Attitude Adjustments

Last week I went through a

couple of attitude adjustments.

First, after about 8 weeks of watching 

my husband get up every morning at 5:15am

and climb on the elliptical machine

that *I* insisted we buy 

(sort of, he wanted a bike, I wanted a treadmill - 

we compromised and got an elliptical)
and
watching him lose 20+ pounds,

I finally decided to climb on it myself.

I still roll over and throw a pillow over my 

head and go back to sleep while he does his thing.

But I have gotten myself on it 4 out of the past 5 days.

For a whole 30 minutes each time!!!

And honestly, I couldn't have done it without

some Nickelback pumping in my ears.

I feel like I lead two lives...

one full of good wholesome Christian songs for the kids

and Nickelback for mommy.

(Which they are not allowed to listen to.)

But whatever gets me through a workout,

works for me!

And it is amazing how differently I feel...

I just feel better!
AND, working out is economical too!
I take short COOL showers, instead of long hot ones.
I drink more water and less "other stuff" cause I am
dying of thirst now.

I am going to TRY and get up shortly after my hubby

and climb on it before the kids get up,

cause it is hard to keep the baby from wanting to come

over and check out what mommy is doing.

I have not been very successful at getting up early.

Never have. 

When I was in college, I would set my alarm 15 before 

I had to get up, then the radio would come on nice and quiet

 and I would hit the snooze button 3 times!

before I finally crawled out of bed.

My husband is ex-military, 

so he knows how to get up.

But when we first got married, 

he had his alarm BLARE

out as loud as it would 

on some crazy rock station 

and I literally was 

STARTLED awake.

That didn't last long!

I got tired of being scared to death every morning

by the stinking alarm!

For the past almost 8 years,

I have had my own personal alarm clocks.

Now that the baby is sleeping later

I do too...

none of the other kids do though.

The older boys are ready for the day

before I get out of bed.

Dressed & bed made!

Good boys...

Bad mommy!

I have been trying to get motivated to get up...

but it ain't been workin lately.

So, HOPEFULLY, with this new

drive to get on the elliptical

I can get up.

HA!

I will let you know how it goes.

Another attitude adjustment was from a new homeschooling friend.

We have chatted a couple of times,

but she invited the kids and I over to visit

and do some real chatting.

So her 6 and my 4...

we kept the babies with us,

but the other 8 ran rampant through the house

and got along GREAT!!!

I also learned a LOT from her.

The biggest thing I learned is that 

this is not supposed to be hard for the kids.

School in K and 2nd grades is supposed to be "light"

and "easy".

It WILL get harder SOONER than I think...

so don't rush it and just make sure they are getting the basics.

J is almost done with his K math book.  We started it in January.

It is supposed to last 36 weeks,

he will complete it in less than 12.

So we will move on.

I have a plan in place (in my head anyways)

for what comes next.

She also encouraged me NOT to 

stress out over the little two.

Just to let them play and be kids.

I feel like I need to be doing more with my 

3 year old...more manipulatives,

more learning, more, more, more.

She encouraged me to RELAX!

It was just a wonderful and refreshing conversation.

And I am looking forward to digesting her suggestions

and implementing the ones that will work for us.

I also think we will go to a 4 day school week, 

when we start our next year.

(But if you've paid attention - I have changed my
mind on the best direction to take
with this homeschooling stuff
quite a few times...
I am sure it will change again.)

Until then,

T has decided that J is not moving fast

enough through his K math book and needs some 

help...

Once he was done with his math,

he sat down to read a little...

Ok, the advise was right - 

I don't need to start forcing math and reading on my

17 month old!  

Then Saturday,

I finally used a gift certificate that I got for my birthday

(back in October)

I went and got a massage.

The girl spent 35 minutes on my shoulders!

She asked what in the world I did to cause all of that.

I explained that we had just moved half way across the country,

I have 4 kids,

I homeschool them,

I have carried a baby on my left hip almost daily for the last 

8 years 

(left shoulder was worse than right)

she seemed to understand.

But it was NICE!

So I feel almost like a new woman

and

like I can take on the world!

Instead of the world,
thanks to a kick in the pants by my cousin,
I am taking on our finances.
I have SLOWLY
been trying to get a grasp on
our finances
(among other things)
and
for Christmas 2010
my dad gave me and each of my sisters
a copy of
Dave Ramsey's
"The Total Money Makeover".
He challenged each of us to read it
and actually put a reward on the challenge.
The first one to complete the book,
he would reward with $100.

I cracked it open and may have read the first chapter
before my baby sister informed us all that she had finished it!
So I asked her for the cliff notes version.
I got the gist, agreed with and had already
implemented some of the ideas.
But never read the book.

Then I was talking with my cousin this weekend
and she informed me that she, too,
read the book and LIVES by it.
Her family has made drastic changes
and they are QUICKLY reaping the rewards.
She said it is liberating and exhilarating.
So we are going to try it.
Gonna see how dedicated to this we really are...
and I have already got my cousin on speed "type".
(get it, instead of speed dial!)

So my goals the next couple of weeks:
1) Start getting up before the kids
2) Get my workout in before the kids get up
3) Read Dave Ramsey's book

That is a pretty challenging list for me...
Wish me luck!