New Resolve April 20, 2011

We were without kids for a few days this week, and that was my motivation to get up and get moving on my new workout regime.  No more excuses!  It’s been over 3 weeks since the 10 Miler.  In that time, I was recovering, sick, and then just lazy.  But no more!

My new routine:

• Jillian Michael’s 30-day Shred 4x a week

• 20 minute run before Shred 2x a week

• 4-6 mile run 1x a week

So far, I have Shredded twice this week with a run before one of them.  I’m sore, but I know I have to keep going through the pain.  That’s the only way to get through this.  The first two days were wonderful.  I felt so good knowing that I was getting it done.  The kids are back now, and while I am so glad to see them and play with them again, the morning routine is back to chaos rather than calm.

To get my inner calm this morning, I decided to try some yoga through the Wii Fit.  But it’s hard to calm down when the little Fit Mascot told me that in the 452 days since I was last on Wii Fit, I had gained 7.2 pounds!  Um, what?  I told myself that half of it was muscle to get me off the ledge and continue with the yoga.  But it was clear that things need to change for real this time.  Luckily Jeremy is resolved too.  He joined LA Boxing, and he’s eager to burn major calories.

So here we go!  New routines.  New commitments.  New resolve.

I’m participating in Nain’s Motivation Monday.  What’s motivating you this week?  Link up if you want to share!

After My Heart April 12, 2011

This one.  This girl.  My daughter.  She’s silly, I know.  She’s after my heart.  Ok, she already has it, but she’s going for more.

She’s digging in and not letting go.

I’m still in shock how her morning started.  She woke up and got dressed all by herself before even coming downstairs.  This may not seem like a lot to you, but considering I fight her tooth and nail every day about how she and her brother must get dressed (with my help) before they go downstairs for breakfast on school days, this is quite a turn of events.  Especially to me – a morning person; a “wake up and get going” person.   I told you.  She’s a girl after my heart.

Where Is My Mojo? April 11, 2011

I don’t know if it is allergies or a never-ending cold that is keeping me down, but I am having a hard time focusing today.  Maybe it is the fact that I’m stuck inside at work on an 85 degree day (which if it is allergies that is making my head feel like it is going to explode, than it is probably better I’m inside!)  Maybe it is knowing that my weeknights are going to be lonely and tough while Jeremy works late to meet a deadline.

Whatever it is, I need some motivation today.  I need to find my mojo and get back in the groove.  Where, oh where did you go mojo?

Even though I wish I could find some mojo by having a shopping spree for new clothes since that always makes me feel better, I’ll have to go the “free” route of what I have to look forward to this week.

• Dinner with my BFF on Wednesday
• Cookie making and birthday celebration for BFF’s daughter on Saturday
• Finally getting a haircut on Thursday after almost 6 months
• Date nights with my hubby this weekend thanks to grandparents
• A finished exterior makeover at our house (if the weather cooperates – more on this makeover later)
• And getting one week closer to my girls-only trip to Denver!!

Ok, just writing that list has put a spring back in my step.  I’m sitting taller.  My nose is not running – for now.  And my head feels like it only got smashed by a basketball instead of a bowling ball.  That’s improvement, right?  I’m still hunting for my mojo, but I think I’m on the right path.

I’m participating in Nain’s Motivation Monday.

Check out what is motivating her and others on her blog and link up if you want!

Our Divided Roles April 8, 2011

While I was cutting the fat off some raw chicken breasts last night (good way to start a post, right?), once again having to refuse Mason’s request to come play with her, she asked a very insightful question.  “Why do mommies ALWAYS have to cook dinner?”  At first, I was taken aback by her question, but then I realized this was a perfect teachable moment.

You see, in our family, I do most of the cooking.  To some that might seem sexist and stereotypical, but to me, it’s just the way things go in our house.  And I don’t mind it one bit.  I love cooking dinner.  I love baking more, and I do that plenty too, but I really do enjoy cooking dinner and seeing smiling faces and expressions of gratitude when a delicious meal is served.  I saute, I grill, I broil…  I cook.

I said most of that to Mason to explain it.  I told her that I really like to cook, which is why I do it.  I explained that there are many daddies that do all the cooking because they love it or because their situation at home makes it easier for them to do it.  For us, her daddy works until 6pm every night and sometimes longer.  If we waited for dinner to be started when he finally got home, we wouldn’t be eating until 7pm or later, which just doesn’t work with our evening schedule.  At one point, Mason tried to walk away from my explanation (I guess she got bored), but I called her back because I really wanted her to understand that mommies don’t ALWAYS have to cook dinner and that it isn’t that way in all families.  I think she understood.  I hope she understood.

There are many times while I’m doing my stereotypical wifely duties at home that I worry what my kids are learning from that.  I do most of the cooking.  I also do most of the cleaning.  Jeremy does help, especially in the de-cluttering, and I am very grateful when he does.  But I’m a lot more picky about how clean our house is, so I’m the neurotic one who has to vacuum on a daily basis or has to quickly dust before any visitor shows up.  On the other side, Jeremy does most of the yard work.  He does the yucky stuff that I don’t want to do.  He cleans out clogged drains; he cleans up water in the basement; he builds sheds; he trims trees.  And most important of all, he gets my kids and me to laugh and giggle on a daily basis.

From the descriptions of our roles above, you’d think we were a family of the 1950’s.  But the reality is that we work together to accomplish everything.  Sure, there are times I get frustrated and wish Jeremy could read my mind and do things exactly when I want them done.  But we get through it.  We make it work.  And that’s what I want my kids to learn and understand.  It doesn’t matter who does what as long as the mom and dad agree on it and work together to get everything done.

So even though we have our divided mommy and daddy roles that are exasperating the stereotype, I hope that my kids can see that we work as a team to keep our house clean, our bellies full, our yard trimmed, and our hearts happy.

Old School Fun April 4, 2011

This past weekend was full of fun.  Unexpected, unplanned but well-timed fun!  It all started when Jeremy woke up and said, “How about Krispy Kreme for breakfast?”  Um, ok.  Kind of an odd statement coming from him considering he has always said he likes Dunkin Donuts over Krispy Kreme (I’m a KK girl, myself!)  Also odd considering that there are no Krispy Kremes that close to us.  There is one in Dupont Circle in DC and one way up in North Rockville.  Looking for an adventure at 8 in the morning, we decided to head north and hit up Krispy Kreme in Rockville.  As soon as we entered the parking lot, Jeremy started talking about moving there to the apartments right across the street.  Not only was there a Krispy Kreme, but there was also a Cheeburger Cheeburger, Panera, Moby Dick, and a wing place, I think.  This was heaven in his mind.

The Hot Doughnuts Now sign was lit, and I knew I was actually in heaven.  Flashbacks to college at UVa when the Krispy Kreme still existed there.  During my summers as a counselor at the Summer Enrichment Program, I frequented that Krispy Kreme store.  Not only did we provide donuts every Sunday for the campers, which required ordering dozens upon dozens of donuts, but we often had donut eating contests between the counselors at night during our staff meetings.  I think I ate 13 donuts in about 5 minutes once.  Oh to have my college metabolism again!

Anyway, back to our fun weekend.  Fresh glazed donuts melted in my mouth.  The glazed cinnamon donut overloaded my senses with deliciousness (and Jeremy claimed it was the best donut EVER!)  The kids were covered in gooey glaze and Easter pastel colored sprinkles.  Success!  Even better was that they got to witness the Krispy Kreme donut making process…

Please excuse Mason's "pose." This is her go-to photo pose now, and while funny at first, I'm not digging it any more.

After a bust at IKEA (we were an hour too early), we headed home to hang out a bit.  The kids did their own thing while Jeremy played Mr. Fix-It on our bathroom sink.  And when I was asked to join them on the fun, I couldn’t resist.  It was time for Lite Brite fun!

Mason with her Lite Brite castle.

Cooper with his Transformers image. I say "his" because it was a "boy one." He helped in getting the pegs to Jeremy and I, but his tiny fingers couldn't get the pegs to stick. Also, this Transformer was supposed to be just red and blue, but we ran out, so it is a combo of pink, purple, red, blue and orange. Cooper didn't seem to mind. He was so proud of it!

For lunch we went to downtown Silver Spring for a local Cherry Blossom Festival.  We saw a traditional Japanese dance and traditional drummers as well as many amazing local vendors.  Very fun.  And we barely escaped the downpour and hail storm!  Star Wars Attack of the Clones that afternoon and Skyping with our friend, Andy, who is in Rome – definitely a good end to a great day!

Sunday was more of the same unplanned variety.  We went to the zoo and saw more animals than we had ever seen in one visit.  Lions, tigers, elephants, pandas, orangutans on the lines above our heads…  Unfortunately we missed the cheetah cubs, but it just gives us more reason to go back real soon.

Meema and kids taking a break after seeing over a dozen turtles!

Lake fam' in the new elephant outpost. Very cool addition to the zoo!

We finally made it back to IKEA with better luck this time and then go to come home and enjoy the gorgeous afternoon – riding bikes, going to the park, mowing the lawn…

They have to earn their keep somehow! Ok - just kidding. This was for only a brief moment before Jeremy took back over.

And that’s our weekend in a nutshell – sort of – this was kind of a long post in the end.  Oh well.  The beauty of the weekend for me was that it was just a relaxed “do what we want” kind of a weekend.  Nothing too fancy – just old school fun.  And I couldn’t have been happier!