Out of the Box

(thanks for the name idea Mandy)

this was my second competition

I'm 34 weeks and 5 days pregnant with twins.  I'll post more about that later.  This is more about Crossfit.

I had been going pretty hard at my crossfit box for the last year before I got pregnant.  It was fun.  I've always been athletic and into sports.  I started crossfit when my daughter was about 1.5 years old.  Basically when she didn't need me to nurse her that much.  I had read about crossfit before when I was learning about the Paleo diet.  It seemed like something I would be interested in.  I always liked lifting, I lifted in high school.

Anyway, so after the first year or so I decided I wanted to try a competition.  I fell in love with doing them.  Then I decided to start working out more than my current 3 times a week.  I also met people who wanted to do more than the house WOD.... we would do more.  We started following various programming that would last more than the hour I usually spent at the gym.  My kids were older then, and I didn't nurse them anymore and my husband wanted me to go to crossfit to get out of the house. He was saying how much happier I seemed after working out.  And it's true, I enjoyed it,  I had made a ton of friends and it was nice to get out for an hour or two.

There was a few downfalls to it though.  I think, for me, 4-5 times a week of training like that wasn't exactly good for my body.  I could tell that it was wearing me out.  I had started to see a couple of people because I got a high thyroid test.   It's so easy looking back - I think I was working out too hard.  I think it was wearing me out.

It's so easy after the fact to see all this stuff.  Like last summer I did more crossfit, and didn't have the energy to do the things I had the previous summer.  I picked, canned and froze a bunch a fruit.  Before, I was into sewing.  I felt that I became obsessed with crossfit.  It's not like its a bad thing.  It was fun.  I really enjoyed it.  But now being pregnant and having to take a break from doing crossfit (my body is just not able to lift right now) I can see how that crossfit obsession kind of took over.  It's really nice to have the perspective.  I know once my babies come I won't be able to work out like that and I'm kinda glad.  I think I'm excited for more of a balance.  I just don't think training two hours a day, for me, in my life, is "balance".   I'm glad I know that now.  It's nice to have some out of box perspective.   It will be interesting to see how this year has changed things.

Homeschool Last Week

One of my new years goals was to plan the homeschool week ahead of time.  I found this sheet to write down what I hope to accomplish.  It's kinda cool to plan everything out so I can see what I'm going to do.  It makes it more organized so that I'm not fumbling around when I say 'it's time to start school'.
I started doing it two weeks ago and we got through all I wanted to do.  It was funny because I had my husband take over one of the days last week because he came home from work so I could go to the doctors.  He didn't understand exactly what was on my list so he just had Luke do all of the writing assignments for the whole week in one day haha.  So we just moved on the next day and did the math and reading we didn't do the days before.  We also finished reading Snow White (I was reading it to them).
Last week was more "field trip week".  We went to the fire station with a local homeschool group.

Luke in the fire truck

We have been to the fire station before.  But this time Luke wasn't afraid to get in the fire truck with out me and he was really interested in learning about everything this time.  Him and Taryn weren't shy about getting in a group photo either :)

Thursday we went to an art class where the kids learned to paint a butterfly on canvas.

art class

We also had a park playdate with our friends, made a trip to Portland and ran some errands.  Needless to say, we didn't get done with what we set out to accomplish this week.  But, I really think that is the beauty of homeschooling.  

Twenty fifteen... the year of self discipline (hopefully)

Goals

set goals and write down ways to achieve them

Be more organized at home school

• go over weekly plan each weekend

Earlier bed time

• start getting ready for bed around 9:30
• get dinner ready before I go to crossfit

Well... this one isn't going so well yet.  I don't know why we just aren't motivated to go to bed early.  We should be lol.  I just like staying up.

Keep up with budget and stick with it

• check in with budget at least 3x a week and before going shopping or spending money
• make a menu before shopping for groceries

We did better at budgeting in 2014 than we have in previous years... mostly just getting in the habit.  And also just figuring out what works best for us.  I think the key for us is keeping up with it.  If we do that we are usually very successful.  If we go a week or so with out updating we get caught saying 'oh i think we have enough money in this category' when really we don't or should be more frugal.

Making menus helps a lot for grocery shopping.  Even though I'm pretty good at shopping with out a menu.  Shopping with a menu helps me to focus and get what we need... and avoid extras.

organize the house

• clean the garage
• get a dumpster
• Organize closet for a place to set my oils
• Clean out linens closet
• clean shelf by dinning table
• make a homeschool station

I don't want to do these.  lol.  But they need to get done.

Get to Silver Rank for my oil business

• create oil box page on fb for support to existing clients
• start blogging
• do the Hustle 30 day challenge
• start a youtube channel to help new oil users

This is for my essential oils business.  You can see more on my new blog page later when I make it.

save for….

The nest egg

• stick to budget and budget goals
• save money in ROTH each month
• set amount
• save a little money from savings each month
• set amount

two twin bed mattresses 

bunk bed

disneyland trip

We are trying to really have a big nest egg right now so that way we have enough in case of an emergency.  We have some of it, but I want this year to be the year we finish doing that and move the focus on other things.

I also want to go to disneyland :)

And finally, the most important goals: 

Spiritual Life Goals

• Keep reading the daily readings and reflection
• pray at least a decade of the rosary with the family every day (and try to pray the rosary every day)
• read a book about a saint
• spend more time in silence
• find ways to make people happy
• Get more involved at my Parish
• help at community dinners with Luke

Well that's it for this year.  We'll see how it goes! 

Blast from the Past

Wow.  I just re-read through my blog today.  I have been meaning to keep up with it better.  And just writing more often.
Time passes so fast, I can't believe it has been a year since I've updated.  And really, two years since I wrote more consistently.  And understanably since I've got two kiddos.  But I just got out of the habit.  I don't know if I'll go back and cover what I've missed.  But I think I'll just start posting what's going on now.  I actually miss doing this.

3 and 5 years old

Here they are.  They are 3 and 5 now.  This picture was taken right before we went out the door for church this morning.  Taryn was wearing her new dress she got from her Aunt Loretta.  She's not really the dress wearing type but she liked this one and said she would wear it to church sometime.

Luke is 5 and is in kindergarten but we are homeschooling.  It's funny because when they were in swimming lessons, the teacher asked him if he was in school.  He kinda looked at him with a puzzled look.  He didn't know what to say.  But I told him after to just say that you are in kindergarten but you homeschool.  He's said that now to people who ask.

Today, after church, I was getting trained to be a Eucharistic minister.  Ben and the kids were waiting out in lobby area.  There is someone at our church who brings day old bread and people can take them home for free.  Ben and the kids found some gluten free bread while we were waiting and so we took it home.  I took the bread and made french toast for lunch.  It was really good.  Now i'm back in the bedroom, in my pj's, laying in the bed enjoying this Sunday.  Of course, the dog is right next to me.  And the kids and Ben are out playing some game on the tv.  

We don't have a whole lot going on right now.  Just the every day stuff.   I'm going to try to make more updates!