My Two Cents

This kid is awesome.  Reading lessons on the teacher's shoulders?!  Who gets to do that?

We've had a busy week, as usual.  I think I would be busy if all I had to do was make food and keep the house clean.

Monday's are super crazy. We drop the girls off at Mimi's and the boys have Classical Conversations until 1pm. The kids all rest at Mimi's house while I go for a run. We get ourselves together and head home for a big snack like smoothies and popcorn before we head to the Y for my body sculpt class. I run the kids home for dinner with daddy and I head back to mom and dad's to train. I get home in time to clean up dinner, play for a few minutes and jump into the bedtime routine. Then I crash. No other day is quite this crazy, but this one requires supernatural energy.

I had a lady tell me to get off the meth last week. :). So, just to be clear, I'm not super woman, I'm not on meth, and I don't frequent the Starbucks drive thru (I do have a great coffee pot that brews fresh every morning. Here's the deal, good fuel is important on every level. When I'm running and cross training, homeschooling and wrangling children, in constant pick-up mode and feeding these bottomless pits that are my growing babies, I need quality nutrition.

Yup, this about sums up my life!

Over the weekend I ate poorly.  Pancakes for breakfast (whole wheat with agave syrup, but still), popcorn and m&m's for lunch, sweet potato chips with a diet DP and a movie.  Bad.  I felt really weak on my Saturday evening run because I had no good fuel in my body.  Race day is coming so I'm buckling down on my nutrition.  Veggies and protein baby.

Parallel that physical nutrition with spiritual nutrition - How in the world can I raise four kids, love my husband, and help provide a nourishing home environment if I'm not nourished myself?  I honestly don't have time for a weekly women's Bible Study right now.  As soon as I sit still in front of one of those videos (as entertaining as Beth Moore can be!) I fall asleep.  So, I got The Message on my Kindle so I can read it by myself or with whatever child happens to wake up at the crack of dawn.  It's awesome and so important for me to start my day off like that!

Anyway - eat good and read your Bible!  :)

A couple of cute videos

Alayna singing with her stick guitar

Adelle singing Twinkle Twinkle

Fixed it ;)

Wedding Weekend and more

My sister, Angela, finally married Robert Alexander Hurt, aka, the Bobinator (that's what my kids call him).  We're so happy for them and it was one of the funnest weddings I've ever been to. 

Adelle and me in the bride's room before the wedding.

Alayna's gorgeous hair and my handsome boys.

The boys loved their striped ties and Alayna's little bubble skirt dress was gorgeous.

Adelle was a cutie too.  Speaking of cuties... Pierce asked me what a "cutie" was.  I said it was those little oranges we buy at the store.  He said, "No, mom, it's something gooles (girls) give you."  Cooties!

Fred and me out on the deck - perfect night!  There are so many more pictures on facebook.  We got a Cherry Berry gift card for being in the wedding - best treat ever!  Thanks Ange and Bob!

 In other news, last weekend (two weekends ago) I didn't have time for a whole long run because of the wedding and I was subbing pilates at the Y.  So I decided to run to the Y, teach pilates and run home.  Brilliant really, except that I forgot to eat breakfast or hydrate properly.  The run home was fairly brutal.  But I made it, 7 miles in all.  So this last gorgeous Saturday I completed an 11 mile run and felt great.  I ate breakfast, drank plenty of water, carried water with me and felt good at the end.  Amazing!  I'm almost there.  Race day is April 29th.  I should have a few more miles under my belt by then.  I never thought I would say running is fun, but ... Running Is FUN!

Freddy School

My sister is getting married this weekend so we've been practicing wedding hair do's.  Isn't this great?!  these are called Bantu Knots .  I really don't think they were intended for little white-girl hair, but we tried it anyway.  She said she looked like an alien.  ;) 

Turned out super curly and cute, but with such fine, baby hair it was a rat's nest by the end of the day.  She's sleeping in sponge rollers tonight.  Can't wait to see if those do better.  I'll let you know.

Men at Work

Here's Hudson working on a paper about his monkey using lots of similes.  He wrote, "My monkey is brown and calm like a day without wind.  He makes me feel calm too."  I'm going to remember that the next time I have to send him outside to run laps! Pierce mastered his addition facts and is moving into the world of subtraction.  He's awesome.

I always loved those Jane Eyer movies ... er ... um... books!  Where the men get an education and the girls learn the piano forte, and drawing and painting, etc.  That's what my mornings look like right now.    I get the boys going and oversee their work while the girls flit about.  Here's Adelle, still in her cute little cherry jammies (I think these have made it all the way through the Weber cousins and Alayna - Adelle's the last!), playing something lovely.

This cute little blur in leggings is dancing to Adelle's song.  Love it.

Just had to capture a typical reading lesson with Pierce.  By the end of the day I have been wallered (is that a word?!) 1/2 to death!

Projects. Serious projects.

Well, hello again!  We're celebrating our anniversary this weekend by eating too much, staying out too late (we saw The Artist - incredible!), sleeping in (until 8 am because I'm the weirdo who can't sleep in! - so I blog), running an insane number of miles (9!!! Only 4 to go!), and menu planning and grocery shopping together ... with no kids.  See, it's all fun and doable with no kids.

So, we're not watching TV anymore, which is great.  The kids are more creative and more focused during school.  I'm more intentional, even when I'm tired, about playing with them, engaging them ... or just letting them make movies of themselves with my phone!  They're pretty funny.

Anyway, I've been a little bored at night.  I read my devotional, write in my journal, read my book while I sip my hot tea ... do I sound like an old woman yet?!  Just wait!  Because I've been going through my Pinterest boards to pick out new projects.  Might as well fill my evenings with some DIY projects that will rock your world.  Maybe not, but I lean toward exaggeration.  :)  I thought I would link a few of my latest projects here so you can check them out yourself.

Pillow Case Dresses - How cute are these?!  My little girly girls will love them!


Little Boy Ties - My sister, Angela, is getting married in a couple of weeks.  I'm going to venture out and make a couple of these in Kelly Green for the little ring bearer and junior groomsman.



I'm re-doing the girls' room pretty soon too.  Here's some of my inspiration:

Color Scheme

Flower planter toy storage

 Paper Birds on canvas
Love the framed fabric window and the multi-fabric pendent ceiling border.Lot's of fun work to do with modge podge and the sewing machine.

And I think I'll make a couple of these for good measure.  That'll keep me busy for a while.  :)

Anniversary Oh-Choh

Happy 8th Anniversary to us!

Yesterday, I was explaining to the kids what an anniversary is... "It's when you celebrate something that happened to you.  A birthday is the anniversary of your birth so you get to have a party.  This is the anniversary of our marriage so we get to go out to eat and maybe stay at a hotel."  Pierce says, "Or you could play a joke on dad."

This is a real conversation.  Hudson says, "Like put some ice down his pants!"

Pierce says, "Yeah, or put some slimy chicken on his back!"

Hudson says, "Pierce!  I never knew you were so gross!"

Pierce says, "What?!  I'm not a lady!"  Boys are weird.

David is a self-sacrificing, loving husband to me.  He's willing to do the dishes and the laundry and help me keep up with the house stuff.  He runs to Starbucks when I need a pick-me-up.  He lovingly gives up that last bit of dessert when we share (sometimes I just need my own!).  He's an awesome daddy to our four little Freddies and has vision and purpose for our family that keeps us seeking the Lord in prayer and His Word.  The fruit of his efforts are evident in our children's prayers and conversations (maybe even the slimy chicken comment!).  I'm so grateful for the last eight years.  We're counting on this being the best year yet!  Love you Freddy!  :)

Park Days

Dad texted me Saturday to see if the kids could come play while I did my long run. Yes, my dad is awesome. David and I dropped off the kids and headed to the park to run around in circles. It's not too bad with music going and gorgeous weather. I ran in the rain last weekend with no headphones and about went crazy.

8.2 miles later I felt fabulous. My feet feel great and I'm actually enjoying myself and I love that my husband is doing this with me.

Sunday we took the kids to the park. Loving this fabulous February weather!