A Little More Personal-- A Look Inside My Fridge

Have you ever looked into your fridge and thought, there's definitely a life analogy going on in here.  No?  Well, I have.  This morning.  All fall I've been struggling with getting my life back "on-track".  (Whatever that is.) 

You see, during the summer I spent 60 days focused on my health...eating better & exercising MUCH more intensely than I have ever done before (for 60 min. a day)-- and all for ZERO pounds down and a few inches.  I know, I know-- I should be happy with a few inches, right? But not even my jeans size went down!  I've been stuck at this weight (212 to be exact) for the last year and a half trying desperately to see a different number more than just at 4 am, lol. (I mean really, even if you do see a smaller number at 4 am it doesn't even matter because you know after your workout, some water, and a bit to eat it'll just be back up there-- plus, it's 4 am so, I don't know about you, but "happiness" never happens at 4 am for me=)

So, every week I try to plan out a new menu...one that includes salads, kale, quinoa and sweet potatoes (for me) and one that includes all the wholegrain pasta, cheese, and "yummy" stuff for the other 5 in my family who won't touch the beginning listed items.  Well, if you're a mom, you can easily understand that this lasts for all of your inspired 5 minutes and then goes down hill from there very fast.  (As well as to waste because after prepping meals for the others you have no ambition to prep your healthy stuff for yourself.)  I know what you're all saying.  I should teach my family to eat the healthy stuff...and they do to some extent but because I didn't raise them on it it is taking longer than I'd like for them to eat it and enjoy.  I AM making most foods from whole-foods and trying to keep out those "no-no" things such as GMOs and chemicals...but it's just plain tough to do and keep up with the rest of life at the same time-- at least for me.

So, I won't whine anymore but I'll get on with my point.  I started last week trying to do something about this issue of discipline...because I know I lack it right now.  (I was so discouraged after this summer's experience I've done a complete nose-dive in most other areas.)  It's time to change...so when the ebook 21 Days to a More  Disciplined Life a (review here) came along, though I wasn't looking for any miracle, I thought I'd get it (while it was $.99!) and just see what the author had to say.  Ok.  It's a good book...one woman's successful blogging journey to 21 days to discipline...but as she asks the reader in the beginning, I'm supposed to pick just ONE habit & project to start with.  It can be as easy as putting my shoes in the right place every time I come into the house or as difficult as adding a consistent workout time back in everyday.  Problem is, when I look at my life I can't find one good area...they are ALL out of sorts and none is "easy" to fix.  Which is where my fridge comes into play...it's all out of sorts and I can't even find the left over baked oatmeal I was planning on having the last few mornings for breakfast!  In order to do that, I'll need to get into the fridge and make a complete overhaul.  Things will start to smell in there soon...and food is certainly rotting somewhere going to waste once again.  So, this morning, you can bet you know what I'll be doing during my week of cancelled school-- cleaning out the fridge.  But it will take more than a week to clean this life out, however...and really, I have to clean out 5 other lives too in order to make mine less cluttered... I'm not sure how to accomplish that. (I hear you all saying, "one step at a time"...)  I know the answers, I've even successfully used those same answers before, but sometimes those answer don't feel sufficient...and like weight loss, in order to keep the momentum, you must first see some sort of tangible results and you need people surrounding you to spur you on.

Those people are the ones I am pleased to say I will be able to go visit in a few days...I'm hoping to return refreshed and upheld...the work will still be there and mine to do, but it will be easier because of the people who are upholding me.  Thank you, Jesus, for true, Godly friends who have the courage to see you inside and out, speak truth in love, and support you through it all.

How about you?  What does your fridge look like today?

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Life Space

My spirits are being refreshed everyday as this autumn time wears on.  I see some trees full of brilliant colors and others that have been the "victims" of a harsh, dry summer and are "just" brown.  But in all of it, brilliant or brown, I am reminded of God's goodness to us through whatever season we are in-- be it "brilliant" or "brown".

Recently, my family and I went through an interesting experience leaving us with an unexpectedly more freed-up schedule.  What could have been a difficult and thoroughly exhausting semester, though brought on not in a way I would have chosen or desired, has become an absolutely delightful time!  I have readjusted my school schedule and lowered my expectations of me so that I can leave SPACE, some call it "margin", for what really matters...like playing learning games with my kids while they are still into playing games with me! 

These are some pictures of what we did as part of our school day today.  I am choosing to include the "beautiful" ones and the "not-so-beautiful" ones just to show you that behind my lens is the same thing you see behind yours-- squirmy, wormy, some-times distracted, kids that act like they are not listening...but they are.  (And they even declared this book to be their favorite after 20 minutes previously saying, "we read this yesterday!  Why do we need to read it AGAIN today?!"=)

Our book for my Pre-K and Kinder this week (see Five in A Row if you are curious as to why a whole week) was Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown.  The book tells of a little bunny who declares he is going to run away and his momma bunny who won't let him get too far because she'll seek after him in whatever way she needs in order to catch him and love on him.  (Reminded me a bit of our Savior when we "declare" by our actions that we are going to run away from Him.)

Here's my 3rd grader re-reading it for the second time today while the youngers do a hands-on activity created by Homeschool Creations, Jolathe, provided for FREE on her website found here. 

The kids all worked together to put the places in order.  Pre-K had the pictures, Kinder had the ordinal numbers, and 2nd grader had the number words.

Here they are almost in order.  (Until brother flipped up that office mat and the cards went flying everywhere. At which point the next few pictures were taken.)

 (And yes, they are unedited, and yes my WB was not to my suiting-- that goes for playing around while taking pictures.  I just thought you all could benefit from the "not-so-beautiful_ like I said earlier=) (Kudos to the bloggers who choose to use their very best and edited and cropped photos...I don't have that time! ha.)

One of my favorites!  After it was all completed (for the second time) my Pre-K gave a big "YES!" with an arm gesture as he does after he bowls a strike or catches a ball.

 Here, Kinder is working on her tracing printable, part of the unit package by Homeschool Creations. 

And Pre-K was able to be in on the action too. 













Our day went on to include math, history, science, violin lessons, gymnastics, a trip to the library, (Frostys from Wendys=) and basketball practice.  Now, time for dinner prep.  (oh, and I did forget to include a quick visit with our neighbor who currently has my kids at her house...she probably thinks I'm doing something important like cleaning...but this blogging outlet is SO wonderful to have!  Shhh...don't let her in on our secret time.=)

I hope you, too, are learning and growing in what SPACE is needed in your family.  What a joy it is to have a happy wife, happy husband, happy children...happy home.


Post Script:
If you've read my last post, you'll know I've been struggling to get my Kinder the time and attention she's been needing.  This morning said it all as she was ALL SMILES after our "hide the bunny" activity, sequencing, reading a story JUST for her and M. and then writing and reading (while at violin lessons).  When I asked her, "is that what you'd like for Kindergarten?" She nodded eagerly and gave me a ginormous huge.  Gotta love Kindergarten.  (Note, as a rule I do not ask my children what they think they should be doing for school, but she's been the difficult one to "please" so it was worth it for her to be totally into what I was asking of her.)

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TOOTH DAY!

It's been a loooooooooong time, hasn't it?  Well, we all get into life like that sometimes, right?  And now, I just decided, I had to write again.  It's a creative outlet, if you will, for many and I'm not ashamed to say I need a bit of that right now for my soul.

So, I bring you another token of my creative ability (a-hem)-- my TOOTH DAY plate!!!!  Yes, I did use a picture from online-- should I even announce that?  (If anyone can find the creator of this picture, please inform them I will pay for it to make it right because it was just handed to me as an option at the store ; ) But, as it was, I went to one of those shops that allows you to purchase, paint, and fire pottery and you walk away feeling like you are a master in the creative realm.  (At least that is how I feel about this "piece" I aptly call, wait for it..., "The Tooth Day Plate".) 

In our home I wanted to do something to celebrate the ever so sought after "loosing of a tooth" rite and when I read a post by my cousin in Ohio, I knew I'd found the "thing" I'd been searching for: Tooth Day!  Although we still do have a Tooth Fairy come and visit, because that's just part of the fun too, we celebrate for the entire day after the Tooth Fairy has visited (and by now they all know it's "just" us, Mom and Dad, pretending to be fairies.  This realization all thanks to the movies that told it all on us.)  We usually have one meal selected by the tooth-less recipient and of course sweet treats.  I've searched online for a few fun "activity" suggestions but haven't found many yet.  That is my next "plan of action" for prepping for this wonderful fun-filled day but getting my plate done is the result of being on a two-year waiting list of "to-do-someday" projects so...activities may be awhile in coming.

Unless...YOU ALL can help me!  If you have a special way you celebrate the farewell and hello of an old and new tooth will you share it with me??  I'd love to hear it and perhaps the next Tooth Day in our home will feature YOU-- or at least, your activity.=)

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