Crunch, crunch, crunch...

I finished the twohundredsitups challenge tonight. I was all too happy to finish that one up as I don't love crunches on the flat ol' floor. I would much rather be on my ball. I did the final test after I finished my round of pushups (which I had put off from yesterday) so I wasn't hoping for a single one passed 200 but I had the right tunes going and I just kept on crunching. I am happy to say I did 275 total! Yippee! I am going to keep at my routine on the ball which I find to be more effective and challenging anyway.

The pushups thing is killing me. I know I keep saying this, but it is entirely true. I have got to add more intense weight training to my arms on my days off if I am going to get any stronger. I have to say, I am able to crank out the number on each set but just barely and with shaking arms. Still, I am making progress. Tonights' set called for 113 total pushups and did exactly that. Some days, I do more than the required, but lately I am doing just what it says and then setting myself down gently so as not to collapse on my face. On the bright side, I still have two weeks to go and even then I have given myself a deadline of Friday May 29th (the day before we come to UT) as my true final. I want to be able to do more than the 100 at my final test. Who knows, maybe I'll be able to do a pullup at that point. Night all!

Days Like Today...

It's days like today that I am grateful for my life, my routine or lack thereof, my situation, etc. 

7:30 - This morning I woke up to my alarm playing For Good from Wicked. Mingled with that was the sound of the rain coming through my open bedroom window. It was glorious. I laid there for almost an hour listening to both and feeling perfectly content with my sweetheart sleeping beside me. Those random moments in the morning are when I feel most centered. I can talk with my Maker and gain strength for the day. My mind swims between conscious and unconscious thought. Often Esther will crawl into bed with me and we'll talk about our dreams and just be silly. And I'm pretty sure I've mentioned the love affair I have with my sheets...

8:30 - After stepping out of my warm covers into the cool room, I feel ready to tackle the day. I realize the kind of life I have now will not always be, but I love that Jon doesn't have to race off every morning. Some days, like this morning, he didn't have to be on campus until after lunch. To be able to spend time all together in the morning is rare and precious. We can read our scriptures as a family and eat breakfast together.

9:00 - After doing sit-ups and push-ups (getting stronger every time) I showered and actually did my hair - guaranteeing two good hair days. School day begins for the kids. Jon works on projects for school. 

12:00 - We went to a thrift store down the road and found some great deals. I got a denim jacket for three bucks! The kids added more than a dozen books to their library. Two shirts and two pair of jeans for Jon bringing the total to $15! I love 1/2 price days.

1:00 - Next, Jon to school and then home for lunch. A promised trip to the library was preceded by a wonderful email from an old friend. With only a hour on the meter, we raced through the library picking up our reserved books and did a spot of VT to a great lady who, as luck would have it, lives across the street from the library. 

4:00 - Home again, dishwasher loaded, W/D both going, finishing up schoolwork with the kids, I sit down to do agendas for pres. mtg, plan out tomorrow's shopping trip and write this post.

The rest of the day will go something like this:

5:30 - Make dinner. Feed the kids; kids feed the pets. Walk the dog. Then tidy up the house.

6:45 - Pres. mtg and Scouts for E.

8:45 - Mtgs. finished, home again. Kids bedtime routine and in bed by 9:00.

9:00-10:30 - My time! Jon is at school until late most nights which leaves me a spot of time at night to unwind, plan school for the next day, watch a movie, read one of the many books I am trying to finish, or chat with a friend. I love this time of day. It is my time.  

10:30 - Jon is home. We are all safe and sound under the same roof. We talk, watch Seinfeld, eat the goodies the kids never know exist, fool-around :). What?! Just being together is the best way to finish my day. Some days I am so tired I fall into bed. Others nights I putter through my night-time ritual (as Jon calls it) and read in bed until I can't keep my eyes open. 

This is my life. It is a full, sometimes crazy life. Today my perspective is good. I feel blessed for the things I get to do each day. I feel blessed to be able to spend so much time with my kids. I complain sometimes about this life of mine, but I love it. I love that it is mine. (Remind me of that the next time you hear me complain about it).

Finding Balance

I am happy to be alive. I am happy to be where I am in my life. My family is my greatest blessing. As you might guess, they are often my greatest source of stress as well. I am trying to be a better mom, wife, teacher, friend, example, sister, daughter, and really just a better me. I feel like I am falling flat on my face some days, but no matter that's just the way it is sometimes. I get to wake up every morning and give it another shot.

I think the thing that has been on my mind lately is finding balance and recognizing what I expect from myself and then determining if that is realistic. It usually isn't and that's why I am searching for that elusive balance I'm talking about. :) That's me though. I expect more out of myself than is usually possible and I think I do that to the people around me too. I need to take it easy on all of us. 

I had a couple of wonderful conversations with two dear friends yesterday. These are great women trying to do it all in life and still have time for themselves. They are women who love life and love being moms. Talking with them gave me strength to finish out a tough day. They helped me to see that I am doing a good job with my kids and that some things can wait. The greatest thing they did most for me was to help me feel normal; to know that feeling a tad bit crazy was okay. I & R, I love you both. You are great women - kindred spirits. 

I am really looking for things that have helped any of you to find a better balance in life. I love sharing ideas and hearing about things that have been successful for others. So please share with the rest of us crazies out there. What do you do that keeps you a little crazy but not yet certifiable?

Not Earthy, but Inspiring all the Same

A friend posted this on FB and I stole it to share on my profile too. I wanted to get it out there to people who aren't on FB, namely my sis L in OH. I thought of her immediately. I think its beautiful and I love the passion and excitement the musicians exude while they are playing. Take a look... Makes me smile everytime!

Earth Week Kick-off

Saturday the 25th is Earth Day and we are getting involved this year. For our school week I decided to add a bunch of eco-conscious projects to the kids' routine. We are going to be sewing, crafting and recycling old into new. I'll be sure to post all week to show you our progress. There are a few I am really excited about.

I am loving that tomorrow is a rain-day - 100% forecast. My first hurdle of the day will be to get out of jammies before lunch. (I always struggle with that on days when I have no intention of leaving the house. I'll let you know how it goes.)

First Sunburn of the Season and Hopefully the Last

Oh what a beautiful morning!... Oh what a beautiful day! And it was has been exactly that.

It is currently 76 outside and I have been loving it. This morning as I was dressing to run, Sis decided she wanted to come along. How do I tell an excited little person she can't come? I don't. We went up to the reservoir to exercise. (The Druid Hill Reservoir is a favorite place for people to bike, run or walk around. They have stations around the reservoir with exercise equipment like rowing machines, ellipticals, leg presses, pull-up bars, sit-up inclines, and more - permanently installed there. It is on the edge of Druid Hill Park which has trails and baseball diamonds and playgrounds scattered throughout. The Baltimore Zoo is in the middle of the park as is the Rawlings Botanical Gardens and the Conservatory. It is one of my favorite places to run, in large part because it is safe and close to home.) Much to our surprise, Eco Fair 2009 was setting up for the day so we had a small change of plans. They had these beautiful beach cruisers that you could "borrow" if you left some collateral. Esther got on a smaller bike and I got a gorgeous little blue number to zoom around on. We were out for an hour zipping through the adjacent park and along the trails. I haven't been on a bike since we moved and I forgot how free I feel on a comfy two-wheeler. Sis was fabulous. She didn't complain a bit and wanted to "race" every minute possible. I was in a long-sleeve tee at the beginning but it got deliciously warm so I shed it for the tank underneath. No sunscreen. None. Not a drop. What can I say, I didn't intend to find a shiny beach cruiser with my name on it for an hour. To make a long story a bit longer, I got cooked. Or as Kramer would say it... "Put a fork in me. I'm done". 

Favorite Friday... Springtime!

I love springtime!! I love everything about it. I love the chaotic weather. I love the trees in bloom and the flowers. I love not knowing whether to wear flip-flops and a skirt or jeans and a sweater. I love being able to make chicken soup and rolls one day and the next only wanting popsicles. I love flying kites and having picnics and leaving the doors and windows wide open. And the very next day making sure to pack an umbrella when I go to market because of the torrential downpour I will inevitably encounter. For a girl who doesn't love chaos, I am a little surprised at myself with how much I love the chaotic nature of spring. I think part of me loves the little bit of extra time I feel spring gives me before summer is on my back porch knocking.
During the summer I want to give myself over to the freedom of season. I want to swim and run and bike and play. I want to read more books in the park, drink slushies from the Sev (7-11) and only wear flip-flops. I want to swim until I am too tired to move my arms and then crash in glorious air-conditioning. I want to eat dinner on the patio and watch the sun go down behind the trees. The things I don't want to do are as follows: dishes, laundry, dusting, mopping, vacuuming, baking (I know crazy right?!) etc. Instead I want to take my kids to the beach and visit family and friends and roadtrip and go to the farmers' market and swim and eat fruit in-season and swim and get tan and swim. Let me just say it again.... I love spring!!

(Sis took this pic and the angle is a bit skewed, but I thought the colors were lovely and I am tired, so you get just what she took. :)
Springtime is in full swing here in Baltimore. Everything is in bloom! I knew Baltimore wouldn't disappoint me. It is more beautiful than I thought it would be. As we walked home from the market today I had to stopped and plunge my face into these lilacs. They were intoxicating! I just couldn't help myself, I swiped two little branches with blossoms just beginning to open and brought them home where I could indulge in their fragrance all week long.
The fountain on the parkway in front of our apartment was magically spouting today like it couldn't wait another minute to herald in springtime. It was one of the first things I fell in love with in Baltimore. This fountain was surrounded by flowers when we first moved here - as you can see in the next pic. 

The last few days have been gloriously warm after days of rain and supposedly tomorrow will be even nicer. Then beginning Sunday we are to get another three days of rain. It is all part of the season I love that we call spring.
And anyway I need the rain-days to catch up for the last few days of sunshine. The laundry is piling up and the vacuum is still waiting its turn. It won't hurt it to wait a few more days. I'll clean on Monday. Right now I am going out on the porch to read.

Chaotic Thoughts

It is raining again and I have been inside too long. My thoughts are so erratic. My son took the dog out for a potty break in the rain and now the house smells like wet dog. Yummy! I need to go grocery shopping today but I am still in my jammies and well... the rain. I find that when I am in the midst of organizing, it is utter chaos. That is when I want to give up and ultimately when I have to push through because the space always ends up better than how it started. (Can you tell I have not yet finished organizing the kids' room?) 

I want a house with perfect order. 

I know such a thing doesn't exist, but I still dream of it. I am not talking always tidy and spotlessly clean. What I am saying is... well, I don't quite know how to explain it. When I go to get a light bulb, I want all the light bulbs to be in the same place. When we have guests over, I want all the sheets, pillows and blankets all in one central location, not spread throughout the house in different closets and bins. I want all my winter items stored together so I know right where to get that one perfect hat out on an unusually cold day. These seem like simple no-brainer kinds of things to want and even more they should be easy to achieve. And I am achieving them, but slowly. Every time I organize, I refine my system to get rid of unnecessary items, and better store the ones I keep. It just seems like a never-ending process. Can you see the analogy I might draw from all of this? Not today. Today I am going to revel in the chaos of the situation. Living in an apartment limits what I have to work with, in that I don't want to spend money on something I can't take with me to the next place, so I have to be creative. I am good at being creative which is maybe part of why I enjoy organizing, also that I am a bit of a control freak might add to it. 

Oh and did I mention that I strongly dislike the paper factor of life? So much paper comes into our house every month. I have changed nearly every bill or statement to paperless and it still pours in. It comes in magazines, junk mail, church information, school work, etc. And we store it for years in boxes until the blessed day comes that enough time has passed to allow us to shred it. We keep papers from our childhoods and our children's childhoods. I see all of these things as valid, still in excess they are a nuisance to me. Receipts drive me crazy too! 

We just have too much stuff. I need to move to Italy and start over in a little villa somewhere.

Thing is, with everything we have I don't feel like we live an excessive life. There is just so much stuff that comes with life. If you live in a climate with different seasons you have two different wardrobes. If you have any kind of hobbies ie: camping, fishing, sewing, baking, gardening, quilting, woodworking, sports, cooking (just to name a few of ours) there is all the gear that goes with each one. Add kids to the mix and the stuff multiplies like crazy. Then if you read books, watch movies, play games, etc. there is a whole heap of new things. And finally if you are in a transitionary state, like we are, then you have things in storage for when you move to a more permanent life. It all takes up space and I am constantly trying to become mistress of my domain with exhausting results. 

I hope I am not alone on this. I know there are many of you out there who have achieved a higher state of perfection in your domains. I applaude you. It is a challenge for me, but one that enjoy trying to conquer. I figure the month that we are ready to pack-up and move, I will feel like everything is just perfect. Life is like that sometimes.

Life is Good

Today I am feeling mellow. Not to worry, it's not sadness, just contented contemplation coursing through my being. I have been thinking about gratitude lately. I have been thinking that I don't express my gratitude enough. I lead a very blessed, a very full and most importantly a very happy life. I want all of you, my friends and family out there, to know how grateful I am for you. Somewhere in the last 33 years each of you have touched my life. You've contributed to that happy life. Many of you touch my life everyday. You inspire me to see goodness, no - make that greatness, in the world around me. You help me to keep my perspective and be able to laugh at myself when all I want to do is scream, or cry, or both. You boost me up when I am feeling low, you lift me higher when I am already feeling on top. And you keep me humble when my head is in the clouds and I need to come back to earth. I miss so many of you and think of you often. Sometimes my arms ache for hugs from you and my cheeks need your kisses. I have so many "small world" moments these days. These are tender mercies from my Maker. He gives so much and then heaps more blessings on top of my overflowing cup. He has given me everything, all of you and I feel so blessed, so grateful for that gift. May you feel God's love this day. He is real. He is all around us. He loves us, every single one of us. And I love all of you. Thank you for being you. Thank you for everything. Go out and make today great!

Frosted Flakes vs. Fiber One

vs.
This morning I got a real boost as a mom; the feeling that something good I am doing is rubbing off - finally! 

We were sitting down to breakfast and I pulled out the Frosted Flakes to pour Sis a bowl. She had other ideas. I wanted to sit down, eat, read our scriptures and just get our day going, so I wasn't terribly interested in letting her read all the box labels. She insisted, I recognized she wanted to read something and gave her a minute to decide. After considering her choices, she picked Fiber One!  As if that wasn't enough to put a smile on my face, she asked for bananas sliced on top as well. Maybe this is the norm for all of you, but not my Sis. I wanted to do cartwheels in the kitchen and had I not been wearing a nightgown, I might have done it too.

Taking the Challenge?

For those of you brave enough, or maybe I should say crazy enough, to take the 100/200 challenge (see sidebar) I hope it is going well. Jon and I are doing the pushups together and I am doing the situps on my own. I have to say - its tough! I want to do the 20 pullups challenge too(which I didn't post) but I think I will wait until my arms no longer feel like licorice ropes. That might take a week or two for them to be strong enough to start and it may take me all summer to work up to 20 pullups, but I am going to give it a go. Let me know how things are going for you, that is... if you can hold your arms up long enough to type.

Happy Tuesday!

Favorite Friday... My Bed, Rainy Days and Blossoms in the Spring

Today I woke to the sound of raindrops on my window and I couldn't bring myself to get out of bed. I laid there for an hour letting my mind wander with the steady rhythm of the rain keeping time. I mulled over my dreams trying to make some sense of them - to no avail. I realized how much I love my bed, the 400-count sheets I splurged on so long ago, the down comforter and pillows, the memory foam from my mama. It makes it so difficult to get out of bed some mornings. :) When you factor in the rain this morning, I didn't have a prayer of getting out of bed before eight. 

Hours have passed this morning and the rain has not let up. The sky has graduated from a ominous dark purplish gray to a faded oatmeal color, but the rain has not stopped for a minute. The sky seems to open up every few minutes and burst forth in torrents of rain, the sound of which can be wonderfully deafening. After exercising this morning, I went and stood on our deck outside and just immersed myself in it - not literally, although I considered it. I imagined what this beautiful rain could do to pots and baskets overflowing with plants in my little space. I listened to the sound of the passing cars swooshing by on the soaked streets and breathed in the scent of spring rain. Tender mercies my friends, tender mercies. They are all around us, all the time, there for the having.

I got a heaping portion of them earlier this week. We have been watching for the peak bloom time of the cherry blossoms in DC and decided Wednesday was our best bet. Although chilly and gray, it was perfect. The cherry trees were stunning, breathtaking and intoxicating. Their fragrance filled the air and even tinted it a slight shade of pink. The Tidal Basin was encircled about in blooms. There was live music at the Jefferson Memorial and I couldn't help but dance.

We saw scores of Elders, took a paddle boat out in the Basin and flew kites at the W. Monument. And as beautiful as the cherry blossoms were, I think the magnolias could give them a run. They were amazing! All said, a perfectly spent day.

We haven't been to the Jefferson Memorial since moving here. The last time was almost exactly seven years ago. The words of Thomas Jefferson were so inspiring and the monument itself demands reverence. I just wish there hadn't been so many people. No matter. 

We let Et manage the camera for most of the day and he kept taking random pics of me. 

First round of kite-flying at the Washington.

Stonewall the DC Police horse and Officer "What's his name again?"He had the kindest face.

A Familiar Feeling

I spent last week in Ohio with my sister and her family. It was a wonderful visit and could only have been made better by being able to blog every day and record every blessed moment. I did want to share one experience in particular that was much needed. I think we all have moments like these, whether they be in a garden or not, and they are such a blessing. Its a bit of a story, but I'll try to keep it as brief as possible.

My sister and I decided to tackle a project in her yard while I was there. First of all, she has a great space. Her garden is on two levels and they are connected via a stone staircase, maybe 12-14 steps. The staircase has seen better days and it was needing major repairs. (At this point, they don't know how long they are going to be in Cincy, so they don't want to invest a load of money just to leave it in two years.) We started the project on Friday and moved along nicely until the weather decided it was through being nice and we got rain. With only two stairs left to go, we thought it would be easy enough to finish on Saturday. Now Saturday night was "girls night" (friends and Twilight @ 8:30)and church was at 9am Sunday, which meant we needed to wrap things up by 7:30 - 8pm at the latest. Late afternoon Saturday, we finally got around to mixing the mortar and it was slow going. The bottom of the concrete bag was full of lumps and solid cement chunks, but we managed to mix one load easily enough. The kids were needing dinner and bathes. The house needed straightening and we both needed showers but I was not going home without that staircase being complete. With one more batch to mix Lou went in to get things in order and I was left alone. For those of you who really know me and know how I lived in my garden, you know this was a gift. I was so tired physically. The mortar was too wet and I was discouraged. The inner me was determined to finish but my body was spent and I just wanted to call it quits for the night. But I didn't, I couldn't. As I stopped to listen to the sounds around me and take in the fading light I was filled. I suddenly recognized this scenario from countless other nights in my life. The light pouring through the windows making shapes on the grass; looking at my hands and not being able to see what I was doing but not yet wanting to go in; my arms and legs being so worn-out and cold but not minding a bit; knowing my kids were inside, happy and warm; listening to the nightlife awaken and begin their symphony; and clinging to whatever light I had, to just do one... more... thing... This was played out before me in my mind and I felt so grateful to have been blessed with that moment. It filled me up and made me feel more whole than I have felt in months. (As silly as it may be, I have tears spilling down my cheeks as I write. That is how much it moved me.)

I don't know exactly why I share this with you except that I know there are times in our lives when we have so much going on around us and so much to take care of, that we get lost. Not to say that we don't know what is important, or that we are not doing the "right" things, but that little pieces of us get lost along the way. Sometimes it happens slowly, over years maybe and other times it can be a matter or weeks or months. Well, that had happened to me. And although I knew it was happening, I didn't stop it. I just didn't think it would have such an effect on me, closing off that part of me, even for a time. But it did. This isn't the first time I have felt I was missing some part of me and honestly it probably won't be the last, but it made me more aware. It made me want to take better care of myself and the gifts and talents God has given me. I want to feel as whole every day as I did sitting in the perfect dusk of my sisters' garden.

100 Pushups - 200 Situps

Last night Jon and I started a new challenge. Have you heard of the 100 pushups training program?  I discovered it awhile back but never really considered doing it until I realized that we are right around the corner to summer and now it suddenly seems like a great idea. I was so excited that Jon agreed to do it with me - a first I might add. Basically, its a 6-week program designed to increase your strength through push-ups. By the end of the six weeks, the goal is to be able to crank out 100 consecutive push-ups, not the girly variety, but the tough ones. I think the thing that hooked Jon, besides me batting my eyes at him and kissing him a lot, was that its not a huge time commitment daily, weekly or long-term. Its ten minutes a day, three days a week for 6 weeks. Easy breezy! We did the initial test to see what level to train at and I was impressed with Jon's strength. He blew me away. So we are beginning tonight and will finish mid-May. I will keep you posted as we progress. 

As to the sit-ups portion of this workout, I will be going that alone. I have not given up hope that Jon will join me, but for now, I am flying solo on this one. Same idea, same time commitment, same type of goal to reach. I did better on these than the push-ups. What can I say? I have weak upper-body strength. There is a link to the situps site on the pushups site if you are interested. Also, if you have an iPhone there is an app to help track your progress or you can print out a complete program - PocketMod style. And if that isn't enough, there is a free tracker on the website to record your progress. So give it a shot. Summer is just around the corner and I think we could all use a little work on our swimsuit bods. And who doesn't have ten minutes?