Insanity Program - 2 Weeks Left

Well only two full weeks left of our Insanity workout program and I'm feeling a little sad that it's almost over. Now, don't get me wrong, there are many days that I dread taking the time to do the workouts but I always feel better after I've finished. I looked a little like a drowned rat with all of the sweat pouring off of me but I feel like I can do anything after getting a butt kicking workout.

The second month is a lot more difficult that the first and it also takes a lot more time to complete the dvd but it's also fun, especially when my husband and I do one together. This past week my husband was on a tough work shift for us to complete together so some days we worked out separately, it's not as much fun to do by yourself so if you want to do the workouts and stick with them, try to find a partner or friend that wants to participate. A special bonus - the workouts seem to go much faster when you can talk to someone, or at least try to talk after catching your breath.

While working out today, my husband asked me what I'd like for my birthday (we have the same birthday but he's a year older) and I said I thought about asking him to purchase and do another workout program with me. I figured he would be completely against this but surprisingly he was into the idea. So does anyone recommend another workout program? Or should we just repeat Insanity?

Previous Insanity Posts
Insanity Exercise - Update
Body After Baby

Pre-Baptism Photos

Let me be the first to say I am not a wonderful photographer. I have taken a couple great pictures of my son and my husband but hey, every once in awhile a blind squirrel finds an acorn. 

I wanted to take some photos of our little girl in her baptism dress because it's absolutely adorable and I was trying to take a couple outside with the 'right' light, that natural light in the evening - according to a few photographers blogs I have read. Our little one is extremely fidgety so I knew I'd have a little bit of an issue but was hoping I could at least get a couple photos that weren't blurry. Well, I grabbed pillows, a pink sheet, her little chair, a burp cloth, a blanket, and both kids to get these photos. I was keeping my fingers crossed that she didn't spit up all over the dress and luckily that didn't happen. I really didn't even have the movement problem. However, this is the progression to absolute meltdown. 

She's not really thrilled
to be laying this way.

She's not really
liking this way either. 

Starting to get really furious
that no one is picking her up. 

Yes, we are now at meltdown. 

I will need to try again, but her best time of the day is in the morning and that's not the best light outside, lots of hard shadows. Although, for someone that isn't a good photographer I figure if she's happy, no matter the light or the surroundings, and I can get a few decent pictures, I should consider it a win. 

And yes, she was picked up right after the last picture and calmed down instantly but would not lay back down on the pillows for more pictures. She was finished.

Finished the Flying Monkey 5K

We finished the Flying Monkey 5K in under 50 minutes!!! Yes, I know that doesn't sound like anything impressive, but we walked and he's only 5!

After the race! He did it!

Enjoying a chocolate donut
before the race.

Giving his sister a pep talk. 

Chapter Books for the Kiddo

In our household we read a lot, we are generally at our library once a week, my husband prefers sports and biographies and I like non-fiction mystery and crime. My parents kept a lot of books from when I was a child so my son automatically inherited a small library and he's also received books as gifts. But as much as we read, he knows more than half of his books by heart and can correct me if I miss a page and knows parts of the stories word for word. The Berenstain Bears are quite popular with him as well as with me but after you read over and over and over again, they can become a little monotonous. His dad had told him months ago that when he gets older he'll start to read books with chapters and not as many pictures. Lately he has been focused on purchasing chapter books and I had honestly tried to steer him away from this because I didn't think he'd enjoy it. Without pictures would he be able to visualize and imagine enough of what I was reading to capture and hold his attention.

After repetitive days of him asking about reading chapters I began to search online for age appropriate books for his preschooler age. I saw that Charlotte's Web was recommended but it's a longer book and didn't want to start with that. Then I saw the Mary Pope Osbourne's Magic Tree House Series and thought that it may be a great place to begin.


The next day we went to the library to ask the librarian to point us in the direction of the chapter books. She asked what age we were looking for and when I told her 5 years old, her mouth dropped and she stumbled to answer. I just smiled and said, "yes I know he's young but he's asking to read these, well for me to read these." The librarian very kindly showed us the Magic Tree House Series and we brought two home, Dinosaurs Before Dark and Lions at Lunchtime.

He have finished the dinosaur book and are halfway through the lions. I have to say, they have held his attention and they do include a few illustrations.

I'm thinking the next time we go to the library, we'll have to borrow more than two at a time.

Pledge of Allegiance

When my son was younger he had those few words that he consistently said wrong and as a parent I hated to correct him because it was just so darn cute. Every parent remembers at least a couple that their kids said and some of my son's included:

chep up for ketchup

pamcakes for pancakes

tembers for tenders

My husband would sometimes call him "son" and I used "sweetie" a lot. It got to the point that our son would look at my husband and say, "I not son, I feetie." We still laugh over that one.
But as they grow, it's necessary to correct them because they need to learn and of course you want them to learn the correct words.

Now our son is five, we don't hear these cute little words anymore, now and then we get something that comes out a little funny, but it's rare. So last night at the dinner table I was holding the baby and telling her that her brother would soon start preschool and what he'd get to do during the day. One of the things I mentioned was The Pledge of Allegiance. My son started saying it and when he stumbled, I'd prompt and he'd continue. He was at the very end and said, "...indivisible, with liberty and BEYOND!" Just like Buzz Lightyear in Toy Story. I couldn't hold in my laughter, let alone control it, pretty soon he was laughing at me laughing.

It's these silly little moments that make me really think about and treasure the innocence.