Six on Saturday (AKA: Five on Friday a Day Late)

Happy Saturday!

I am a day late and a dollar short for Five on Friday.  I had quite a busy day yesterday and didn't sit down until 4PM.  I snuck over to Chad's office to mooch WiFi (we have painters at our house and I feel like I get in the way) but I decided to watch Parenthood on Netflix instead of blogging.  Here is my Five on Friday plus one!  It is all over the place- much like my brain!

Linking up with The Farmer's Wife, Erika, and April!

(1) I finally broke down and bought these shoes.

Via

Let me just tell you...  OMG.  They are THE BOMB DOT COM!  I don't know why I waited so long- actually- yes I do- the price .  Last Saturday we were in Bristol (our home away from home now.  Carson's baseball team is there.  Besides no store in our pansy town sells TOMS.) and I asked Chad if I could run into a store that I knew carried TOMS.  I told him I just wanted to try a pair on for size and comfort level before I started scouring eBay for a deal.  Caylee and I went into the store while the boys stayed in the car.  They had this pair in my size.  I put them on and was shocked at how great they felt.  Normally, I can't wear wedges due to my runner's knee issues but these do not feel like wedges at all.  I sent Chad a text and asked if he would send divorce papers if I bought them and to my surprise, he told me to go ahead and get them.  These babies have been on my feet everyday that I have worn real clothes.  They look great with bootcut jeans and skinny jeans (that size 6 pair that I bought!).  The girl at the store also said they look great with skirts and dresses.  WINNER WINNER!  CHICKEN DINNER!

(2) We made our second trip to the ER this week.

The Macs are just trying to hit their deductible early in the year!  I got a call from school around 8:30 saying Carson fell and hit his head on a brick wall.  Long story short, he suffered a mild concussion and got a free day off from school.  He seems to be back to his normal self now.  Concussions are scary things but I stayed calm.  I kept telling myself this is all part of raising a boy.  We decided to self medicate ourselves on Starbucks Cake Pops while waiting in the car rider line to pick up sister.

Please ignore the fact that my hair was "air dried" and I had zero makeup on.  I had just gotten out of the shower when they called me from school.  I rushed down there looking like this and stayed this way the rest of the day.  UGH.

(3)  While I have no plans to see the Fifty Shades of Grey movie, I do have plans to test out these lovelies!

I haven't bought new nail polish in a long time.  When I saw this new line from OPI, I had a hard time decided which colors to try.  I didn't want to pay the $21.95 at Ulta for this sample, so I headed to Amazon to see if I could get it cheaper.  I got this set for $16.75- probably not the best deal but I will take it.  I still can't decide what to try first! I am excited about this!!!  {how sad is it that I get excitement from nail polish?}

(4) My TimeHop has made me sad.


I keep seeing pictures of snow and we have had nothing here.  I want one or two good snows then I want Spring.  I have a feeling we'll be shoveling snow off the baselines just like the guy did in Boston when he shoveled snow off the Boston Marathon finish line.

(5) Have you guys ever seen one of these?  

LIFE CHANGING.   I debated on saving this for my favorite things but I can't keep it a secret.  It is a USB charger and a regular charger.  When we tiled our backsplash in the kitchen last summer, we needed to get new outlets and we saw this at "Home Dee Depot" {That's how Carson said Home Depot when he was a baby.  We spent a lot of time there} and decided we would try it out.  It charges anything that has a USB cord.  I like it so much I went back and got a second one for my bathroom.  You may ask why the bathroom?  I listen to my iPhone or iPad in there while i am getting ready, I charge my Garmin in there, and I charge my FitBit in there.  All of the devices require a USB so it only made sense that I add a second outlet like that.  I LOVE IT.  I have plenty of regular plugs in my bathroom (my number one piece of advice when building a house- put in more plugs than you think you will need).

(6)  Are you a "get ready everyday" person or a "I wear yoga pants unless I am actually doing something" person?  
I struggle with this.  Since I am not working, I have fallen into the yoga pants and no makeup trap (see #2).  I don't have a lot of clothes but I am in the process of slowly updating my wardrobe as money allows.  I decided this week that I don't want to have another episode like Monday.  I went to the school, the ER, the pediatrician's office, to Which Which, and to Starbucks dressed like I should be going to Wal Mart.  On the flip side of that,  some of the products I use to get ready for the day are more expensive products and I hate to "waste" them on days that I don't have a reason to get ready.  A friend of mine at WW this week says she "gets ready" everyday because she feels better and gets more accomplished.  This is definitely something to ponder.


Happy Weekend!

Favorite Things

I am linking up with Erika to share some of my favorite things.  If you want to join in the party, come on!

I am always happy to find good products at an even better price.  On the flip side of that, I will pay more money for products that I know are better (i.e: makeup, face wash, and hair products).  Here are some things I am currently loving with a  price tag of ten bucks or cheaper!

First up, my favorite lip gloss.  I have loved this stuff for a while.  I stocked up on it when I went to Costco during the holidays.  I keep an egg (or whatever it is called) in my Jeep, my purse, my gym bag, in the drawer in the kitchen, in the drawer in the bathroom.  I think I am obsessed.  One egg is around $3.00

Second,  I recently discovered these chips.  I LOVE them but can't get them very often because they are $2.99 for one bag (at GNC).  

Finally, I LOVE Netflix.  I go through phases where I don't watch anything then I start binge watching shows.  I am currently watching Parenthood.  Many folks on social media kept saying how good the show was so I caved and started watching.  The series finale is tomorrow and I am not going to watch it because I don't want it to ruin anything!  Caylee loves Netflix as well.  Chad has watched several movies and TV series while on the elliptical machine at the gym.  We keep talking about canceling our subscription but I just simply can't do it!  At $8.75/month, I have decided that we can't go to a movie for that price.  Besides, I like watching my shows when it is convenient for me!

Leave a comment and let me know what you are watching on Netflix or anything you love under $10!!

Weight Watchers Wednesday

I'm back for another Weight Watchers Wednesday: Triple W!

I am happy to report that I am down....

-0.5 LBS

I was a little bummed because I tracked everything I put in my mouth for the week.  I am a pound and a half above my goal weight.  I am still within my range for my maintenance plan so I am ok with that.  Looking back at my tracker, I realized that I ate into my weekly bonus points (no pun intended) and I went to the gym and lifted weights, which is probably the reason I only lost a half a pound.

I did have a major victory this week though:

Caylee and I went to Old Navy this weekend.  My intent was to get a couple of things for Caylee and look at jeans for me.  I tried on a size 8 in the Diva skinny jeans and they were a little loose.  On a whim, I decided to try on a size 6.

THEY FIT.  I CRIED.  

Caylee asked me why I was upset.  God love her. I haven't seen a size 6 since before I was pregnant with Carson.  I know that I will not be a size 6 in all brands of clothes, but this is a start and I will take this over a half pound weight loss ANY DAY.

In our meeting this week, we talked about big goals and bigger goals and how we can reach them.  He asked us to share our big and our bigger goals.  Obviously, my biggest goal is to reach lifetime (and not have to pay!) but my bigger goal is to continue wearing those size 6 jeans.  My big goal- my how am I going to get there- is trying not to eat into those weekly bonus points.  I think that is what hurt me this week.  Even with maintenance, I can slowly add points back into my lifestyle but honestly, I don't want to (even though I did last week).  On the flip side, I am learning that my body is trying to revert back to before my weight loss.  For example, I find myself hungry even after eating the same things I ate when I was losing weight.  I know it is a process and I need to understand that maintenance is trial and error.  This week, I am going to focus on continuing to track everything I put in my mouth (even that munchkin from Dunkin Donuts yesterday- I just had one).

I am entering week three of maintenance.  If I can get through this week, I am halfway to lifetime membership!  WOOP WOOP!

Friday Five!

Where did this week go?  I have heard the saying that the days are long but the years are short when raising kids.  I believe that is true but man, my days have been super short lately!

Chad has been traveling some the last couple of weeks so I feel like I have to "up my game".  By the end of the day, I am exhausted but don't sleep well when Chad is gone.  I look forward to his homecoming just so I can get a good night's sleep!

I'm linking up with my favorite bloggers for Friday Fun!

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O-N-E

Something always happens when Chad is away on business.  Flat tires, snowstorms that cause the electricity to go out overnight, washing machines quit working,  garage door various issues with the dogs.  This week, I can add a trip to the ER to that list.

Extremely long story but basically Caylee needed to "go" and couldn't.  This is something we have battled since she started solid foods. What made this time worse was that she was doubled over in pain and cried for two solid hours at school.  They called me in.  My mama gut feeling said she needed to be seen quickly.  I called our pediatrician and they said they would do an x ray and KUB (whatever that is).  The ER did the same thing so I am glad I took her.

I said I would never be "that Mom" that let her kids have an iPad but it saved us while we were waiting on test results.  They watched a movie on Netflix!

T-W-O
Next Friday, I am going to a class on Essential Oils.  It is a doTERRA class.  I am interested in using oils, particularly with Caylee's issue but am in sticker shock at the prices.  If you do Eos, I would love your feedback!

T-H-R-E-E
We are in full swing with baseball.  This week at practice, the coach told his assistant coach that "this kid's got an arm".  He was talking about Carson.  We have been getting private lessons with the organization's director and they are paying off.  Carson will still mention something about getting cut or his former team.  I hate it for him but he needs to move on.  I feel so helpless because I don't know how to help him do that.

F-O-U-R
I ordered this tote for Carson. If you are interested in this product, I can hook you up!
He needed a new lunchbox and he is thrilled with it.  He designed it himself once we found out this week that he will wear #15 for his new baseball team.  Since he has played competitive baseball, he has always worn Sam's number.  There is no other number at our house!

Here is a closeup of Carson's design.  I will probably take the lunch tote to the forty or so games we will play this season!

F-I-V-E

I have a new love affair....

I love Quest Bars but since I'm doing WW, they are a little high on points so I haven't been eating them.  I was at the mall yesterday and peeked inside GNC to see if they had these and they did!  They have been on the market for a long time but it takes our poor little town to jump on the bandwagon for some things.  This whole bag is 3 WW Points Plus.  It was my car rider line snack yesterday.  The bags are expensive so it will be an indulgence every once in a while!

Cheers to the weekend!  Not sure what our plans are!  Talk to you soon!

Weight Watchers Wednesday (on Friday)

Ok, so the last time I blinked, it was Monday and now it is Friday.  Where in the world did this week go?  This week turned into be a busy week.  I kept asking myself how I could hold down a job with the craziness of this week.  More on the nutso week in my Five on Friday post....

So, let's talk about this week in Weight Watchers.

I. gained. two. pounds.

WOMP WOMP WWWWWWOOOOOOMMMMMMPPPPPPP....

One word to describe it: hypocrite.

Let me back up.....

Last week, I received an email from my leader asking me to come speak to another one of his groups at a Weight Watchers at Work.  This group meets for twelve weeks then they do an Open House in hopes of recruiting more members to keep the group going.  Part of the Open House is a current member coming to share their story.  Guess who was the current member???  ME!

Knowing I had to speak to a group, I tried to watch what I ate but I didn't track everyday either.  I got on the scales at my meeting earlier that morning and was up 2 pounds.  Luckily, my toes didn't cross the "I have to start maintenance again" line so I was "safe".  Not happy about it, but safe.

Our meeting this week was about how to enjoy parties without going overboard.  It was a Super Bowl theme.  Even though we probably will not be participating in any parties, I did get a few ideas of what to serve for my little family.

After our meeting, my leader and I went to the At Work meeting location.  I helped him get everything set up and he hit me with a question that flattered me- would I be interested in becoming a WW Leader?

Let me think about that a minute:   YES!

Basically once you reach lifetime, you can train to become a leader/receptionist.  I think you have to be a receptionist and learn the paperwork side first then you can lead meetings.  Once I reach lifetime, the only requirement is that I continue to weigh in once per month.  If I am a leader/receptionist, I will have to weigh in once per month. If nothing else, this is extra motivation to keep the weight off.

Back to the meeting- I felt like such a hypocrite telling my weight loss story after gaining two pounds.  He asked me about my successes, tips for new members, etc.  But the beauty of weight watchers is that it is a forgiving group.  I knew exactly why I'd put on the two and I know how to get it off.  I have tracked every bite that has gone into my mouth since Tuesday.  I am down one pound according to my FitBit scale.  My FitBit scale has been all over the place lately in comparison to the scales at WW.  Some weeks, there is a pound difference; others, there is a three pound difference.  So frustrating but as long  as I am losing, it is good.

One thing I am being more conscious of this week is making sure I am getting my fruit.  Since I have been away from home a lot this week, I have packed my Thirty One lunch tote with snacks, water, and fruit to grab as I am out and about.

I keep telling myself that I am spending this winter getting myself ready for summer.  I had some great workouts at the gym this week.  I don't know that I will purchase a two piece bathing suit for this body but you never know!

Friday Five!

Happy Friday!!!!!!!

I'm linking up with some great blogs today for my Friday five!

O-N-E
I am still hung up on this whole not washing my hair daily.  I didn't wash it this morning and it looks like a pancake.  Granted, it doesn't LOOK oily and I did use dry shampoo on it.  My bangs still look stringy so I just pinned them in a bobby pin and called it a day.  I am currently researching volumizing powders.  I don't want to spend a small fortune.  I am leaning toward this one.  It got decent reviews on amazon plus it doesn't cost an arm and a leg.  Has anyone used this and are willing to send me a review?  Is there another powder out there that is better?

Via

T-W-O
I have talked about my FitBit on my blog before.  I have a love/hate relationship with it.  I love the concept of it but I hate that I am having to buy my THIRD band.  They break easily.  I know that FitBit has partnered with Tori Burch but hello- not all of us can afford Tori Burch.  I mean, $195 for a bracelet?  You've got to be kidding me???!!

T-H-R-E-E
Aldi opened up in my town yesterday.  I stopped by to see what this grocery store was about.  It was so unbelievably crowded I ended up leaving.  I will go back once the newness wears off.  What do you buy at Aldi?  I came across this blog post and thought it was helpful.  What I am rallying for is for our town to get a Trader Joe's and a Costco.

F-O-U-R
I finished painting Carson's closet earlier this week.  I am not a great painter as evidenced below:

The closet is navy blue- very dark but he does have a window in there.  I had a tarp down but it obviously didn't cover the whole carpet.  I lost my grip on the paint bucket and paint went all over the baseboard and on the carpet.  I said one curse word and then reminded myself not to come unglued.  It is just paint.  The carpet upstairs is AWFUL anyway.  We knew we were going to replace it but the replacement date has been pushed up a little bit.  The world wouldn't end if we left it like this for a while because it is in the closet and luckily in a spot that will probably be covered up anyway.

F-I-V-E
The Mac kiddos are out of school Monday.  I am trying to come up with something fun to do sometime this weekend but I am drawing a blank.  The flu is still running rampant in our area so I don't want to take them somewhere to be exposed to the flu.  I would love to drive to the Smokey Mountains and wander around Gatlinburg.  Daddy Mac has to work so it will be just the kids and me.

Happy Weekend!

Weight Watchers Wednesday

I am starting a new series of posts devoted to Weight Watchers (WW).  I have chosen to do this on Wednesdays because Wednesday, Weight, and Watchers all start with a W!  ;)  Plus, I go to my meeting and weigh in on Tuesday so I thought this would be a great way to post my thoughts on the previous week as well as something I learned at the meeting.

Let me give you a little backstory on how I got here.  I did WW after I had Caylee and was successful.  I lost thirty five (35!!!) pounds.  Less than half of those thirty five pounds crept back onto my body for the next four years.  I was somewhat active and tried using My Fitness Pal but wasn't successful.  I like food too much.

Fast forward to September 2014.  Training for the St. Jude Half was starting and we learned that Caylee would dance a role in the Nutcracker that allowed us to be in it with her.  When we got that news, I decided I needed to drop ten pounds.  I knew the only way I could do it was with Weight Watchers.  The other pieces to this puzzle was that I wanted to fit into a different dress for stage.  Plus, I always gain weight during my training- my foolish mindset of if I run a lot then I can eat whatever I want- which we all know isn't true!

I joined WW in October (the week of my anniversary and birthday to be exact).  I love going to the meeting and I really like our leader.  He is a runner too.  I am the youngest person in our group and my situation is much different to theirs and sometimes I have a hard time relating but it is ok because we share a common goal- to lose weight and be healthy.

In yesterday's meeting, we talked about hunger triggers and how we can control hunger.  For me, certain times of the day are triggers for me- late morning and the witching hours of 3-6PM.  One way I (try) to control my hunger is drinking water.  This is one of my secrets to my success.

DRINK WATER.

I find that if I drink my water throughout the day, I don't feel hungry because water gives you the sensation of feeling full (and I am not talking bladder though I do pee a lot!  Sorry for TMI).

How do I make sure I get my water in?

1.    I found an idea on Pinterest that I snagged to help me with my water intake.  I took a pitcher and marked 64ounces on it.  I fill it up in the morning and I try to have it drank by the time I pick up the kids.  Granted, mine is just a Dollar Store jug but I fill it up in the morning and sip all day long.

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2.  I bought me a couple of super cute water bottles to  make my water intake more fun.  I also squeeze some kind of flavoring in my water to make it more tolerable.  While I can drink regular old water, I like to add Crystal light or vitamin water zero squirts.  Can I take a moment to share what I am currently drinking out of?  We all know that I have a major crush on Luke Bryan.  When I saw him at Farm Tour, I bought this cup because I figure this is as close as my lips will ever get to his.  This motivates me to drink my water!  

Eat your heart out, Andrea  ;) ;) 

When I am on the go (which is a lot), I turn to my good ole Tervis Tumbler or my Bubba cup because they both have lids and can fit in my cupholders.  True story- when we bought the Wrangler,  I took my Bubba cup so that I could make sure it fit.  Could have been a deal breaker!  

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3.  My final tip comes from my friend Andrea.  She and I were talking one day and she mentioned not drinking anything else during the day until her water is gone.  While I don't do this everyday, it is a great idea.  It is nice to have that Diet Coke or Unsweet tea or Starbies to look forward to once you drink all of your water.  

There you have it!  A couple of my secrets to my success.  I am not done with WW yet.  I am in my maintenance phase for six weeks then I will reach LIFETIME!  WOOP WOOP!

I will leave you with a couple of pics from last night's CrossFit workout.  Chad is out of town which means I wore my SuperMom cape.  We had dance and a workout in the next town over which means that Caylee went too.  She decided to do part of the workout as well as "coach" Carson.  

Push ups, I think.

Sit Ups

Caylee doing sit ups.  I think she did five and she was DONE!

 

Weekend Recap and a Room Remodel

I want to hang on to these low key weekends because I know once that bat starts hitting that ball our weekends will turn into crazy.

My weekend started with lunch with a fellow baseball mama.  Our lunch was good for my soul!  The food was great but the company even better.  I appreciate her positive outlook, her spirit, and her encouragement to me.  She is just one of those people that make you a better person just by being around her.  Besides, I am totally already planning on Caylee going to the prom with her youngest son.

After lunch, I leisurely strolled the mall in the other town.  It is so much better than ours.  I did find some deals at Gap.  While I was there, Chad called and suggested we go out to dinner since the kids were at the grandparents.  Two meals out in one day: SURE!  We ate then came home and chilled.

Saturday morning, I decided it was time to finish up Carson's room remodel that we started almost a year ago to the day.  We never painted Carson's closet.  It was still the butter yellow from his nursery. Chad and I decided to go ahead and bite the bullet and get it done.  I pulled everything out of the closet and Carson and I made a pile of clothes to donate while Chad took down the shelves.  Saturday afternoon, the boys went to Crossfit and the girls folded laundry and played Barbies.  Carson got his first Crossfit injury.  He banged his shin up pretty good on the box jumps.    We ended our night on Saturday at Barbs, just like always!

The contents of Carson's closet is out on the catwalk. 

Since Carson and I were in a purging mood, I decided to tackle his room.  We did a good cleaning of it and purged some things.  While I am not done getting rid of things in there, we did make a good dent in it!

I am loving the way his room turned out.  It is no secret that we are big Peyton Manning fans here at Casa Mac.  When Carson wanted a room remodel last year, he either wanted a maroon and gray room (for his Indians) or blue and orange for the Broncos (ahem, Peyton).  While I wasn't opposed to him having a maroon and gray room, I wanted more neutral/generic colors on the wall while still allowing him to show his Indian Pride.  This is our favorite part of the room.  The subway art and DB helmet were gifts from Sam.  Sweet story- after Sam's sophomore year, he went to Coach Clark and asked if he could have his helmet.  Typically, they don't get to keep their helmets until they are seniors but he came up with an agreement with the coach and gave it to Carson.  You can't tell in the picture, but there are small spears and arrowheads on the helmet- those signify Sam's good plays.  He adds the stickers every year to Carson's helmet.  Sam has a heart of gold and is a great role model for Carson.  Every time I see this setup, my heart smiles and I am reminded of Sam and his sweet family and the memories made with them.  The DB football was a gift from the freshman football coaches and was given to Carson the first year he was a water boy for the freshman team.  He has also been gifted jerseys, which are hanging in his closet.  I am thinking of framing them.

The next pics are of Carson's new and improved room.

This is standing in the doorway.

We added the desk that was in our office and my mom gave us the shelf for his trophies.

This little cork board is full of precious memories!  

The door goes to Carson's walk in closet that is currently getting painted.  The gray thing sticking out is tarp! 

When Carson saw a picture of the Broncos fatheads online, he knew he wanted to add them to the room.  They come off easily (I've already moved one).  

I brought up the bookcase from the office too.  His books needed some major organization.  If you look closely, you will notice that I took two of Carson's shirts and made them into artwork!  I am LOVING Carson's new space!

Sunday, we went to church and went to lunch with my parents.  We came home and watched football all afternoon.  We hated to see Peyton lose.  I started painting the closet.  We ended the night with Papa John's pizza and an early bedtime!

I just realized that we ate out a lot this weekend!  Some weekends are just like that for whatever reason!  I do like eating at home but like dining out as well!

Happy Monday!

Five Friday Favorites!

I'm linking up with Andrea and April for some Friday fun!

O-N-E
There are many things I can do.  I can tap dance.  I can drive a manual transmission car.  I can teach a child to read.  I can give birth to children (HA!).  I can sort of cook.  But there is one thing that is driving me cray-cray that I am not successful at......

Go one day without washing my hair.

O to the M to the G.  Why is this so freaking hard for me????  I colored my hair back in November and I am trying to stretch that color out as long as I can and I know not washing it daily will help but good golly miss molly.  

One of my goals for the year (that I never blogged about- I did  my word of the year) is to look more presentable on a daily basis.  If I am leaving the house, I need to wear something other than yoga pants and a baseball hat.  I got in a rut last semester.  I am going to make it a goal to get dressed more frequently if I am doing something that might involve seeing people I know in public.  That being said, I decided yesterday that I would get dressed and do makeup but try the whole second day hair thing again.  I ended up with a sock bun and stringy bangs.  I thought I looked awful.  I asked Chad if he noticed a difference and he said that while my hair didn't look dirty or bad, he could tell something different about my bangs.  I have used dry shampoo and baby powder.  My favorite dry shampoo is the Redken PillowProof  My next step is maybe washing just my bangs on day 2???  My hair just does better when it is clean.  

T-W-O

As I am typing this, I am listening to my new Roomba work his magic.  In the past, Chad and I rarely buy "big gifts" at Christmas but when he started getting an end of the year bonus, we have always purchased something for each other and something for the house.  This year, I got him a coat with one of the logos from one of the races he ran and he FINALLY got me a pair of Uggs.  :o) :o) :o)  We also bought a Roomba for the house.  Our entire house is hardwood floors, tile in the bathroom, and carpet in the kids' rooms and my closet.  With Tank inside most of the time now, the amount of dog hair and dust bunnies is out of control.  If I were June Clever, I would vacuum daily (and wear a skirt and an apron) but I am not so this is the result.  I like it thus far but it has taken a couple of days for it to learn our house.  It is missing some areas of the house but I think over time, it will figure it out.  The Uggs and the Roomba tie for my favorite Christmas gift. 

T-H-R-E-E
Report cards were emailed yesterday.  Drum roll, please........

Straight As for this kid!!!!!

My favorite boy earned his As but I feel like Chad and I deserve a pat on the back too!  The amount of homework this year is ridiculous.  Last night, we saw a commercial from the NFL that basically urged kids to get out and play for an hour a day.  I told Chad that by the time we get homework and supper finished, my poor kids don't have time to play- either because it is bedtime or dark outside.  I do give them about twenty minutes of downtime when they get home (the days we come straight home).  Carson usually goes to the basement or goes outside.  Caylee plays with Isabelle.  My point to all this is that we (society as a whole) aren't letting kids be kids.  There is so much pressure put on them these days.

Also in report card news.....

My favorite girl got all 4s!!!!!  Letter grades aren't given in the primary grades.  They are graded on a rubric, which I don't like.  I think it is very subjective.  What one teacher may consider a 3, another may consider a 4, and vice versa.  Caylee has Carson's teacher from second grade (and I absolutely ADORE her).  She told me during Carson's conference two years ago that if she gives a 4, that means it is far above and beyond expectations and she doesn't give them very often.  Not to toot my own kids horn, but she gave Carson a 4 in math and gave Caylee a 4 in both Literacy for both grading periods, and a 4 in Math this grading period!!!  WOOP WOOP!

F-O-U-R

I went back on Weight Watchers in the fall and met my goal right right before the holidays (hey, I need to blog about that too!).  During the holidays, I did gain 3 pounds but I know what I need to do to lose it.  My favorite thing about weight watchers is the tracking on my phone.  It like it so much better than My Fitness Pal (sorry MFP fans).

F-I-V-E

I best jump off of here because I am going to the next town over to meet my favorite fellow baseball mama for lunch!  We haven't seen each other since the fall and I am EXCITED!!!! 

Happy Friday, Friends!

Chad, Carson, and CrossFit

Last Fall, our baseball organization sent out a text message stating that they were going to start doing CrossFit workouts as part of conditioning for spring ball.  They said in the text that all ages were welcome and parents were welcome to join in as well.  We met on the baseball field not sure what to expect.

#buttkicked

I went to one workout and was sore for a week.  All four of us did it- Caylee included.  Carson had trouble getting a glass from the cabinet.  What I liked about that workout was that when they did something, the instructor told us how it would help in baseball.

The Sunday workouts continued pretty much on a consistent basis (weather permitting and schedule permitting) and when they didn't work out as a group, Chad would pull up You Tube videos and he and Carson would do crossfit at home.  I didn't continue the workouts due to my running schedule and let's face it, I was just either lazy or doing something else.  ;)

Last night, we had our first "official" practice as a team and organization though Carson has been working one on one with the director on pitching and hitting.  We got there early and some of the older group was doing an impromptu crossfit workout.  As soon as we walked in the door, the instructor yelled for Carson to join in.  I failed to mention that Carson was the youngest crossfitter (is that a word?) in the group.  It took some coaxing from me (and maybe some force) but Carson joined in.   Side note: The lady next to me leaned over and said, "I think they wanted everyone to just sit and wait until they were finished."  LOL- I think she thought I was being pushy with Carson to join in.  She obviously didn't hear the instructor calling for Carson to join in.  I am sure she thinks I am an awful mother.  Oh well!

I snapped a pic and a video of what Carson did.   No, he didn't move the big tire but it didn't choose the smallest one either.  I was shocked at how he could jump on the box.  I can't even do that.  He has come a long way since the fall.  I don't know what will happen with baseball season but I know the organization we are with now seems to be a good fit for him.  We told him last night that we want him to have fun and learn the game.  I haven't shared our story as to how we got to where we are and I don't plan on it right now.  It is a private story and that story has been written and ended.

2014: Year in Review

Since I didn't blog as regularly as I hoped, I am going to attempt to recap the entire year in one post.   Grab yourself a latte (or a glass of wine!) and read on.

January:
We kicked off 2014 with Carson running the Wake Up and Run 5K and bringing home hardware.

Chad and I went on a date.  This is a seldom event for us; therefore, it must be documented.

We had our first snow of the year.  This is what a 30% chance of snow looks like.  The kids got out of school early!

We went bowling.  Love Caylee's bowling stance.

February:
We said goodbye to Gun'rrr, our yellow lab.  He was such a great dog but was old and had severe arthritis.

We went tubing in North Carolina- probably one of the highlights of the year. We are definitely doing this again.

March:
We showered Beth.

I spent a lot of time at the car wash washing baseball pants.

I sprained my ankle a week before our Disney trip.

We went to Disney for Spring Break!  Caylee LOVED the roller coasters; Carson- not so much- though he did love test track.

April

We remodeled our bedroom.  

We are kidless another night so we went to Barbs.

May

We finished first and third grades.

Chad ran a 100 mile trail race in 29 hours.  

We went to PTC for Beth's wedding the same day of Chad's birthday.

We went to Myrtle Beach.

Caylee danced in dress rehearsal.  She didn't do recital because of being in Beth's wedding.

Caylee got a manicure compliments of Madison, our sweet babysitter.

June

We went to DC with Chad while he worked.

Carson and I spent a week in Knoxville at UT baseball camp (and consumed Weigels icees daily!)

 We went to Dollywood and closed the park down!

 We celebrated Carson's 9th birthday!

Baseball season ended.  Notice I didn't put any pictures up of baseball.  We are still a little scarred by that whole incident and it is best for us if we put that behind us.  We will always cherish those times with his former team but that was a chapter written in our lives that is over and we are writing a new one.  ;)

Caylee played tee ball.

July

Caylee turned 7.  She received her first American Girl doll and has been obsessed ever since.

 We made our first visit to the American Girl store in Atlanta.

We partied it up in PTC for the 4th of July.
We jumped off Nonni and PawPaw's rock wall.  Over. And. Over. And. Over. Again.

 We ate at the Varsity for the first time.  #yummy

 We went to our first MLB game.  Another highlight of the year!

We went to VA Beach with Chad for a conference.  We actually got to participate in the conference!!!!

*We were on the road a lot this summer.  I think I left a suitcase packed pretty much the whole summer.  And I loved every minute of it.

We were kidless for three whole nights!  #datenighteverynight

We visited Splash Country for the first time.  We liked it so much we got season passes for Christmas!  Can't wait to go this summer. I only got one pic and I can't seem to find it right now.  Oh well.  Picture two cute kids in swimsuits with big smiles on their faces.  K?

We adopted Elmer! AKA: Chewlotta.

August:
We went back to school.  Homework was kicked up twenty notches this year.  Geez Louise!

We bought a Wrangler and took many rides "topless".

 Carson mastered the art of selfies.

Carson started his job as Water Boy for DB football on Friday nights.  Yet another highlight of the year!

 And the postgame pics with Sam commenced.

The kids went tubing at the lake for the first time.

September

Julia and I cheered on the Vols!

Caylee auditioned for the Nutcracker.

Caylee got her Madison squeezes again.

Carson played a little flag football.  He was QB1.  #heymattseracen  

October

I had a birthday and I groped Luke Bryan and Cole Swindle more than once and didn't get arrested for it.  We'll just leave it at that.  ;)

November

We woke up to snow on November 1st. 

 Chad put this crazy sticker on the back of the Wrangler after he ran the race.

We spent many Saturdays rehearsing for Nutcracker.

The men got their crossfit on.

I did an entire post on December so I am not going to include it here.  Good grief.  We were busy this year.  I asked each family member what their favorite memory was.  Here are the answers:

Chad: Our Disney trip (Ok, who are you and what did you do with my husband?) and finally beating the Falcons (baseball tournament)
Tina:  Seeing Luke Bryan in concert and touching him multiple times ;)
Carson: His first home run as an Indian (break my heart why don't you?)
Caylee: When she got Isabelle

Here's to making many more memories in 2015!