Safety Town

Gabe finished Safety Town on Friday and it was great.  I think we learned a lot, him and I both!  He's definitely working on learning his phone number much better now.  He's got his address down.  He learned lots of other things while there too.  I think the most important thing was really that we need to make sure we're working on some of the things I know Gabe needs to learn each and every day so we don't end up overwhelmed and frustrated (both of us). 

I think that it was a great learning experience for him and me.  He got great responses from the teachers about being a good kid and listening well, of course I hear that he's the ham too.  He does need to work on some paying attention skills which I know is the age and the fact that he's had very little structured learning.  I think as a whole he is ready for kindergarten in the fall.  I'm going to bet that we do end up doing some speech therapy but I think at this point I'm going to wait it out and just see how things go when he starts school.

Gabe is really enjoying the summer so far and he loves being outside and especially playing with Matthew and Sarah.  He will play in the pool in the yard all day if I let him, and he will be taking swimming classes next month.  I'm hoping that will help him to get his face in the water and not panic if someone splashes him.  

All in all things are good and we're having a fun summer.  I do wish that we had a car during the day to just bop around places but we'll make it through and soon I'll be back in school and suddenly so will he!

Should I or shouldn't I? You decide!

In just 4 days I'll have technically completed Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred.  I pushed back my end date so that I will have gotten 30 workouts but I think I'm still short one or two.  Still all things considered it's pretty cool.  I actually like the work out. 

I'm looking for the next thing I should do.  If it's on Netflix or free somewhere on the internet even better!  So give me your ideas.  I like things that are in the 30 min range because I have time for that even with the kiddo home with me during the day in the summer, and during the school year that's all I'll likely be able to commit to on any one day. 

I'm not sure if I'll post the before and after pictures or not, because I took the before pictures in my sports bra and workout pants and I'm not really happy about sharing the stretch marks on the internet.  But I'll make sure I take two sets of after, one without the tank top on and one with, so you'll get a current picture of me.  I haven't lost much weight this month (I think the scale lies) but I'm obviously stronger now than I was when I started so I'm hoping that shows. I might be persuaded but it would have to be by a lot of people LOL!

Mike and I started doing water aerobics twice a week.  It is sort of fun actually.  We are the only people under about 70 years old but that's okay, they're inviting us to play Bridge :)  I did tell Mike I wanted to meet new couples but this wasn't quite what I had in mind.  At least we're doing something together and it is exercise.  Plus in the water is good for Mike because even if it has been 90 out Mike feels comfortable in the water.  I'm really thinking about a pool for us, something decent sized. 

Are you up for the challenge?  Convince me to post the actual before pictures.  And sell me your workout videos and where I can find them.  

Funk

I really dislike the "new" blogger layout.  It's been that way for a bit now but it annoys me.

Anyhow that's not what this is about.  This is about the funk.  You know what I'm talking about, we've all been there.  You get into a funk, and sometimes for no discernible reason, and can't get out of it.  I'm pretty sure I'm in a funk because it's post party week.  I spent a lot of time planning and thinking about the party that I have post party depression. 

I'm attempting to drag myself out of it! 

To add to it I twisted my ankle and had to skip working out for two days, which is bad because then I don't want to go back to working out.  I know I gotta just DO IT! and then I'll feel better, or not but at least it will be done.  I'm frustrated with eating and working out, things just aren't moving for me right now.  I'm pretty sure I'm not tracking food as well as I need to be but I'm tired of it and it makes me annoyed and cranky (which feeds into the post party depression funk). 

Being off for the summer is a double edged sword.  I love not having to stress about school but I have no purpose when I'm off like this.  I make no money for the family, which stresses me out, and I have no goals like I do during school, which makes me feel productive. 

Gabe is busy doing Safety Town this week.  I think he likes it but it's hard to tell with him because he's a grumpy old man and doesn't like to talk about "school".  The teachers say he's a ham and a good kid so I figure he must be enjoying himself.

Currently we are number 4 on the waiting list for our preferred school.  It should have gone by address but this is a weird year and there are too many kids for this school (which is literally across from my house) and not as many in one of the other schools.  We're all in the same district.  I'm just crossing my fingers that things work out because I REALLY want/need him to be across the street from us.  It is one of the big things that sold us on this house.  So cross your fingers and toes, and even your eyes that before September 3 families with kindergarteners move OUT of our area of town. 

Next week Mike and I start our evening water aerobic class twice a week, and I'm really hoping that is fun.  It will be nice to have something to do together that is adult only too, even if it is a little corny.  I'm glad we're doing it together. 

Summertime!

I really do love summer.  I love the warmth (Mike says I'm a reptile), I love the sunshine, the hours of light, the smells.  I do NOT love the mosquitoes.  They are annoying me already. 

Sarah and I are running together.  I'm really enjoying it.  We're doing the C25K (again for me) but this time it's all on the road which I haven't done before, I did most of it on the treadmill last year.  Road running is so different than treadmill.  One isn't better or worse than the other but they just are different.  I love having a partner to run with, it makes the time pass faster.  I didn't even mind the rain storm the other day, until it was raining so hard we couldn't see.  Luckily we made it home before the hail started.  Of course the power was out. 

I'm working on these last 20ish pounds to lose, but I'm really hoping most about toning the middle of me.  I hate my middle.  So if those last 20 come off, I'm hoping a lot of it is off that middle.  But overall toning and working out should make that happen. 

In addition to running I'm doing the 30 Day Shred by Jillian Michaels.  It is quick and fits into the morning easily.  I WILL do a full 30 days without missing.  I do have pictures but we'll see if I'm brave enough to post the before pictures or just the after ones.  Yes I'm a chicken, yes I've posted pictures before but this feels different, more out there, more personal. 

In just 10 days we're having a party for our tenth anniversary and I'm wearing a great fun party dress that I could not have fit into when we got married so I know I should be proud of myself (and I am) but I still feel like this is always an up hill battle.  I'm not sure when or if it will ever be "easy" but it is something I NEED to keep doing for myself.  I like the way I feel when I work out, and I like the way I look thinner, oh yeah and I'm sure I'm healthier too (but lets be honest, most of us work out to look good, not be "healthy"). 

So for anyone out there thinking they can't do this, take a look back at the weight loss posts here and the pictures, the struggles and the successes.  I know that even when there is a set back I'm still LEAPS and BOUNDS ahead of where I was before I got off that couch!  So just do it!

Made it!

I made it, I finished the first semester of nursing school.  I did it with the help of my family and the friends I have made this semester!  Thank you all!  Thank you for the fun, for kicking my butt when I needed it, thank you for making flash cards, and letting me us your notes, thank you for the lunches, and the jokes, and picking on me when I really needed it, thank you for showing me how wonderful people really can be and I know some of us will be life long friends. 

 Thank you to my wonderful husband who never complained when I had to study late, or go to study group, when dinner wasn't made, when laundry wasn't done, when I went to bed at 8pm on a weekend because I was so beat.  Thank you honey, you'll never really know how much I appreciate you.

Of course there are three more semesters to go but I'm feeling great having the first one out of the way! 

This summer Gabe and I will hang out, play in the yard, go to the pool and just enjoy not having to be anywhere before 8 am.  Mike and I are signed up for an aquatic workout 2 nights a week starting Mid-June and I'm looking forward to some "us" time.

I'm looking forward to grilling out and burning stuff with my brother and Sarah now that they are next door.  I'm looking forward to just chilling out some!

I can't wait for the party in just a couple weeks! I'm worried its going to be 900 degrees, or 30, or raining LOL!  But it will be a blast no matter what. 

I'm looking forward to running and working out more! (I hope my hip agrees, its really sore after the first day of running on Saturday).

I just can't wait!!!

Just keep swimming....

I feel like I'm drowning.  I am starting to see some people start to lose it.  Just three weeks left of this semester.  I'm both shocked at how fast it is going and yet each day seems like an eternity.  Each morning my alarm goes off and I think I could sleep for days, maybe I will when I have that chance.  Gabe can fend for himself ;)  Tests, tests, studying, studying, clinicals and reading. 

Things just feel like they are all so far to the wayside that I can't even think about them much, laundry is a joke!  I mean I'm not great at keeping up on laundry normally but right now it is a complete and utter disaster!  Food....well I did gain 4 pounds during this semester.  That's pretty good I think considering the complete and total lack of working out I have done.  I am looking forward to having some time to work out soon.  I really do need the time to unwind but then I feel guilty for not hanging out with Mike or Gabe or studying, eating or even ...GASP!.... sleeping that I don't do it. 

I am glad I'm doing this.  I feel really drawn here to this point in my life.  I feel like something called me here.  The universe put a lot of things in front of me and I ended up here.  I'm loving the work and I love the theory, I can't wait to find my place and find MY people, the place where I'm comfortable as a nurse, the place where I belong, the place where I make a difference in even just one person's day.  I know its out there.  I have some ideas of where I think I might want to be but then I learn something new and get interested in that too, I'm like a crow going after things that are shiny right now.  Hopefully I'll just KNOW.

For now though one day at a time, one class at a time, and one test at a time.  

Spring break

Well spring break came and went.  I didn't do anything exciting really but it was nice...sort of.  I find spring break to be a double edged sword.  I NEEDED the break...but I'm really just now actually relaxed from school and have to go back tomorrow...and we have a TEST!  On the first day back, yuck.  Whomever scheduled that should be flogged. 

There are only five weeks left of school this semester though and that will go by fast.  So I'm keeping my head down, and going to power through it!