Barre Workouts

 I have been doing a really great low-impact workout the past two weeks called Barre Blend -- it is a lot of dance and ballet and work at a bar (but French is Barre - because it is based on ballet).

I am NOT a dancer... but WOW, these workouts are hard.

As my barre, I've been using a step ladder... Hunter LOVES when he is awake during my workouts because he uses that time to practice his climbing -- three steps up and three steps down for 30 minutes.

I even caught on our camera when I was doing leg lifts and he was doing leg lifts at the same time.

Chuckle

This made me chuckle... except mine is 5lbs 13 oz.

Day With the Littles

Earlier this week Hubby took Howard, Caroline, and Tracey on an adventure hiking and fishing, and I stayed home with the littles trying to get ready for some company.

The day was definitely quieter than when the big kids are home... but not really easier.  Lee Lee and Hunter require constant supervision and/or entertaining but they do not argue and Lee Lee is not as difficult when she has more of my attention.  The big kids argue more, antagonize each other, and often make messes -- but they also look after the little ones, entertain Hunter, look out for Lee Lee, and do chores and help pick up the messes they made.

All in all, it was great to spend the day with the little ones... but I did not get nearly as much done as I was hoping to.

 

 

Little Gobblers

On Thanksgiving we started our day with a turkey trot race.

Or rather, we started the day by making our children run a turkey trot race.  Our town had the second annual Little Gobbler heat to the adult turkey trot and we signed up our oldest four kiddos.  Memaw and Pepaw were there too, but managed to escape the pictures.

Tracey and Howard did well and had fun.  They ran together near the front until Howard broke away down the stretch to finish first of his siblings.

Caroline and Lee Lee ran with Mama and did run the entire race.  They finished dead last of all the children, but were happy that the finish line had not run out of doughnuts for the participants.  Lee Lee had fun and kept saying, "I running a race!"  Caroline, on the other hand, did not have the ball everyone else did.  She kind of whimpered the entire race and wanted to hold my hand for most of it.

She did spend the rest of her day, however, talking about the race and showing off her medal.

Oh, our little Gobblers. 

 

Over A Year.

Something I haven't written much about, but something of which I am very proud is that the last week of March marked 1 year since I began regularly working out at home.

There have been a few weeks I've taken off here and there -- pretty much just last July... but other than those I have worked out 6 days every week with incredibly reliability.

I have lost 30+ pounds, many inches, gained so much energy, and I love the habit of working out.  Sure, some days I still have to convince myself, but its easier than it used ot be.

I also text my mom a post-workout picture EVERY DAY.

That wonderful woman has never once asked me to lighten up on the daily pictures or admitted that no body wants to see my sweaty post-workout selfies.  She always writes back with an encouraging word.

Yesterday, I slept in.  My Friday workday was longer and more demanding usual, and I had a PEO social event Friday night, so I was EXHAUSTED Saturday morning.

All that to say, Tracey decided to take pictures during my Saturday workout -- and take slow motion videos.  Everything she took will never be viewed by anyone... but I was able to take a screen shot from one of her videos, and I kind of love it.

I feel it is a really good picture for marking over a year of consistent working out... even complete with Hubby asleep in the background.  LOL!

 

Stretch

Yesterday's stretch was really special -- great form and a great cuddle.

 

10 On 10

10 On 10 for January... I pretty much forgot to take pictures most of the day... so I actually have only 10 pictures.

 

10 On The 10th

Ten (or more) pictures taken on the 10th of the month...

4:40am and my hour workout is done and my daily post-workout text message is sent off to my momma.  She must be so sick of these from me, but she's so encouraging.  Day 75 of my 80 day program (round 2) done.

4:45am and I'm headed to mail 175 Christmas cards before Hubby leaves for work

4:55am and the tune Silver Bells runs through my head as I enjoy the Rifle early morning Christmas street lights

6:19am and I'm showered and dressed and ready to get some work done before children awaken

6:43am and I have an office assistant doing her own work while I do mine

 8:03am and all kids are up and ready to hang the day's Advent ornament

 It's Howard's day and he got a little grand piano ornament

 8:35am with breakfast of scrambled eggs with mushrooms and cheese and biscuits with jam.

9:11am and everyone's playing ring-around-the-rosie... this is why you have four kids-- so everyone has a partner. 

 11:30 and lunch of leftover elk meat with cheese in a crescent roll -- you know, elk in a blanket 

11:39am and I grab a minute to download some pictures a friend emailed me from the weekend pageant rehearsals. 

2:19pm and someone's up from nap, and found a marker to eat. 

2:50pm and tomorrow's Child Development Final Exam is written and ready for my students to take it and do their best.

5:32pm and I snap a picture of our adorable December calendar... and remember that I really need to create next year's photo calendar for all the family members I give calendars to... because eventually they're going to arrive too late for Christmas.

 

6:39pm and the kids are bathed, pajama-clad and headed toward bedtime.  Whenever my family notices my taking a lot of pictures all day, it usually ends with the kids wanting to take selfies... or in this case, Hubby and my kids wanting to take selfies.

 

6:31 and Caroline snapped a picture of our Mr. Shepherd who is on his quest to find the Baby Jesus.  Every day he shows up in another part of the house and we get to find him every morning.  Today, he was found in the kid's bedroom hanging from Howard's top bunk.

6:30 with Lee Lee's fierce selfie face 

6:32 with a family selfie before light's out.

 

 ** FYI, In case you were wondering, in order to get these times, I looked back at the timestamp of the pictures on my phone.