Every time we think things are settling down...nope. There's always so much going on, to think that life "settles down" is a falsehood that no one should believe. I've given up on things being "calm"...until maybe I'm 70 or something.
We settled into our new routine at the new house and then I was knocked flat with "morning" sickness for 6 or so weeks. Bye bye routine. Hello randomness and squeezing in whatever we could, whenever we could. Hello behaviors from boys because they had no routine and knew I couldn't do much about it. That was fun...not. Now we're getting back in to our routines and it's been opposed at every turn by them. But, then again Kian always has some behavioral issues right before his next birthday. And I was given some reading on "the 6 year change", which totally explains Kian right now. Basically, a theory from child developmental experts and psychologists, that going from little kid to big kid throws children a curveball around this age. That there's a big jump in brain development as they're now more academically minded, and trying to emotionally figure out feelings, body, behaviors, etc. They vacillate between snuggly kids and independence and shun toys for more "grown up" things, etc. Totally him right now. So, that's fun.
There's also been a slew of medical issues that keep arising. Nothing extremely major, but just enough to keep me stressed out. Once the morning sickness subsided, the hernia popped back out. It came about in the middle of Karter's pregnancy. It's not a huge deal, when I'm not pregnant, it goes back in and doesn't bother me. When pregnant tho, it sticks out and can be bothersome. It hurts off and on, and I think because the growing is pushing it in weird ways, that I didn't experience with Karter, because I was already bigger when it came about. If that makes sense.
Some other minor typical pregnancy issues, that I won't bother mentioning here, just annoyances.
Then....this has been the fun one--hear that sarcasm?--Blood disorders. Yay. So, I knew I had a Factor VII deficiency from before. It isn't a huge deal, my numbers aren't that bad, it just means it takes a little longer for my blood to clot usually. Nosebleeds have been bad this time, I get them anyways, but at least 3 times a day now. It could also be allergy related along with pregnancy, BUT...then my dad had to go and add more fun stuff in the mix ;) He's been diagnosed with Osler Weber syndrome also known as Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia (HHT) (info here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hereditary_hemorrhagic_telangiectasia ) Essentially, a disorder that causes abnormal artery/vein formation, lots of nosebleeds, red spots on teh skin, mouth, etc. and these abnormal veins (AVMs) can be found in the brain, lung, etc. which can pose serious issues if they being to bleed.
I have always had the nosebleed problem, just not as severe, so figured I was in the clear. But, being pregnant they wanted me tested too. The hematologist showed me I have some of the spots too (telangiectasias) on my tongue, lip and hands. So I've had a few blood draws, one of which was so horrible that today 2 weeks later, I still have bruising and soreness, she was either a vampire or new and I was her first attempt ever! We're waiting on the final results. I have to see an ENT to check into the nosebleeds and nasal passages for these AVMs. The concern is that if there are AVMs in the lungs, it can pose a problem in pregnancy (or anytime) and they wanted to know about it. But, on the other hand, I've had 2 successful pregnancies and deliveries, so they're not super worried. Still stressful.
My June calendar is nuts, there's only 2 days that are completely empty. There's weddings, baby showers, graduation parties, a lot of birthdays on Kevin's side, Kian's birthday and a super soaker party we 'won' from Houseparty.com, the boys are excited. And, the appointments, oh the appointments. I also have Kian scheduled for an eye exam. He's probably fine, but seeing that Kevin and I both needed glasses around 8, I want to just get a baseline. And sometimes he can't see things farther away, that we all can see, like the bunny in the yard. He will also be seeing an orthopedic specialist. I took him when he was 2, for very flat feet and pronated ankles. At that time they told us to let him go barefoot a lot (check) and get good sneakers for when he's wearing shoes. We did, but in the summer it's bare feet or crocs--better than flip flops right? But, it's not improved and worse. His ankles pronate so much that sometimes it appears he almost walks on them, and they stick out, towards each other, with extremely flat feet still. Arches are supposed to develop by age 6, well they haven't. Along with me spending hours on the phone with doctors and looking up numbers, printing and filling out lots of paperwork, it's no wonder our routine is still not in place.
I had switched doctors when we moved out here and saw her for my first prenatal. But, I found out some things that I wasn't comfortable with, that she does, and along with the concerns of blood disorders, etc. I have been looking for another one. Not easy, we're not nearby the big hospitals anymore and I am picky about which one I want. After making several calls and some tentative appointments, i gave up and decided to go back to my previous OB, that delivered the boys. She has an office closer to us and still with Strong. She's familiar with me and the blood issues, and other doctors I called were father away for visits and another hospital, etc. Taking out the stress of finding a new doctor and being able to focus on the other issues, and her knowing my previous history and blood concerns, will make it easier. I didn't always like her ideas or suggestions, but the 3rd time around, I think I'm able to say what I want and need just fine now.
And, this long-winded entry is because I was woken up when Kevin left for work at 4:45am, and dealt with a nosebleed for an hour, with both boys in my bed. I gave up trying to sleep at 6am. Another time I"ll post fun stuff, like the zoo pictures and such. Maybe once June is over....I don't think I've ever looked so forward to July in my life.
Karter...I have no words...
This boy, he's a trip. But he's a bit weird too. Three and a half, caught between the pull of being mama's baby and being a big boy. Still has sleep issues at times. Still comes in our bed in the middle of the night, at least a few times a week.
The other night he was up (after falling asleep in the car at 5pm) with us, and Kevin and I were talking about him going to bed and telling Karter he needed to get to sleep. I said something else to Kevin and Karter says to me "that's what you think". Oy vey.
He also told us the baby's name will be "Window". And "window fire". Ok then.
But, that's not the weirdest thing. We have ants. Yeah, that time of year. No matter how much I wipe counters and floors, they appear, a few at a time each week. I have no idea why or where this came from, but Karter picks one up. And...he EATS it!!! ??? What the?? He then proceeded to eat 2 more. He's a freak. Disgusting. His reasoning? "I ate them so I could tell you just kidding I didn't, but then I really did." Um, okay, weirdo. I guess luckily they were the tiny ones and he said he just swallowed them. All I know is that my kids have immune systems made of steel and iron due to these types of antics. Eating mud, putting rocks in their mouths, eating bugs...Sigh.
The other night he was up (after falling asleep in the car at 5pm) with us, and Kevin and I were talking about him going to bed and telling Karter he needed to get to sleep. I said something else to Kevin and Karter says to me "that's what you think". Oy vey.
He also told us the baby's name will be "Window". And "window fire". Ok then.
But, that's not the weirdest thing. We have ants. Yeah, that time of year. No matter how much I wipe counters and floors, they appear, a few at a time each week. I have no idea why or where this came from, but Karter picks one up. And...he EATS it!!! ??? What the?? He then proceeded to eat 2 more. He's a freak. Disgusting. His reasoning? "I ate them so I could tell you just kidding I didn't, but then I really did." Um, okay, weirdo. I guess luckily they were the tiny ones and he said he just swallowed them. All I know is that my kids have immune systems made of steel and iron due to these types of antics. Eating mud, putting rocks in their mouths, eating bugs...Sigh.
Poor forgotten blog in a busy season
Poor, forgotten blog. Well, it wasn't forgotten, just the last thing on my list. A lot has been happening in the last couple months. I don't even remember the last time I blogged, so bear with me.
First, we found out #3 will be joining us in November, around thanksgiving time. I'll have to find the pictures of how Karter and I told Kevin, the day before St. Patrick's day.
Second, there was a whole month of morning/all days sickness, that kind of wiped out everything...April was a blur of throwing up, trying not to throw up, gagging at everything, and laying low. Not my finer moments.
In the midst of that, I decided to have a 31 gifts (bags and purses) party in April. That was a bit rough cleaning the house for that one. Luckily, Kevin has been very helpful. When raw meat made me sick, he cooked it. He emptied cat litter boxes. He helped clean up Karter in the middle of the night after throwing up, knowing it was making me almost puke myself. Just picking up the slack whenI couldn't, and not complaining or noticing when the house was a disaster because I just couldn't get off the couch. For some reason, this pregnancy has been more intense, not as horribly sick as with Karter, just everything more intense. I smell things much more strongly. My gag reflex is so sensitive, coughing triggered vomiting a few times. The fatigue is more than I remember. I always said I wanted 4 kids...but I told Kevin I won't ask for more after this one. Unless it comes without a pregnancy.
We've been working on the house, and yard. There was absolutely no landscaping done here, so a lot is from scratch. There was one bed that was long overgrown and Kevin dug out and is now filling in with lots of plants. Lots of plants from his parents' house, they dug up boxes of them when they moved out a few weeks ago. And our vegetable garden in in process, some things are planted, others are waiting to go in. Thanks to my dad for tilling it all up. Hopefully the rabbits leave it alone!
Recently, Kevin's aunt and my dad had stays at the hospital (his aunt's still there) and we're keeping tabs on them. My sister also found her own apartment this past week. We all had been discussing changes, especially when the baby arrives in the fall, and she's got new things on in her life. She was lucky to find a place for a great price, and no issues with dogs. The boys didn't want her to move out, but haven't mentioned it yet, but it's only been a few days. Kevin's parents bought a new house, away from the noisy college after 30+ years, and the boys enjoyed visiting it, and that it backs up to Black Creek Park.
We're always busy with lessons and library and groups. Kian just finished up a group at the YMCA for homeschoolers that met once a week for one hour of gym, an hour of art and an hour of music, then free swim for 1.5 hours for the whole family. We're looking into the fall, as Kian wants to continue at home and it's going well.
Um...I think that's the going ons for the past few months. WE seem to have a busy May and June coming up. Showers, weddings, birthdays, etc. That will make the summer go faster I guess.
There you have it...all caught up..I think.
First, we found out #3 will be joining us in November, around thanksgiving time. I'll have to find the pictures of how Karter and I told Kevin, the day before St. Patrick's day.
Second, there was a whole month of morning/all days sickness, that kind of wiped out everything...April was a blur of throwing up, trying not to throw up, gagging at everything, and laying low. Not my finer moments.
In the midst of that, I decided to have a 31 gifts (bags and purses) party in April. That was a bit rough cleaning the house for that one. Luckily, Kevin has been very helpful. When raw meat made me sick, he cooked it. He emptied cat litter boxes. He helped clean up Karter in the middle of the night after throwing up, knowing it was making me almost puke myself. Just picking up the slack whenI couldn't, and not complaining or noticing when the house was a disaster because I just couldn't get off the couch. For some reason, this pregnancy has been more intense, not as horribly sick as with Karter, just everything more intense. I smell things much more strongly. My gag reflex is so sensitive, coughing triggered vomiting a few times. The fatigue is more than I remember. I always said I wanted 4 kids...but I told Kevin I won't ask for more after this one. Unless it comes without a pregnancy.
We've been working on the house, and yard. There was absolutely no landscaping done here, so a lot is from scratch. There was one bed that was long overgrown and Kevin dug out and is now filling in with lots of plants. Lots of plants from his parents' house, they dug up boxes of them when they moved out a few weeks ago. And our vegetable garden in in process, some things are planted, others are waiting to go in. Thanks to my dad for tilling it all up. Hopefully the rabbits leave it alone!
Recently, Kevin's aunt and my dad had stays at the hospital (his aunt's still there) and we're keeping tabs on them. My sister also found her own apartment this past week. We all had been discussing changes, especially when the baby arrives in the fall, and she's got new things on in her life. She was lucky to find a place for a great price, and no issues with dogs. The boys didn't want her to move out, but haven't mentioned it yet, but it's only been a few days. Kevin's parents bought a new house, away from the noisy college after 30+ years, and the boys enjoyed visiting it, and that it backs up to Black Creek Park.
We're always busy with lessons and library and groups. Kian just finished up a group at the YMCA for homeschoolers that met once a week for one hour of gym, an hour of art and an hour of music, then free swim for 1.5 hours for the whole family. We're looking into the fall, as Kian wants to continue at home and it's going well.
Um...I think that's the going ons for the past few months. WE seem to have a busy May and June coming up. Showers, weddings, birthdays, etc. That will make the summer go faster I guess.
There you have it...all caught up..I think.
Kian and Karter: on babies and marriage
At breakfast this morning Kian informed me we will be having twin girls in the future, followed by another boy that will be born on his birthday. I informed him: good luck, almost guarantee that won't happen.
Karter chimed in, stated that he will have "8 kids, no girls, only boys". I told him to have fun with that and he needed to find a good wife who will have 8 kids, especially 8 boys with him. He said he will have the kids and live with daddy. Oh no, you need a wife and your own house.
"I don't know how to find a wife" he says. I told him that when he's grown up he will find a girl he likes so much he can marry her and buy a house and have his 8 kids. Kian adds "well first you have to get a job, and maybe live in an apartment or at home until you have money for your house with your wife." True.
"Yeah and then you and daddy can babysit all my 8 kids" Karter says. um, good luck with that...we may be on some vacations...
Karter chimed in, stated that he will have "8 kids, no girls, only boys". I told him to have fun with that and he needed to find a good wife who will have 8 kids, especially 8 boys with him. He said he will have the kids and live with daddy. Oh no, you need a wife and your own house.
"I don't know how to find a wife" he says. I told him that when he's grown up he will find a girl he likes so much he can marry her and buy a house and have his 8 kids. Kian adds "well first you have to get a job, and maybe live in an apartment or at home until you have money for your house with your wife." True.
"Yeah and then you and daddy can babysit all my 8 kids" Karter says. um, good luck with that...we may be on some vacations...
You drink what?
If you opened our fridge you would find plenty of foods to make large tossed salads. There's a drawer full of fruits. Some containers of leftovers grace the second shelf. Probably more condiments than we need or use fill the door. Natural eggs from our chickens and organic yogurt are stacked on the left side. What's missing is obvious only to visitors and company that comes to our home. They're thirsty and would like a beverage, open the fridge and....huh?
Pop? Never. Juice? Half of a half gallon of OJ left. Milk? Coconut. Anything else? Tea or coffee, yes, but you will have to wait for that to heat up. No Lipton lemonades or Juicy Juice or Hi-C or Sunny D. No Pepsi, Coke, Sprite or Barq's. The milk, it's for cereal, smoothies or baking. We don't drink glasses of it. Juice is a couple ounces with breakfast and mainly OJ, pulp free of course. You may sometimes find a few organic orange juice boxes, but that's only because I was tired of Kevin pouring OJ from the big container and taking an open cup of it in his truck every morning.
What DO we drink? Water. Water? Yep. From the tap, or if you prefer in the fridge. With a wedge or slice of lemon, or if you're Kian-sometimes a slice of lime. That's all? That's mostly it. Well, smoothies are drinks too I suppose. They're more of a drink/snack combination in this house.
Why? Well, because our bodies don't really need anything else. I've done enough research to know that getting calcium from foods is better than drinking cow's milk fortified with it. From the beginning, I always gave the boys water in sippy cups with meals or in between nursing, as infants. They like it, they're used to it. I love water, has to have lemon in it though, which is a cleansing agent as well, a bonus for me. Sure if we are at a party or picnic or somewhere, we will have other drinks. I'm not a drink Nazi...much. Okay, a little. Only 100% juice and usually we all prefer it to be watered down, we're not used to concentrated sweetness of bottled and boxed drinks. Eating an apple or pear or grapes is better for you than drinking just the juice of that fruit. And when the boys and I choose drinks at restaurants that is not water, it's usually lemonade, sometimes chocolate milk-their choices, just no caffeine or pop.
Sure, lots of people think we are deprived, or I deprive my kids. Or most people are shocked my kids eat as healthy as they do and how much they love water and ask for it. Sometimes Kian tells me that when he grows up he will go to Burger King every week. I told him that if he decides to do that, it's his choice and he'll have to deal with the consequences of what it does to his body but that my job is to teach good, healthy choices and while he was in our house we have the job of making sure he grows well, etc. That satisfied him.
A bonus of drinking lots of water is that it helps flush the body of extra salts and such. I noticed when I upped my water intake, the bloating also was going down. It seems counter intuitive that if you're body is holding on to water weight, to drink MORE, but that's exactly what it needs. I also found that hydrating my body first thing in the morning, before even eating (I have a cup of tea as soon as I wake up) has helped me wake up, not eat as much and get a start on the day.
As for the smoothies: Green. Aka spinach. Yep. You wouldn't know it , if it wasn't for the color. Typically what I do is: (approximate, I don't really measure)
Toss 1 banana, 1 cup frozen leaf spinach, 2 handfuls--about 2 cups of frozen fruit and 3/4-1 cup coconut milk in the blender and puree until smooth. I like my smoothies a bit thicker though, adding more liquid obviously thins them out.
I alternate with the frozen fruit being only strawberries, then the next day being mango/pineapple/peach, etc.
Some days, when Kevin wants one, I use organic yogurt (1 container) and decrease the milk.
Substitute herbal tea or any juice for the coconut milk.
Adding an avocado instead of yogurt gives you the "good fats" and lots of other health benefits. It also makes it very creamy.
Blueberry, banana and avocado, with spinach, was one of the best ones I've ever made.
Trick is that the banana hides all the spinach taste, if you notice it or prefer to not notice it. I usually add more spinach because I don't mind, even like, the taste.
Other ones to try: cantaloupe, cucumber, pear, basically whatever you think sounds good, throw it in and blend it up. This tends to be my breakfast about an hour after I drink my cup of tea.
So, if you stop over, be forewarned, I will offer you a smoothie, and a drink, but be prepared for lots of H2O!
Pop? Never. Juice? Half of a half gallon of OJ left. Milk? Coconut. Anything else? Tea or coffee, yes, but you will have to wait for that to heat up. No Lipton lemonades or Juicy Juice or Hi-C or Sunny D. No Pepsi, Coke, Sprite or Barq's. The milk, it's for cereal, smoothies or baking. We don't drink glasses of it. Juice is a couple ounces with breakfast and mainly OJ, pulp free of course. You may sometimes find a few organic orange juice boxes, but that's only because I was tired of Kevin pouring OJ from the big container and taking an open cup of it in his truck every morning.
What DO we drink? Water. Water? Yep. From the tap, or if you prefer in the fridge. With a wedge or slice of lemon, or if you're Kian-sometimes a slice of lime. That's all? That's mostly it. Well, smoothies are drinks too I suppose. They're more of a drink/snack combination in this house.
Why? Well, because our bodies don't really need anything else. I've done enough research to know that getting calcium from foods is better than drinking cow's milk fortified with it. From the beginning, I always gave the boys water in sippy cups with meals or in between nursing, as infants. They like it, they're used to it. I love water, has to have lemon in it though, which is a cleansing agent as well, a bonus for me. Sure if we are at a party or picnic or somewhere, we will have other drinks. I'm not a drink Nazi...much. Okay, a little. Only 100% juice and usually we all prefer it to be watered down, we're not used to concentrated sweetness of bottled and boxed drinks. Eating an apple or pear or grapes is better for you than drinking just the juice of that fruit. And when the boys and I choose drinks at restaurants that is not water, it's usually lemonade, sometimes chocolate milk-their choices, just no caffeine or pop.
Sure, lots of people think we are deprived, or I deprive my kids. Or most people are shocked my kids eat as healthy as they do and how much they love water and ask for it. Sometimes Kian tells me that when he grows up he will go to Burger King every week. I told him that if he decides to do that, it's his choice and he'll have to deal with the consequences of what it does to his body but that my job is to teach good, healthy choices and while he was in our house we have the job of making sure he grows well, etc. That satisfied him.
A bonus of drinking lots of water is that it helps flush the body of extra salts and such. I noticed when I upped my water intake, the bloating also was going down. It seems counter intuitive that if you're body is holding on to water weight, to drink MORE, but that's exactly what it needs. I also found that hydrating my body first thing in the morning, before even eating (I have a cup of tea as soon as I wake up) has helped me wake up, not eat as much and get a start on the day.
As for the smoothies: Green. Aka spinach. Yep. You wouldn't know it , if it wasn't for the color. Typically what I do is: (approximate, I don't really measure)
Toss 1 banana, 1 cup frozen leaf spinach, 2 handfuls--about 2 cups of frozen fruit and 3/4-1 cup coconut milk in the blender and puree until smooth. I like my smoothies a bit thicker though, adding more liquid obviously thins them out.
I alternate with the frozen fruit being only strawberries, then the next day being mango/pineapple/peach, etc.
Some days, when Kevin wants one, I use organic yogurt (1 container) and decrease the milk.
Substitute herbal tea or any juice for the coconut milk.
Adding an avocado instead of yogurt gives you the "good fats" and lots of other health benefits. It also makes it very creamy.
Blueberry, banana and avocado, with spinach, was one of the best ones I've ever made.
Trick is that the banana hides all the spinach taste, if you notice it or prefer to not notice it. I usually add more spinach because I don't mind, even like, the taste.
Other ones to try: cantaloupe, cucumber, pear, basically whatever you think sounds good, throw it in and blend it up. This tends to be my breakfast about an hour after I drink my cup of tea.
So, if you stop over, be forewarned, I will offer you a smoothie, and a drink, but be prepared for lots of H2O!
On the fitness forefront: diet and exercise
Along with the new year, new house, and other changes, I decided "why not throw in one more thing on my to do list, and add exercise and diet regimens as well?" Forging ahead in this area, along with all else, has meant some things have been left behind and that needs to be fixed as well. Mostly, the "in real life" contact with friends and family, socialization for me has been seriously lacking. It's on my list too. But, being a better person, wife, mom and friend by feeling better and eating better will benefit everyone.
Really, I just got tired of feeling run-down, tired after sleeping well, craving carbs and sugar, and continually being bloated and having skin problems. Packing and moving around the holidays was rough. We ate a lot of pizza, Christmas cookies, easy meals, prepared/pre-packaged stuff and we were all feeling it, especially me. Nothing seemed to be making my gut happy or the bloating go away. I knew a diet intervention was the only thing that would help, and exercise, which had been thrown by the wayside, had to come back.
I first decided to commit myself to 30 days of exercise. 30 days, 30 minutes. That was it. Cardio (treadmill and/or elliptical) and 30 sit ups and 30 bicep curls with weights. That's all. I purposely started with small goals. Before I had Kevin make up plans for me, or I had this large goal of working every muscle and doing a billion exercises. I'd fail because time wasn't my friend. There were children to feed, clothe, educate, play with, dinner to make, animals to take care of, on and on.
But, I figured if I can do it for 30 days, it will become a habit and stick. And it has! I missed a couple days when I wasn't feeling well, but every single other day I make sure I get something in. Some days are short, some days I have longer periods to exercise or do multiple exercises (ie outside trail walking, treadmill, yoga, etc.). I feel so much better when I am active and it really does a body good. I notice I am getting better at running longer jags, and not breathing as hard, finding some muscle under that "mommy layer".
The other part of it was to clean up our diet. I already knew that going dairy free for a full year while nursing Karter had amazing affects on me. My skin was clearer, my pregnancy weight dropped off and I felt good, not stomach issues, when I wasn't partaking in dairy. Lately though, I had been noticing issues when I had carbs and gluten, especially breads and pastas. I went a week of absolutely no gluten or carbs and a serving or two of dairy. The bloating went down. Stomach issues went away. I increased the fruit and veggies we are all eating in this house, especially fresh ones (frozen is about as good as fresh). I lost 4 pounds in a month. Losing weight wasn't even my goal. Feeling better and toning up to be in better shape, being healthier is my goal. If weight loss is a byproduct, then even better.
Some of the diet changes I/we are making are having less meat, increasing beans and other proteins, less carbs (pastas, breads, cookies) and especially getting rid of processed foods. I started with smoothies. Smoothies for breakfast, lunch, snacks, whenever. And green. Tossing in a handful of spinach to any fruit smoothie gives you extra veggies, calcium, vitamins, etc.and you don't even taste it. Even Kevin and the boys like them. Then I stopped buying cookies, crackers, and other empty calorie snacks and foods. Gasp. We don't just eat lettuce. The boys and I have fun making our own granola bars. We eat nuts and dried fruits (trail mix) instead of tossing them crackers for snacks. They love "ants on a log" (celery filled with peanut butter and topped with raisins). We make healthier, gluten and flour free brownies that are still delicious and good for you. Some nights we have meatless meals. Other nights, I just cut back on how much meat we're eating and expand our veggie dishes.
I had been doing some research online (big surprise right?) and found Paleo Diets. I like the concept a lot, basically eating only what you grow or kill. I joked with Kevin that I might also go vegan, that caused a ruckus in the house. I was only half joking. But, a lot of things have been changing with our diets and even Kevin is more aware because he's been having a lot of migraines in the last couple months and we're noticing how certain foods are affecting him. Not everyone agrees with the meals I make and recipes I try, but the boys are pretty open to a lot, which is nice. They at least enjoyed my lentil patties, even though I won't be making them again.
Eating right and exercising, feeling better, will not only benefit me but my family as well. It's no secret I want more kids, and I'm looking at myself at almost 32 and thinking, I need to be healthy and in shape for family, future pregnancies, for getting older, for just about everything really. I don't want to tell my boys I'm too tired. I don't want to battle weight, and while it's not about that, because I don't want to make it an issue with self image and such, I'm fine with how I look, but to just keep watch of things. And now, in doing this for over a month now, it truly has become part of my lifestyle. I may sit in pajamas until after lunch, after school is done and I can workout, or get up early, but whatever works, it gets done and I want to do it. I'm feeling better, feeding my body better things and keeping it happier which in turn makes me happier.
Really, I just got tired of feeling run-down, tired after sleeping well, craving carbs and sugar, and continually being bloated and having skin problems. Packing and moving around the holidays was rough. We ate a lot of pizza, Christmas cookies, easy meals, prepared/pre-packaged stuff and we were all feeling it, especially me. Nothing seemed to be making my gut happy or the bloating go away. I knew a diet intervention was the only thing that would help, and exercise, which had been thrown by the wayside, had to come back.
I first decided to commit myself to 30 days of exercise. 30 days, 30 minutes. That was it. Cardio (treadmill and/or elliptical) and 30 sit ups and 30 bicep curls with weights. That's all. I purposely started with small goals. Before I had Kevin make up plans for me, or I had this large goal of working every muscle and doing a billion exercises. I'd fail because time wasn't my friend. There were children to feed, clothe, educate, play with, dinner to make, animals to take care of, on and on.
But, I figured if I can do it for 30 days, it will become a habit and stick. And it has! I missed a couple days when I wasn't feeling well, but every single other day I make sure I get something in. Some days are short, some days I have longer periods to exercise or do multiple exercises (ie outside trail walking, treadmill, yoga, etc.). I feel so much better when I am active and it really does a body good. I notice I am getting better at running longer jags, and not breathing as hard, finding some muscle under that "mommy layer".
The other part of it was to clean up our diet. I already knew that going dairy free for a full year while nursing Karter had amazing affects on me. My skin was clearer, my pregnancy weight dropped off and I felt good, not stomach issues, when I wasn't partaking in dairy. Lately though, I had been noticing issues when I had carbs and gluten, especially breads and pastas. I went a week of absolutely no gluten or carbs and a serving or two of dairy. The bloating went down. Stomach issues went away. I increased the fruit and veggies we are all eating in this house, especially fresh ones (frozen is about as good as fresh). I lost 4 pounds in a month. Losing weight wasn't even my goal. Feeling better and toning up to be in better shape, being healthier is my goal. If weight loss is a byproduct, then even better.
Some of the diet changes I/we are making are having less meat, increasing beans and other proteins, less carbs (pastas, breads, cookies) and especially getting rid of processed foods. I started with smoothies. Smoothies for breakfast, lunch, snacks, whenever. And green. Tossing in a handful of spinach to any fruit smoothie gives you extra veggies, calcium, vitamins, etc.and you don't even taste it. Even Kevin and the boys like them. Then I stopped buying cookies, crackers, and other empty calorie snacks and foods. Gasp. We don't just eat lettuce. The boys and I have fun making our own granola bars. We eat nuts and dried fruits (trail mix) instead of tossing them crackers for snacks. They love "ants on a log" (celery filled with peanut butter and topped with raisins). We make healthier, gluten and flour free brownies that are still delicious and good for you. Some nights we have meatless meals. Other nights, I just cut back on how much meat we're eating and expand our veggie dishes.
I had been doing some research online (big surprise right?) and found Paleo Diets. I like the concept a lot, basically eating only what you grow or kill. I joked with Kevin that I might also go vegan, that caused a ruckus in the house. I was only half joking. But, a lot of things have been changing with our diets and even Kevin is more aware because he's been having a lot of migraines in the last couple months and we're noticing how certain foods are affecting him. Not everyone agrees with the meals I make and recipes I try, but the boys are pretty open to a lot, which is nice. They at least enjoyed my lentil patties, even though I won't be making them again.
Eating right and exercising, feeling better, will not only benefit me but my family as well. It's no secret I want more kids, and I'm looking at myself at almost 32 and thinking, I need to be healthy and in shape for family, future pregnancies, for getting older, for just about everything really. I don't want to tell my boys I'm too tired. I don't want to battle weight, and while it's not about that, because I don't want to make it an issue with self image and such, I'm fine with how I look, but to just keep watch of things. And now, in doing this for over a month now, it truly has become part of my lifestyle. I may sit in pajamas until after lunch, after school is done and I can workout, or get up early, but whatever works, it gets done and I want to do it. I'm feeling better, feeding my body better things and keeping it happier which in turn makes me happier.
Homeschooling: thoughts, tweaks and changes
I know homeschooling isn't for everyone. I know that not everyone approves of my homeschooling the boys. It's something we are taking month by month and looking at at the end of the year to assess where we are going with education choices and decisions. I know some people roll their eyes or think it's dumb. I know others think it's fantastic and some have expressed they wish they could do the same. (Which, anyone can home school, it's a different kind of commitment for sure, but that's another post.) I do not know how far we will go with it. I only know what we're doing here and now, month to month.
Recently, I asked Kian for his thoughts on next year's schooling. I said we could discuss public school or home school. He answered that he would like to do it at home again next year. I am all for that, but Kevin and I will discuss and see what we all think is best. It definitely has some advantages, and allows us a lot of flexibility and wiggle room in our routines and our days that we all love. We can do school at 8 am, or 11am or 3pm. Right now, there's not a lot of requirement, as we're not yet under the school district's thumb or scrutiny in what we need to cover or record or count. This is something that will come next year, as New York State's rule is that the homeschooling needs to be recorded when the child is six years old. This will entail a lot more on my end, counting hours and curriculum covered, etc. I will be in touch with other homeschooling parents to figure out that part and if it's going to work for us. And to be honest, the thought of getting a child up and ready for the bus that comes by at 7:20 am and enforcing homework after dinner, isn't my idea of a good day, I've been spoiled.
One major benefit, besides the scheduling, is the freedom in curriculum. I can teach what I want, when I want, how I want. Kian can be part of choosing the unit studies and themes and topics. I often ask him what he wants to talk about the next month. We can go as fast or as slow as we want. This is true for the level and difficulty of curriculum as well. I bought a book of addition and subtraction for Kian and figured he would use it through the entire year. Wrong! He flew through the book, often doing pages and problems on his own. I had been giving him simple 4+6 and 5+3 problems. He began doing double digit adding and subtracting on his own and sometimes getting it, sometimes struggling. I also had a money and time book that we would sometimes do. But, I figured out that the same old adding and subtracting problems each day were boring him and so we changed it. I made up a new schedule: Monday-money, Tuesday-time, Wed and Thurs-adding/subtracting, Friday-fractions. It allows him to have some variety in the week of what he's working on, moving forward in each area, without being bored. He seems to get things easily so far and his memory is great, which makes it a lot easier on me. He tries to do cursive writing and multiplication, but that I am pulling the reins back on, I want a firm foundation in basics first.
I don't know where we are headed in this journey, but for now, for us, it works. I don't think Kian would do well boxed in a particular curriculum and time frame, especially after experiencing the freedom of what we do here. We have our moments for sure, when he doesn't want to practice some printing, or wants to do math on the computer games instead, or reads the adverb books ahead of time before I can get to them and then schools me with his factoids...but it's working.
Recently, I asked Kian for his thoughts on next year's schooling. I said we could discuss public school or home school. He answered that he would like to do it at home again next year. I am all for that, but Kevin and I will discuss and see what we all think is best. It definitely has some advantages, and allows us a lot of flexibility and wiggle room in our routines and our days that we all love. We can do school at 8 am, or 11am or 3pm. Right now, there's not a lot of requirement, as we're not yet under the school district's thumb or scrutiny in what we need to cover or record or count. This is something that will come next year, as New York State's rule is that the homeschooling needs to be recorded when the child is six years old. This will entail a lot more on my end, counting hours and curriculum covered, etc. I will be in touch with other homeschooling parents to figure out that part and if it's going to work for us. And to be honest, the thought of getting a child up and ready for the bus that comes by at 7:20 am and enforcing homework after dinner, isn't my idea of a good day, I've been spoiled.
One major benefit, besides the scheduling, is the freedom in curriculum. I can teach what I want, when I want, how I want. Kian can be part of choosing the unit studies and themes and topics. I often ask him what he wants to talk about the next month. We can go as fast or as slow as we want. This is true for the level and difficulty of curriculum as well. I bought a book of addition and subtraction for Kian and figured he would use it through the entire year. Wrong! He flew through the book, often doing pages and problems on his own. I had been giving him simple 4+6 and 5+3 problems. He began doing double digit adding and subtracting on his own and sometimes getting it, sometimes struggling. I also had a money and time book that we would sometimes do. But, I figured out that the same old adding and subtracting problems each day were boring him and so we changed it. I made up a new schedule: Monday-money, Tuesday-time, Wed and Thurs-adding/subtracting, Friday-fractions. It allows him to have some variety in the week of what he's working on, moving forward in each area, without being bored. He seems to get things easily so far and his memory is great, which makes it a lot easier on me. He tries to do cursive writing and multiplication, but that I am pulling the reins back on, I want a firm foundation in basics first.
I don't know where we are headed in this journey, but for now, for us, it works. I don't think Kian would do well boxed in a particular curriculum and time frame, especially after experiencing the freedom of what we do here. We have our moments for sure, when he doesn't want to practice some printing, or wants to do math on the computer games instead, or reads the adverb books ahead of time before I can get to them and then schools me with his factoids...but it's working.
Finding routine
I was pleasantly surprised with how well the boys and animals adjusted moving into the new house. And fairly quickly, as well. I was expecting a lot more issues with bedtimes, pet problems, etc. The cats all seemed very to take the house just fine, as did Finn. Plenty of house, high places, windows, and yard for the dog. Kian, I knew, would be fine at first, then take time later to process and get his behaviours out. I was worried about Karter and his sleeping routines. Having just gotten him into good routines, I was afraid with moving he would be all out of sorts. Apparently, I needn't have worried so much.
The boys love having their own rooms. Kian lately has asked Karter to "sleep over in my room." Karter tried, for 5 minutes and went back to his own room. He actually loves having his own room, sleeps soundly in his bed 95% of the time. He still occasionally comes in around 5am to snuggle with me, and rarely will ask to sleep in our bed at night. If he does, I can easily move him to his own bed, and he doesn't protest like before. Lately, I will lay in his bed to read him a book and kiss him goodnight, he will roll over on his pillow and tell me "can you leave now, get out please." I call that success and progress. I knew eventually one day he'd sleep all on his own, in his own bed. Despite what people think about co-sleeping, kids do not stay in the parents bed forever, and it was good for him when he needed it and now he doesn't.
In having their own rooms, they have toys up there now. They play together in one room, or separately in their own. It's nice to have another spot for toys instead of just the downstairs. We have a huge closet to store all the games, arts and crafts and other toys, in our "den/whatever you want to call it room". So, they can bring things in and out to the rug there. We also "do school" in this room. We have desks and bookshelves and a loveseat by huge windows.
We did take a break from school lessons during the holidays and moving. The boys still did some worksheets and things on their own. Lessons started back up about two weeks after we moved in. Changes were made there as well, which is the nice thing about homeschooling. I can tweak when Kian is bored, has mastered something or wants to challenge himself. Karter is really into it now, he loves tracing letters and numbers and trying to do things that Kian does.
Other things have fallen into place nicely. Wegmans is only 10 minutes away, same time, few more miles than before, no big deal. Walmart and other such stores are ten minutes in the other direction. The Palmyra Library has lots of nice programs for the boys, and are very open and willing to accommodate Karter and other younger siblings in all activities, even if they say they are for elementary age kids. I'm trying to find out about other groups, sports, etc. in our area. They're enjoying the kids' program at church, lots of fun stuff, contemporary and great people running it. I am also enjoying the church and it fits into Kevin's checklist: not long (about and hour), contemporary without being rock concert, not super huge. It's a win-win. It's nice to feel settled in the community and home.
Eventually we will get all the little things worked out, like the steep driveway that gets icy in the winter, moving the chickens on the bottom floor of the barn-instead of the top floor where they are now, and more. It's little things, and they will keep us busy, but nothing major, which is nice. We've kind of fallen out of contact with family and friends during our moving and unpacking phase, and so we need to get back up to speed and in touch with everyone. It was a bit overwhelming to do that during the holidays and now we're settled and ready to have company and get back in the swing of things.
The boys love having their own rooms. Kian lately has asked Karter to "sleep over in my room." Karter tried, for 5 minutes and went back to his own room. He actually loves having his own room, sleeps soundly in his bed 95% of the time. He still occasionally comes in around 5am to snuggle with me, and rarely will ask to sleep in our bed at night. If he does, I can easily move him to his own bed, and he doesn't protest like before. Lately, I will lay in his bed to read him a book and kiss him goodnight, he will roll over on his pillow and tell me "can you leave now, get out please." I call that success and progress. I knew eventually one day he'd sleep all on his own, in his own bed. Despite what people think about co-sleeping, kids do not stay in the parents bed forever, and it was good for him when he needed it and now he doesn't.
In having their own rooms, they have toys up there now. They play together in one room, or separately in their own. It's nice to have another spot for toys instead of just the downstairs. We have a huge closet to store all the games, arts and crafts and other toys, in our "den/whatever you want to call it room". So, they can bring things in and out to the rug there. We also "do school" in this room. We have desks and bookshelves and a loveseat by huge windows.
We did take a break from school lessons during the holidays and moving. The boys still did some worksheets and things on their own. Lessons started back up about two weeks after we moved in. Changes were made there as well, which is the nice thing about homeschooling. I can tweak when Kian is bored, has mastered something or wants to challenge himself. Karter is really into it now, he loves tracing letters and numbers and trying to do things that Kian does.
Other things have fallen into place nicely. Wegmans is only 10 minutes away, same time, few more miles than before, no big deal. Walmart and other such stores are ten minutes in the other direction. The Palmyra Library has lots of nice programs for the boys, and are very open and willing to accommodate Karter and other younger siblings in all activities, even if they say they are for elementary age kids. I'm trying to find out about other groups, sports, etc. in our area. They're enjoying the kids' program at church, lots of fun stuff, contemporary and great people running it. I am also enjoying the church and it fits into Kevin's checklist: not long (about and hour), contemporary without being rock concert, not super huge. It's a win-win. It's nice to feel settled in the community and home.
Eventually we will get all the little things worked out, like the steep driveway that gets icy in the winter, moving the chickens on the bottom floor of the barn-instead of the top floor where they are now, and more. It's little things, and they will keep us busy, but nothing major, which is nice. We've kind of fallen out of contact with family and friends during our moving and unpacking phase, and so we need to get back up to speed and in touch with everyone. It was a bit overwhelming to do that during the holidays and now we're settled and ready to have company and get back in the swing of things.
Christmas 2012
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| Cheese! Missing 2 teeth! |
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| Our Hanukkah Menorah craft |
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| Drums from Gramps....yes I approved it. |
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| We made Kiara a new Clarice reindeer (from Rudolph) from Build-a-bear since she had lost her old one. |
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| Rockstar |
I'm still alive! And we're almost normal!
It's been a long, long time since I blogged. Partly, due to the move and all the unpacking and settling, and partly due to a virus I had on my computer, which prevented me from logging into Google or blogger. All is fixed now, and a lot has happened since I last posted. I've been meaning to, and I've had a few people ask this past week where my posts are, so bear with me-I don't even know where to start.
Well, let's see...we moved, in blizzards, for two weekends in a row, surrounding Christmas. Not my idea, but Kevin's. Of course, we didn't expect blizzard conditions, or for the moving to take so long. The mortgage company gave us issues and there was a lot of back and forth between 3 people who worked there, and none of them talked to each other, God forbid! So, we did a lot of sending the same things over and over. Interesting, how when Kevin spoke with the owner of the mortgage company, that same afternoon we got the final "okay" and were cleared to close. Hmm, after 3 months of back and forth and dragging it out, closing dates being switched every week. That put us on the 21st of closing. It was a toss up, stay put until after Christmas, and have holidays amongst piles and stacks of boxes? Or, move before and unpack some stuff, when Kevin had some free time, which he wouldn't have after the New Year's resolution-makers go nuts at the gym? So, we moved on the 22nd, and 23rd, and 21st, and 29th, and...yeah.
We rented a truck Friday, the 21st, which we picked up after my in-laws helped me sweep and clean the new house. I was being so helpful pulling the loading ramp out of that truck, while my father-in-law was straightening it out by the house and door. The ramp jerked back and smashed my hand between it and the door frame. I have seriously never felt pain like that, giving birth was like candy and rainbows compared to that feeling! I mean, crying, doubled over, for sure it's broken and my only thought is "crap we don't have insurance." Kourt did the EMT exam and determined not broken, and I was out of moving duty, just like that. No, it wasn't planned. And after a week of horrible pain, swelling, bruising, nerve pain, I did go to urgent care and have it x-rayed, still just a terrible injury, no broken bones. It took 5 weeks for it to heal, and every once in awhile it still has a 'catch' to it and some scar tissue built up.
I had made the final decision to hire movers, due to the weather, dates of moving and it was the best thing we ever did. We had family help and with the movers it was 100 times easier, faster, everything. We ended up hiring the same company the following weekend for the outdoor stuff (hot tubs, kennel panels, swing sets, etc. and whatever else) and it was worth the money, as it was another blizzard again. (Highline movers, we definitely recommend them.)
Unpacking took weeks, and there are still a handful of boxes we need to go through and unpack or trash or something. A lot got tossed into the attic and so that needs to be organized and cleaned up a bit as well. We had a garage sale in September and got rid of a lot, from baby blankets, toys, games, clothes, kitchen and household stuff, to outdoor and garden things. Yet, after I unpacked I still had 10 boxes I filled with stuff we didn't want or use, and we took to VOA. I still have another 3 good sized boxes in the laundry room to take again. I love getting rid of stuff.
We had a big break from school lessons, at least 3 weeks. We would still do a few things, and Kian loves doing his worksheets and workbooks on his own. They also helped pack a lot, and Kian helped me label boxes, I call that printing and spelling practice. We got back into the swing of things the second week in January and also change how we do some things. Kevin's mom found two student desks at a garage sale and the boys love them. They keep books and pencils and scissors in them and love to sit at them and 'do school' as Karter calls it.
I got the boys involved in the local library right away. More for my sanity at first, to give them something to do and take a break from unpacking. They're more relaxed here, especially about ages and programs, so even though they say "elementary age", which Kian is, they are more than happy to include Karter in the programs. They have Lego party afternoons, wii dancing competitions, board game days, fort building, and coming up soon is race tracks and tunnels, and lots of other fun stuff. I signed Karter up for the 3 year old story hour as well, starting this week.
Finally, we found a church we love. While in Rochester, we attended a great church and I actually drove the 45 minutes a lot of Sundays at first, to be there. But, it wasn't practical and we tried to get involved with churches in Canandaigua. I knew what was there, having grown up in the area, and nothing really grabbed Kevin and I completely. Too small, not enough young families, way too long/stuffy, kids' programs not in place, etc. etc. I know, I was being super picky. But, I drove by Cross Creek Church here in Palmyra, literally 3 minutes and 3 miles from our house, and decided to try it. I had seen all the Lutheran, Mormon and Catholic ones on the corners of Church Street and they weren't for me/us. I went the first week with just the boys, and fell in love. It's been about a month now, and it's perfect for us. Great kids' programs, a good mix of ages/families, services are contemporary and easily applicable to our life, and for Kevin--it's done in about an hour or just over.
So, that's a little of what has been going on around here while we've been off the grid.
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