Snapshot Sunday

Tissue paper eggs.

Duke Lemur Center:  Ringtails were Three's favorite.

Easter baskets (on Wednesday morning:)

Me, weeding the over-run flower beds yesterday:

Flashback Friday!

This week has flown by.  I can't believe it's already Friday.  Wowsers.

Monday-typically manic.  Three was heartbroken that he still felt too bad to have his friend come sleep over.  And even though he was insistent that he felt good enough (I over-ruled him) he took a nearly 3 hour nap, AND by 5pm was just lying around in a lump of whiny.  So, I know I made a good call.  He will have a sleep over soon after he returns home from vacation.

Tuesday-We (all of us but Two, who was having an odd stomach issue) went to tour the Duke Lemur Center.  The girls and I had all been there before, the girls twice and myself three times (I got to go once as a college student.)  I was so excited to take my boys and The Punk.  A good time was had by all.  Even myself, who spent much of my time wrestling Four into submission.  He is so borderline out of control that reading two parenting books while they are away is on my "to do" list!  SMH

Wednesday-I packed up my boys and just after lunch they left.  The original plan was to have Three attend his art class first, but he was so overcome with the excitement of the trip that we decided it would be fine to let him skip it.  We are trying to get him in the groove of art, and I thought it would be better for him to go (they wouldn't have class next week anyway) but what do I know??  Plans change.  We roll with it.

Thursday-I spent the bulk of the day cleaning my room.  REALLY cleaning it.  I moved the mattress and box springs (with the help of The Boy-my eldest nephew, he's 24 and not really a boy, but that is what my parents call him.)  Vacuumed under the bed, under the dresser and night stands, the entertainment center, two lamps and the blinds.  Yeah...a lot of vacuuming was happening and I'm pretty sure I sucked up TWO additional dogs in the process.  Sheesh, the amount of dog hair in my bedroom is insane.  I also washed the bedskirt, and comforter and shams and changed the sheets on my bed as well as washed the dogs bed.  I was so tired last night, but my room left me feeling so at peace!  The only task left in this room is to straighten up my bookshelf and empty a desk that only serves as a catch all (and The Punk and I have already discussed getting rid of it, so I just need to empty it so we can have someone who will use it come pick it up!)  I collected a pile of stuff to post in the Post before Pitching group (you should see if your area has one of these groups.)  It's kind of like freecycle, but on FB which is just easier for me.  You can post pics of things you just are done with, but that aren't really worthy of being sold and people can speak up and set up a time to get them from you.  Others get things they need, I get rid of stuff we don't need.  Win-Win.

Friday-On tap for today, I plan on finishing the bookshelf in my room and then moving on to the living room. I also need to spend at least an hour in the attic, as that is my BIG organizing project for the week.  For my spring cleaning, I pinned several things to the "Cleaning and Organizing Board" over on Pinterest.  I pinned 4 spring cleaning lists, and I'm checking things off of those as my guide.

Off to clean, and organize and give myself internal peace that only comes with having boys gone for a week! It's ok, internal peace-at least this kind, that comes from having a REALLY clean house-is overrated.  *wink*

Skinny Housewife

For those of you who are new to my blog, on Thursday's I either do "lazy housewife" where I give you tips on skating by...or I do "skinny/healthy housewife" which are tips and recipes for a healthier, more fit lifestyle.

 A little over a year ago, I fell in love with Zumba for a second time.  I LOVE to dance (really, love isn't even a strong enough word for it...) and Zumba feels like a danceathon to me, not a workout.  It's why it works so well for so many (it's a workout in disguise!)  It serves as a gateway exercise (like a gateway drug) to other things.  It led me to running.  I loved to run in middle/high school, and even some time after but got away from it when I was heavier because it's hard to run when you're heavy and with my "all or nothing" personality, I am just not a walker.  Over the last 15 months I've lost 20 lbs, but more importantly countless inches in my hips and thighs!  It also made me feel so much better-both mentally and physically, and led me to making better food choices because I want to fuel my body better.  I would encourage everyone to find what they LOVE-for me it is Zumba (I'm even a licensed instructor,) maybe for you it's an eliptical machine, or a step aerobics class, or yoga, or tai chi..find what YOU love!  Now to your regularly scheduled blog post--

We are a couple months away from swimsuit season!  I'm trying to get my core in better shape, so today I'm sharing some exercises:


Best Ab Exercises of All Time!

One of my goals this week is to organize the attic.  My stability ball is up there, and I've been itching to bring it down and use it for upper body and core exercises, here's a couple links:

Stability Ball Exercises  (this one has sections for all the different areas of your body, because who doesn't want better thighs and rear too??)

Fitness Magazine: Our Best Stability Ball Exercises

Wordy Wednesday-Control Yo' Kids

This post is going to be a vent.  Yep.  Buckle up.  It's about to get bitchy.

I go out of my way to make my children well mannered, kind, considerate, always on the lookout for the "little guy."  I would also say that my children are "normal" in an 'average for their age' way.

We attended an event recently and my eldest child was furious at one point because not only did some kids continually step directly in front of her-even when it was CLEAR she was checking out the exhibit, but she was even more aghast that they continually shoved in front of her little brothers.  This happens frequently at places like museums as well, and so much so that my kids will groan and REQUEST to leave an area or an event if a school groups shows up.  Now, I get that in those scenario's the parent isn't there to supervise, and I can't attest to whether or not my kids behave the way they do WITH me when I'm not there....but their reactions to this behavior in others would suggest that they probably do.  HOWEVER-this still occurs even with groups of homeschoolers, where the parents are almost always present.  In the event that sparked this post today, we were with ALL homeschoolers, and ALL parents were accounted for and STILL the kids were what we in our family deem RUDE and parents just stood back like they didn't see it occur.  I think this aggravates me even more when it is homeschoolers.

Am I being to difficult??  Am I expecting to much?  I think it's just common courtesy, and decent behavior to  wait until someone else is done looking at something before you step up to it (definitely not stepping IN FRONT of them.)  I think it's just decent behavior to be CONSIDERATE of people younger/elderly and shorter than you.  Clearly, other people do not share these same beliefs and values.

And it pisses me off.

Two for Tuesday!

So many fun Montessori inspired Easter themed activities:  http://livingmontessorinow.com/2012/03/19/montessori-monday-montessori-inspired-easter-activities/

When I was picking One up from her art class last week, I saw a project that the younger class was doing and thought it was SO pretty, I found a link to a similar project to share with you all, and I hope to do it with the boys today (since they are leaving for a week tomorrow, and will not be here for Easter.)

http://preparingyourchildforpreschool.com/blog2/2011/04/21/easy-easter-crafts-for-kids-tissue-paper-easter-egg/

Manic Monday!

I wanted to take a minute to share some fun I had with the boys last night. Before bed, we spent a little more than a half hour doing "acrobatics" and yoga. They had such fun; I did too.

For acrobatics we did backbends, somersaults, and handstands. For yoga, I have these great cards I made years ago for the girls.

How I made them: Someone I know through a group I am in had taken all these pics of her daughter doing different yoga poses. I printed them, attached them to a poster board, wrote the name of the position underneath then laminated them.

How you could do it: buy a set. Kids yoga cards are pretty easy to find online. Also, there are some good printables (free and otherwise) that you could use. Lastly, and definitely my favorite option: look up yoga poses for kids, have someone take a picture of you/your kids doing them, and then proceed as I did.

Have fun! It was a blast to watch them look at position on the card and say "that looks really hard!" and go on to successfully tackle the pose.

Manic Monday is about to start: Zumba, pottery class for the girls, bowling league, then The Bestie's boy is coming home with me. I have no idea what I'm going to feed them all for dinner. Got to tackle that!

Sunday snapshots

A very sick boy, still snuggled in bed with his mama at nearly 9am.

Alphabet Soup beginning sound file folder game.

Team Runnin' Dirty ready to get their dirty on! (That's me 2nd from the right, and The Bestie to my right.)  I just noticed I managed to get between the two gingers.  Rock on.

Here is most of our team, post run.  We know how to do this, right??  Overheard as we walked out:  "Those are by far the dirtiest people we've seen."  WIN.



A close up of my face, all mud splashed.

Celebratory cocktails.

Dying Eggs.

Trying the shaving cream swirl I had read about on Pinterest.  I did it wrong, but it was a good lesson in how things don't always work out.

Finished projects (that funky striped one at the bottom is mine.)