Family trip to the gym.

My friend Jenny over at Mama Needs Coffee is doing a Wellness Project and I have enjoyed reading her updates so so much! I think it is an awesome idea. As mothers we have constant demands from the little ones, not to mention taking care of the house and loving our spouse. Doing something daily for US is so important. The sweet woman I worked under during college in my work study job at the library would ask me every time I came into work, "Megan, what have you done for yourself today?" She asked us all that. She wanted to make sure we were taking care of ourselves in the midst of all the studying, work and having fun. She also kept extra vitamin C on her desk for all of us. But that question has always stuck with me. My vocation has changed from student to mother, but it is just as important now as it was then. Actually, probably more so. I didn't have babies then, who depend on me for everything.

I am a healthier person - emotionally, mentally, physically and spiritually, when I ask myself what have I done for myself. And it can be small. It just has to be something.

So, I've been joining Jenny from across the miles, you should too!

Yesterday, when Luke sent me a text asking if I wanted to bring the kids to the gym after nap time to let them burn off some energy and so we could take turns working out/watching them (they seriously should offer child care - all those college students! Come on! I know a ton of moms who would love it and use it), I said, yes definitely. The racquetball court was empty and the kids had brought two of their balls with them and wow, the squealing and running, and throwing and jumping....they were so happy. The hallways are super long too...the best for running....AND the swim team was having practice. They kept standing at the door staring at them and the girls in the pool were waving, smiling, pointing (coach kept giving us looks, but I couldn't tell if he was mad), and Casey was making their day by shyly waving back. Then when I walked over with Owen, you could practically hear the squeals through the sound proof glass doors. I like to think we do a lot of good for people's hearts and souls when we are on campus :)

Anyways, my work out felt great....although I will say I do prefer working out in the privacy of my own house better. Doing crunches on the mat next to one of Luke's disciples is not exactly what I have in mind when it comes to exercising! And ironically, or not, as I'm going through my sets of crunches, the song "Just the Way You Are" comes on my pandora station. I pretty much just stopped and smiled. I am amazing, just the way I am.

We came home hungry and tired. The kids devoured a ton of food and then collapsed into bed. It was amazing. Seriously, we'll be back soon. Very soon.

What I Wore Sunday

What a wonderful Sunday we had today. On the first Sunday of the month our parish has donuts and coffee in the parish hall. I was kinda really looking forward to it because I really wanted a chocolate hole donut. The kids had way too many and nap time ended up being a complete bust. There was lots of laughing and talking and jumping....and no sleeping. And of course it would be the afternoon I decided to do my new prenatal workout dvd and have to keep pausing it to go tuck them back in, scold and plead to go to sleep! In the end, I got through my work out (which felt great! I recently purchased Summer Sanders prenatal workout dvd, recommended by none other than that fabulous Grace of Camp Patton), and went upstairs to close my eyes for a few minutes, fingers crossed the kids would pass out already. I don't know how long I was peacefully dosing but I woke up to Hailey next to me shaking a change purse of quarters saying, "wook mama!" She then proceeded to turn off the white noise in the hall, turn on the hall light and take off down the stairs. I followed, turning the white noise back on for Casey (who had indeed fallen asleep), shut the light off and get downstairs to see, what it tuned out, she had been up to during my sweet slumber! Thankfully, it appeared to just be some puzzles. Anyway, we later got to go out for dinner with our chaplain and the team which was such a nice break from cooking. Then, per our Sunday evening tradition, we got Rita's custard and both kids were in bed, asleep at 7:30pm! Since they had already had too much sugar for the day, they actually didn't get any ice cream, such cruel parents I know. Casey didn't care, but Hailey let us know how mad she was. We told her she  had plenty of treats for today and she eventually got over it.

She is already so attached to her little sibling! It is the sweetest thing ever. She is constantly kissing and hugging my belly. 

Not the best photos, but they'll do. Counting down till we find out if this lil peanut if a boy or girl! May 16th is our ultrasound!

I hope to be around a little more blogging this week, but I may be hanging out over at Finding Great Joy, for Cynthia's Mother to Mother series on Disciplining! I'm really looking forward to hearing what other mama's have to say, Hailey and Casey give me new challenges every week!

Make sure you see what all the pretty girls on a Sunday are wearing. (Fun was in my head as I typed that.....)

ps: Happy wedding Emily! Congratulations!

Monday Musings

I had so much to do around the house today. Laundry that's taking me days to finish, leftover mess in the kitchen from last night, just general tidying up. And the kids wouldn't stop begging to go outside. It wasn't even that nice but I took a break and we went for a walk. We stopped on Main Street at the coffee shop so I could try the new drink of the month (and say hi to daddy and the team who were holding their Monday morning meeting there today). Then the kids and I went to the playground. Our tiny town has like 4 parks and they are all within walking distance. It's so great how independent Casey has become and can climb up the stairs and go down the slide over and over again all by himself. Hailey's newest thing at the park is climbing the rock walls. She's got some strength in that little body of hers. The fresh air did us a ton of good.

I don't know what it was about today but I ended up having a ton of energy. I'm attributing it to 1) 2nd trimester. Loving it. 2) After being sooooo miserably sick last week and finally feeling somewhat better I wanted to be productive.

After the walk in the morning, once the kids went down for naps (took Hailey forever and I was praying for patience the whole time) I did a Jillian Michaels work out. I had to take 10 second breaks a few times, but overall I didn't do so bad. I was sweating that's for sure. It felt so good just to move. When the kids got up from their naps I decided to cut the grass. It was starting to get long, the kids want to play in the yard with the weather being so nice lately, I didn't know when Luke was going to get the chance to do it, and I thought I would do something nice for him. I only got half the yard done and stopped because I decided I wanted the blades lowered so that it cut the grass shorter, I like my grass really short, and I couldn't figure that part out.

Now I'm waiting for Luke to come home from bible study so he can give the kids a bath. That's the one thing I'm not wanting to do this evening. He can have the dirty whiney kiddos all to himself :)