Baby steps. Baby steps. Baby steps.
My house did not get messy overnight. My body did not get overweight/out of shape overnight. I cannot fix my house in one day. I cannot fix my body in one day.
Routines- take on one job and stick to it. This week it has been laundry. I finally realized that I need to do two loads of laundry every day to keep up on it. Since last Wednesday, I have made this a reality. It is amazing how much free time I have to focus on other tasks- or really, just how much I notice other tasks, when I'm not fretting about climbing Mt. Laundry. Workout thirty minutes a day. Done for nine days straight now. Do I notice a huge change in my body? No, not yet. That will come with time. But, when I ran that mile without stopping in under ten minutes yesterday, I felt a difference. When I walk past my laundry sorter and can see the painting that it hangs under, I can feel a difference.
The way my house looks doesn't affect what goes on here. This can be a tricky one. My house can be a mess yet we can still enjoy ourselves here. Just like I can do wonderful things without my body being perfect. BUT I notice when my house is cleaner, we are all happier. We function better as a family. Lost puzzle pieces are found, there is room to get out all the Littlest Pets. I feel more confident, more able to do what I need to do when I take care of myself. I have made a commitment to covering my feet in lotion twice a day. It sounds silly, but it makes me feel good.
So step by step, my house and my body are becoming more how I want them to be. I have accepting my starting points, and I have a realistic goal set in my head. My body has borne five kids, I am not going to look like a supermodel (who really does anyways?). My house holds seven of us, I am never going to win any awards from Martha Stewart. Those thoughts don't discourage me, they just keep me real.
A commitment to change makes it sound like I'm reinventing myself. But what I really feel more like is an onion with a special pearl trapped inside. I keep peeling layer and layer off (my body in pounds, my house in dirt..lol) and am getting closer to finding my pearl. MY pearl may not look like yours, but it is beautiful in my eyes.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Dessert with the Hoedls
So, we're sitting around eating homemade smoothies on Sunday night enjoying a nice night of nothing to do when Eli hops up from the table after deciding he doesn't like his. He runs off to go get in his jammies. A minute later he comes back down to the kitchen shouting, "I need help with my shirt!!" He had no trouble taking his pants off, but seemed to forget to put some back on. So, here is my adorable three year old jumping up and down bottomless with his shirt stuck on his head. Brett and I both break into, "Eli! Go get some pants on!" But he's being such a goober, that its hard to look at him with breaking up laughing. He then realizes he needs to go potty and begins to shout, "PEE!! PEE!!! PEE!!!! I NEED TO PEE!!!!" At this point, any hope of keeping a straight face is gone, and laughter is coming from all of us (including Lizzie). He manages to go potty, then rejoin us in the kitchen, dancing around bottomless. We try to tell him that it isn't appropriate or funny to dance naked in the kitchen, but he replies, "Lizzie likes it!" She is cracking up at him, so its kind of hard to dispute his reasoning. Brett gets up to help him get dressed, and I find myself wondering, did I ever expect there would be a point in my life where it wouldn't phase me to have to shout, "We don't dance around naked in the kitchen!!!"
And, yes, this picture is from last summer, but its the only one I have on the laptop of my little guy.....
And, yes, this picture is from last summer, but its the only one I have on the laptop of my little guy.....
Friday, February 01, 2008
Blogging a Vacation: Day 3
Blogging a Vacation: Day 3
Sorry this is a little late, but I typed it all up Wednesday morning, then it got erased, and I really haven't had a chance to sit and type it back up- plus, I was really annoyed that it happened.
So, I woke up Tuesday morning thinking I'd go workout before my spa time, but then decided instead to sit and have a yummy breakfast with my laptop and newspaper. Good choice :) My appointment was at 10, and I showed up about forty minutes early. I changed into my robe and then ventured into the steam room. I had been in dry saunas before- when I was a young teen, my best friend belonged to a country club and we'd sit in there and share secrets. But, the steam was something new for me. It was interesting to just sit there and sweat. After a couple minutes, I grabbed some cucumbers for my eyes and an ice-cold rag for my face. Then, all of a sudden I heard this loud rumbling sound- it totally freaked me out. Of course, it was just the machine spitting out more steam, but that didn't really calm my nerves. I all of a sudden had an attack of thinking that I was going to get trapped in there or someone was going to appear from the smoke. I ended up heading to the shower.
From the shower, I headed to the "Relaxation Lounge" where I drank lemon water and snacked on some trail mix. Then, my lovely lady massuese showed up and I was on my way. It was a very relaxing 50 minutes that fortunately didn't fly by. The last massage I had was about two weeks before Lizzie was born. It felt awesome for my big ole pregnant body, but I had a hard realaxing. No so much a problem then.
I headed back to the "Relaxation Lounge" which this time wasn't so relaxing. There were two business guys there in their robes and they would.not.shut.up. I don't even know what they talked about- but they kept talking. Besides feeling oddly nekked in just my robe, it was weird to think that they were they same- ick. Yes, I know, I am immature.
My facial was nice- it started out with a lecture on how I am totally washing my face with the wrong stuff- heads up ladies! My facial lady says NEVAH use Apricot scrub on your face. Not good- no bueno. Then she tried clearing up some of my face- ouch!!! Not so realaxing, but then she stopped and I could relax. One of the things she put on was supposed to "get warm and tingle"- holy moley, it started to burn- but in a good way. My face felt refreshed afterwards, and then I headed back to the shower and got all ready.
Brett snuck out of his so-not-important conference and we went and had a late lunch at the sports bar in the hotel. We sat there with our paper once again, enjoying a nice relaxing lunch. We went back to the hotel and I took a nice, long two hour nap.
We headed back downtown and ate an absolutely ridiculously expensive, but oh-so-good-can-still-taste-it-in-my-mouth-right-now dinner at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. It had been almost ten years since we ate at one of those, and wow! still tasted just as good I remembered. We decided to head back to the bars, but couldn't decide where to go- Stacy Mitchart was playing again, but this time there was a cover. We really wanted to go the dueling piano bar, but when we walked in, we were the only ones there, so we promptly left. We gave the Wildhorse one more chance, and it was kickin'.
After about five minutes of watching, we decided there must've been a dancing instruction group there because all these younger men were dancing with these older women and they kept switching around. The men were all nicely dressed- there were a couple young girls dressed nicely too. Lots of two-stepping, but also some other types of ballroom dancing. They were a riot to watch. As much as the previous night we learned that everyone in Nashville can sing, we learned that everyone in Nashville can dance. Brett and I actually went out to dance for one slow song- and felt a little like sillies next to all the "professionals". "Billy Ray" was playing again. They do a great job of a mix of country covers and original songs-just found their myspace page- http://www.myspace.com/theranchhands-
We went back to the hotel to the Jack Saloon but the same lady from the night before was singing, and it was crowded, so we only stayed long enough for me to enjoy the most delicious drink ever invented- a Jack and Coke Float. Yummmm....best.drink.ever.
So, that was day/night three. A wonderful last full day in Nashville. It is so cool to walk through a downtown where there was live music every couple steps. Very neat town.
Sorry this is a little late, but I typed it all up Wednesday morning, then it got erased, and I really haven't had a chance to sit and type it back up- plus, I was really annoyed that it happened.
So, I woke up Tuesday morning thinking I'd go workout before my spa time, but then decided instead to sit and have a yummy breakfast with my laptop and newspaper. Good choice :) My appointment was at 10, and I showed up about forty minutes early. I changed into my robe and then ventured into the steam room. I had been in dry saunas before- when I was a young teen, my best friend belonged to a country club and we'd sit in there and share secrets. But, the steam was something new for me. It was interesting to just sit there and sweat. After a couple minutes, I grabbed some cucumbers for my eyes and an ice-cold rag for my face. Then, all of a sudden I heard this loud rumbling sound- it totally freaked me out. Of course, it was just the machine spitting out more steam, but that didn't really calm my nerves. I all of a sudden had an attack of thinking that I was going to get trapped in there or someone was going to appear from the smoke. I ended up heading to the shower.
From the shower, I headed to the "Relaxation Lounge" where I drank lemon water and snacked on some trail mix. Then, my lovely lady massuese showed up and I was on my way. It was a very relaxing 50 minutes that fortunately didn't fly by. The last massage I had was about two weeks before Lizzie was born. It felt awesome for my big ole pregnant body, but I had a hard realaxing. No so much a problem then.
I headed back to the "Relaxation Lounge" which this time wasn't so relaxing. There were two business guys there in their robes and they would.not.shut.up. I don't even know what they talked about- but they kept talking. Besides feeling oddly nekked in just my robe, it was weird to think that they were they same- ick. Yes, I know, I am immature.
My facial was nice- it started out with a lecture on how I am totally washing my face with the wrong stuff- heads up ladies! My facial lady says NEVAH use Apricot scrub on your face. Not good- no bueno. Then she tried clearing up some of my face- ouch!!! Not so realaxing, but then she stopped and I could relax. One of the things she put on was supposed to "get warm and tingle"- holy moley, it started to burn- but in a good way. My face felt refreshed afterwards, and then I headed back to the shower and got all ready.
Brett snuck out of his so-not-important conference and we went and had a late lunch at the sports bar in the hotel. We sat there with our paper once again, enjoying a nice relaxing lunch. We went back to the hotel and I took a nice, long two hour nap.
We headed back downtown and ate an absolutely ridiculously expensive, but oh-so-good-can-still-taste-it-in-my-mouth-right-now dinner at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. It had been almost ten years since we ate at one of those, and wow! still tasted just as good I remembered. We decided to head back to the bars, but couldn't decide where to go- Stacy Mitchart was playing again, but this time there was a cover. We really wanted to go the dueling piano bar, but when we walked in, we were the only ones there, so we promptly left. We gave the Wildhorse one more chance, and it was kickin'.
After about five minutes of watching, we decided there must've been a dancing instruction group there because all these younger men were dancing with these older women and they kept switching around. The men were all nicely dressed- there were a couple young girls dressed nicely too. Lots of two-stepping, but also some other types of ballroom dancing. They were a riot to watch. As much as the previous night we learned that everyone in Nashville can sing, we learned that everyone in Nashville can dance. Brett and I actually went out to dance for one slow song- and felt a little like sillies next to all the "professionals". "Billy Ray" was playing again. They do a great job of a mix of country covers and original songs-just found their myspace page- http://www.myspace.com/theranchhands-
We went back to the hotel to the Jack Saloon but the same lady from the night before was singing, and it was crowded, so we only stayed long enough for me to enjoy the most delicious drink ever invented- a Jack and Coke Float. Yummmm....best.drink.ever.
So, that was day/night three. A wonderful last full day in Nashville. It is so cool to walk through a downtown where there was live music every couple steps. Very neat town.
You know you're a homeschool mom when...
*You're in a wonderful day spa (states away from home) receiving an amazing massage, and you're mentally critiquing your daughter's paper she sent to you in an email, deciding how to respond
*You're listening to your five year old read his sentences and you're thinking, "that's a predicate noun, that's a predicate adjective, that's a direct object" and are diagramming them in your head.
*The book you read the most while on vacation was the one your ten year old has been bugging you for months to read, and then when you finish it in the airport on the way home, you can't wait to get home to tell her how much you loved it.
*You're listening to your five year old read his sentences and you're thinking, "that's a predicate noun, that's a predicate adjective, that's a direct object" and are diagramming them in your head.
*The book you read the most while on vacation was the one your ten year old has been bugging you for months to read, and then when you finish it in the airport on the way home, you can't wait to get home to tell her how much you loved it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
