After the devastation from the tornadoes on Wednesday night, I've just not had it in me to write much.  There are many, many people in our city and county without electricity, with homes that look like a bomb went off, with so much pain.  And, of course, it's much worse in Alabama and north of us here in GA in Ringgold.  I've been praying and asking God to be huge in the lives of everyone touched by all of this disaster.


Yesterday morning I pulled out Tyler's papers and placed them in a folder.  I told him when he was done with the work, and cleaning his room and doing his chores, he could go outdoors to play.  Man, he was quick and cheerful getting his things accomplished.  He really wanted to be outside since it had been raining so much lately.


Today we had homeschool co-op and I ended up pinch hitting at the last minute as a teacher for the 3rd through 5th grade Ancient Egypt class and that was actually fun.  I don't like doing anything at the last minute, but it worked out and stretched me in ways that I need stretching.


This afternoon, Mary Madison left for an American Heritage Girls overnight trip to the Gatlinburg Aquarium where they are "Sleeping with the Sharks" overnight in the Aquarium.  Wes and his friend Josh went with Tom all day to help out people in the church without power and with trees down on their property.  Tyler played with Garrison, his best buddy.  What did I do with myself?  Took a nap, lol. Then I went shopping a bit and walked the dog.  What a lovely ending to my day.


Yesterday's Workout:  Leslie Sansone 5 mile Fat Burning Walk~but I only walked 4 miles of  it. That was about an hour and I said it was enough.


Today's workout:  Slim Series Express Cardio Sculpt, upper body workout.


What I'm reading:  I always keep a book in the car in case I get stuck somewhere. Well, I got stuck waiting for two long trains while out today!  I read a chapter in Max Lucado's Come Thirsty and had forgotten what a thought provoking read it is.

I ended up falling asleep in my chair watching Poirot last night~I guess that's a sign of getting old!!  But the good part of that I was up by 6:10 and got ready to exercise.  This house isn't that large but there are two air conditioning units.  So, just my luck, the a/c unit in the kitchen and den is out~and it was 80 in there at 6:15. It's now 82.  I sure hope we can get it fixed soon.


After my hour long workout, it began to storm.  We didn't have any problems but power was out due to tornadoes and damaging winds in
West Rome.  They were untouched the last two times we got hit here in East Rome.  And, some storms are due to come back tonight.  I'm ready for those April showers to end.


After we got settled the kids got going on some school work.  Mary Madison and Tom went to piano and Tyler was still feeling puny so he didn't go.  Then, we found out Wednesday night dinner was cancelled due to the strong storms due in about dinner time.  So, it's a raid the fridge night for us, just like Monday night.  The kids will be glad for me to cook tomorrow!


Today's Workout:  Slim Series Shape it Up~high rep/low weight total body.

Today was one of those days where things don't go as planned.  I knew my Maddie was taking a cold, but when Tyler got up he had one too.  I'm sort of stumped as to what precipitated this but they both started sneezing like crazy at my mother in laws house on Easter.  I'm just hoping they don't give all of my in laws the cold they were catching.


I had an eye appointment, we needed groceries, and I had to run to the post office.  So, I got up and did a quick 30 minute workout and then got ready to leave the house.  I left Maddie and Tyler with instructions to read and watch an educational show I'd taped off of the Science or History channel~giving them a choice.  I also got Wes going on his school and put him charge of pet duties.


My eye exam went well. The Ophthalmologist said my retina is in amazing shape to be as near-sighted as I am and he's amazed how well I read without needing reading glasses at 46 years old. We did discuss what to do with my eyes in a year or two when I age enough to necessitate a change.


Meanwhile Tom asked me to go to lunch at a Mexican restaurant. The kids said the felt fine, were just lying in bed reading so we had a quick lunch and that was a nice surprise. When I got home the kids felt a wee bit better and wanted to go to the library so off we went.  Maddie and Tyler climbed back in bed with new books once we got home, lol.


The other funny thing is the 13 yo beagle Penny. She's driving Wes and I crazy because ALL she wants to do today is go outdoors in the front yard and eat grass.  I guess all the rain has made our grass green and yummy in her tummy, LOL.


So, that was our crazy day. Tonight I have a Mother/Daughter banquet to attend at church~maybe alone, if Maddie isn't up to going. I'm looking forward to everyone feeling a bit better tomorrow, I pray.


Today's workout:  2 miles of walking style cardio with Leslie Sansone, using a 2 pound weighted belt you wear around your middle.  Yeah, she's chatty and silly, but no one day Walk Aerobics like Leslie.

I feel like Dorothy when I say with heartfelt sincerity, "There's no place like home."  We went to my in laws for Easter and had a lovely time.  We spent the night and came home this afternoon.  We had no air conditioning, had to go back for Tom's  laptop, and dealt with torrential rains on the drive home.  Thus my Dorothy syndrome.


But, honestly, I'm not much of a traveler.  I like to go to the beach and the mountains, I love Disney World (the kid in my coming out).  I also love going to see my parents in Kentucky, no matter how old or how long I'm away Kentucky just feels like home.  And Atlanta is a nice place to go, especially since my MIL spoils me by doing all the cooking!


But I'm ALWAYS, without exception, glad to be home.  Wherever the Bishop of the United Methodist church says that is at the moment.  I like settling in, feeling content, having my kids, husband, stuff, pets all around  me.  I just like HOME.


I sometimes feel a deeper longing for my permanent home.  Where there will be no more tears, no more frustration, no more sense of separation between my Savior and me.  Where I can be barefoot, without makeup, accepted, comfortable. Without pretense, hypocrisy, or personal sin.  Because I'm full of all of that, at times. (After all, it is so easy to look at others and think we're better than we are).


Home.  I pray today that you are in a place where you can feel cherished, safe, loved, relaxed.  And that you allow that place to give you a glimpse of eternity.  Yearning.  Hope.  Anticipation.


Knowing that our heart's true home is where Christ is.  And, truly, there is no place like THAT home.


Workout:  Are you kidding me?  By the time I got home at 5pm I just wanted to sip in the joy of being home!!


What I'm reading:  Well, I read with the kids today. Wes and I studied Pyramids of Egypt; Tyler and I Spanish for Dummies; Maddie Math for Smarty Pants.  Interesting choices that they took to their grandparents for school reading today and in the car on the way home!

Homeschool co-op day.  The forecast called for rain but it was nice and sunny so the kids got to go to their P.E. class, which they love:  Tennis!


This morning was a fiasco and best forgotten.  But there are absolutely days like that, aren't there?


Tonight is Good Friday Service and DD has a friend spending the night.  I don't know if I'll blog before Monday with a busy weekend ahead but am praying all will have a blessed celebration of Jesus' resurrection.


Today's workout:  Upper Body and Core with Michelle Dozois; Dog Walk


Tomorrow:  Lower Body and Core with Michelle Dozois; cardio 


Sunday~Rest, Happy Easter.

April showers have definitely been around this year.  We had storms last night and are supposed to have rain tonight and tomorrow.  But, somehow, we managed to get the grass cut today.  I'm so grateful for the men the church sends over here to cut grass for us~but wish that Wes could get out there and do that, it would be good for him.  


Today we did some catching up in our workbooks that we'd neglected while housecleaning on Monday.  It felt good to get that out of the way for the rest of the week.  We also did some fun grammar lessons, listened to some French tapes, and read some books.  Sometimes the rainy days turn out to be the most productive ones.


Today's workout:  Cardio!  20 minutes of a medicine ball workout by Tracie Long (Breakthrough); 20 minutes of cardio from a Tracie Long workout Weightless; 4 minute yoga stretch.

I'm trying to figure out how I missed Tuesday and then remembered that I didn't sleep well.  Tom forgot to baby gate the dog into the kitchen and she got up at 1:30 am, clicking into my bedroom looking for me. At 2:30, she clicked out into Tyler's room.  Tom got up to gate her and then he was tossing about and I was wide awake. I got up and watched a documentary on Egyptian pyramids for over an hour, lol, and then was up at 6:30 to start my day.


I did take the kids to Barnes and Noble yesterday morning.  They love going there and browsing books, magazines, etc.  Last night I was pretty much useless, though, and was in bed by 10.  I try to do that each night, turning out my light by 10:30, since I'm getting up to exercise before the kids get going.  At first I was exhausted but now it's getting better.


Today we did some more reading in The Willows and Beyond, cleaned rooms, etc.  The crazy story of the day is as follows.  I'm quoting from how I told the story to the moms on my Homeschooling Moms Exercise Peeps checkin:


  Drama this morning. At 6:20 I heard the 13 yo beagle, Penny, moving around in the kitchen(we baby gate her in there at night) so I checked and she needed water. Then she went to the back door to go out. I went and got dressed to exercise, drink water, etc. About 10 minutes later I went to check on her. I leave the back door ajar so she can come in, it helps her not stand out there and howl, lol. Well, one of my sweet children had left the gate open and she was gone. I got Wes, my 14 yo up, and we drove around, walked around, etc. for half an hour. Finally, I threw my hands up and said, "Father what should I do?" I felt like he said, "Go home." I asked Wes and he said to go back toward the house too. That fiend of a dog had come home and was barking at us from the driveway when we got into her view. She came jogging up to me, wagging her tail 90 miles an hour. Sigh. So, now we have a talk about leaving the gate open, lol~Penny has no sense and would easily walk into the road in front of a car, sniffing the entire time.


After all of that, we did get some school work done too, and Maddie and Tyler had piano. Wes is doing a Good Friday drama for Tom and he's off practicing at church and Maddie is getting ready to babysit.  I'm looking forward to reading and just enjoying time with Tyler, who is dying to play a game now.


Yesterday's workout:  Since I was so tired and needed cardiovascular exercise, I chose walking workouts.  I did 30 minutes of Jenny Craig's Let's Walk it Off and 20 minutes of Weight Watcher's Walking Workout.  I used 2 pound hand weights and a 2 pound weighted belt to bump up the intensity.  I loved the Jenny Craig, it had lovely outdoor scenery.


Today's workout:  Tracie Long Defined Lines.  Low impact medicine ball cardio and light weight work and good ab/lower body floor work.  Definitely made me sweat.


What I'm reading:  Bill Bryson's In A Sunburned Country  I read it several years ago, it's all about his adventures in Australia.  Plus, you learn so much about Australia and he's just darn funny.  Warning: He's not a Christian so his theology is faulty regarding things like evolution, and his language is a bit dicey sometimes, but his books are worth reading.  He also wrote A Walk in the Woods  about hiking parts of the Appalachian trail.  You learn a lot and are just laughing OUT LOUD at times.

The beginning of Holy Week tends to be a reflective time for me.  Last night I was going through the TV checking on times of some documentaries I wanted to record and found "The Passion of the Christ" being shown, without commercials.  It was about halfway over so I asked Wes to look at part of it. He proceeded to sit mesmerized until the movie ended, and wants to see the entire thing.  I've not shown it to any of the children before, because of the violence, but thought Wes was old enough.  I could tell it really made him think a lot about Christ.  Totally a serendipity, totally worth the time we spent.


Today I told the kids they could have an unschooling learning day IF they cleaned the house. It really needed attention and mom can't take care of the messes 5 people, three cats and two dogs can make!  So, the floors got swept/mopped, rooms clean, bathroom cleaned, etc. Wes also did a load of laundry~I'm so glad he does his own.  Maddie is slowly getting there but sometimes forgets to transfer her clothing from the washer to the dryer~or leaves things in the dryer overnight, etc.


Today's workout:  Erin O'Brien's Strong Body, Fit Body.  I've been alternating her two weight workouts each Monday for a bit (the other is Strong Body, Ageless Body) and they are the perfect start to my week.

Wow, bad storms yesterday. We were without power, again, from 4:30 until 11:00pm.  But, there were tornadoes that touched down, damaging homes, cars, and lots of trees.  And, many people are without power still so we were blessed.  We ended up having dinner and hanging out at Taco Bell reading.  Turner McCall, the big street right outside our subdivision, leads to all other places in Rome, lol, and has Kroger, shopping, food, etc. Parts of it were closed off, still are, and we have street lights still out.  


After dinner, we went to the church, which had power, and camped out watching Cool Runnings, an older movie we have, on a TV there.  Our 13 yo beagle, Penny, was nervous in a pitch black home so she came with us. She sniffed around the room a bit and then went to sleep on the blanket we took for her~she was a good dog!


Before that the kids had co-op, etc. and did some cleaning of their rooms, basement, etc. in the afternoon.  Tom and I finished off our taxes and mailed them in so all in all a productive day.


Yesterday's workout:  30 Minutes To Fitness Weights:  Shoulders, Biceps, Triceps, with low impact cardio active rests (no dog walk, weather got too bad before I could do that).


Today's workout:  Firm Cardio Overdrive Express (25 minutes of cardio); 30 Minutes to Fitness Weights:  Back, Legs, Chest with waistline and abdominal active rests (these use a towel and are done standing, still keeping the heart rate elevated somewhat).  I'm going to walk Rocky later this afternoon.

Another beautiful spring day here.  I did oversleep but still got up and got my workout in.  Tom takes a 5:15 am spin class twice a week and woke up early and headed out the door.  The class has been getting full quickly, because a gym in town recently closed, leaving only the Y and one two other gyms.  Anyway, at 4:45 I heard his radio alarm blaring "Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus" sung in a country twang, lol.  I had a hard time getting back to sleep and then didn't wake up until nearly 7:30, eek!!


Tom took Wes to the orthodontist, though, so I had time to exercise, shower, etc.  The good news is Wes only has to wear his rubber bands when he sleeps, yippee!  Those things were forever popping out of his mouth and we found them all over the house, grrrr....The bad news for him is they put heavier wires in so his teeth are sore.  And, since he's allergic to milk and can't drink shakes, eat yogurt, pudding, it's going to be a rough couple of days.


The kids have been so funny lately.  Maddie and Tyler have been "doing school" together in her room.  They moved their desks in there, work together, have schedules, etc.  It's funny but they've been getting their work done better with minimal fussing so I'll take it.


Oh, and a mom's dream:  Wes has a camp out/rappelling trip tomorrow night and most of the day Saturday. Tom has decided to take Maddie and Wes on Friday, spend the night and day Saturday, and they'll be back in time for bed Saturday.  Mom gets an entire night and day alone. I'm giddy with excitement, lol.  I love my family but that kind of time alone is like gold to me.


Rocky and I enjoyed another nice walk this afternoon and I had a lot of good time to reflect on how good God has been to me.  I often grumble about the walks but I have some of the best meditation and alone time ever on them so they're a true blessing.


Gotta run, dinner to see to as we have a soccer practice for Wes tonight.  May God bless your socks off today.


Today's workout:  Burn Fat with Cardio with Chris Freytag (40 minutes).  The rest of the week needs to be lower impact, the last two days have had more high impact in them and my feet and shins will start to grumble, lol.  And, my lovely dog walk.


What I'm reading:  Senior High Form+U+La, by Barb Shelton.  Great workbook, it will help Wes and Maddie and I put together a program for homeschooling during middle and high school.

We've finally had a delightful break in the weather.  Monday's stormy night brought lows in the 50s and highs in the low 70s, much more spring like.  Rocky and I have taken walks the last two afternoons and enjoyed the cooler weather and sunshine.

Yesterday all three kids and I had dental appointments in the morning. Thank goodness we didn't have cavities, the bill was outrageous for three sets of xrays, 4 cleanings, and three fluoride treatments without adding anything extra in.  Tomorrow Wes has an orthodontist appointment and then we're done with our mouths for a bit, lol.

The kids and I have been reading a lovely book during read aloud time.  It's The Willows and Beyond by William Horwood. It's really a follow up to Kenneth Grahame's classic The Wind in the Willows.  We get to hear about the lives of Mole, Water Rat, and Mr. Toad again. The funny thing is that the one person who won't let me forget to read it is Wes, my nearly 15 year old.  Don't tell me that a teenager is to old for nice adventure stories.  The writing is excellent and the children's  vocabularies have increased because of the stories we've read.

On a personal note, my husband has been struggling with some issues at work in the church and I've been struggling right along with him.  But the beauty of it is that, as Charles R. Swindoll says, that often impossible situations are simply brilliantly disguised opportunities.  I've been praying to see God be huge as he works through us.  When he shows himself huge through vessels of clay, the glory is his.  And that's something the world can use more of, don't you think?  

Yesterday's workout:  Firm Cardio Sculpt Blaster; Dog Walk

Today's workout:  Kristi Yamaguchi Power Workout (weights/cardio circuit) with Erin O'Brien; Dog Walk

Yesterday Wes, my nearly 15 year old, asked to go to a local restaurant for dinner and said he'd pay for his meal.  I ordered a $1.70 drink and paid for it with a $5.  The register   didn't tell the cashier the amount of change to give me and there were two 18ish year olds stumped about the issue until I told them they owed me $3.30.  Luckily, when I gave the problem to Wes, Maddie and Tyler, they could come with the answer pretty quickly.


Which leads me to say I know simple math is taught in school.  But, we need to keep sharpening our skills.  I've been working lately with my kids on things like that, calculating percentages and dealing with fractions~things they will use throughout their lives!


Today we went to the library.  The kids chose books about math, for the most part. Algebra I for Dummies, Sir Circumference books, Math for Smarty Pants, etc.  They also got some books for simple pleasure as well.


After we finished up some chores and lessons, we went to Walmart to get Tyler a new pair of tennis shoes as his old shoes had holes in them!  Maddie and Wes spent a bit of the money they earned in the last month.  Wes got a game for his Xbox that was NBA Basketball~he keeps trying to best Rajon Rondo, a former Kentucky player who plays for the Celtics, lol.  Maddie got a few inexpensive pillows and throws to spruce up her bed.  And Tyler got some new colored pencils to use in sketching.  Again, no surprises there.


Today I was reading about the difference between being a boss and a leader.  Do I lead by fear and intimidation, by always saying "I told you so" or by example, with compassion, prayerfully considering the way I should go?  Good questions to ponder as I start another week of being a homeschooling mom!


Today's workout:  Erin O'Brien Strong Body, Ageless Body~great weights and pilates style floor work.  And yippee, I actually got to walk Rocky today.  I don't know who enjoyed it more!!


What I'm reading:  Sleeping Murder by Agatha Christie.  I recently re-read Curtain, Poirot's last case so I thought I'd do the same with Miss Marple.

Busy, busy weekend for us.  We had co-op yesterday and then Tom and Maddie attended a Father/Daughter Dance together.  So Thursday was taken up with getting a dress,etc.  I got some great pictures of the two of them before the dance and they had a great time.


While they were off dancing, I took Tyler and Wes to a soccer game Wes played in.  After that, Ty's friend Garrison came over to spend the night because his mom was out of town and his dad took his sisters to the dance.


Today we had two soccer games and a church wide yard sale.  My sweet husband let me skip Wes' game in the afternoon since I went the night before.  Thank goodness, I crashed and had a lovely nap.  


I also cut Maddie and Tyler off all afternoon from the computer, electronics, and T.V.  They grumbled a bit but then made mud pies, read books, played with neighbor children (Legos, of course), and then played tag outdoors.  All in all, it was nice to see my children being children.


Friday's workout:  30 Minutes To Fitness Weights:  Legs, Back and Chest with low impact cardio active rests; abs


Saturday's workout:  30 Minutes to Fitness Weights:  Shoulders, Biceps and Triceps with waistline active rests; 20 minutes of metabolic cardio intervals; yoga stretch


I've not walked the dog since Wednesday because of being so busy. The kids have walked him but I miss it and I can tell he does too~we definitely walk for a longer time instead of two shorter walks with the kids.  I'm looking forward to walking more this week.


What I'm reading:  The Well-Adjusted Child:  The Social Benefits of Homeschooling by Rachel Gathercole.

I can't believe it's been so long since I've written.  Let's see, Monday night the power went out during a bad storm about 9:10.  It didn't come on until some time between 4:30 and 5:00 on Tuesday.  We ended up going to McDonald's for breakfast and using their electricity to work in our school books on Tuesday!  It was actually kind of nice, we read books, studied, played outdoors, etc. But, I'm glad to have power again.


Yesterday we had piano and church stuff.  Today we have swimming and soccer tonight.  Tomorrow is co-op and my husband is taking Maddie to a Father/Daughter dance while I keep the boys and have a neighborhood boy over to spend the night with Tyler.  Saturday is soccer all afternoon and a church yard sale all morning.  


So, I'm looking for a way to sneak in some time on my own.  I need to recharge my batteries by being alone and it will be tough to do that.  If you think of it, send up a prayer for me to get creative!!


Workouts this week:
Monday~Erin O'Brien Strong Body, Fit Body (weights)
Tuesday~Low Impact Cardio with Amy Dixon and Jennifer Nicole Lee (40 minutes, used a portable DVD player since we didn't have power!)
Wednesday~Joy Bauer Slimdown (cardio and weight circuits)
Thursday (today)~Cardio For Beginners (which it isn't) with Petra Kolber, 40 minutes of low impact athletic and dance style cardio.


What I'm reading:


I read Love Food, Live Well by Chantel Hobbs this week (really inspiring, she lost over 200 pounds and has kept it off).  She writes from a Biblical/Christian perspective.


I'm also re-reading some of Jan Karon's Mitford Series and have started A Light in the Window, book 2 of the series.

I hope you guys are enjoying some beautiful blue skies today.  And, I've chosen Blue in honor of my Kentucky Wildcats basketball team making an appearance in the Final Four for the first time in 13 years.  They exceeded my expectations this year and it was fun to watch the last month and a half, especially!


Tyler and I are hanging out at home while the older kids are at youth with Tom.  I love the first Sunday of the month when our church family celebrates communion together.  We can never focus enough on the sacrifice that Jesus made for us~doing so brings me such joy.  I pray you find time for rest, peace, and reflection today as well.


No workout, usual rest day!!

Here comes the sun!  Yesterday there was no rain but still mostly overcast and today we had tons of sun!!  It was warmer too and felt so good.


The kids had a good first day of co-op yesterday.  Tyler is studying Ancient Egypt, Gardening, Creatures that Defy Evolution, and Tennis for PE.  The older two have classes in Heroes of the Faith, Purposeful Knots and Survival Skills, Beginning Improvisation, and Tennis for PE.  


Today we had soccer games.  It's kind of annoying because Maddie has games from 12-1:15 and Wes from 3-4:30.  It's not like you can stay at the field so we end up running home for lunch and then back.  But, it's good exercise for them and they enjoy it so I make the sacrifice, even though it takes up most of my Saturday.


Yesterday's workout:  Kelly Coffey-Meyer 30 MTF LIFT, Powersculpting (cardio paced weight workout).


Today's workout:  Prevention 400 Calorie Fix, Circuit Training (intervals of low impact cardio, lower body, upper body, and abs); dog walk (thank goodness that the sun came out and Rocky and I could walk today).