Mommy of Many®

My camera was MIA all weekend. I missed taking pics of Kateri leaving to go back to school and snapping pics of the 3 different St. Greg’s boys that we’ve encountered since Friday. We had 2 boys overnight on Friday and one is staying until Wednesday and we met up with another at church on Sunday. I can’t believe that they are all visiting while JJ is away!

But I found the camera again and decided to snap a pic of the project I was working on. Gabi brought home this “Beautiful Butterfly” a few days ago and promptly dropped it on the ground, while trying to show it to one of her sisters. I scooped up the pieces and told her I’d buy some Super Glue and get it put back together. I should’ve known better! I’m classically clumsy-it’s just a fact! And why I thought I could take on anything that had to do with broken glass AND a super-strength glue, I simply don’t know. After successfully gluing the first piece of the wing on, I was feeling pretty confident. Then I cut the tip of my finger on a sharp piece, dripped the glue all over my hand and the other pieces, effectively glueing them (let me rephrase-SUPER GLUING) them to the bowl and having to throw the entire thing away, bowl and all. Of course I hid it all under other trash and had it taken out. Not sure what my explanation is going to be.

How this house has stayed intact and these kiddos have thrived under my butter-fingered guidance, I’ll never know.

~sigh~

So…it’s the week before my high schoolers go back to school. This means sports tryouts. Arianna is trying out for tennis and volleyball. Her first passion is volleyball, but she wants a back-up plan to keep her moving. I give her a TON of credit! She hasn’t played tennis since 4th grade! I LOVE her drive and self-confidence. I wish I would have had it at her age. She tries new things all the time, gives them her all and is largely successful! I’m so proud of her!

My lil kiddos head back to school in a couple of weeks and that means back-to-work for M.O.M. I’ll be aiding in the preschool again. I really enjoyed my time there last year and can’t wait to get to know a new group of preschoolers! Of course this means I’ve got to get used to the crazy schedule of crockpotting every dinner and having everyone (myself included) dressed and ready for the day before 7:30 am. Whew! Doing the Dance for sure!

So, I’m going to try to enjoy my last couple weeks of morning Boot Camp and the “Lazy Days of Summer” (anyone seen those?) and then jump into the whole routine like a pro double-dutcher.

Wish me luck!

Today marked the end of week 3. I’m super excited about the end of this week because it means that tomorrow is the special event at GNC for all Kraze Boot Camp-ers and those who are thinking of becoming Kraze Boot Camp-ers. I’m finally going to get the RIGHT protein powder so that I can start making those post-work out shakes! And the BEST part is that I’ll be getting a great discount on it!

If you want to find out what products to use and how to use them or if you already have a favorite product, come out tomorrow from 10-12, do a little sampling, meet other Boot Campers and let the GNC staff know you’re part of Kraze Boot Camps (even if you’re thinking about trying a class out) to get in on this great deal!

I’m going to repost Aaron‘s invite so that you can have all the correct info!

Time
Tomorrow · 10:00am – 12:00pm
Location GNC in Hillcrest,
658 University Ave SD, CA 92103
San Diego, CA

“I am PROUD to announce that KRAZE Boot Camps has officially partnered up with 7, GNC (General Nutrition Center) stores throughout San Diego!

That being said, we will be having our FIRST, promotional event with the store off of University Ave, THIS Saturday, August 14th, from 10am-12pm, IMMEDIATELY following Beach Boot Camp!!!

Please come and support your BOOTCAMP Program, and stop by for some FREE samples of products, and the opportunity to LEARN about the benefits of proper supplementation! TAKE ADVANTAGE!!!”

So, there you have it! Come on out! Hope to see you there!

Only one more day left in Week 3 of this session of Kraze Boot Camps classes.

I was thinking back to the first session and that around this time, my body was really fighting with me to give up. It’s good to look back, know I pushed through it and that I’m not having the same problem this time around.

Last session the changes I noticed were that my energy level went up. I had less desire or “need” for coffee or caffeine and that I gained a stamina for the exercises. This session I’m starting to notice the physical changes. Suddenly my stomach is changing. My waist is smaller. My pants are all fitting better. I don’t feel the need to hide my arms. Yea!

I know that it’s the combination of becoming more aware of what I’m eating and when I’m eating it, in conjunction with the exercise, that’s bringing on the noticeable changes. I know I have to develop healthier eating habits and not just eat better but have the desire to eat better. I’m learning a lot! The stand out thing I learned today is that I should be eating protein before I go to bed. I’ve always believed I shouldn’t eat ANYTHING before I go to bed. So tonight I’m choosing edamame.

Alright, time to grab my snack and read a little before bed.

Wanna join me in learning how to better care for our bodies? How to gain energy and not be so reliant on caffeine? Wanna look and feel better? Message Aaron and tell him you’d like to give a class a try! Become part of the fastest growing outdoor fitness Kraze in San Diego!

It’s Thursday of another summer’s week gone by. There are only a few weeks left and I have a mountain of housework/school prep/paperwork to get through. There are kid’s physicals, sports tryouts, school shopping and the last of the summer house guests to keep me Doing the Dance. But I wanna play! The beach is RIGHT THERE and it’s screaming to me and the kids. The pools are sending out invites and wondering why we’re not lying in the San Diego sunshine in lounge chairs by their clear, blue sides. The parks are whispering of shady trees and picnics. I’m so torn!

For today I’m working in the house for a little while longer and then packing up my bickering brood and heading for the pool, book in hand. But I know I’ll come home this afternoon, look around at all that’s waiting and wonder what magical thing is going to happen to make it possible for me to get it all done.

Why, oh why are there only 24 hours in each day? This M.O.M. needs more. More of everything! More time. More help. More solutions to my inner tugging between work and play!

Grab some time on these fleeting, summer days and try to enjoy it before it’s gone. The work, well, it’ll still be there. I promise

Doing the Dance of the Children and trying to keep my balance~

It was bound to happen and today was the day that my Kraze Boot Camps world and my M.O.M. world collided.

Last night Maddi asked me to wake her up before I headed to Boot Camp so that she could ride along, wait while I worked out and then I could drop her off at a friend’s. Sure! No problem. The problem came when Luke-Xavier woke up at 5 am and wasn’t going back to sleep. My options were to either not go OR get him dressed and have Maddi watch him while I worked out. Option #2 it was!
So, while I was doing this-

they were doing this-

They explored the rocks, found crabs and enjoyed the early morning outdoors. And while I was doing this-

Lex was doing this-

At one point he did come over and run stairs with us.

I wouldn’t want to have to worry about having kiddos with me all the time (it was a little nerve-wracking when I couldn’t see them), but for today, it worked.

Week 3 is almost over. Tomorrow it’s abs and core. I’m waiting for my legs and behind to start talking to me today. I’m sure it’s gonna happen cuz I was all shaky at some points. Good Stuff!

Wondering what all this Kraze Boot Camps hype is? Message Aaron and let him know you want to come out and give a class a try!

If M.O.M. can do it, ANYONE can do it!

3 things about today-

1) Upper body/shaky arms/sore shoulder/new kinds of push-ups that I would NEVER have thought of!

2) My notebook is missing! This can only mean that the kiddos took it for lack of coloring paper. I will be purchasing a new notebook tomorrow. Seriously-I can’t find it!

3) Kraze Boot Camps and GNC! That’s right! Kraze Boot Camps has partnered with 7 local GNC locations to bring all Boot Campers some GREAT deals! To get it all rockin’ they’re hosting a “Happy Hour” at the Hillcrest location on Saturday from 10-12. Wanna learn about and sample great products? Come on out, join the Kraze Boot Campers and enjoy some great discounts! Congrats to Aaron on this awesome, new partnership! We will all be benefiting by learning what products to look for.

Whoo Hoo! Kraze Boot Camp just keeps getting better and better! Good Stuff all around! Come join the fastest growing outdoor boot camp in San Diego! Wanna try a class? Send Aaron a message and let him know you’re coming. I hope to see you there!

Today was the first time that there was something that kept me from getting to my 6am Kraze Boot Camp class. But even though I didn’t get to work out this morning, I still had healthy eating on my mind.

While I cooked dinner (potstickers, brown rice and edamame), I was eating some of the edamame and I suddenly had to think, “Uh…it’s 6pm. Can I eat edamame at 6pm? If I eat them with the rice, is this something good? I’ve always heard that soy and rice together make a complete protein. Is this true? They’re soy beans. Should I be eating them? And if so, is there a time of day I should or should not be eating them?”

Yep, all that went through my head.

So, tonight I’d like to ask;

Hey Aaron,

Tell me about edamame. Good? Bad? Particular time of day to eat them? What about the rice + soy = a complete protein equation?

I must say-no matter what I’m learning about how to eat, I’m sure putting plenty of thought into it!

Back to the regular morning work out routine tomorrow!

Yesterday afternoon we packed up and headed over to the New Children’s Museum. We decided to take advantage of the Target Free Second Sundays.  Every second Sunday is sponsored by Target and admission is free.  What a great place!  7 of the kids came along, ages 4 yrs.-16 yrs. and everyone had a great time.  There was truly something for everyone to enjoy!

Max had fun trying on silly appendages.

Luke-Xavier tried riding the chariots (he had more success going backward than forward!)

Tristan making a clay creation

Mariah and Maddi didn’t hesitate to get into the paint.

After we’d spent awhile exploring the museum, we decided to go across the parking lot to the playground.

Gabi trying out the climber.

Mariah, Maddi and Gabi used team work to have fun on these pieces of equipment.

Even I got into the fun. Mariah and I had fun trying this one out. It’s not often M.O.M. gets to play too!

It was a beautiful San Diego, summer’s day and thanks to Target and their dedication to supporting the arts and to the New Children’s Museum and all the wonderful things they have to do and explore, we had a great afternoon! If you haven’t had the chance to explore the museum yet take a few hours and go have some creative fun! If you’re on the lookout for inexpensive or free family fun, head over there on the Second Sunday of the month!

Doing the Dance of the Children and trying to keep summertime affordable~

The last weeks of summer are upon us and I’m trying to keep everyone busy. We live in such a great area with so many fun things to do, but the really challenging part is to stay within a budget and not have the summer drive us into the poorhouse. With a little time and effort, I continue to find great things for us to do and explore that are either free or inexpensive.

A few days ago I had to drive one of my older girls out to Santee to visit a friend that had moved from our area. I’d never been out there before. We passed a large park area when we were driving and decided to check it out on the way home. We had accidentally found Santee Lakes, a great, outdoor area with fishing, water play, movies in the park, play areas and much more. We spent a couple hours at the water and playground and decided we’d make a plan, in the near future, to spend a day there.

Today, I was searching for directions to the New Children’s Museum for Kateri because a friend of hers is having her wedding reception there. I’d never looked into the Children’s Museum before. Once I was on their website I roamed around and found that they have Target Free Second Sundays. That’s tomorrow! Thanks to Target for making it possible for every family to get a chance to visit the museum without it being a financial issue. So tomorrow afternoon I’ll be packing up the kiddos and exploring the museum. If your in the San Diego area, join us!

I hope everyone is enjoying their last weeks of summer. We’ll all be knee-deep in school and homework before we know it!

Doing the Dance of the Children and Trying to Keep them Moving~

Over the last couple of days I’ve had 2 questions on my mind. I’m hoping to hear what your experiences have been (if any) with either or both of these-

1) has a child of yours ever had a friend who repeatedly blamed them for things they didn’t do?

2) Have you ever been at a playground (or in a shared playing experience) and had and unpleasant parent ruin the experience to the point that you felt that it was time to leave?

I can’t wait to hear how you’ve dealt with these things.

Doing the Dance of the Children and always looking for the best Dance steps~

This session is 1/2 over!

I had a tough time getting out of bed and out to the 6am Kraze Boot Camp class this morn. It was the closest I’ve come to not going. At 5 I realized that my clothes were still in the washer. I grabbed some dry towels, put them into the dryer with my wet things and hoped they’d be done in time for me to leave. Made it!

It was a total body work out today and everything moved quickly. Sometimes I find myself feeling uncoordinated, like when we were running backwards, uphill or after the first round of hurtles. I’m always afraid I’m going to trip, knock everything over, end up with people tripping over me and ruining the whole exercise for everyone. So far it hasn’t happened, but it’s still a fear.

My fear of writing down last night’s dinner was pretty silly too. Aaron did a great job of understanding the dilemma I have with feeding so many people and went through portion control and suggestions for substituting ingredients. This really is a whole process of learning what to eat, when to eat it and how much of it to eat. I give Aaron credit for taking the time to help us all learn these things because they will ultimately enhance our work out results.

So, 2 more weeks in this session. I’m looking forward to seeing what these next 2 weeks bring.

Abs and Core

That was the theme of today’s Kraze Boot Camp workout. Though my rear end and legs are still demanding attention from yesterday’s class! OUCH!

I’m finding it difficult to write about today’s class because I’m preoccupied with my itchy eyes, throat, back and arms. Aaron had us run over to a grassy area, form a large circle, get down on the grass and do all the abs and core exercises right on the grass. Uh…I’m allergic! I’ve taken meds to combat the effects of the grass on my eyes and throat since I was a small child. But who am I to say anything?! One of the top rules of Boot Camp is, “no complaining”. So there you go! I hope I can show up for tomorrow’s 6am class Claritin Clear!

After an abs workout, I always feel cheated. I worked hard, got all sweaty, breathed hard and can feel all those muscles feeling nice and tight…UNDER THE FLAB. It just seems unfair that to the everyday, naked eye, my stomach just looks like any ol’ stomach, because underneath it feels so good!

Notebook update-As I’ve mentioned, we’ve been asked to keep track of our daily foods by writing down all that we consume. This has been a good thing…really! But it’s a chore and a lot of head work;

Me-”Sure, I’ll make Mexican Lasagna for all of you guys! Yep, invite everyone you’d like, over to eat.”
My Brain-”GREAT! What am I supposed to do?! I feed so many people each night and I have to make meals that are inexpensive, good and go far enough that whomever walks through the door can be fed. Mexican Lasagna definitely fits all that criteria but I need to serve it with tortilla chips and guac if it’s going to fill everyone. There ARE black beans, fresh tomatoes, fresh onions, avocados and cheese involved, but there’s also, flour tortillas, refried beans (but the vegetarian kind, so there’s no animal fats involved) and corn. I feel stuck between cooking a certain way that fits my budget and feeds the masses and eating in a way that I don’t wince when I write it down!”

So there you have it. Yep, I’ve been writing everything down and I’ve gotten lots of helpful tips without being chastised, but I still feel very sensitive about the whole thing.

Tomorrow is the end of this week. 2 more weeks to go in this session. I know I’m stronger. I know I have better endurance and I know I need to be conscience about what I eat. Joining Boot Camp and taking on the challenge of going daily and working the best I can each day IS paying off in better habits, a better attitude and a leaner, healthier me. I just have to find a good balance for the whole meal issue.

It’s never too late to come out and give a class a try! I’d love to see you! Message Aaron and let him know you’d like to see what all the hype is about. Be a part of the Fastest Growing Outdoor Boot Camp in San Diego!

Today was full of writing, but I realized that none of it actually covered the busyness that’s happening within these walls.

All this week we are making sure to have “spread out” dinners, which means that everyone is sitting together and eating together while all the food is “spread out” on the table. The extra effort to get everyone together is because it’s nearing the end of the summer, Kateri is leaving for school in a week and a half and she has a visitor for the next week. This has sparked us to open the door, set the table and have meals for 12-14 people each night. Unfortunately JJ isn’t here to enjoy them with us. He left for France, yesterday morning. He’ll be working for a family for the next 3 weeks and then traveling to Portugal to visit with my sister. There’s a possibility that he’ll be able to visit Italy and/or Germany, as well.

On top of the full dinner table, we are having to prepare for Mariah to get her license, everyone to go back to school and 2 other big changes that I haven’t discussed yet, but that you’ll here about soon.

Gosh I’m tired! There is WAY too much going on and WAY too much to think about!

But for tonight I’m going to sign off, go pick Mariah up from work and get some rest. That alarm rings pretty early each day so that I can try to stay healthy and energetic enough to keep it all happenin’.

Doing the Dance of the Children~

Congratulations to Dawn from California! She is the winner of the Jump Start-Get Moving™ Family Fitness Wii game!

Thanks for entering. I hope you and the kids enjoy the game!

Dear Aaron

My knees are sore. My butt is sore. My legs are wobbly. If my children drop something on the ground I must tell them to pick it up themselves. I can not bend down because I will not be able to get back up. When I sit down (such as now), I pray that I can sit for a good, long time because it is much to painful to stand back up. I pretended to sit my butt in a chair so many times today that it is actually rebelling against the idea. I’m not sure I will actually be able to get out of bed tomorrow morning to join the 6am Kraze Boot Camp class, but you can bet I’ll give it my best.

Wow!

On the up side-in the past 2 weeks, I’ve worn 2 pair of jeans that could not be coerced onto my body before Boot Camp. Not only did I wear them, I wore them quiet comfortably. THIS is success! THIS is a healthier M.O.M. THIS is the beginning of new and better, healthier habits, with tangible rewards. THIS is something that I figured was NOT going to happen after giving birth to 9 children and spending 21 years paying attention to everyone else’s needs.

My sore glutes thank you and my cute jeans thank you.

You rock!

I may be hobbling, but I’ll see you in the morn~