Five on Friday - Week 47

This was a very slow, cold and kind of boring week for us. The Jeep needs a new battery so we've forced ourselves to stay home while Matt took the Pilot to work every day. I would have taken us to the library but the snow made it too cold to go anywhere outside.


{ONE:}

Zeplin and I got to watch Journee again on Wednesday. It's been awhile since we saw them last and she's grown so much.
Kimmy got a job full time and although I told her I would be happy to watch Journey everyday, Matt expressed to me that he was unhappy about my commitment. I felt bad when we talked about it because he was right - I totally jumped the gun to say I would babysit Journee if Kimmy got a job and I should have talked to Matt about it.
I quit my job last summer so I could give Zeplin my undivided attention and if I watch someone else's child, I would pretty much be holding a job and not giving Zeplin the time that I promised I would give him.
This is Matt's dream - & my dream now - to stay home for our family and be a homemaker. Matt never had that growing up and he dreamed of it for his family. After talking to him, I realized I needed to respect his wishes.
I cried and cried most of Tuesday afternoon, unsure of what to do. I sought advice from my family and cried about it with Matt that night. All of them assuring me that sometimes you have to have that hard conversation with the people you love.

So, I talked to Kimmy about it when she came to pick up Journee. Fortunately, the daycare I had Zeplin is accepting 1 more infant and would be willing to work with Kimmy and Erik's schedule.

Made this for Journee

Kimmy starts work on Dec 1st. I agreed to watch Journee until she can find a great place for her which will only be a couple days.

It feels like the right thing to do and Kimmy totally understood. I went through the same thing with Zeplin when I started back to work full time. I had a friend watching him when I was a rover but couldn't do it full time so I had to find consistant care. It was hard but I know Zeplin was just fine going to daycare. He learned a lot and I'm sure Journee will grow to love daycare too.

{TWO:}
Since we've been at home all week, I've been busy with my design studio and I love it!!! I've been commissioned to make a wedding invite for my best friend's brother. They're getting married in Hawaii (which Kaycee gets to go and I'm totally jealous of her! lol)

They wanted it to look like a plane ticket. This one is just a mock up - I still need the engagement picture they want and the location of the venue. Then I'll add a pretend bar code and it will be done.       *I've also been making a handful of Christmas cards for my friends and family. I was only doing it for fun so I could build my portfolio but then I decided to just make them for real. Kaycee and Erik love theirs! I had so much fun matching the colors of their clothes to the colors of the entire print. I have a lot of fun other ideas for more cards.      

 *Most everything is custom. I charge $10 for the design, after which, I send the design and you print it.   

{THREE:}
Matt went to work on Monday morning feeling a little nervous to go back. Although last weekend went well for the work Matt did, he knew he would be busy the moment he walked in. He was very right too.
I asked him how his day was going just before lunch time and he replied back with the most exciting news.

It wasn't until he was home that I got the rest of the story. Long story - short, Apparently, a meeting was called and showed up on Matt's calendar that he needed to attend. He said he got up there a little bit late  so he snuck into the back and chit chatted with Russ, his previous boss before he got promoted to the 10th floor.... (to elaborate the boy toy comment... when I first met Russ, I told Matt that he was a handsome man because he was dressed in a really nice suit. I immediately thought of the song Sharp Dressed Man by ZZ Top.... ever since then, Matt thinks it's cute to tease me about the handsome comment I made almost 2 years ago.)

Anyways, as Matt and Russ were talking, he heard his name called. Matt said he looked up feeling dumbfounded. He wasn't paying close attention so when his name was called by the director of Health & Welfare, he wasn't sure if he was being asked a question. The director called Matt down to thank him for all his hard work and shake his hand.
Basically, everyone was congratulating him for making the insurance exchange a success for the entire state of Idaho.

I am so proud of my husband. He's been working late and going in early for weeks to really put the time in to make open enrollment practically flawless. I think it's great that he's been recognized for his efforts. Not only the director and all upper management but also uppity ups from multiple insurance companies called to thank him.

He deserves it. I couldn't be more happy for him!

{FOUR:}

Matt came home bearing an early Christmas gift for me.   He's been so proud of my new found desire to have a healthier lifestyle, he bought me a FitBit. I've been interested in one for many months and apparently Matt has been planning on getting one for me but found a great deal online. Brand new, these little things are $99.00 but Matt found it for $65. Whoop Whoop! I've finally trained my husband to be a bargain shopper!    *I started out with a goal of 10,000 steps and I made it over the weekend. But during the week I noticed that 10k/day steps is unrealistic. I lowered it to 8k/day and it was still hard to make it but it was totally doable.
I made 8k on Monday, but Tuesday was a totally different story. I barely hit 2,500. I also didn't workout that day.
I recognize the only way I can hit 8k steps is if I workout. I vowed not to lower my steps again but keep them at 8k to hold me accountable to workout but on Wednesday, after working out on the elliptical for 45 minutes and kickboxing for an hour, I was still 400 steps shy of my goal. I was too tired to even try for more . . so I lowered it to 7k.
Matt talked to me about not feeling bad about it because this first week with it should be about setting realistic & attainable goals.

I like this lifestyle I've created. I feel good too.
I use MyFitnessPal consistently and will plan my meals every morning so when it's time to eat, I'm not stressed about what I should make. I've stopped trying to workout when Zeplin is sleeping and started working out with him this week. He loves to do the moves with me on the videos. But he also thinks it's funny to sit on me when I'm on the ground and play between my legs when I'm trying to do lunges.
I love it though. It's a lot of fun having a kid around but sometimes I have to lock him out of the room.

I finally got back into kickboxing at the studio in Meridian. I completely forgot that I had purchased a package to use them until they called me to see if I wanted to come back before my subscription expired. I hopped all over it - besides, I already paid for it.  I was so dead afterwards on Thursday night. It it felt so good and burned so bad! 

I also started using the Chalean Extreme workout videos. I printed off the weight/rep chart for the videos and jumped right into it.  I wanted to really work out hard these next few weeks since the holidays are right on us and I don't need to be gaining any more weight. I like this path I'm on and I want to stick to it - unfortunately, because I'm in a weight loss phase and not a maintenance phase, I need to work a little bit harder.

 Kaycee and I have been FaceTiming and encouraging each other through text message. I send her pictures of me working out so it holds me accountable. Kaycee is super competitive and I know it will help her and I am motivated by motivating her.

I love the thought of achieving my goals, eating better and living a more adventurous life.


{FIVE:}
 Okay, tell me this doesn't make you angry as a mother --- My poor son keeps getting attacked by Quincey. He laughs about it but I don't think it's funny at all. He already has a scar on his forehead from her then on Monday he got 4 new scratches, two by his eye and 2 on his cheek. It makes me really grumpy. Lately I've been keeping Quincey outside but whenever Zeplin sees his favorite kitty through the window, he has to let her in. It irritates me.
I'm becoming an anti cat person and I really miss my Shelby kitty because I know she never would have done this to my son.

We've also been trying to break Zeplin of his binky this week. It's not going very well. But something that is going well is potty training!!   Zeplin is doing a better job of telling us he needs to poo poo before he actually goes so we can put him on the toilet. A lot of times it's a false alarm but I really appreciate him noticing that he needs to go to the potty.    He's becoming such a big boy! Sometimes I have to remind myself that he's not even 2 yet. He acts and comprehends things that are more advanced for his age. He definitely got his smarts from his daddy - not me. 

Matt and I have another date tomorrow. It's going to be so fun and totally hard work. I'm sure the rest of the weekend will be relaxed since we will be exerting so much energy on our date. 

I look forward to Thanksgiving next week and have to plan for since we are hosting again. It will be nice. 

Until next time. :)