I plan to use this fun little tool to help us along.

St. Patrick's Day printables

Second, I also didn't post on Thursday, and it's been a LONG time since I've posted a Skinny Housewife post.  Here you go:

10 minute arm workout

I did this yesterday, and my arms were shaky for a good half hour!  I plan to do this 3 times a week at least through the beginning of summer (I want great arms for tank-top/bathing suit season!)  Not to mention that I need to build up my arm strength for an upcoming obstacle race.

Wordy Wednesday: Loss

In early October, my aunt Sue(y) was diagnosed with a very aggressive, in-treatable form of lung cancer.  Yesterday, March 4, 2014, she passed away.

My family spent Thanksgiving Day together in 2013 for the first time in close to 10 years.  My Aunt Sue(y) hosted thanksgiving at her house when my girls were small every year (and also Christmas.)  As my cousins got older and became teens, she stopped hosting because there was often drama and no one wanted to deal with it.  This year, however, we realized it was probably the last one we were all going to have with her.  Even sick, she opened her house to all of us.  12 people descended on her house.

I'm so thankful that she was open to having us there, as those memories are a bright spot in the last few months.  Here she is with my girls:

Sue(y) was called Suey because when The Boy (my 25 yr old nephew) was small he was trying to say SuZy and it came out SuEy and stuck.  For 25 yrs, everyone in my family has said Suey every time we spoke about her, or to her.  She was her spunky, bossy, control freak, super woman self right up until the very end.  Just like her mama (my fireball of a grandmother!)

We love you always, and will miss you, our Suey.

Manic Monday

Today isn't a loaded Monday (meaning we only have ONE activity to get to) but I'm fully expecting it to be manic. I have to get myself and FOUR kids under the age of 7, plus one teenager out the door by 9am so that I'm not late for work. 

Pray for me, y'all. 

It's 8am.  No one is dressed. No one has eaten. I should probably get moving huh! Except the youngest of the small folks here (2yr old) is still sleeping, as is The Punk. The teenagers aren't home yet, but they typically don't get home until 8:45-9am on Mondays since they spend every Sunday night with their Bio Dad. 

Ok. Breakfast. Must go prepare breakfast. Since I can't get in the boys room to get clothes...I'll start with food for those that are up.