Stock Check

** This was written yesterday, but I fell asleep early and didn't get it published. A day late, a dollar short....But feeling refreshed and ready for the day. That counts for something right??

My first few jobs were in retail--cheesy, cheap clothes to be exact. They were great jobs, part-time, usually tons of fun and my managers were only a year or two older than me. We had soo much stuff to sell that it was really hard to know what we had in-store. Every once in a while a customer would be at another location and we'd check a phone call looking for a specific item in a specific size. Groooooaaans. Uggh. A stock check! Who the heck had time to stop what we were doing to look for something in the piles upon piles of clothes for ONE thing. But we did. usually. if it wasn't too busy we'd actually really look. It actually amazed me what other things I would find during the check. Sometimes other cool clothes...that no one knew about! I'd either snag them for myself with my awesome 15% employee discount or have some deeper knowledge of the store that my co-workers did not.

I feel like I need to collect my thoughts, sit down and regroup. I've been all over the place lately and feel like I haven't gotten much accomplished. The scale hates me still, my body hurts, my house is still a mess, homeschooling really isn't happening, etc. Time for a mental stock check:

Homeschool/education
Have you still been "homeschooling?" my mom asks me today? hmm... not so much. But we are learning a ton everyday about our garden, saving energy, what to compost, bugs, birds, cooking. you know, life stuff. Did I mention the kids were in an honest to goodness Art Show? That gets me some credits in the ol' homeschool piggy bank right?! We are still doing our 100EZ Reading Lessons and BB still enjoys them a bunch. I need to get the next BOB Books, Set 2-Advancing Beginners. He loves those things. We also have a co-op field trip planned for tomorrow to Boxerwood. I'm really looking forward to it as a) I've never been there and b) should be GAWgeous tomorrow-high of 75! and c) we have a group of very cool moms I get to hang out with.

A bit of a new skill for me. I cut BigBoy's hair! I love his curly hair, but it's super thick and grows straight down from the crown. His bangs were out of control and he kept doing this crazy head flip. I seriously was on the look out for whip-lash. Our babysitter/hairstylist extraordinaire actually taught me how to cut his hair yesterday. I did it!! It was actually a lot easier than I thought. and since it's curly, you can mess up a little and it still looks great! ;) He now looks 10 instead of 5 :(

Purging
Still a work in progress, but it's progressing and I even went through BigDaddy's closet.

Health/fitness
The BIG NUMBER isn't moving. well, it IS moving, but still doing the cursed dance. up a pound or two, down a pound or two. repeat... I've been trying to remind myself this is okay, it really is. I'm working out about 3 times a week (t/th/s) eating healthier food and less of it overall. Making smart decisions. Not drinking pop and other crap with junk in it (yes, even diet coke- well here and there. I'm trying to completely kick it.) I'm checking in with Mr. Snarky almost every day. Even though he's informing me that I'm now back up to Obese level. *** Edited to report that after writing this post this a.m. I checked in a found out I lost 2.2 lbs! Mr Snarky actually gave me props! I'm back to a "healthy BMI," just barely, but down to my lowest point yet. I love that chart!

Workouts for this week?
Tuesday- Wii Gold's Gym Boxing
Thursday- Denise Austin Hit the Spot pilates
Saturday- Zumba?

Victory Garden is filled with soil, just waiting for the dirt to settle a bit and the damn frost to leave completely. Compost bin is up and going... now to wait six MONTHS before we get anything. That was a bit disappointing. I didn't realize that until after we got it. Not that we wouldn't haven't gotten it, just a bummer. I now need to finalize what we are planting and where.

Routine
Roni's Weigh got me thinking about my daily/weekly fitness routine, or lack of, which then made me think about my lack of routine in general. BigDaddy's schedule was brutal for me when he had two-a-days (all the dishes and mess that we normally have since he came home for all meals, but one less parent for the critical times like wake-up and bedtime.) Now that that's over, things are more steady. We talked about getting to bed earlier (like by 10:30) falling asleep reading (see below) and waking up at a regular time by 7 (for BD) and 6 (for me as I want to have some time before the kids wake up)

Reading
I really, really miss reading for enjoyment. I've been reading very few books for ME. Most of the books in the past 5 years have been how to be pg, how to have a baby and how to be a mom. It's what I was into at the time, and that's all and well, but I'm ready to start reading for fun again. I'd like to just end up in bed by 10 and read a bit and fall asleep.

BB and I went on a date together yesterday to our local library branch and found some good nature books. And he got his official library card. We decided when he was 5, he'd be able to get one as the library doesn't have a set age. The account defaults to mine, but it's in his name and tracks everything through him. Big deal for a 5 y.o. ;) For him: books on bugs and compost and a book I hadn't seen before by Shel Silverstein Runny Babbit: A Billy Sook.

For me: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life. How in the world I missed out on this book until now just floors me. But things fall into place when they need to. I'm ready to listen and I'm not so sure I would have a few years ago, even last summer. I'm about 30 pages in and it speaks to me. I think I'm going to totally inhale this book into my every being. I love it. It reminds me of a book in read in my 20s Diet for a New America (different style, but similar theme) and it totally changed my life. I became a vegetarian, kind of. But it effected me enough to completely overhaul my life. I think this book will do it to. So be warned, I will probably be yapping about this book in the future...

Lunzy Likes:
Just wanted to throw this in. I've been looking for a natural sweetener and haven't been so excited about the results. I recently found Truvia I like it a lot. It's not as sweet as say, sweet and low, but I've gotten used to having my coffee less sweet. Anyone heard of it before? good or bad?

We are loving the forecast for this weekend in the valley. Enjoy the weekend!!

~Lunzy