COLOR SPLASH

I love painting. I REALLY love painting. Probably too much so. Poor Tommy never knows what color our house is going to be when he comes home. When he left for work yesterday our dining room looked like this......

And this is what he came home to!!!

All back to normal!!

..............at least for today!!!

Thursday's...

On Thursday's, workouts wait until the evening for me.... Right now
I should be...
finishing cleaning out my kitchen cabinets
vacuuming
painting the dining room wall I started
sorting laundry
folding laundry
putting laundry baskets in rooms
dusting
throwing away piles of garbage we have amassed
doing dishes
washing floors
cleaning the backyard
cleaning the front yard

Instead, I am watching....

So everything else can wait!!

Only in hand grenades..

I have a serious love hate relationship going on with my gym right now. SERIOUS. Most people think Tom and I are obsessed with our gym and our workouts. Most people think we are hurting our bodies with the things we have fallen head over heels in love with. Most people are too afraid or just lack the knowledge about this type of workout to come play with us. MOST PEOPLE ARE JUST WRONG. (MOM)

Anyway, that was not what is on my mind today. Today was my day off of the gym. So first thing last night, as I read our nightly workout update..I make the executive decision that I am going jump roping today. Not your typical jump rope. Double Unders. I am not good at them. I am not bad at them. I am working at them and that is all I could do. (I was somewhat happy with my 124 in 10 minutes but one guy did 467. He has been crossfitting for 2 years though. Big difference with my 6 weeks!!) ANYWAYS.....

Before the double unders...I finally break down and tell Jason to measure me. Yep, pinch, prod, grope, weigh...YUCK YUCK YUCK. I am so excited my clothes fit looser...in fact the shorts I wore into the gym today were too tight on me 3 weeks ago and today they were sagging! YEAH ME. UNTIL.....

I hate calipers and having a tape measure around my waist and thighs and chest. Well, maybe not my chest. I immediately got frustrated and mad and seriously pissed at the same time. I looked straight to the negative. That is so unlike me, unless it is my body image I am discussing. I skipped right over the lean muscle mass and said, "Well it's official...I am a walking beached whale."

I am seeing my results some days. I got a compliment on my arms yesterday. I am still not happy like I should be. Last night I put on last years cheapy swimming suit and it was sagging where I now have little abs playing peek a boo through my belly button.

Still, I was a little distraught to say the least. Well, a little might be slightly askew..... I was angry and I guess that is good because I did two workouts this morning instead of one.

I don't know if Jason saw the disappointment in my eyes or what but immediately said, "Today is really day one. Everything before today doesn't count. We move forward and don't look back." For me, that was just re-verbalizing my goals. I needed that. I have ever-changing goals so in reality, they are completely unattainable, but realistic.

I have decided to really work harder at the lean muscle mass my body has. It has a lot, but I looked straight to the body fat percentage and I didn't like it at all.

So, this picture has been up before. I have not had a reese's peanut butter cup in 5 1/2 months now and the jeans almost fit....

ALMOST DOESN'T COUNT!!!

Late night hugs~

I was a bad mom tonight. I let my kids stay up a little late to watch some High School Musical tryout that was at Disneyland, after daddy left for work. While we were laying there I noticed it. The bottle of windex and a towel..laying behind a chair. That does not belong there......that was when Jax told me that Pudgie spilled his cup of chocolate milk all over the carpet...10 hours ago. Jax tried to "help clean it up" by putting the rag on it and some windex...and "forgetting" to tell mom about it. So in reality, it was at least 12 hours old now and I was mad. Time for bed............

Then it happened. I started reading a blog. It captured me like no blog has in a very long time. I couldn't pull away from it. I was so captivated by this blog that I made my two year old lay down for bed by himself and told Jax and Brinkley to close their mouths or I would.....Not once, not twice, a total of seven times I rushed to put Pudgie back into bed so I could read.....I don't like to get that caught up in blogs. Especially when I don't know the people at all....not even through friends' blogs.

I sat sobbing. I could not believe the pain I was feeling for this poor family. I don't know them. I don't really know how I got to this blog. That does not matter. I found myself saying prayers for this mom. For her children who were in a clear state of confusion, fear, pain and misfortune. For a dad that was so grief stricken he could barely say thank you to everyone who has been lending a hand.

I was in awe at the emotional support this family received and the strength and grace mom was showing even when her blog became detailed and graphic. I looked at pictures that no mom should ever have to post to a blog. Little babies kissing pictures. Smiles that had eyes that were lost. Tears down cheeks. A very tiny little hand in grandma's hand with her mom's right next to them.

I was saddened and horrified when I read of the screams of prayers to God in Heaven as this mother gave CPR to her two year old daughter who had just drowned. How a father pulled his other daughters away in order to not let them see the scene that was unfolding.

I was unable to stop reading and crying. I was amazed at the faith this mom held and the shear burden she must carry from this day forward. To be able to open up this burden to strangers. To struggle openly. To share, to teach and to learn from this tragedy was amazing.

I read of a little sister who gave CPR to a bag of marshmallows. She watched mommy doing it to her baby sister and thought it was a game. I read how that same little sister told mommy it was time for her sister to come home so they could play. I saw that same little girl kissing her baby sister's casket goodbye.

Then I stopped. I re-checked our pool fence again. I do this often. I relocked the gate and took out the key.

I stopped again. I went into Pudgie's room. I heard his soft little baby breaths. I kissed his soft little face and pulled his woobie up to his chin. Two hours earlier he had been playing in the dryer with Jaxi and was the happiest child on the planet. I had made him fall asleep by himself.

Again, I stopped. I looked in on Brinkley and Jaxi. I brushed Binky's bright blonde hair from her mouth and kissed her. She immedidately put her arms up to hug me. She never woke up. Jaxi was next. Re-cover with the blanket. Kisses and hugs. He never moved. Take time to breathe. Take time to watch. That was all I could think of.

I finished reading as much of this blog as my heart could handle. I could barely breathe when I was finished. Then I finally stopped and realized that late night hugs fix a lot of things. Tomorrow will bring on new challenges that I may think are so horrific I can not take it anymore. That is when I will realized that 10 hour old spilt milk is really nothing to cry over!!

*** S-C-H-O-O-L ***

ON TO 2nd AND 3rd GRADE WE GO TODAY! WHILE MY HEART IS A LITTLE SAD, MY BRAIN IS IN PARTY MODE. THERE WILL BE 10 PARTIES AT MY HOUSE TODAY!

#1~ A JAX AND BRINKLEY PITY PARTY. START TIME 0700 HRS. (WHEN THEY WAKE FOR BREAKFAST) END TIME 0759 HRS (WHEN THEY REACH SCHOOL.) I am sure that once they see all their friends they will forget about home and television!!

#2~ A PUDGIE PARTY. PUDGIE WILL HAVE MOMMY ALL TO HIMSELF. TOYS GALORE AND NO ONE TO SNATCH THEM OUT OF HIS LITTLE BABY HANDS AND TELL HIM HE CAN NOT PLAY WITH THEM. We will play "big trucks" and littlest pet shops 'til we drop today!

#3~ A MOMMY'S PERFECTION PARTY. I WILL BE CLEANING THIS MESS OF A MONSTER OF A HOUSE WE HAVE BEEN RESIDING IN ALL SUMMER...I AM HONESTLY LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS!! I STARTED IT LAST NIGHT!!! Call me crazy, but I really slacked all summer in the cleanliness category. Oh well, a clean house is a sign of a boring mom!!

#4~ A PUDGIE PITY PARTY. RIGHT ABOUT NAP TIME I THINK PUDGIE MIGHT JUST FIGURE OUT HE IS LONELY WITHOUT JAXI AND "GOKIE." HE WILL GET OVER IT ONCE HE FALLS ALSEEP. Pudgie can only last so long without big brother and sister. He tends to wander room to room calling for them when they are gone longer than an hour!

#5~ A MOMMY'S SLUMBER PARTY. I PLAN TO LET MYSELF DOZE OFF WITH PUDGIE WHEN I PUT HIM DOWN FOR HIS NAP. EVEN IF IT IS ONLY FOR 10 MINUTES... I DESERVE THIS!! I am so not a nap taker, but my body is screaming for some rest. Keeping the fingers crossed that this one pans out for me!!

#6~ A MOMMY'S PEACEFUL PARTY. TWO BABIES WILL SLEEP AT THE SAME TIME (TOMMY SLEEPS DURING THE DAY TOO) AND THIS HOUSE WILL BE SILENT. I may just sit on the couch staring at the wall for a few minutes!! Or...start my new book I just got for my birthday!

#7~ A MOMMY'S GARBAGE PARTY. WE HAVE COLLECTED A LOT OF "STUFF" OVER THE SUMMER. SUMMER'S OVER AND THE GARBAGE CANS ARE GONNA BE FULL! I am not too worried about missing toys. I am positive that the transformers and polley pockets have mated over the summer.....because they are EVERYWHERE!!!

#8~ A MOMMY'S PITY PARTY. I KNOW RIGHT ABOUT 2:15 I WILL MISS THE TWO LITTLE BUGS. I WILL MOST LIKELY GET ON OUR BLOG AND LOOK AT ALL THE FUN STUFF WE DID THIS SUMMER AND BE A LITTLE SAD THAT I YELLED TOO MUCH OR I DIDN'T SPEND ENOUGH TIME WITH THEM..... I TOO WILL GET OVER THIS. I always find it funny how kids can drive you to the brink of insanity and the minute they are gone for awhile, you miss them like crazy and your heart aches for a hug!

#9~ A MOMMY'S CAMOUFLAGE IT PARTY. MY LAST MINUTE, LAST DITCH EFFORT TO ORGANIZE THINGS SO IT DOES NOT LOOK LIKE I THREW AWAY A PRECIOUS McDONALDS TOY OR A PIECE OF PAPER THAT HAS CLUTTERED MY KITCHEN COUNTERS FOR MONTHS! Agan, I am sure that the toys reproduced, so making it seem like nothing is gone will be no problem!

#10~ A BIG WELCOME HOME PARTY!! I AM SURE MY KIDS WILL COME HOME TIRED AND READY TO JUMP INTO THE POOL WITH SOME "FIRST DAY AFTER SCHOOL TREATS." I CAN NOT WAIT TO HEAR ALL THEIR EXCITING NEWS...WHO THEY GOT TO SIT NEXT TO, WHO THEY PLAYED WITH ON THE PLAYGROUND, WHAT WAS FOR LUNCH, WHO CHASED WHO AND WHAT KIND OF DRAMA ALREADY TOOK PLACE! A long first day will deserve some extra special TLC and fun! Of course we will be early, early to bed tonight, as I am sure they will be exhausted!!!!!!

THEN WE CAN START ALL OVER AGAIN TOMORROW!!!

Inspiration......

Every week our friend and trainer posts a video on the Competitive Fitness website for us to learn from. It is usually a video about form and function during an upcoming workout. We might watch a group of women doing one of the workouts named after a hurricane or a man doing a record number of squats. Whatever the video, we always learn from it. This week, Jason changed it up for us. This was his way of motivating us from afar! It worked!

I GUARANTEE YOU WILL COMPLETE ANYTHING YOU PUT YOUR MIND TO WHEN YOU WATCH THIS

~AMMO'S AWAY~

Oddly enough, my kids are ready to go back to school now. We have had a fun summer. It went by way too fast some days...BUT, was never-ending at most times. All in all, we had a great time. No major trips for us. It is never a good time to travel because of Daddy's work.

We did have some very impromptu jaunts here and there and hung out all together most of the summer. Jaxi is ready to go back and be with his friends. Unlike Binky, Jaxi's best friends don't live next door, and most were traveling all summer so he has had a summer filled with girls...and he's done with, "all things girl!"

From quickie trips to Dairy Queen and Tempe Town Lake (that was actually a disaster but lesson learned), Wii tournaments, our first trip to the circus, dollar store days, to my birthday bash at Big Surf with my favorite little people, or a day on the lake riding jet skiis and boating, to a week without my oldest babies when they ventured to San Diego with their Granparents, our summer has been pretty well jam packed with fun.

Our last hoorah was simply, JUST FOR JAXI. Jaxi is going through a serious, "umm, where is mommy?" phase. It is killing me. I go to the store without the kids...he sneaks upstairs to call my cell phone checking to make sure I am ok. I get on the computer, he sits at the table next to me..waiting for me to be done. I literally can not goto the bathroom without a knock on the door of ..."just checking momma." I am hoping this last fun outing will get him out of his summer neediness phase. Otherwise, he is going to have a hard time in 3rd grade!!!

So onto the days excitement....We have become good friends with a military firearms training instructor and we were invited to a military shoot. Jaxi was so excited (as was MOMMY) There were tanks to shoot at and guns galore. Jax, Tommy and I shot a saw and grenade launcher. Jax was very respectful of the .50 cal gun and chose not to shoot that. (It scared the daylights out of him when we stood next to it and the blast hit us from 10 feet away) We then got the chance to shoot the training simulator and do law enforcement type shoot don't shoot scenarios. Jaxi was in a real life video game! Thankfully, my big boy walked away from the day with a new found respect and understanding of how heavy these weapons are and what kind of damage they do. He also told me that he thought it was cool his mom got in on the action. There were not any other women shooting today!!!

Binky just watched. That is what I fully expected. She was not interested in touching the guns or getting dirty. That is where her and I differ. She was the cutie in the pink talking to everyone!!! What an amazing end to summer 2008!!! It wasn't the grandest summer ever, but it was fun!

Lessons learned this summer will trickle into next with plans to keep them busier at camps, on swim teams, and at sports practices.... along with CROSSFIT for kidz.

Here's to a wonderful summer gone by and a new school year yet to come!!! A super quick thank you to Jon our wonderful friend who invited us out for a wonderful day together! A thank you also goes out to Grampie Frank for coming and spending the night with us and then baby-sitting Pudgie today!!!

P.S. For the 3 emails I have already received...YES we were shooting "live" ammo. Yes, my eight year old shot live ammo. The grenade launcher was real. No I do not think it is a bad idea for Jax to be shooting a real gun...I shot my first gun at 5. I believe that if you show your kids and teach them the truth about these kinds of things you have taken the mystery that surrounds them away and they will not want to play with them when and if the opportunity ever arises!! AND YES, WE CAN TAKE FRIENDS WITH US NEXT TIME!!!

AM I WHAT????

CRAZY....

That seemed to be the question out of everyone's mouth when I told them for my birthday I would be joining my sister Kelly, two of my friends, Shanen and Trish, along with a minimum of 14 kids at BIG SURF for the day. I guess I am crazy...because we had a blast!!!

Pudgie was terrified of the wave pool but happily sat right next to me, clutching my leg, at the end of the concrete beach waiting for the water to crash onto our toes. All the kids loved riding the waves and going down the slides. Jax was a little scared of the slides and didn't want to admit it in front of his best friend Emma. I was good with that. They got to come and go as they pleased into the pools and slides and I had a great time catching up on life with my sister!

I also got to spend a lot of time with each of my big kids today. Kelly took Pudgie into the kiddie pool, where there was plenty of shade for each of them, and I got to play in the waves with both Binx and Jaxi. It was time together we needed and with summer closing quickly, I know they liked it as well!

Maybe I am a little crazy. Today is not a day I could have gone to get my nails done or had dinner alone with Tommy. Our schedules don't accomodate special days all the time. I guess that is what makes us work so well. If Tommy had been off work... we still would have headed to Big Surf...all of us...because I would not have wanted to be anywhere else!!!! CRAZY works for me and I wouldn't trade that for the world!!!

~37~

Today is my 37th birthday. I had my entire day planned last year, based on the school calendar. My kids were going back to school on my birthday....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

And then someone changed the school calendar.

I have had all summer to come to terms with school starting a week later and not getting the only present I wanted. I nearly fainted when my neighbor told me that school was starting 5 minutes later this year and then, my head nearly exploded when she said that they were starting a week later. That was when I decided to create my own present~

I started thinking about school and life and love and family...and all I have learned in the 37 years I have been here:


Here's what I know so far....

1. Life is what you make of it.

2. I am a half-full glass kinda girl

3. Strong women are sexy and beautiful

4. Weak women don't know any better

5. God will only put on you, what you can handle

6. Sometimes that just sucks

7. Rolling down a grassy hill with your kids can make your whole week

8. Quit making excuses...You need to own it, good or bad

9. Scars are cool

10. Those who judge...well others know more about you than you think

11. Until my kids are grown, my house will never be spotless

12. The truth hurts sometimes, get over it!

13. Money does not buy happiness or time. Use it well or lose it!

14. Look past the flaws. We all have them

15. Everyone is attractive in different ways

16. The rain is sexy

17. Uniforms are sexy

18. I have awesome muscles in my arms, I work my butt off for them

19. My husband is awesome

20. Hard work is worthwhile

21. Soft kisses can fix a lot

22. Tight hugs can usually fix the rest

23. You can not change your parents minds, attitudes, or way of living and thinking so move on from whatever it is that bothers you about them

24. Time spent with your Dad counts, even when you grow up

25. Sometimes it just is not worth it to forgive again and again

26. "Me" time is important or I get mad at the world

27. I am a touchy feely kinda girl. I hug everyone (too much at times)

28. I would not be alive if there were not angels among us, a God above us, and family right next to me

29. I miss my career everyday, but I love my family a million times more

30. I believe in miracles

31. The word CAN'T does not belong in my vocabulary

32. Forgetting, after you forgive....takes a strong heart

33. There has never in my life been a goal I have set, that I did not accomplish

34. Some days I wish for another baby. The next day usually negates that wish

35. Lying to your kids comes back to bite you, twice as hard

36. I'm a gambler, in all aspects of the definition

37. I am me. I am not perfect, I am not the nicest person all the time, I am strong and can hold my own in a fight or professional conversation. I can rock babies to sleep with the best of them and knock out the worst of them. I lift weights to be able to walk and I love this life I live. I still have so much to learn. I have seen things that will haunt me the rest of my life and I have loved like there is no tomorrow. I married the one man that took my breath away and I have three amazing kids that took my sanity. They all support me, no matter what I am doing..... and that is the best present I could ever get! (ALONG WITH MY NEW FOOD SCALE!!)

C*E*L*E*B*R*A*T*E

My family decided to celebrate my birthday with me today. Sometimes, with my family, that becomes hard. Not in a bad way at all. It ruins our way of eating though.....and it tends to make Tommy and I sick.

My mom loves JUNK food. I am not talking a bag of cheetos or some chips here and there. I am talking about an all out hurricane of junk food. Chips, dips, ice cream, cake, candy, pop, pies, donuts, licorice, cookies.....the list can go on and on, like the piles of bags in my kitchen right now..........

Tommy and I have been doing very well with our new way of eating so I knew we would cheat a little today. UUUGHHH........... all it took was an ice cream cone and a cupcake for me and my stomach was already making me regret my choices. (BUT OH MAN, THEY WERE YUMMY!!!)

We had a wonderful day together! Things have been a little stressed for my sister lately. For me, to see her happy and unscathed from life has she has been living it, was the best gift ever.

A lot of Wii (and we take our Wii bowling pretty seriously around here), so much laughter, combined with swimming and chicken with BBQ'D shrimp, naptime, fresh coats of paint for fingers and toes and celebrating with a new friend that wanted to laugh and hang out as part of our family made the day P~E~R~F~E~C~T!!!!!!

Jax, Brinkley and Pudgie had Grammie and Grampie all to themselves today. We still missed our girls though!!! All in all, we had a blast and I loved celebrating today!!!!

Happy Early Birthday weekend to ME!!!!

HEAVEN AND.....

THE DECISION TO CHANGE THE NAME OF OUR WONDERFUL GYM IS PRETTY MUCH UNANIMOUS NOW.

HELL

SOMEHOW I DOUBT THAT CHAD AND JASON WILL GO FOR IT THOUGH!

HERE ARE TOMMY'S AND MY PLANS FOR THE MORNING WORKOUT:

This Workout is going to be very tough. It will rival the "Filthy Fifties" on the difficulty scale. The rep count is a total of 550 reps, done in a countdown format.The Workout is 1 Round for time:

100 Jumping Pull Ups
90 Squats
80 Sit Ups
70 Wall Ball 20m/14w
60 Back Extensions
50 KB Swings 53m/35w
40 Push Ups
30 BB Thruster 65m/35w
20 Burpees
10 Pull Ups

TODAY IS THE PERFECT DAY FOR THEIR MOTTO......

~CHECK YOUR EGOS AND THE WORD CAN'T AT THE DOOR~

I LOVE FRIDAYS FILLED WITH:

MUSCLE SEARING,

LUNG EXPANDING,

HEAD SPINNING,

SWEAT PRODUCING,

DRY HEAVE HACKING,

CHALK COVERING,

BLISTER PRODUCING,

WORK!!!!!

(LET'S HOPE I DON'T NEED THE PUKE BUCKET THIS MORNING!)

****ONCE AGAIN...ANYONE WANTING TO TRY THEIR HAND AT CROSSFIT...COME TAG ALONG WITH US! WE HAVE HAD TWO OF OUR NEIGHBORS COME, 4 PEOPLE THAT TOM WORK WITH HAVE TRIED IT AND NUMEROUS FRIENDS FROM AROUND THE VALLEY....AND THEY ARE ALL STILL ALIVE AND KICKING!!! A FEW HAVE EVEN JOINED ON TO PLAY ALL THE TIME!!!!****

***UPDATE***

We happily survived this amazingly painful workout. I was so glad I actually shave 4:24 off my Filty Fifties score and did 50 more reps on today's body killer....AND...This girl does real pull ups now!!!!!!!!!!!!

42:40 for me

45:02 for Tom

Tommy had an awesome day today. Not only did he do today's workout...he was mad that we missed Wednesday's so he added that to the end of this one and rocked that with 15 sets of shoulder presses as well. Let me clarify the presses... They were a continuous format...one in one minute, two in two minutes etc. In total, he rocked out 120 shoulder presses.

We will not be walking, talking, yelling, moving, or doing much more than sitting in our pool like piles of jello now. It IS well worth it though.

I slipped a size 6/7 skirt on last night and almost passed out. Tommy made fun of me at the gym that I was so excited it fit... I vaccuumed the house in it!

WHATEVER......CROSSFIT WORKS!!!

Does this shoe make me look PHAT?

~LIAR~

I like to think that Tommy and I are really good about explaining things to our kids. We never lie about things they question us on. There are times that we don't give out all the required information. We figure that if we give enough information to satisfy their inquiry, we are good until more is needed at a later day. For example: The one question I hate...,"Mom, how are babies born?" Well, I am not lying when I tell them that the doctor set a date with me and had me lay down and they cut my tummy open to pull out the baby. After all, Pudgie was a C-Section. They have never asked how they were born so that has satisfied them for now.

I had no idea how to answer this, this morning.

Binky asked, "Mom, why is my tooth still here?" While walking down the stairs holding her little tooth she lost yesterday morning.

My mind has not raced this fast for a long time. Binky fell asleep on the couch with us last night so I told her, "Well, you didn't put your tooth under your pillow, so the tooth fairy didn't come." Well, of course she had an answer for that. "Well, Jax remembered in the middle of the night that it was on the bar, so he went to get it for me." All I could think at that moment was....GRRRR WHAT A GREAT BROTHER YOU HAVE. AGGGGGHHHHH! Thanks so much Jaxi.

On came the lies. Or the stretched truth as I like to call it. Verbal Vomit on cue. "That was awesome of Jaxi to do that for you. You have to be the one to put your tooth under your pillow or your mommy and daddy have to, otherwise, the tooth fairy thinks someone is just trying to get money for something that is not theirs." She was completely satisfied with this answer. FOR NOW!

Dang tooth fairy! She better get her wings in gear!!!

The tooth fairy came late in the night...and left a trail of fairy dust all over Brinkley and her pillow!!!

~The hurricane that is Binky~

Binky and I have been going round and round lately. She is a smart mouth little know it all and has started a nasty look while sticking her tongue out. She also thinks she knows the best punishment for Pudgie when he is doing something wrong and promptly distributes what she feels is a fitting punishment. I then have to return the favor...

For example... today a hanger was accidently thrown at her (by Jax and not very hard) and she quickly threw it right back...100 times harder....in his "boy parts."

You would have thought I was Mommy Dearest in the "no more wire hangers" scene after that little stunt she pulled. She cried herself to sleep from her little pity party.

Later on in the night Tom and I were talking about an upcoming workout. Some crossfit RX'd workouts are named after hurricanes. Meaning, the simple dynamic force they create, the power behind them, and the massive destrution left in their wake. For example, today, we met, Helen, at the gym. I am not sure if she heard the talk or not. Or, if she even paid attention to it...Soon after the exercise talk Binky started talking about what they have been doing in the kids club while Tommy and I are training. The kidz club has started crossfit training the kids...unbeknownst to us.

The next thing I know...Jax is on the ground banging out 10 mens push ups, Brinkley is doing 15 inch box jumps in sets of 20 and Pudgie is doing air squats on our medicine ball. My jaw hit the floor.

Jax wanted to finish his yogurt so he got bored after the push ups. Pudgie is Pudgie and had to chase the cat. But out of no where...

Here comes our little Hurricane Binky.

In a matter of maybe 4 minutes this little girl did 3 rounds of:

20 box jumps on my tall leather ottoman
10 modified push ups
20 air squats

Yes that is correct.

60 box jumps

30 push ups

and 60 air squats....

and flippen fast. She was winded but didn't break a sweat! Even better..the kid smiled the whole way through and wants to do it again tomorrow.

Lucky for me it is our day off!

~Jax~

I am always proud of my kids. I may not always claim them when they act like little ... well, let's just say brats. For the most part, though, they are big hearted and loving.

Lately I have been having to, physically, rip Jax and Brinkley apart. They have been all over each other fighting. Then Pudgie gets in on the action and Binky goes nuts. She is having a hard time adjusting to Pudgie finally talking and understanding so much, that she sometimes pulls the, "pity me, I am the only girl" thing on me. It does not work.

Today, after Tommy and I trained together, he offered me the moon. He told me he would watch the baby so I could go grocery shopping. Now, in retrospect, he needed food too, so it was a win win for all of us. I rounded up Jax and Binky and off we went to Fry's, in daddy's honda.

I usually have the radio up loud enough not to listen to them since I get a break from the same movie we watch in the Excursion. For whatever reason, it was not up and I got to listen to their conversation.

Jax, "I have my money."
Binky, "How much?"
Jax, "Enough."
Binky, "What are you going to buy?"
Jax, "I don't know." "I have an idea but we will have to see."
Binky, "Oh. Maybe Mommy will let me get a new toy too."
Jax, "Don't worry about it. I will split my money."
Binky, "What? What do you mean split it?"
Jax, "I will give you half of my money and buy you a toy too. That way Mommy can buy the groceries."
Binky, "Really?"
Jax, "Yeah, of course." "What should we get?"
Binky, "I don't know. Do I have to get what you want me to?"
Jax, "No, pick out whatever you want to."

I almost melted. Once we were at Fry's they walked around the store together holding hands (so no one would steal them) looking for the toys. They no longer sell toys. I promised a trip to Target after groceries, simply because, Jax just rocked my world with his kindness towards his little sister today.

Jax even tried to buy the donuts they ate as we shopped, He said, " I just wanted to help you out Momma," as he handed me his precious dollar bill.

I AM A LUCKY MOM!

(and Jax got back every penny of his money..he just does not know it yet)

Filthy Fifties on Friday the Fourth

Today was awesome.. Poor Jaxi is sick as can be from some little bug that is lingering in his tummy after California, but taking it in stride! After a few bouts of vomit, all Jaxi wanted to do was sleep. Tommy and I (and two little munchies) tucked him back into bed and headed for the gym.

I had mentally prepared myself all week for today. I usually have from 8pm the night before, until I walk through the door at 7:15 am, to gear up for the torture of a new day. Today was different. Jason told me about the RX'd workout, for Friday, on Monday. I watched the video everyday, sometimes two and three times. I am no dummy. I know my strengths. I know my weaknesses. I know better than to admit either, in front of anyone. I knew that this workout was gonna be a killer. I was ready.

Who the heck was I kidding?

I got smashed. Like a bug to a windshield. It was brutal. I had to modify one of my exercises because I came down way too hard the 3rd time I went up the rope on Monday and my knee has been hurting since. I hate modifying.

The filthy fifties are as follows:
50 Box Jumps
50 Jumping Pull Ups
50 KB Swings 53m/35w
50 Walking Lunges (50 steps, not 50 ft)
50 Knees to Elbows
50 Push Press 45m/30w
50 Back Extensions
50 Wall Ball 20m/14w
50 Burpees
50 Double Unders


One round for time. I watched the machine we know as Kelly, rip through this...in 39:08. She is an animal. She is 40 and I want to be in the kinda shape she is in. I tend to dream big.


Funny thing is, for me, this is no longer about the workout..or the training as it is referred to at our gym. It is about inner and outer strength. I love watching the women and men push their bodies harder and faster and more than they ever thought possible. I love knowing that my kids are seeing their parents get strong and learning to push past the everday stresses and problems that so many people complain about.


I love feeling my muscles twitch, involuntarily, 20 minutes, after I have finished my last round. Seeing the sweat drip off my fingertips when I am holding a kettlebell, feeling the burning in my thighs as I throw the wallball up and praying that I catch it without my biceps giving out. To me, this is inner emotional and outer physical strength. Beautiful, ripped up strength. Waking up everyday, waiting, knowing, I can take anything someone throws my way. It is a great feeling. It is trickling over into our entire families attitudes and our physiques.


Friday's filthy fifties brought out some serious challenges for us. People almost fainted when they got to the wallball. Some had to lay down to regain focus and some ran for the bathroom. Not one single person quit. No one stopped for good and everyone cheered everyone on. We were all a team and no one was going to be left behind.


I actually did the 50 double unders at the end of this workout. I was so physically exhausted I didn't think I would be able to jump rope (it was a 10:1 ratio for single jumps) let alone double under. I did it. My time, well, to me, it wasn't so sweet. 47:01 or something like that. My time didn't matter. (In the end, I was in the top 4. Still not good enough for me though) I helped three people push themselves harder than they thought possible when they walked through the front door. I had Tommy yelling at me to get it in gear or I was going to go above his time, while double undering. I had sweat dripping off every muscle my body owns. My lungs were on fire and my legs were numb. I have never in my life felt so physically and emotionally energized like I was, when I finished this.

Today I could have taken on the world. Our kids are seeing how this is changing the way we see things. How we feel about ourselves and others and how happy feeling so fit makes us.

A long time ago, Tommy told me, "the couple that works out together, stays together." If the past 17 workouts are any indication of this statement... this man is stuck with me for a long, long time.

Home~

Binky(6) and her cousin Lexi(13)

My sweet little babies are home from California tonight.

They love California.

They love their cousins and Auntie Michelle in California.

They love the beach.

They love Grammie and Grampie for taking them.

The were sad not to see Grammie and Grampie Alkire.

Binky has not stopped crying since we picked them up from Grammie's.

She is crying because she misses Lexi so much.

We were informed that they didn't miss us.

Well, they did miss Pudgie.

The feeling is mutual. On both parts!!! Little stinkers!

Private now???

I hate the fact that we had to make our blog private. This is why...

PoliceoneTV.com did an interview with Tommy and I while we were in Las Vegas in May. At the end, the training expert asked me about our blog so that they could reference it to capture pictures. Dang it, they aired it on the website!!!

So for now, we will keep it private, at least until it all blows over!!! You can click on the link and watch the video if you are interested. I hate it personally!

By definition~

THIS

- FEAR

+ DETERMINATION

AND A LOT OF TRUST

=

SUCCESS!!

AND THE BATTLE WOUNDS TO PROVE IT!!