Getting My Life on Track

So the past few months, for reasons beyond my control (yeah.... someone else's fault, I couldn't have got off my butt) I have been really lazy about school, housework, and my eating and exercise habits. This past week, I've been taking the bull by the horns and began to get this things back in order.

Since I've been doing next to nothing the past few months, cleaning has become a form of exercise. As I was "exercising" this week (in two hours stretches..pretty good eh?), I realized I had been "exercising" even less than I thought. I have a plan to get the house back in order. Included in this plan is the"no snacks in the playroom" mandate.

The kids are not happy about this plan. Its reasoning is two fold. I have one son, A, who is messy. If he spills a bowl of popcorn, he will walk through it before he will clean it up. Unfortunately his brother, although much neater than he, refuses to acknowledge messes that are not his.

The second reason for this mandate is to help N from snacking mindlessly in front of the tube. He is developing habits that could become an issue if we don't find a creative way to limit them. I figure this way, if he's really hungry, he'll take a break form the tube (without my intervening). I also don't have to put limits on the snacks....he will have to be willing to leave the program he is watching to munch. I think it will put natural limits on both sides of the issue.

I have also become very aware that my body has acquired some additional girth. Since I have about 3 outfits to wear and am longing to get into my cute jeans by fall, I have committed to eating better and exercising (almost) daily.

I feel that stating this commitment to the world gives me some accountability. I would post my weight and measurements, but it's just too ugly. Let's agree that I will update on how many inches and pounds I loose each week. No need for the embarrassment of the starting numbers!The final goal is somewhere around a size 6....so I guess I'm losing a good 3 dress sizes.

I do have a membership at a gym, but it's probably 10 miles away and between the gallon of gas and the fee for 2 at the Kids Club, the $11 a day is out of the question. I have a (dreaded)treadmill, so that will have to suffice. I plan to do a short yoga session 3 days a week and free weights the other 3 days along with 30 to 40 min of cardio. I think I should see results shortly.

And then there is school. We are back on track already, with a unit study on the Revolutionary War and the Constitution. We have math books to finish and some Latin to catch up on. I'm reading the Rats of NIMH to the boys, and I think we will read Narnia next. Although they are quite capable of reading these books themselves, they love having me read to them.

Yes, I make my kids do school in the summer. It's so dang hot here, it makes sense. I'd rather hang out in the spring and fall when the weather is great, and take a long break at Christmas. It's the beauty of homeschooling!

OK, so here is my commitment to get my stuff back on track. I have more plans for the fall including some art projects (hopefully to become a business) and to catch up on all that scrapbooking! But for now, the basics.

If you see me, I hope you will bug me about my progress. Embarrassment is a good motivator for me!