Cheat and a new workout.

So, today was Cheat Day.  Just one Cheat Day, instead of 3 or 4.  Or 5!  Jordan had a football game in Rabun County this morning.  We had breakfast on the road, or course, and lunch, since the gave was over at lunch time.  We ate at Zaxby's.  I had the Boneless Wings n Things Meal.  So tasty, but that one meal has more calories than I need in a whole day.  And I felt sluggish and just gross after I ate.  This is new, too.  Usually on a Cheat Day I don't feel guilty or anything except joy to be eating something delicious.  Today, I was already planning for tomorrow while I was eating.  

I tried something new, workout wise today.  The Lord has put several people in my life who are fitness experts.  I think I've written about my friend Jenn before, who gets paid to exercise in videos.  She has been a great help to me.  Last week my friend Cindy, who is also a professional trainer, offered her services at our co-op.  She offered to conduct an exercise class after co-op.  She did it outside, so we would be able to keep our eyes on the kids at the playground while we worked out.  I was SO excited about this. I looked forward to it all week.  And then.  We were rushed and I forgot my clothes.  Aaauughgh!  I can't believe I did that.  I was so sad.  But Cindy gave me some homework.  I thought it would be easy.  3 rounds each of 20 squats, 10 pushups, 20 lunges, and 10 tricept...whatever its called when you sit backwards on the stairs or a chair and use your arms to push yourself up.  Oh, and planking.

I thought, since I've been working out and all, that this would be simple.  Ha ha!  I did this workout today with the kids outside, and my legs are wobbly!  My stomach is aching from the planking and my arms are burning!  I love it.  This workout isn't meant to take then place of anything I'm doing at the gym. It's in addition to what I'm doing.  It's not supposed to take long.  Just 20 minutes or so.  Something to do quickly at home.  

I'm so thankful that God has placed these "experts" in my life.  Just confirmation that I'm doing the right thing. 

Fail!

It's Friday!  It's been a long week.  Really, a long few weeks.  I'm tired!  I feel like I've been going and going and going with not much sleep.  

  When I think back to Monday, it seems like a year has passed!  

Several times this week, during the course of my parenting, I've actually laughed at myself and thought, "FAIL!".  Its good to laugh at yourself every once in awhile.

For example, this morning.  Friday is co-op mornings and our "earliest" morning.  We have to be at church for classes at 8:45.  I actually thought it was 8:30, but I found out today that I have a few extra minutes.  Ha!  Anyway, usually Chris is home with us on Friday mornings.  He helps me get everyone ready and we drive to church in separate cars because he has to work and the kids and I have class until lunch time.  Today, though, he wasn't home.  He went to an FCA meeting in Hamilton Mill.  He had to leave so early, I didn't even wake up when he left.  We had a hectic morning, the kids and I.  We did make it school on time, but on the way I had a "FAIL" moment.  I looked in the rear-view mirror at my baby girl.  Eating Cheeze-its out of a baggy for breakfast because I didn't have time for cereal and milk before we left the house. Her jeans covered with "Monster High" stickers that were left over from a Happy Meal dinner two nights ago.  I do feel the need to point out that the jeans were clean.  The stickers were just left in the car after my offspring consumed Happy Meals for dinner after church on Wednesday night.  Yes, I gave them McDonald's.  I avoid that place like the plague, but I gave in on Wednesday night because I just didn't have anymore fight left in me.  And, for the record, my kids are all still alive after consuming said McDonald's food.  

So.  Strike 1:  Cheeze-its for breakfast.  Strike 2:  Monster High skeleton covered Levi's en route to our Christian co-op.  And 3:  Evidence of my kids eating a meal that probably isn't even considered food in other parts of the world.  FAIL.

I did feel guilty for a minute, but then snapped out of it and just laughed.  Keep on keeping on is what I whispered to myself, and  that's what I'll do.  

Did I mention that I'm glad it's Friday?

There were many, many other FAILS this week. Like, forgetting to pack Vi's extra clothes, then not noticing her taking the lid off of her drink in the car until it was way, way too late.  This resulted in a shopping trip and me changing my 2 year old's clothes in the mall parking lot.  And of course someone from church walked by right when she was naked.  FAIL.

And losing a battle of "Who Will Have the Last Word" with Shaun.  Oh, sometimes I think I'm just not cut out to parent a teenager.  Ha!

And not getting out of the car at Jordan's school so that he could play with his friends on the playground after carpool because I had just come from the gym and felt frumpy, sweaty, and fat.  FAIL!

This post is turning into a huge whine-fest, which isn't what I intended.  What I wanted to get across to you is the fact that we all have days, weeks, or even seasons when we feel like  we're not bringing our A Game.  And that's okay.  We're human after all.  

Keep on keeping on!

And, I miss writing here.  Hopefully I'll get to it more often. 

Awkward!

This post is actually from last Thursday.  I just now had time to finish it up.  

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Yesterday was just an awkward day for me.  That's really the only word for it.  I felt so out of sorts and off balance all day, it was crazy.

First off yesterday morning, I woke up with one eye itchy and red.  An "allergy eye", if you will.  So, I put a few drops of Allergy Visine in just the red eye.  I've used those drops hundreds of times before, but never in just one eye.  I my eye felt better and I got ready for the day.  Chris led chapel at Jordan's new school that morning, so we all went to school together.  I waited around while we were waiting for chapel to start and Chris was getting ready.  I talked with some teachers, etc.  Chris got finished and came over to me.  He looked at me and did a double take, then said, "Woah.  What's wrong with our eye?"  He went on to tell me that one of my pupils was dilated.  Just one.  The one I put the drops in.  I asked if it was noticeable and he was like, "Um.  Yes."  So I went to the bathroom and sure enough, I looked like a freak! One pupil was HUGE and the other one was normal.  My eye felt fine, I just looked ridiculous.  I was sooooo embarrassed.  I don't even want to know what those teachers thought.  The eye was back to normal a little while later, but I don't think I'm going to use those drops anymore!

After chapel I went to Aldi.  Something strange happened there, too.  I just can't remember what it was!  And I came home without the 2 items I went in to get in the first place.  

When I was helping Shaun with his math, I kept telling him he was incorrect on one problem.  He was getting so frustrated and whining that he couldn't figure out what to do, and I was getting frustrated because I knew that HE knew how to do this math.  As it turned out, I was the one who was doing it wrong.  Augghgh!

We picked Jordan up from school and had an hour to kill before Shaun's therapy appointments so we went to McDonald's for ice cream.  I ran into the closed door on the way in. After we were inside, I sent the kids into the play ground area while I bought their cones.  I haven't eaten inside at a Mcdonalds in a really long time, and I kept trying to hand my card to the cashier for about 5 minutes before she finally made me realize that the card machine was right in front of me.  I finally brought the kids their ice-cream, got everyone settled, and then realized I had forgotten napkins.  So I sent Jordan to get some.  He came back and said, "I'm not going out there.  They look like drug dealers."  What?!?!?  How does he even know what a drug dealer looks like?  I went and got the napkins myself.  (And didn't see any drug deals going down.)

The kids finally started eating their ice cream and of course they started squabbling. And Violet sat her cone down near my elbow, so I sat my elbow in her ice-cream.  Then, she needed a diaper change.  I was packing up her things in the bathroom after we were finished and I looked up and she had taken all of the paper covers out of the changing station and was trying to flush them down the toilet.  

Do you see what I mean?  I was really struggling yesterday...everything took such an effort!

We made it to therapy and that actually went pretty well.  Violet entertained herself with her stickers and Jordan did his homework.  He also read a library book to me.  It was called Farty Marty.  Jordan loved it, but I don't think the elderly lady sitting next to us liked it all.  

After therapy, I went to the gym.  I got the kids all settled into their various areas, changed clothes, got on the treadmill and realized that I had forgotten my ear buds in the car.  Sigh.  I had also forgotten something else, something more important than ear buds.  After I showered and began to get dressed for church, I saw that I had also forgotten to pack clean undies.  

On the way to church we were all starving and I had some extra calories left for the day, so I stopped at Wendy's and got us something from the dollar menu.  Those Jr Cheeseburger Deluxes are soooo good. I took the first bite and squirted ketchup and mayonnaise all over my shirt.  

We made it to church and everything was running smoothly until a huge storm hit and we had to move all of the kids into the hallway.  One little guy thought they were going to play kickball.... poor guy!

It was still raining when church was over and Shaun was still over at North Campus with the youth, so I was in a hurry to get him.  I hurried Chris along so that he could help me walk to the car.  We f-i-n-a-l-l-y were on our way out, almost to the elevator, and I realized that I had left my purse on Chris' desk.  I guess I was too busy hurrying him along to remember my own things.  

When we got home, I just went to bed!  I was ready for the day to me over.