State Fair Fun with My Loves

A couple of weekends ago we took the night and went to the North Georgia State Fair. It was nice to get out in the cooler weather and take a little time as a family. The boys were in complete awe at all the lights and sounds at first but it didn't take long for them to warm up to it and we had an amazing, relaxing night of nothing but pure fun!

I think the boys enjoyed the carousel the most which of course warms my heart to no end. I have always held a special place in my heart for the carousel myself and I love being able to share the joy.

Of course littles was too short to ride a couple of things that his big brother was able to and that led to some pretty effective pouting. Needless to say, he got an extra special treat to make up for it.

The warmth these little boys create in my life is immeasurable. I am one lucky mama. <3 p="">

She is Shiny (And She is Mine) #WW

#2 of the 2013 list? Complete.

Dirty Girl Fun

I did it! I got my dirty girl on! Let me tell you, I definitely got dirty.

I started out clean.

I did not, however end it clean. 

Yep, there is Georgia red mud on me from head to toe. It was glorious! 

I'm in Organization Hades

Well, one of the things I set out to accomplish this year is kicking my rear. Getting organized is usually my thing. I like things to have a place. The problem is that since T left, our lives have been such a whirlwind of crazy that everything got all jumbled up and out of control. I mean, we moved twice within three months last year among all the other craziness. If that doesn't set your world askew, nothing will.

I have been trying to slowly chip away at the clutter and the mess though and get everything all sorted and into its place. Last week I tackled the garage and got it to where I can at least access everything. I may still have to search for it for awhile but I can at lest see where things are and what box they are in. Of course with that mess came the clearing out of the junk that was in the garage too. I took two full carloads to Goodwill and have a van packed full of items for a garage sale. Now I have to make time for the garage sale to actually happen.

Then, over the weekend, I tackled the papers. Oh, the papers. It seems like I have kept every paper, bill, or statement I have been given for the entirety of my life. I also found manuals for things I haven't had in years. I still had the owners manual for the Volvo I drove in high school! I haven't owned that car in twelve years.

Needless to say, there was quite a bit of paper trash that went into the shredder this week as well. I was careful to look up exactly what I needed to keep and what needed to get trashed so I wouldn't run into any problems in the future but good lord there was a lot that was totally unnecessary.

Next up is the mounds of clothes that seem to have accumulated over the years. I got rid of some stuff last year but there is still bags upon bags of tiny boy clothes that need to go somewhere. Especially since D and K are now wearing the same size clothes (?!?). Add to that the fact that a lot of my clothes don't fit because of my weight loss and we might could clothe an entire orphan family. So, time to clear out and organize what we have so we aren't searching through them anymore.

After that I will have to tackle the photos I have. I would love to be able to get some of the best ones printed and into an album by year but that may take a little longer than I would like. Digital pictures are great but sometimes its nice to just be able to sit and browse through the pictures and tell the stories associated with them. A lost art.

So, needless to say, I am still knee deep in organization issues. This doesn't even include the smaller projects like drawers and cabinet space. Those are slowly getting done though. Little by little I am spending more time trying to get it all in its place. Hopefully by the time we move again it will all be settled. Of course, I refuse to move again. Ever. No matter what my landlord says. Ok, maybe not ever but not for as long as I can manage.

Do you have any tips on getting organized? Posts you love with tips? Help!

Two T Ball Boys

Last fall, D started playing tball. He loved it. It was the thing he looked forward to every week and every weekend. He took his time as an "Athletic" very seriously and got the "most improved" and "best team player" award at the end of the season. So, of course, it was natural that he play again this spring. What I wasn't expecting was to sign K up too.

I had originally signed K up to play soccer instead because it just seemed to be more his thing. More fast paced, more running, more falling over. The thing is though, after I signed him up, I got an email that he was going to be the youngest in the league by almost a full year. Thats a lot of age difference
when you are 3 (and hopelessly clumsy).

So, I decided to change him to tball too. He was actually more excited about the idea than I thought he would be and D was not so surprisingly gracious about accepting his little brother into "his" game. They play one the same team and the two are always little partners in crime on the field.

Its been so much fun to watch them play together. D is definitely the more athletic of the two. My slugger. K mostly likes to run and play in the dirt but some day he is going to make an awesome baseman. Other kids bounce off that little boy like a brick wall. He's solid.

This fall though, D will play coach pitch, while K stays in tball another year. I am making the most of it and enjoying every game and practice until then. My little duo.

Running Time

Amen.

The training has officially begun. Well, technically it started a few weeks ago but who's counting. The Dirty Girl Mud Run is coming up way faster than I expected it to for sure which means its time to put my money where my mouth is and get down to business.

The goal on the 2013 list was to be able to run 5k. I am not so sure that is going to happen this go around. I am pounding it out and training my booty off but I am also having some unexpected issues with my ankles.

Still, the first step was to get myself into good enough shape to even attempt to run again. I have lost some weight sure but that doesn't mean you just up and run further than the mailbox and back. So, I have been doing some heavy lifting at the gym under the guidance of a trainer and slowly but surely, I am getting those trim muscles back. I guess there really is something to memory muscle after all.

This past week I have done my first stints on the treadmill doing some interval running. Think couch to 5k on a much different scale. I was never a distance runner. I was a sprinter. So, I can do the quick parts quickly but then I am worn out. Instead I am trying to build up the longer stretches of endurance in my lungs and my legs that will be required for distance running. Not as easy as it sounds. Turns out that while muscle memory can be good, it can also be a real pain in the butt. Its like starting from scratch with legs that want to GO and then STOP and then be DONE.

Still, progress is progress and its being made, albeit slowly. I am kind of hoping that since the Dirty Girl is an obstacle race it will be a little easier on my "style". Run a little, climb a little, run a little, crawl in the mud a little.

Have I mentioned how excited I am about this race?

I Am Officially a Dirty Girl

Its official. I have registered for my first 5K run for the year. Not just any 5K though, the Dirty Girl Mud Run 5k. So, this year, when the wildly popular Dirty Girl Mud run comes to Lake Lanier just North of Atlanta, I won't be just running, I'll be crawling, climbing, running, and sloshing my way through 5k mud puddles and awesome obstacle courses.

Dirty Girl is a 5k Mud run/obstacle course that celebrates and empowers women of all ages (14+) and fitness levels with a day of fun, discovery and laughter. With obstacle names like "H2 OMG" "Utopian Tubes," and "PMS (Pretty Muddy Stuff)," Dirty Girl is a female-centric event combining the fun of an obstacle run with unique touches for all participants in this one-of-a-kind, women-only event. Of course, if there isn't an obstacle you don't feel up to, you can always take the detour around it.

The two day event, April 20th and 21st, will offer women of all athletic and fitness abilities a chance to get out of their comfort zones and into their giggle zones. It will be perfect for me, just getting to the point of putting myself out there on a larger scale but also great for the old pros who do a million of these runs a year. A true something for everyone event!

Plus, Dirty Girl is truly a unique way for women to share a day of fun-filled laughter and bonding. A group of local Atlanta bloggers have joined in to form a team and it will be great to get out with some friends and keep each other motivated! 

The best part is that a portion of all proceeds from Dirty Girl registration fees are donated to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. In 2012, Dirty Girl provided the National Breast Cancer Foundation with over $250,000 in monetary and in-kind support. In 2013, our goal is to deliver over $500,000 in support to NBCF. In addition, Dirty Girl will continue providing cancer survivors free registration at each event.

Are you ready to get registered and get a little dirty under your nails? I have some good news for you! If you use the code: DGATLBLOGGUEST you will receive 20% off your registration fee*! So get registered and get ready for some good, unclean fun!!

*Good for the Atlanta location only!

Finding Fitness Motivation

I am, by default, a fairly lazy person. I get my stuff done but then I like to relax and just hang out with the boys. We watch movies or play in the yard or read books on the couch. Not that we are sedentary, just not as active as we probably could be. As active as I should be at the very least. All you have to do is look at my wedding photos to see that.

Of course I have my "reasons" for letting myself go over the years. There are the health problems, the pregnancies, and the stress over money, jobs, kids, etc. There have been instances in my marriage that cause my self esteem to plummet, the lack of support from those close, and being generally busy keeping up with the boys. All of those things can lead you to gain weight but a big part of it is just because I simply lacked motivation.

Motivation is a tricky one for me in the corny sense of the word. I roll my eyes at motivational quotes and posters ("Nothing will taste as good as being skinny will feel"? Screw that, pass the Ben & Jerry's.). I take compliments and turn them into something I need to change. Self doubt is a big theme around here.

Thing is, I don't want my boys to see that. I don't want them to see my lack of confidence or lack of motivation and think that is how life works. If nothing else, having to scratch and claw my way out of the gutter I was left in for 2012 has taught me that sometimes, the only motivation you need is in your heart. My heart wants me to succeed for their sake but also for my own.

So, I have been taking those snippets of time when I would normally sit around and check Facebook or just dazing out into space, and lacing up the new running shoes I got for Christmas. Or encouraging the boys to do push ups with me in the bedroom floor. Or turning on some loud dance music and having a crazy dance party with glow sticks. Going outside to play with the hula hoops Aunti got the boys for Christmas. Something to get us moving, which usually leads to some other kind of shenanigan.

So far: I've lost 3lbs in 2 weeks.

Bonus: The boys love it. They love acting crazy with Mama. K loves to dance and sing and play. The running and exercises not so much, but he does make for a great, giggly weight for some of mine. Nothing like a 40lb weight on your back during a brisk walk to burn those calories! D, on the other hand, loves doing push ups and crunches with Mama and let me tell you what, he can be as discerning a personal trainer as any I have ever seen. "Do more Mama! C'mon! Don't stop now!", all the while he is pounding them out like a miniature body builder. How can I stop with him cheering me on?

How's that  for motivation? How could I not let him encourage me. They don't even know the health aspect, they just thinks its another fun thing to do with Mama. Their favorite kind of thing even. Which means that they ask to do those things with circles back around to more motivation! Heres hoping we can keep it up. If we can encourage each other, we may just make it!

2013 List

Back story: Every year for the last 9 years, I have had a list of things to accomplish. For the last 3 I have blogged about them for you all to see, learn from, or hold against me (2010, 2011, 2012). Hopefully more the last two than the last. Still, the premise is simple: 12 things, 12 months, 12 posts.

Last year, I did not complete my list. It makes me really sad to admit that but I suppose you win some, you lose some. Last year was not what I had expected of it any way. In reality, there were only tow things that I missed though and that isn't too bad considering. I didn't get to have my dinner party and we didn't go on a family bike ride. Rules are rules though and since they didn't happen last year, they get tagged on to the 2013 list.

This year, though, I decided to make the focus of my yearly list a little different. I want to focus on more lifestyle things. Things that will better my boys and I in the long run versus smaller things that are fun to do in the moment. If that makes sense. You can see that I have a few things on this years list that will be harder on my heart, both mentally and physically, than I will ever admit but I know that they have to happen. Of course there are things that we will have considerable fun doing as well.

1. Get divorced. Officially. It breaks me to admit that where I was so desperately in love this time last year, I am simply prepared for the end of my marriage. To move on.

2. Get a working vehicle. The van that we bought when I wrecked my old van is in T's name and is not in safe, working order. He won't fix it and I won't fix someone elses car. Stalemate. The boys and I need transportation and soon.

3. Make more connections in the blogging world. Fact is: I love doing it and its something fulfilling that pays me back in its own off beat ways. I would love to attend a blogging conference or two. In fact, I may already have one on the line. Cheating? Maybe. And? Still exciting and still hasn't happened yet so it makes the list.

4. Get K involved in a sport or activity of some sort. My poor littles is so very clumsy but I really think he would just adore doing something outside the house. D had this spot on the 2012 List but this year it is K's turn. Of course I will continue to keep D in T-ball but soccer just wasn't his thing.

5. Get my life organized! I am in serious need of getting my life in order. We have moved so many times in the last 8 years that everything has been shuffled around in boxes and not looked at since. Its time to pull out those boxes and do some serious housekeeping. Everything from papers to decorations to toys needs to be sorted and put back in its proper place.

6. Get my sewing machine fixed. This is a big one for me. I have mentioned it before but I am a rather tall lady. Tall = no store bought clothing that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. I would love to be able to make myself some girly skirts and tops that would actually be long enough. Its a stupidly simple thing that would mean a lot to me at least.

7. Train for a marathon. Yes, me. The arthritic, helpless old lady. More and more I am reading and being told by doctors that taking back up my old habit of running might actually do some good on these old bones. Add in the bonus of having more energy and a clearer mind state and I can't resist. As far as actually running a marathon, I would love to but I can't exactly financially commit to something that I might not be able to complete. Who knows though, maybe it will happen!

8. Take my boys on a trip by myself. It be Chattanooga or Black Rock we need an adventure to help center us back on each other. Without distractions or interference.

9. Take a class to better myself. Self defense seems like a logical choice but I would also love to renew my CPR/ First Aid certification or take a photography class of some sort. Who knows what it will end up being but I want it to definitely be something that will have impact.

10. Cut out caffeine. For about 10 years when I was in high school and beyond, I had cut out caffeine completely. It literally wasn't until D was born that I started drinking it again and it has slowly taken over again. I know its bad for me and I know its going to be so hard to cut out but I really think it will make me feel better to just cut it out.

11. Go on a family bike ride. Of course, everyone but me has a bike though so this is kind of a two part type deal. First: Buy me a bike. Second: Family bike ride. Bonus: Take a picnic. (2012 leftover)

12. Host a dinner party. I don't care if its just a few people or a hundred. The last gathering we had at our house was after a funeral and its time to correct that juju. Plus, its time to put some of those Pinterest ideas to work! (2012 leftover)

So what do you think? Think we will be able to get it all done? Say no so its more of a challenge. Heh. Here we go ladies and gents, lets render this mama to the moon!