Category — attitude

Stop shaking your head and uttering, “Oh brother”.

Sometimes I have to wonder.

I wake up every morning with the very best of intentions and a list a mile long. Some days I tackle it head-on. But other days I let excuses creep in. I don’t mean reasons. Reasons are one thing and they come up around here ALL THE TIME. I’m talking excuses. You know, “hmmm…I really should do those dishes before I go to bed so I wake to a clean kitchen. Ack! I’m tired. I’ll do them in the morn.” or “Ok, I’m going to pack the kiddos up, go to the Y, work out for an hour and then take them to the park across the street. But look at all those dishes that need to be washed!” How ’bout-”HELLO mountain of unpaired socks! Come on with me to bed. We’ll put a movie on and I’ll get you all cozied up in pairs. Oh…bed feels so good! Forget the socks! The kids can forge for pairs on their own. I’m sure it creates some sort of good hand-eye coordination or vital foraging skills”.

See!

If I don’t have everything regimented out and stick to the plan it just doesn’t happen. Sometimes I wonder what I’d be like without the constant demand of keeping on task or organized. What if I didn’t have a houseful of kiddos? I’m thinking I’d let the Ol’ Gypsy Wind blow through my hair a little too much and get nothing done or be like Ferdinand the Bull and just sit and smeeeelllll the flowers!

I’m a firm believer that everything happens for a reason and I believe this brood o’ kiddos was sent to me to keep me from being a lazy bum. ‘Cause Lord knows thats where my heart and tendencies lie.

Doing the Dance of the Children and Being Forced to Ignore my Draw Toward Laziness~

And that’s exactly what we did between 1 and 8am this morning.

JJ’s been in France since the beginning of August and was supposed to get to Portugal for a visit with my sister. But after she had been at the airport for a couple of hours and couldn’t find him and had no way of contacting him, she called here. Oh the ideas we came up with! There were literally hours of coming up with ideas for trying to get in touch with him or finding out if he got on his flight. Finally, at 8 am he showed up on Facebook! Yep! Thank goodness for social networking!

I don’t have the entire story, but he showed up (unknowingly) to the airport a day late for his flight and somehow made his way to an elderly couple who are familiar with boys from Saint Gregory’s Academy, spent an evening with them and then, somehow ended up with a classmate who lives in Paris. Small world?! He was finally able to get onto his computer (again, not sure of the details and timelines) and my sister had left him messages on Facebook and he IM’d her there.

He is safe, has had a remarkably wonderful trip and will be heading to Portugal tomorrow.

Way to follow that ol’ Gypsy Wind!

Honestly, I was more worried about my sister and her nerves than for JJ’s safety. He has a tendency to wander, miss deadlines/flights/buses and, somehow always ends up landing on his feet, quite comfortably.

My lil World Wanderer is enjoying his trip and, hopefully, won’t disappear off the radar again!

Doing the Dance of the Children from a world away~

“No candles? But don’t those cost, like, 2 bucks?” Yeah, well so does a loaf of bread. Guess where my last $2 went.

Ah, the budget. Forever in the forefront of my mind. Always being reworked, borrowed from, stretched and sometimes broken.

Back to school and Christmas are the hardest times on the ol’ budget and I’m neck-deep in back to school prep right now. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t still very real things that need to be celebrated and done, like birthdays. 2 days ago, we had just such an event. When the budget for the 15th was written, I requested an extra $100 for the upcoming bday. My request was fulfilled. However, I had NOT accounted for some uniform items that the girls starting their Frosh year needed. So, the bday $ went to buy 2 new, white, button-down shirts and 2 pair of black flats for Dress Day Uniform requirements. *Think, think, think* What was I gonna do about the bday? I kept being asked for a Birthday Party. My blanket answer was, “well, that’ll be a tough one, but let’s talk about it”.  And talk we did. He asked if he could, “please, please, please have friends down to the beach for a beach day”. Hmmm…the beach is free. I can do that! But what to do about the food and favors? *think, think, think*. Well, we’ll forget “favors” altogether. If they really need something to take home, they can roam the beach for shells, right? Which by-the-way, 10 & 11 yr old boys really don’t care about. Now food-*think, think, think*. Well, I earned $27 from a book I sold on Amazon.com. So, $20 for a cake at Costco and $7 for a 40-pack of CapriSun juice pouches. I’m GOLDEN! I knew I had a huge bag of carrots, and plenty of celery and peppers to cut up and ranch dressing in the fridge (had to attempt to add something healthy to the mix) and there was plenty of PB&J and bread. Another mom donated bags of popcorn and pudding cups.

And we had ourselves a party!

Now, the agreement was that if I did give him a party, that would be his present. Since I got off so inexpensively I told him I’d take him to ToysRUs to spend a gift card he received and if he needs a little help with whatever item he chooses, I’ll pitch in…but not until after payday.

I’m proud of our $27 party!

Doing the Dance of the Children and Staying on this Tightrope of a Budget~

Here it is, the last day of Kraze Boot Camps class for M.O.M. This is the last day of the session, then it’s a week off and when the new camp starts up, I’ll be knee-deep in back to school schedules. This means no more 6 am classes for me.

I feel mixed emotions! I’m SO excited and proud that I did it! I DID it! I stopped making excuses and left some old, bad habits behind. I gained so much from these 8 weeks of classes. Seriously, I’m totally surprised! I gained confidence, better eating knowledge, lost weight/inches and showed my kiddos that it’s important to take care of our bodies. But I’m also feeling scared that I’ll lose my motivation! It’s now up to me to keep going. I have to go find a time that’s going to fit into my back to school/work schedule and commit myself to a daily workout that’s challenging and keep myself at it. I knew that going to Kraze Boot Camps was a good fit for me because of the daily motivation of a group. I feel like a baby bird that’s being pushed from the nest. I have to decide to fly!

I want to say thank you to Aaron Escobedo, for putting together such a great program with awesome people! Your dedication to your people is great and we all feel it! You let us know that we are part of something that you care about and not just a nameless body showing up to your classes. You keep the classes moving quickly and you mix it up EVERY day! I was NEVER bored with the routine, was ALWAYS challenged and learned to let go of not knowing what was coming. In the end I have to say that it was better to not know because I couldn’t dread, I could just move to the next thing. Thanks to your insistence that we could all do it, I have gained more stamina and a greater confidence for what my body can do. I no longer feel like the number of children I’ve given birth to has anything at all to do with where my fitness ability should or can be. Thank you!

So, to sum it up, in 8 weeks I’ve lost about 8 lbs, 2 1/2 inches from my chest/back, 3 inches from my waist and 3 inches from my hips. Not bad! I can run…well it really doesn’t matter how far I can run, the fact is that I can ACTUALLY run. This in and of itself is a feat! I can tackle a great number of stairs, remembered that I know how to jump rope, can do lunges and squats in a great variety of ways, found out that there are still muscles in my abs and core and no longer have to tie a sweatshirt around my waist if doing jumping jacks (this took a little knowledge of when and how much to drink and a quick trip to the bathroom before each morning’s workout ). Yea!

I may not be able join the next session, but YOU CAN! New locations are being opened up and you can take advantage of some great discounts. Message Aaron, let him know you want to get out there to give a class a try and tell him I sent you! All you have to lose is your fear, bad habits and extra weight!

A big thank you to everyone who followed along through this journey and encouraged me in so many ways! Don’t leave! I’m gonna need your encouragement through my next journey!

Somedays I feel so overwhelmed that I can’t move past the mountainous list of To-Do’s. Now that sports have started and the 3 girls are gearing up for school, there’s a constant flow to my inbox and I simply can’t keep up with the little kiddos, who are still enjoying summer vacation and the bigger kiddos whose heads are in school mode and keep handing me papers to sign and lists of needs/wants/must-haves. I end up feeling like I’m in a dark tunnel with nothing to look at or think about except the next “must do” task. AND I’m trying to do it all on a teeny-tiny-super tight budget. ~breathe~

To keep sane and somewhat on-budget today, I loaded up the 4 lil kiddos when I had to take Arianna to her tennis practice at the school, which is 15 miles away. I decided that to save gas, we would stay by the school and explore the parks available to us there. So I packed snacks and off we went. We had a little more than 2 hours to kill and ended up visiting 2 parks. One without a bathroom and one with (note to all city park planners-BUILD BATHROOMS in ALL parks!).

I also used my free drink that I’d earned at Chauo Chocolatier, that just happens to be in that area. I don’t know about you, but I try to keep *free* coupons and earned items on hand for when the budget has been emptied out. This way I always have little perks to look forward to, even when I’m out of cash. Do you guys do that too? Come on, we all belong to groups and clubs that keep us earning free items. Do you save them up for the lean times?

So there I was, sipping my spicy, mayan mocha, in a beautiful park, watching my kids run around, play games and enjoy the summer day and I realized I needed to count the good things that were going on instead of mope around about my overwhelming schedule, looming to-do list and dwindling budget. Come on! I live in a fabulous place, my kids are in great schools, I had a free drink in my hand and the gorgeous park was open to my kiddos. ~sigh~ All good! I closed my eyes, said a silent, “thank you” and soaked up a little sun.

Yep, I’m back at home, where the ever-present work is waiting, but it’s ok. I can’t change the demands of this life, but I CAN try to change the focus.

Boy do I ever do a lot of self-talk. Gets me through though. Share your tips and tricks for remembering to count your blessings and face the sun.

Doing the Dance of the Children~

Today’s Kraze Boot Camps class was abs/Core/Cardio-my favorite day!

Seriously! I think it’s because I get to lay on my mat to do a lot of the exercises. Not that there isn’t plenty of running happening, but I DO like the more stationary exercises (lazy me!). Plus you can really feel your abs working and I like that!

Only 1 more day in this session! I’m really looking forward to being measured tomorrow to see my results! No matter what they are, I feel GREAT and that definitely counts as a success.

Tomorrow-Total body workout.

This session may be ending, but that just means there’s another starting in about a week. Become a part of the fastest growing outdoor fitness program in San Diego! Message Aaron to find out about great deals, dates and times and become part of the Kraze!

Today’s lesson-
Sometimes life gets in the way of your best intentions and well-laid plans.

I knew I wasn’t going to be able to make this morning’s 6am Kraze Boot Camps class, so I had let Aaron know I’d be trying out the evening class. By 1pm, everything had changed. Mariah got called into work and Arianna needed a ride home from tryouts. So, M.O.M. had to put my plans on hold and make sure that everyone got to and from where they needed.

But the lesson in it is to not get discouraged and to start right back into it again tomorrow. Starting this program meant breaking old habits and starting new/healthier ones and in the past, if I got out of a routine, it was always hard for me to jump back into it. I’d feel like I might as well expect for things to come up and just not plan time for myself. So, in keeping with my better/healthier attitude, I need to wake up tomorrow morning and jump right back in.

Tomorrow, I do believe it’s abs/core & cardio. Gettin’ ready!

The focus of today’s Kraze Boot Camp class was upper body.

Kristi guided today’s class, while Aaron walked amongst us, checking form and encouraging us through the exercises. Her style is definitely different than his, but it kept it interesting and new, which seems to keep us going. I felt like we ran more than usual, but I could be wrong. What I know for sure is that I was beginning to feel stubborn and was gearing up for some foot-stomping if I had to run one more lap! My inner child likes to let me know when it’s feeling challenged.

My arms aren’t feeling sore, which I’m grateful for. We’ll see how they feel in the morn. Though, my body’s surprising me in little ways over these last few weeks. After last week’s leg work out, I didn’t feel any soreness! I was happy about it, but then wondered if I’d worked hard enough. Hmmm…

So, this was day 2 of drinking the after work out shake. I can’t say that I can FEEL anything different, but maybe it’s not about a feeling as much as what it’s doing for my body. So I’ll continue to drink it and trust that it’s doing it’s job.

I’m still looking forward to being remeasured at the end of this week. I’m being diligent about writing down my foods and even the shorts I bought 3 weeks ago are feeling looser in the waist. Now THAT is a good FEELING!

I’ll take it!

It’s the last week of this session and the thing I was most looking forward to today was FINALLY trying out my post workout shake! I went to the Kraze Boot Camps/GNC Happy Hour event on Friday and finally found out exactly what I needed AND got a great discount on it! If you missed out on this great event, there’s another Happy Hour tomorrow evening.

Today was a total body work out, complete with running zig zags up and down the Convention Center back stairs, jumping rope (hey Dawn-I counted my jumps, but I really didn’t get very far before having to start over again. I can’t jump like I could when I was 8!), an obstacle course, lunges, push-ups, burpies, inch worms (Yea for me, I can actually do these now!) and several other exercises that I either don’t remember or have blocked out

I’m actually really excited for this week to be over because I want to be remeasured. Yep! I WANT to be remeasured! Can’t wait! But even with my enthusiasm to see what my results are, I had a tough time getting out the door this morn. I sure had a million excuses for why I couldn’t possibly go. I bickered with myself over each excuse and found a solution for each “reason”. I hope I don’t have to fight with myself tomorrow!

Whoo hoo! Session 2 is almost done. I’m feeling proud!

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~

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!