I have my check-up tomorrow afternoon. This poses a few problems for me.

1. I desperately DO NOT want to step on that scale. I know that I need to lose weight. I know that I need to exercise. I just can’t seem to do everything that I need to do in any given day. The last thing I want is a reminder about those things.
2. I HATE going to the doctor. It is just embarrassing to sit on an examining table in a Johnny while answering personal questions from a person who I almost NEVER see. I don’t even share those things with my closest friends.
3. I am scrambling for child care as per usual. We really have to do something about our lack of back-up babysitting. Again, I just don’t have the time to do it.
4. My day will be rushed and crazy because I have to somehow get the kids off to two different locations and one of those places is yet to be determined. Then there is traffic and parking. It is a hassle for me.
5. Did I mention how much I dislike going to the doctor?

I know I need to go for a check-up, though. I haven’t had a physical for a few years now even though I have seen a whole host of other doctors for various reasons pretty consistently now for two years. It is necessary.

I am praying that I am basically healthy aside from being out of shape. I always panic before a doctor appointment because I am afraid of hearing that there is something terribly wrong with me.

Photo courtesy of Brittany G

In my post, Set a Wellness Goal, I had encouraged my readers to get on the fitness bandwagon with me. No one responded to that post with their own fitness goals. I don’t know about you, but I haven’t been able to reach my wellness goal. This winter was long and hard on me and the kids.

If at first you don’t succeed, try again!

I am going to try setting a new goal. My kids are both taking swimming lessons, so I am going to take them to the Open Swim at the YMCA a couple of days a week. (I know that I really need to  get a good workout, but sometimes I have to start small in order to get started at all.) They need the practice, and I like the pool. I have taken them to Open Swim once and found that I actually get the same endorphin high that I normally get when I workout. I must be getting some benefit from being in that pool with them. I think that I will be more motivated to go because I can do this particular activity with my kids. I might just feel inspired to squeeze a workout in, too!

Are you willing to try again and set a new fitness goal? Let me know what your plans are. Inspire me!

Photo courtesy of whiskymac

For some reason school was canceled in my town. (The storm was yesterday. Go figure!) Early this morning I received a  cancellation call from my ladies’ Bible study group because school was closed. I thought nothing of it because A2 is taking a gymnastics class at the Y for a few more weeks during the time we would normally go to Bible study. I packed all of us up in the car to drop C4 off at preschool and to head to the YMCA.

Sadly, the YMCA canceled classes, Open Gym, and Child Watch today because the schools were closed. I had planned to workout after the gymnastics class. Of course, I arrived at the Y just before the class was set to start. Boy was A2 disappointed and confused! Thankfully, because so many moms had shown up for Open Gym, the staff let us use some balls in the gym. A2 refused to play because she wanted her gymnastics class.

My day went downhill from there.

It was one of those days for us. All of my support programs were not running at a time when I desperately needed the support. I really needed to workout to clear my mind and lift my spirits. I needed some “me time”.

Winter is a tough time of year for anyone, but especially for me. I need exercise and sunshine or I get depressed. Since my kids are high energy, precocious, and strong willed, we need to keep busy. I keep a pretty full schedule for us between school, enrichment classes at the Y, play dates, the library, Mom to Mom, and my ladies’ Bible study. This winter I am taking advantage of the gym for myself, too. This strategy has served us well for the last few years. We all get a break from each other. The kids are able to make friends and burn some energy. I am able to talk with other moms, grow in my faith, and gain support as a parent. That plan only works if the programs are open and you are able to get to them.

Now I think I need to create a contingency plan for bad weather. It has been so difficult for us this year. It is either too cold, too windy, too icy, or too stormy for us to go outside. Besides, A2 hates the cold, and neither of the kids likes sledding. I have tried to get them out there to play, but they never last more than a few minutes. It doesn’t seem worth it to me to drag them out. So we end up stuck inside. We are starting to climb the walls around here!

Moms, what do you do when you can’t take advantage of any of your support in the winter?

Photo courtesy of .Fabio

Today was all about spending time with the girls. I got together with a bunch of ladies to scrapbook. It feels so great to have some time off from my family to laugh and relax. For me it was not the most productive scrapbooking event since I didn’t get any scrapbooking done. However, I did spend a day connecting with friends.

I also had enough peace and quiet to do some research for a upcoming job. The women I hung out with are all teachers, so I was able to bounce ideas off of them for the teacher in-service. I am grateful for the time that I had.

On the other hand, my DH was not very happy about spending the day alone with the children! That is another story, though…

Photo courtesy of Alanna George

Photo by Perfecto Insecto

I just celebrated my birthday, and I always end up reflecting on my life when I blow out those candles. I love my birthday, so it isn’t a sad kind of reflection. I think it is good to take stock of your life every year, though. This year I have noticed that I am not taking care of myself the way that I should. With two small children day-to-day life is incredibly busy, and often I feel like I’m spinning out of control. It feels impossible to do anything extra for myself. I am committing to doing something small for myself every day, though.

Here are a few things that I plan to do to take better care of me. Maybe this list will help you try to do something for yourself every day, too.

~I am going to actually do my hair as often as I can! I have been experimenting with different styles that are quick, easy, and even trendy. It makes me feel good, and people notice that I take the time to style my hair.

~I am going to get to bed at a reasonable time as often as possible. My children wake up before the sun is up no matter what time of night I put them to bed. I need to get to bed earlier so that I am able to function in the morning.. Maybe I’ll look a little younger, too…

~I will drink more water. Being hydrated is great for your joints, your skin, and your body in general.

~I will make an effort to have a beauty night for myself. Back in college my buddies and I would do masks, facials, and nails together. I always felt better after those nights. I hope to recapture that feeling for myself.

~I am going to dress myself better. The “mommy” uniform needs to be tossed out the window. I plan to dress the best that I can now. E has helped me out with this goal by giving me a beautiful winter coat with a scarf and hat set.

~I will have a quiet time every day even if it is a short one. I am going to set an example by reading some scripture when the kids are with me.

Living as a mom means being intentional about taking care of me.

Photo by telachhe

Today was the yearly birthday celebration with my dear friend, K. Every year we go to the Olive Garden for lunch with our kids. This is year 4. Now we have 5 kids between us – all 5 years old and under. We had a great time together today! All of the kids were well-behaved and actually ate lunch. We even had a chance to chat with each other. It feels so great for us to be able to celebrate life together!

Everyone came back to my place to play. No one napped except for the baby, of course. It was delightful to watch the kids play together, though. Somehow they all got along this afternoon. I got to hold the baby and my friend, K, was able to hang out with her older children more than usual. I really enjoyed spending the day with our two families!

I have been praying and fantasizing about having a dear friend move close to me – as in move into my neighborhood and maybe even next door to me. I have two friends who both homeschool their children and share a backyard. Their children are growing up more like siblings than friends, and these women support each other in everything that they do. This is the kind of situation that I would love to have.

It would be amazing of K would move nearby. Alas, her husband is job searching, and they will most likely move far away as many of my friends have done. I will miss them dearly when K’s husband finds a job. Don’t get me wrong. I have lots of friends. I just truly enjoy sharing my life with this particular friend and her family.

Living as a mom sometimes means that I want good friends living nearby to celebrate and share life with. How about you?

Photo by zimpenfish

I had set a fitness goal recently. I planned on going to the gym twice a week and had hoped to see results quickly. I have discovered that getting to the gym is not really the problem. The actual problem is that I cannot get a whole workout in at the gym. Let me explain.

Little Miss A2 has figured out that the child watch folks will come get me after she screams for 10 minutes or if she wets her pants, which she has done promptly after going to the potty with me. Basically, if she has decided that she is not staying at child watch, she finds a way out of there. As a result, I have had very brief workouts. One lasted only 10 minutes and the maximum I have been able to get in is 20 minutes. Give me a break!

E has solved my workout woes, though. He got me a Wii Fit for my birthday. I LOVE it! I like how you play games in order to workout. You can also add other types of activity to your log, and it tracks your progress. This is going to be a great way for me to get fit! I also plan to use our gym, but now I have two ways to ensure that I get exercise without having to worry about child care.

Have you tried the Wii Fit? What do you like about it? Have you seen results from using it?

We have so much snow right now! I am amazed that it is still falling. It is beautiful out there with the tree branches covered in snow. I love how faint the snowflakes are during this storm. I amgetting cozy for the winter!

I am enjoying the peace and quiet this afternoon. I decided not to nap with the kids today. I am writing and watching the snow fall. There is some music softly playing in the background. I am actually able to put together my thoughts.

This is a little time for me. I don’t do this often, but I recommend it to anyone whose house is full of life like mine is. Life is messy and noisey. Take some time to organize your thoughts and enjoy some peace.

I’m always looking for something to read, but I never have to time to linger in the bookstore anymore. Luckily, a friend of mine gave me a great book to read. I am enjoying it so much that I thought I would recommend it to you. Maybe you can pass it on, too.

The Secret Life of Becky Miller by Sharon Hinck is a novel about a Christian stay-at-home-mom. She dreams of being something great and doing something amazing for God. Each chapter opens with a daydream of hers.

I hope you wnjoy this book as much as I have!

Grace.

The Mom to Mom talk this week was about grace. Have you thought about the grace that God has given you – freely? Have you considered your role in showing others grace? That’s what we were asked to ponder today.

Photo by Delphine devos

This amazing speaker talked about how grace and forgiveness go hand in hand. They work together. She said, “Grace is forgiveness made beautiful.” What a pretty picture that is! Think about how we can forgive someone, and then think of what it is like to show someone grace. When you give the gift of grace, you pardon someone and love that person.

Don’t mistake grace as a way of letting someone off the hook. There is still a consequence for the misstep. However, the love and forgiveness that comes with showing someone grace somehow softens the blow of those consequences. The speaker this week used the illustration of what happens between a mother and her child when that child makes a mistake. The child is comforted by Mommy after the mistake, but there is still the consequence that comes with making that mistake – repairing the damage, for example.

It is often easier to show others grace than it is to show yourself grace. Strange, but true, isn’t it? I know that this is true for me. I suppose it is my way of trying to earn forgiveness. The thing about grace is that it is not what we deserve. We have “earned” the consequence, not the forgiveness, and there are no actions that will help you to earn the forgiveness. (Romans 3:21-26) You simply have to have faith, accept God’s grace, and be grateful for it.

One of the most precious gifts you can offer others – and yourself – is the gift of grace. Show someone, even yourself, a little grace today.