A Team Week 86: Strong Enough

This week I began the unthinkable...I started exercising...if you can call it that.  For a while, Eric and I have been praying for direction in our lives for many aspects of it, and for the most part we still do not have the answers we are looking for.  However, there is one thought that repeatedly comes into my mind and I am sure it is one answer to these prayers: "You need to get some exercise".  I tried to ignore this thought for as long as I could as the only time I have to do this is first thing in the morning (getting up earlier than normal mind you) before the kids wake up and my day really begins.  As this thought continued to pop into my mind so did thoughts about the weight I'd like to loose, the exhaustion I typically feel, the aches and pains of my aging body and the anxiety I struggle with and it occurred to me that God was trying to tell me that exercise is what I need to help with all of these issues.  So, I decided I was going to start running...

A few weeks ago when Eric's parents were here visiting, his mom and I went shopping for a bit together so I could use some coupons I had to purchase a new pair of shoes.  My old pair of tennis shoes were purchased back in 2009 before my first nephew was born!  They are more hiking shoes than any sort of exercise shoe and on top of that they are now quite uncomfortable (I realized trying on new shoes that my foot apparently grew from a 7.5 to an 8.5 after having the boys!).  So, I bought a new pair of shoes (yay!) and then I began to run...

Nope, that didn't really happen.  A week went by with no running and at the end of that Eric asked, "so...when are you going to start running to use those new shoes you bought?..."  Feeling challenged (and only slightly annoyed), I swore to start my new program after the weekend and when Monday came my alarm went off at 6am and off I went.  This time for real.  I got outside, I stretched for a bit and then walked a block or so to warm up and then started jogging in my neighborhood.   ...and I continued to jog for about two blocks!  ;)  After barely getting anywhere I realized how incredibly out of shape I am and that running wasn't going to actually happen for a bit.  Instead, I walked and jogged for about 20 minutes and then headed back home.  Since then, the walking has continued and I try to walk as quickly as I possibly can, but with ankles and knees that don't seem to want to cooperate with my new regime the running has been postponed.  At this point it is basically just speed walking for about 1.5 miles a day (which is barely enough calories to discount the fruit snacks I commonly eat at work), but I do hope to build on that as I get stronger and in better shape...and also get used to waking earlier.

So, the question is have I noticed any change in the 2 weeks that have passed since I began this routine?  Well...so far not much.  My weight is decreasing ever so slightly and the aches and pains almost seem to be increasing.  However, the exhaustion is slightly better.  I feel much more awake in the morning and during the day, but when evening comes I am zapped.  By the time the kids are in bed, I am ready to go myself, but there are still things that need to get done.  When I do go to sleep, I actually seem to be sleeping worse.  I have been having incredibly vivid dreams (to the point that I often have a hard time knowing what is and is not real later in the day when I think back of my dream "memories" and I also punched Eric while sleeping one night and having a rough dream), and I also have been waking earlier...probably in anticipation of my alarm going off (which is why I got up early and worked on this post on a Sunday while the rest of my family is still sleeping...and I've been awake since before 5am).

Throughout it all though I am feeling encouraged.  The crisp Spring mornings remind me of the cool summer mornings working at Lake Lundgren Bible Camp and the time to be off by myself to clear my mind and focus on myself and my relationship with my Heavenly Father has been great, and I also have felt encouraged and energized by God's timing as I put in my earbuds on my first day of this routine and heard the song "Hero" by Skillet pumping through my ears (a great song to get me going on my first day) and on the second day was met with a first song of "Strong Enough" by Matthew West  (another great reminder that I may not be strong enough, but I know a God who is)!

Excerpts from Strong Enough: 

I know I'm not strong enough to to be

everything that I'm supposed to be

I give up

I'm not strong enough

Hands of mercy won't you cover me

Lord right now I'm asking you to be

Strong enough

Strong enough

For the both of us

...

I can do all things

Through Christ who gives me strength

And I don't have to be

Strong enough

Strong enough

Beyond my new routine here is what happened the rest of the week...

Monday

Avery enjoyed his first corn on the cob!  On Monday we had corn on the cob with dinner and Avery really wanted one, but I had planned to just cut the corn off for him, thinking he wouldn't be able to eat it on the cob yet.  Eric said I should give him a shot at it though, so I broke one in half, got it ready for him, and he proceeded to eat it like a pro!

Oooo Corn!!

(2) Videos: 1st Corn on the Cob

Asher with his crazy corn design.

Tuesday
Avery got a haircut and he was NOT impressed.  He spent the entire time crying and sitting on Daddy's lap.

After the cut...calling Grammy to tell her about the ordeal that Mommy and Daddy forced him to go through.

Thursday
Asher has been really wanting to cook with us lately.  He has also been interested in making his own concoctions.  This morning, he made sandwiches for him and Avery of graham crackers with Bugles on top.

On Thursday night, Eric had a meeting so the boys and I had a quick dinner and then headed to the "car" park for a while before bed.

Friday
Unlike most weeks, Friday was my day off this week.  The boys' daycare was closed for the day, so I switched my day off and we enjoyed a fun day together at home and at the park where we met some friends to play for a while.  Asher and his friend Elias had a great time running around the playground to stay away from the Sea Monster (me...apparently).

During the morning, Asher was inside helping me but Avery refused to come in so I let him stay out while keeping a close eye on him.  Without his big brother around he happily tried to ride Asher's bike, but his feet wouldn't reach the peddles.

A cool wildflower at the park.

Saturday
A lazy day at home.

"Is there something on my lip?"

Sunday
Today started off with a bit of excitement.  As the kids and I headed downstairs to start the day, I looked out the upstairs window to see a sad sight.  Two baby birds (finch we think) took their first flight and it didn't go well.  We believe the one crashed into the window and died.  The other was sitting on the cold roof (we had a frost advisory that morning so it was barely above freezing) shaking.  Poor little guy (or girl?) was freezing to death!  Saddened by the sight and feeling sorry for the little dude, I made Eric go and get it and bring it into the house so it could warm up a bit.  He was skeptical that it would do any good, but obliged to make me happy.  We made a mock bird cage and let him sit in our dining room for about half an hour.  Then Eric took him outside and placed him into our fenced garden to keep him safe.  After a while, Eric went to check on him and since he was still there he decided he was going to try to put him in a tree.  As Eric went to pick him up he surprised us all by attempting another flight.  Although it didn't look very graceful, and he almost hit Asher in the head, he did make a low fly across the yard to the lilac tree in the back and there he stayed until after church.

Our mock birdcage and the birds on our roof.

Eric & Avery checking in on the little guy.

Hanging out in the lilac tree.

Avery and I snuggling in bed after bath time.

Talking to the stuffed monkey and wearing Mommy's necklace.

While Avery and I got ready for church, Asher and Eric went on their Sunday morning Meijer run.  While they were there they found a little bike perfect for our little guy and brought it home.

When we got home from church, we checked on our little birdie buddy and found him still hanging out in the tree (although he'd made his way down into the base).  We let him hide there a little while longer and then Eric got him out and tried to put him into our Magnolia tree.  As he did so though, the little guy braved up and flew off out of our yard...to live happily every after (or so we choose to believe).

Finally, to close out the week and undo any calories I lost on my new program, the boys and I made a special treat after nap time on Sunday afternoon: Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream!!  With Asher's current interest in helping us cook, I thought this would be a fun way for us all to work together in the kitchen and enjoy a the fruits of our labor!  Asher was a great helper (although I unfortunately didn't get any pictures of him) and Avery enjoyed watching, helping me to mix everything up at the end, and "cleaning" the mixer and spoons afterwards!  :)

14 years later it still works!

Avery & I "cleaning" up

The finished product.  It was delicious!

Video: I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Ice Cream!

A Team Week 85b: Mother's Day Fun

When the weekend of A Team Week 85 arrived it was one of my favorite times of year...Mother's Day Weekend.  I have always been so thankful to have an amazing mom, but now this weekend means even more to me as I get to celebrate the blessing of being a mom myself.  My little A Team makes me feel like the luckiest woman in the world, and when this time approaches every year I can think of no better way to spend the weekend than by having wonderful fun with them and making more memories together.

Thus, on Saturday morning the boys and I enjoyed a quick breakfast together and then we all got ready and headed to Milwaukee for a fun morning at the Betty Brinn Children's Museum downtown.  We had so much fun playing and pretending together as a family and then headed to the Cheesecake Factory for a tasty lunch!

**Warning LOTS of Pictures to Follow**

Walking to the Museum

Harley Davidson Dealership

Eric teaching Asher how to ride a Harley.

Avery going along for a ride.

Daddy joins in on the fun.   (In true Wisconsin fashion, none of them have helmets on!)

Hot Dog Vendor

Grilling up some hot dogs.

Sendik's Food Market:  Both of the boys had a great time picking out goods at the Market, running them through the checkout and then putting them all away again!

Grocery shopping.

Eric manning the Sendik's Bakery.

Avery answering the phone at the Deli.

Time Warner Cable Studio:  Everyone had fun playing in front of the green screen and watching themselves on the TV.  Eric's made the boys' bodies disappear right before their eyes!

Avery and I manning the control room.

Waterstone Bank: The boys had fun getting money from the drive-up ATM as Eric played casher on the other side.

Brady Corporation, Jr.: Eric and Avery had fun moving boxes around as Asher worked on getting some shipments out.

Under Construction - Go Green: Asher had a blast driving the construction truck, laying concrete and putting down flooring, while Avery loved working on the plumbing!

Water Works: Avery, Asher and I worked to clean the water at the water treatment facility.

Let's Play Railway: The boys had fun playing on the train, and working on the farm (milking the cow, grooming the horse and picking corn).

Avery playing peek-a-boo with another mom at the museum.

Velocity:  Avery was especially thrilled as this exhibit gave him the opportunity to play with "ba"s, but he wasn't thrilled that he didn't get to keep them.

The Adventures of Mr. Potato Head: Asher and Avery had fun exploring the land of Mr. Potato Head (a temporary exhibit) as they went down the slide, crawled through the caves and panned for gold.

World Headquarters: The boys and I enjoyed putting on a puppet show for Daddy, building gigantic tinker toys, sorting tiles in the production center, and working on some artwork signs for their bedroom doors.

My attempt at a picture from the other side of the puppet show.

Asher the fire fighter/clown.

At the audio book listening area, I found "Bread and Jam for Frances".  This was one of my favorite books as a kid and I had tried to describe it to my mom a while back, not remembering the title.  She had no idea what I was talking about, but here it is!!

Giant Tinker Toys!

Asher at the art center.

Daddy helping Avery with his sign.

Kohl's Healthy Kids: It's Your Move: At our final destination, the boys enjoyed climbing around on the playset, I tried out my dancing skills (which are terrible) and Avery drove the ambulance.

When our fun at the children's museum was over, we headed back to the car and then to the Cheesecake Factory for a tasty lunch.

This picture isn't exactly flattering, but I had to include it as it makes me laugh.  You see, I kind of have a knack for dropping my phone and our camera.  It's somewhat shocking that they both still work.  When we arrived at the Cheesecake Factory, we were getting out of the car when the camera (which had been sitting on the seat next to me) got it's strap somehow stuck on my jacket or something and went flying out of the car.  As it did so though, it somehow managed to capture a picture of Eric.  The look says it all!  ;)   ...seriously...again!?...sigh...

Asher ordered a pizza off the kid's meal and I was VERY happy that we hadn't ordered anything for Avery.  This is the pizza he got!!  He was thrilled at its enormous size, and surprisingly the two of them ate almost the whole thing in addition to squeezies, bread and some of my and Eric's meals!!

When our lunch was over and I had packaged up my leftovers along with not one but TWO pieces of cheesecake (yes two...I couldn't decided between my favorite: the Chocolate Mouse Cheesecake and the Dutch Apple Caramel Cheesecake), Avery and I walked across the street to Old Navy while Eric took Asher to the potty so that I could try to use up a gift card that I've had in my wallet for quite some time.  Avery was happy to shop with me and did a great job following me around, but every time he found a hat in the store he had to model it for me!  :)

I picked out my purchases (which show how lame I actually am as I got two tank tops that are the same but different "colors" (aka gray & black) and two sweaters that are also the same but different colors (tan & most exciting: teal!).  Then, after checking out, we were ready to head home.  We thought the boys would quickly fall asleep in the car, but Asher was kind of jacked up and Avery was WAY overtired and ticked to be in his carseat.  He cried for almost the entire 45 minute drive home.  On the plus side though, since the kids didn't sleep on the drive home, that meant that we ALL got to go to bed when we got home and enjoy Family Nap Time!!  Happy Mother's Day to me!!

**Side Story: As I was trying to figure out what to purchase, Asher walked up to me and simply said, "I love you mommy".  The lady standing next to me responds: "Awwww".  :)

When nap time was over, we went for our first bike ride of the year.  Eric pulled Asher and Avery in the trailer and I trailed behind as we headed to a nearby school to play on their new playground.  The boys had fun playing together and also playing with a little girl that was there who instantly began to Mommy Avery, leading him by the hand to the playground and telling him what he should and should not be doing.  My job was done.  Eric said we should call her up in a few years to babysit, but since she is only in first grade, I'm not sure the age gap would be quite enough!

Sunday was actually Mother's Day, but rather than doing any big celebratory things, we spent the day just relaxing at home and resting up.  In the morning, Eric took the boys out so I could get a little extra rest.  When I woke up, I found a wonderful surprise from Eric and the boys on my Facebook feed: A Mother's Day post by Eric.  Then, when the boys returned, we enjoyed our Sunday morning donuts and they surprised me with more gifts: A Chutes and Ladders game for me to play with the boys (well Asher for now), some hanging baskets of flowers for our backyard, cards, a UofM license plate cover (because I was jealous of Eric's) and flowers in cups that Asher and Avery had planted for me at daycare.  They were all great treats, but the best treat of all is just being able to spend the day with my awesome family!

**Side Story: Earlier in the week, while I was driving the boys home from daycare, Asher excitedly told me that they planted flowers for their mommies that day!  Then, after we got home, he told me about them again.  That night at the dinner table, Eric said to Asher, "Buddy, do you know what this weekend is?  This weekend is Mother's Day, when we get to celebrate our Mommies!"  Asher happily responded, "yay!  Then we can give Mommy our flowers!"  Eric, not quite hearing him asked what he had said and at that moment Asher (quite obviously was reminded that the flowers were supposed to be a secret) quickly responded, "Nevermind!"  ;)

Avery enjoying his donut

Asher enjoying his.

Asher & I playing Chutes & Ladders on the back porch.

Eric & Avery walking to church.

Avery walking home from church...insisting on going it alone.

Video: Brothers Swinging

Mother's Day shot with my boys.

After a fun morning and lunch, Avery was ready for a nap and laid his head down on my lap.

After nap time, we brought some flowers to our favorite neighbor and honorary street grandmother and visited with her.  Then, after a bit more lazy time/play time/productivity time it was time for the weekend to end.  When the kiddos were in bed, I finished off my Mother's Day celebration the best way possible...with a slice of Cheesecake Factory Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake...Just.For.Me!! :)

My Mother's Day flowers planted by the boys at daycare: