The Torture Begins!

Ughhhh! 

I've been gaining a lot of weight the past few months and have had ZERO motivation to do anything about it.  Today I decided that it's time to try and get healthy again!  I HATE watching what I eat and working out but I've noticed as I've gotten older that the weight just doesn't fall off like it used to:(  So I began the torture of working out tonight - 45 mins on the elliptical machine followed by 10 mins of arm weights...along with limiting my daily intake of coke to 1-a-day (down from...ahem!...4-a-day!)  I'd love to say that I'm good enough to eliminate regular pop from my diet altogether but I don't see that happening soon!  We usually eat fairly healthy but lately the kids and I have been eating out a lot when Ryan's gone and that is what is KILLING my weight.  Time to make more meals at home and eat out less.  That means I actually have to be productive each day and think about what to eat BEFORE 3pm when it gets too late to run to the store for anything I don't have on hand.  Which brings us back to the aforementioned zero motivation.

If only they sold motivation pills...

World Relief Day

 A few weeks ago we helped out at World Relief Day at the church's Fellowship Center.  The twins helped fill health kits that will be used in local (US) crises and some may be sent to Japan.

Bus Counting Center

 

 Today I found this counting center idea from Mailbox.com.  I printed out 11 buses on yellow construction paper and labeled them 0 - 10.  Then I cruised around online until I found the stick figure heads and cut out enough of them that he can work on all 11 numbers at the same time.  (Mailbox.com recommends finding pictures of children's faces in a magazine and using those.)  I will laminate everything once I get the buses cut out and am storing the children cut outs in a ziplok bag inside of a manila mailing folder along with the buses.  The outside of the folder is labeled "Bus Counting Center."

 For a template of the bus to print out click here.

I was grading math tests this morning realizing that I was holding my breath with each problem praying that they had gotten them correct!  By this point I've realized that when they get a problem wrong half the time it is their own carelessness and half the time it's because I've failed to teach it to them correctly.  Mostly they do well but the past few weeks were a little crazy so I was a little unsure how today's test was going to go.  They each got a huge high five for getting A's and I was able to breath a sigh of relief that at least some of what I'm teaching is sticking!  Now, the history tests that they took were another story and I foresee that we will be doing some reviewing:)

We had our Easter program last night and both of the twins did well.  They both sang and said their pieces nice and slow!  Ethan made up his own piece..."My God is my Lord before Jesus Christ was born on Christmas day."  Guess he wanted to be in the program too!

This is the first week in a LONG time where we aren't running around like crazy - today was a "stay in my pj's" kind of day for me and we just hung out at home!  Sometimes we need this and I don't feel guilty at all:)  The nap was kinda nice, too...

Praying that the weather will hurry up and warm up and that the sun will reappear...winter has gone on WAY too long around here!

Another Homeschool Resource

I added another resource to the homeschooling links at the side.  You can either buy their books or use their free printable craft ideas, worksheets, and center ideas.  I went to the library tonight and looked through their Mailbox magazine for a few ideas to incorporate with Easter/Spring.  Awesome, usable ideas!

"Josh"

It's official - we apparently now have four children!  Yesterday we discovered that "Josh" had moved in with us.  Ethan had gone to the fridge and helped himself to a juice box (which he knows not to do) and when I asked him who said he could have it he told me "my invisible friend."  This friend carries the name of Josh.  Ethan walked into my in-laws house last night with his arm around Josh and we're guessing he's around 4 feet 8 inches tall based on how high Ethan's arm was.  We also know that he is 8 and drives his own car since there wasn't enough room in our car for him to ride over there with.  So far he's been very quiet and well behaved (which is more than I can say about the four year old who also lives here) so I guess he can stay.  For now.

Used Curriculum

I added a new link for buying used homeschool curriculum...thanks, Maria!