Monthly Archives: April 2012
Midnight ramblings from a Mother
My daughter (sweet, lovely, normally organized daughter) is turning the big 1-0 this weekend. I have asked since last week if she would like to have a sleep over. She jumped at the opportunity and since she didn’t want to invite the entire class, I thought it would be smart to just have her collect a few numbers and I could just call the parents. My thoughts were wrong. So, very wrong. My daughter forgot her list of numbers three times this week. She came home in tears today (Wednesday) saying that she forgot them again. She said the hid them in her desk so other girls would not see it and feel left out. Sweet, but not productive. Continue reading
Hump Day Humor 4/25/12
I’m wearing a pair now and not once did I think, “Hey, let me put on my yoga pants and do some Yoga!”
Mom Tip Tuesday 4/24/12
Today my post is a “Mom Tip”. I have a ten year-old girl and 13 -year-old boy wildebeest. And every day when they get home, I hear rummaging through the pantry. Then I hear, “Mom! Can I have ______ (fill in the blank)?” Of course they pray I’m only half listening and will answer “yes” to their candy or ice cream request, but sadly, I’m on to their game. I’m tired of them asking what they can have….over, and over, and over like today they will break me and I will yell, “YES!” to Oreos. I tried explaining the difference between a “treat” and a “snack”. In our house, a treat is a “treat”. It is candy, cookies, ice cream, and normally not healthy. It’s a treat, because you don’t get to have it whenever you want. A snack is something you need in-between meals to keep your energy up. Your body needs it and it is a healthier choice like fruit, veggies, granola, nuts, etc. Of course, when I explain this to them, they just hear, “Blah, blah, blah, candy, blah, blah, blah, fruit.” So, I had to simplify. I created, “The Snack Basket” in our pantry. It’s simple. If it’s in the Basket, you don’t have to ask Mom or Dad (<–Ha! I threw Dad in for fun…they walk past him to ask me.) if you can have it. The snack basket is full of snack ideas for after school and you can have your pick of one (or any fruit or veggie), no questions asked. Now, you will notice not every snack is the healthiest in my picture, but it gives them some choices and it works. This has really made it easy for them to make better choices and not to have to ask every time. For younger kids, this idea still works. You could set a basket out with “approved” snacks for after school, weekends, even parties. The kids now have a “go to” place for snacks and hopefully, they are learning what a “snack” is in the process since I try to find new things to put in the basket each week. And there you have it.
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ME vs THE JIGGLES – Monday 4/23/12
Having Realistic Expectations
Since I can’t seem to post daily about my work out challenges, mainly because it’s just not always fun to write about, I’ve decided to do a once a week update. It’s the same day I weigh myself… so, it will be entertaining for all! Today, I am not weighing in. I am loving the way clothes are fitting better and want to focus on that feeling, other than a number. I have been doing the Jillian Michael’s DVD’s and YES, they work. I believe anything works as long as you actually do it. There is no secret to losing weight and getting in shape. No magic pill. You have to stay active, eat appropriately and work out. These things I do pretty well and I’m within a healthy weight for my height. My BMI is good and I feel good. I do, however, want to tighten and tone. I want strength. This is definitely a want, not a need and I need to get my butt in gear if I want to see the results. I also LOVE the energy that I get from working out. I do need that! So today, I am keeping it “real” with realistic expectations and goals. I want to be active every day ( a walk, yard work, etc ) and work out at least three times a week. That is realistic for me and my lifestyle. And everyone is different. You may need to lose a lot of weight, but starting out with simple, obtainable goals makes it so much easier to stick with. Ask yourself today, “What are my goals & Expectations . . . Are they realistic?” Today is a new day to start something…anything. So, make a list, get a calendar out, or just get up and go take a walk. Take care of yourself…it’s the most important thing you can do for everyone that loves you.
Sunday Inspiration
Life is short. We’ve all been told that. But, when your better half is away, you sometimes put things off. “We’ll take that trip…when Dad comes home.” or “I will start my business after this deployment.” I realized a long time ago that I was living, “around my Husbands Military Career”. That’s ok, but I was realizing that my children were getting older and I hadn’t done certain things with them…and I was getting older and I hadn’t reached my goals I had set into place years before. So, I started looking at life differently. ‘I‘ had my own life. (I know, crazy.) I had a life that my husband came and went out of. At no point should my life ‘stop’ because he is unable to be part of it. It was an epiphany for me. I started taking trips with the kids, I started hobbies…I followed through on things I had put off until he had time. Some would say, “But I want to do those things with my Spouse!” Of course I would want to have my husband there in a perfect world, but in reality, he has to go. And once I realized that my life didn’t stop when he deployed, I found a new sense of strength and happiness. I was a better wife and mother. I was living. So, my advice to every spouse is to live YOUR life to it’s fullest. You can do things ‘again’, when your service member returns. Don’t wait, because life is short and tomorrow is just a thought, never a promise.
Wordless Saturday
Furthest Northern point in the Pacific NW. Cape Flattery Trail, WA.
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Red Friday 4/20/12 ~ The Military Spouse
It’s funny how Shore Duty can distract you from all the feelings of Sea Duty. As I searched this morning for a “Military Spouse Tribute” for this Red Friday Post, I found myself crying bawling…like a baby, while watching heartfelt videos and reading personal poems. I remember. I don’t want to remember, but I do. It’s like the feelings of a deployment are stored in the back of my heart/mind and the door had been shut. Deployments are like Child Birth. You forget the pain until someone starts talking about it or until it’s your turn to go through it again. Continue reading
