Unplugged: Blessed!

Last night’s Unplugged was simply delightful!  (I promise I won’t bore you every week with an update, but last night was so nice!)  There was such joy – in the midst of typical chaos!  We like to start at 5:30, when #1 child gets home from tutoring, and Britt and I are both home from work.  But last night, due to Pre-K enrollment for #3 and a Parent teach conference with #2’s teacher, Britt and I wouldn’t be home until after 6pm.  The babysitters (Nana and Grandpa) were in charge…  I had left a note on the dining room table with a chore for each Twister, and a reminder that Unplugged started at 5:30.  #3 got a bit of a pass from his Nana, as they were having a “date” for Nana’s birthday to watch Tangled on DVD and it was not over at 5:30 (closer to 6:15, even), but #1 and #2 (as well as my dad), were in the living room -- electronics silenced --  reading and doing homework when we got home shortly after 6!  The rest of the night was just blessed!  I even forgot about the $50 bill I seem to have lost – until this morning…

•  Emma and Lara were SO EXCITED about playing games

•  You have never lived until you have played Toy Story 3 Yahtzee with a 4 year old!

• Jake still didn’t quite understand, but there was much less whining!

•  Although the weather STILL wasn’t nice enough to be outside (30 MPH winds with gusts to 40, and COLD), we found a way to make it work

• Taco Night!

•  The girls stayed up 30 minutes past their bedtime, because they wanted to go outside and plant seeds (I let them, but I was NOT going out in that wind and cold anymore!)

• Jake stayed up 45 minutes past his bedtime – bringing me book after book after book to read to him (and I just let him!)

•  After the kids were in bed, Britt read another ENTIRE book – Heaven is For Real (Todd Burpo) (I read it last week - AMAZING story!)

• I read 1/3 of Water for Elephants (Sara Gruen) – gearing up to go see the movie with my Movie Crew

• We went to bed sleepy, happy, refreshed, and WEIRD!

Weavers: Unplugged

A new tradition was started in the Weaver house last night – Technology Free Monday nights!  We have decided to set aside this night as family time, get unplugged  – with no electronic interruptions.  No twitter, facebook, or blogs.  No TV, DVD or DVR.  No DSi, Wii or iXL.  No cell phones – mine was on in case of emergency.  We chose Monday nights since there are no out of the house activities for any of our kids after 5:30.  (And there is no TV we regularly watch on Monday nights, but I digress…)  We chose to do this from 5:30pm Monday nights until  5:30am Tuesday mornings (when my alarm goes off).  The biggest question the kids had was if we could use the microwave.  I said yes, since it could be used to prepare dinner…

I think last night went pretty well!  I had dinner going when Britt and Emma got home at 5:30.  We were done with dinner by 6:30.  Played board games and made puzzles, and had the kids in bed by 8:00.  Jake didn’t quite understand the how or the why, but he made it through without any movies!  Of course, the first thing he wanted to do this morning was turn on the TV – and he asked me when I dropped him off at day care if he could watch a movie when he got home today!  Sweet thing!

After the kids were in bed, Britt decided to read a book, and I read some of my book before leaving for a meeting at my sorority house (I am an alumna adviser for our chapter) which kept me out until 11pm.  When I got home, Britt was still reading – finished the entire book before we went to bed!

So night 1 of Unplugged was a SUCCESS!  And I say Pffffffffft! to all the nay-sayers and HATERS out there!  “Won’t last 20 minutes” – how about 12 hours?  “Over/Under -45 minutes” MY FOOT!  We did it, and it was GOOD!  Next week we hope the weather is better so we can get outside; being inside while a pre-schooler who wasn’t 100% on board or sure why we were doing this got a bit trying!  But, I think it’s a great time with family and a great change of pace.

We’re getting close to the end

3 more days! Unfortunately for me, 2 of those are weekend days. And one of those weekend days is my son’s 4th birthday party. SHESSH! Talk about a challenge! But, I am raising the bar for these last few days. I have been trying to do a 30 minute (Shakeology, The 30) workout 3-4 times a week during the fast. I am not sure I made my goal – I didn’t keep very good track of my workouts. Having said that, I would bet I didn’t! :) I intended to do it yesterday, but it was a snow day for the schools, so my schedule was messed up. I did shovel the front porch, the front sidewalk, and about ¼ of the driveway, plus played outside in the snow with the kiddos for an hour! And, I have already loaded up the DVD and pressed play for today - even did ALL of the push ups! So, I am challenging myself to do Shakeology The 50 (a 50 minute workout) for the next two days. Saturday and Sunday. Plus, sticking to the fast. I know it can be done. I just have to pray, and be committed. So – Hold me to it! I’m going to finish strong!

Single Step

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.  ~Lao-tzu

Today was my single step.  I got up early, I put on some work-out appropriate clothes and shoes, loaded the DVD into the player, and I leaned forward to PRESS PLAY!

Today’s work out: Shakeology – The 30

I figured, I have to start somewhere!  I have been using Shakeology as a meal replacement for breakfast for about a month now, and I feel so much better!  When I started the shakes, I was still battling the bulging disk (between L4 & L5) in my back.  I was still in a brace 24 hours a day, and pretty miserable without it.  Since then, I have been weaning myself off the brace – down to about 4-6 hours a day (mostly while sitting at work or in a car), and I can actually bend over!  So, the time had come to start moving!

Since the Shakeology workouts were already in my hands, I figured it was a great place to start.  I would say I was able to do about 80% of the work today.  I did the modified jumping jacks with Lisette, only about ½ of the push ups (on my knees), and had the worse time putting my hands under my hips and lifting up!  Since I didn’t have any workout weights on hand, my husband fetched me two cans of corn we had on hand for a holiday recipe he will be preparing tonight.  It was funny, but it worked!  LOVED working my shoulders!   I also was a bit uncoordinated on the knee lifts, but I know it will get better!

With only about 12 minutes left in the workout, my number one daughter came out of her room complaining of a tummy ache.  Less than 2 minutes later – I heard her puking in the bathroom.  I was DETERMINED not to let this slow me down, so I sent my husband in to help her and just kept on working!  Thankful for him and his parenting abilities this morning.  He HATES puke, but #1 Daughter is old enough to care for herself some, so she was OK with minimal assistance.

I felt SUCH a since of accomplishment when the workout was over.  I was hot, sweaty, and my heart rate was up.  I felt GOOD. I felt triumphant!  I felt like I was finally doing something good for myself.  I hope to keep doing The 30 for awhile until I can get all the way through it, then I will move to The 50!  Now, if I could just get my husband to do it with me…