The Minority Report. wk 2.

ok...so I have good news and bad news...Good news goes first. THE SCALE IS MOVING.
Bad news is in the wrong direction. Up 2 pounds. How special. I love it when hard work produces the desired results. It makes my heart sing.

So the way I figure is this...if after 20 years I can give up diet coke for 27 days now...I can do this....SERIOUSLY! I am hoping that it is partially due to a rebound effect from Atkins...

Here's my number one problem right now:

COUNTING, MEASURING, TRACKING....heaven help me, I hate it.

I once had a job that I had to track my work duties in 15 minutes increments ON PAPER. Talked on the phone, worked on this, worked on that. It nearly drove me to an institution of some kind. I remained committed and did it to the best of my ability, but all kidding aside it killed my soul to live that way. This is eerily similar, but there is no way around it that I see. SO, I am trying a slightly new tactic this week. I have planned out my meals and snacks for the next week. I just came back from the store and have  purchased everything and it is ready for the week. Everything is pre measured and packaged mostly...not the healthiest, but it'll have to do for now. At least, this way, I won't have to write something down and do math every time I eat something.

I am going 1310 calories a day this week. I feel like I am trying to turn the titanic around to go in the right direction. Wait...did I just compare myself to the Titanic? I think I did...oh whatever....

I will also be lifting weights 3 times this week 40 minutes each session, 20 minute ab work out 5 x's, and 60 min kickboxing 2x's.

If the scale doesn't move in the desired direction by next Sat morning...well let's just say I'll be applying for the Biggest Looser. You can watch me next season...I hope I get the pink team.

Wish me luck! How was your quest for healthy living this week?

Day 68. My heart is full.

Another day of uneventful schooling down. I am in the process of rearranging the classroom. With 68 days of school behind me, I have a much better understanding of what I need and don't need in there. Also, realizing that too many bright obnoxious colors, make me feel like I am on the set of romper room and make me cranky. I am looking forward to sharing pics, hopefully next week.

I have a moment to share with you, that God blessed me with today. However, I need to first preface this by saying that each of us have our own story and journey. NOBODY can tell you what is right for you. That is between God and you. He asks something different from each of us. We are all in different seasons and different particular circumstances. Here's mine...

....a relaxing Friday at home. All five of us together and hanging out. We had a low key, picnic type dinner in the family room. The girls were making crafts, Shawn was working on my new blog, Cameron was making a shield for his next Nerf gun fight, and I was snuggled on the couch reading. Emma, who is just 5, gets up from her craft, runs over to me and whispers in my ear...."thank you mommy for quitting your job to be with us"......

What else do you say after that?

Now there is just 102 school days left until summer.

Emergency Family Night.

What happens when one of your best friends ends up in the hospital to undergo immediate and emergency surgery, just a couple hours before family night is supposed to happen?

Well the answer is simple...you gather your kids and explain the situation.

Get the 10.99 pizza coupon from the drawer and a movie for the rest of the family to enjoy at home.

Immediately depart for the hospital...trying to get there before they wheel her into surgery.

Family Nights aren't 100 percent of the time about only blood relatives...sometimes you just gotta roll.



Yes, I did consider having the family at home play a game, but thought that might be a BIT over the top. Despite the fact that Nicole would have greatly appreciated the humor in it.



Nicole is at home minus one gall bladder and appendix, but on the mend. My kids learned a valuable lesson about the importance of people first....and I am glad I got to make it to see her and give her a big 'ol smooch... cuz she is one of a kind.

Family nights will resume next week. Enjoy your weekend.

XO.

Day 67. Some Puppy Lovin'.

After our morning studies, we devoted this afternoon to animals. We spent some time in the kitchen making some homemade doggie treats for the SPCA.  We used wheat flour, peanut butter, milk, and baking bowder. Rolled and cut into shapes, they made adorable little snacks for some lonely doggies. However, to people,...they tasted like cardboard. Yeah we tried 'em.

We were able to drop off the doggie cookies and spend some time wandering around looking at the animals.

They were adorable and Taylor would have taken every single one home, if she could have.

I would have considered bringing this "little" guy home. His eyes were breathtaking.

After that little adventure, we headed over to our local vet. They have free tours for groups up to 9 people. We met some friends from church there. It was very interesting. The staff was very kind. What we saw was pretty "real". My kids were a bit stunned.

Here is Taylor and Kaitlyn BEFORE we went in.

At our first stop, we met Joey. A Dog who chews his hind legs because he is crazy, they told us. Cameron said "oh, he thinks he's food?"

then we got a brief explanation of how the digital xray machines work...

 we got to see some cool pics of dog insides...

Following that, there are no more pics. It got a little graphic. They walked us right through the area where dogs get worked on and dogs recover. So, we saw some STUFF. There was blood, there was sad doggies, there was a recovering 135 pound doggie, there was a dog completely under anesthesia getting his teeth cleaned, two feet from us. Lovely images burned in the minds of me and my children forever...

Then we saw this ADORABLE puppy who was waiting for surgery, shaking like a leaf, and I wanted to take her home. A silky terrier...so cute. Our puppy Brooklyn, needs one of these to be her sister. She was beautiful.

Anyway, then we walked through some more areas where we saw some recovering animals with nasty conditions...Blood vessels rupturing, knees dislocating. Me? I'm squeamish...very squeamish. So today I learned, that me potentially fainting, is not just limited to human traumas. Apparently, animal traumas are included as well. How Dr. Doolittle of me.

Just when I was getting concerned about the care that would be taken of me, if I went down in a vet hospital, we stepped outside to see where they took care of the larger animals. Crisis averted. We peacefully entered the other side of the building where we ended our tour learning about how they put animals to sleep, the kids were given leashes, and told to have a nice day. In that order.

If the kids look a little confused....they probably are, I know I was. Oh and the final story we received from our tour guide, as we were leaving... was how a doggie had passed away on the floor of the exam room earlier that morning...

THANKS FOR COMING KIDS....!

All in all, it was a free tour. The hospital is FANTASTIC (they care for our puppy), and the people were VERY nice. Not quite what I was expecting, but overall a very fun day.

Now there is just 103 school days left until summer....

Family Nights Do's and Don'ts.

Since I began posting about our family nights, I have had so many questions about the logistics of how we pull this off. I thought I would jot down a few thoughts on some of the things I have learned so far...


DO:

1. Decide your dates in advance. Then put them on the calendar. WHATEVER number of family nights that is reasonable and doable for your family. Once a month, once a week? Doesn't matter. Just decide and commit.

2. Plan your themes at one time. Sit down and plan your upcoming family night themes. I usually do mine for 3 months at a time. Make a list. Shop (if necessary) in advance. I have a cupboard in my home that's ready for upcoming family nights. It's full of bargains I find while I'm out, supplies I have purchased, after holiday sales, left overs from parties, etc.

3. Utilize the web for inspiration. www.familyfun.com is my number one resource for all family night ideas. Other resources are blog's, birthday party idea sites, and GOOGLE. Try even picking an object....like feathers. Build a family night around it. Search it's history, find a recipe, a craft project, clothing item.....It's out there!

4. Have a place to collect your future family night ideas. Create a binder, a folder on your computer, or a journal in your purse.

5. Get out of the box. Do the unexpected. Don't do a Valentine's theme family night in Feb. Do it in September and use the after Valentines Day sale items you purchased from the previous year. It's more fun. Do am "I Miss Christmas Party" in the summer....the weird is more memorable.

6. Tell your family, friends, and Facebook when your family nights are...the anticipation and accountability is a good thing!

7. Keep it Simple. This is the whole reason for pre planning. The last thing anyone needs is to have something else on their to do list. Don't let it cause more stress. Back off if it is! Stress is not the point.

DON'T:

1. Be discouraged when things don't go as planned. MANY a family night in my house has a minimum of one fight, one meltdown, or a bucket of tears. It's o.k. DO NOT STOP!

2. Spend tons of money. It's not necessary. Frugal Family Nights are just as much fun.

3. Tell your kids in advance what the theme is going to be...keep 'em guessing. This way you can also make last minute adjustments if necessary. I don't usually even tell my kids what's coming up, once the night is revealed. Sometimes projects or games take longer then planned and then you can delete something off of your agenda without any disappointed people.

4. Don't be so hard on yourself. Do not say "I'm not creative" or "I'm too busy". The resources are out there. USE THEM. You can even get together with a friend and commit to 6...Each of you plan 3 and share. Spend a little time to get organized and remember The TIME your family spends together is the best part.

5. Don't be surprised at the potential addiction that you might experience. The memories will be amazing....I guarantee it.

Day 66. On Your Own Day.

I woke up this morning feeling like I had been hit by a truck. A Little bit annoyed with all the "healthy" steps I have been taking in the physical world. Patience, I tell myself and then, Emma and I snuggled in bed watching and sleeping our way through Little Bear a little bit longer than normal. Remember that post where I said I was starting school at a certain time? I haven't done it once. Remember the post where I said I was lesson planning on Wednesday nights? I haven't once done that either. BUT the beautiful thing is, I realized I have been beating myself up for not doing these things and then I suddenly realized WHO CARES? We have been doing school, getting our work done, getting good grades, and learning...so CHILL. It's not the exact way I want to do it, but it's getting there.

For someone who likes perfection, I quickly realized the guilt vortex I could be jumping into with homeschooling. Any lesson, any subject, any day, I could beat myself up for not doing it good enough. I will not go there, or at least I am trying not to. Cameron, Taylor, Emma, and I are making distinct progress in this new way of learning and the progress will continue to come. Improvement should always come with each year that we choose to school our kids at home and for that matter, each year that we choose to send them to school.

I needed a little change up today...so, I decided to declare it "On Your Own" day. I provided each child with a list of their work and the rules were simple....get it done before bed. No nagging from me and you give me your word it will be done and done well. Also know that I am available to help you at any point today that you need help on your work, or have a question. It was quickly agreed upon and we were off.

Those little loves of my life, sat down (at their desks) and attacked their assignments with ZERO complaining, rolling of the eyes, or heavy sighing. They all chose to finish their work first, so that they can go play. Hmmm. There are so very many things I could analyze about that.

They all finished before lunch and then asked..."Does on your own day mean making your own lunch?" In a split second decision, I brilliantly answered  "Yes Baby, it does...."

Now there is just 104 school days left before summer.

Day 65. Recess Rocks.

When you are doing school with your three children and you see a face book post from their dad like this:

Shawn Struckmeier I am dragging today...seriously need some coffee.

Stop immediately. Take a Recess.

Suggest to the kids that perhaps since daddy works so very hard for all of us, we could do something nice for him by going to buy a coffee. Throw out there the following shocking information: "if you would like to, I think it would be very nice for you to all pitch in some of your own money to help buy it. However, it's your choice."

(Cameron brought .10 cents, Taylor brought .50 cents, Emma brought .11 cents. Cameron excused himself and came back with .50 more cents.)

Take all your hard earned

 and go get one of these

 treat the kids to one of these, (split by 3)

Wish for your childhood metabolism back while simultaneously downing one of these instead

Console yourself with the fact that you look a whole lot classier then you did carrying around an am pm big gulp type cup.

If you do all of these things you might just receive a great big

 from the most important person in your life...

 May I always model for my kids a love and appreciation for their dad who does so very much for us all. Always teach each one of my kids that living with other's needs before our own is the best way to be...even if it is aiding with a horrible life sucking addiction like caffeine consumption.

Now there is just 105 school days left until summer...

Turkey Chili.

Another family favorite, quick and easy recipe.
Today I made in the crock pot instead of on the stove.

1 lb lean turkey
8 oz can black beans
Lawrys chili powder package
8 oz corn
1/2 cup diced tomatoes
8 oz can chilli
1 Tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 cup dice onion

Cook turkey and onions and then add remaining ingredients. Heat thoroughly and serve.

Enjoy!

The Minority Report. wk 1.

And so it goes….a staggering 67% of American’s are overweight. Due to my love of being in the minority, I am going to become non overweight. I have contemplated writing on this topic for a couple months now. Since I have seen such huge benefits of blogging other topics: accountability for me, relating to others, and even possibly helping someone else. It’s a win win. So here goes…

I have worked every trick, done every diet, and jumped on every bandwagon there is. I have had a life long battle…not with my weight (until recently), but always with food. Food has been the enemy. You eat as little as possible. I was very good at that for many years. Combine that with competition level cheer and dance, and well, all was good. Fast forward many years to mid thirties, post three babies, wife, mother, overachiever, demanding job, ministry work, school volunteer, housekeeper, chef, and ceo of my home….hello unsuccessful. My vices no longer work and I am unhappy with the results.

And you know why? I don’t feel good. I feel old and yucky. Lazy and sluggish. Stressed and tired. I refuse to think that is how God has designed this magnificent body I’m living in to feel. Therefore, I need to make some MAJOR changes and start treating it correctly.

So, I will change. This means I get off the road of quick fixes and unhealthy behavior and jump on the road of the sane, slow, and healthy. I will tackle one thing at a time. It’s gonna be slow….and surely irritating. The results are farther away, but better. I have mastered the extremes, I have. I can go weeks eating Atkins, do 10 week boot camps of 90 min of exercise 6 times a week, but then I stop. To achieve the results that I want for myself…I need to live in the middle…and let it be known…I hate it there.

The world is literally inundated with programs of exercise and eating. They can be helpful, sure, but the bottom line is we all know the reality. Healthy bodies are attained by eating less and moving more. I want a pill or program to buy that will give me the health that I want. After all, we live in a world of instant gratification. My children comment if a drive through is taking “too long”. Completely pathetic.

So, I will update my progress on Saturdays in the "Minority Report".  It will help keep me on track. I will share what I’m learning and what I’m annoyed with. I will not share what I weigh. God and I alone will know that. I will, however, share that I am five foot ten and I want to lose forty pounds and so far I am down 9. Thirty one to go. (the number looks less harsh, written in word form.)

Here are my friends to help me on this little journey to blissful bikini wearing this summer:

Tap and Track (for the iphone…)

Chalean Extreme (click here for more info)

water (the diet coke is GONE..its been 20 days)

Join me….won’t you??? It'll be well worth it and more fun with friends...xo.

The Naked Wandering Woman.

Written a couple years ago. Something I don't want to forget...

So, today on the way home from Chuck E. Cheese, I notice tons of smoke near my neighborhood. Ever since I was a little girl, anytime there was any sort of disaster my dad would hop in the car and go investigate. I always went along!!! So, I have passed this tradition on to my three children as well... Cameron goes very nervously, the girls are all for it. Today was no exception, we went in search of the fire.... 

Well, we hit major defeat... there was NO way we, or any of the other curious people, were getting anywhere near these fires... so we gave up, and turned down Gerber Rd. to go home. 

All of sudden (as we were going about 10 mph in major traffic) I looked to the right to see a thin young girl maybe 20 or so, very attractive, walking down the street completely and totally naked in broad daylight. She looked like she was just truly enjoying her afternoon stroll, with not a care in the world. She was clearly a bit delusional. Not only was she walking naked in front of numerous onlookers, but she was walking on the hot asphalt, sticks, rocks and yuck through a construction zone, and didn't even seem to notice. 

Two cars behind me was a cop and sure enough not more than two seconds later he made a sharp turn off the road right near her. The naked woman looked at the cop car and turned and started wandering into the fields... WHAT would a poor cop do when he got to her? Do they carry extra clothes for this type of situation...I can hear it now, um ma'am, do you realize you have no clothes on? 

I was so stunned and engrossed in these thoughts that I completely forgot for a moment that my kids were in the car. As I looked in the mirror to see their reaction the silence was broken by my 3 year old, Emma... 

" aww mommy, that's not fair. I want to grow up and be a mommy and have big boobs and walk naked down the street with no shoes on......." 

The flu cycle of '07.

A little tale written a couple years ago....

So, there is a new, almost nightly ritual goin' on in the Struckmeier home. It all begins during the wee hours of the night. It starts with just a simple cough. At the onset of this sound, my husband, leaps forth with enormous zest, untangling himself from our down comforter, and flies down the hallway while simultaneously shaking pretty much the whole upstairs. I think he is halfway down the hallway in pursuit of the cough instigator before he is even awake. He scoops up his victim and has them dangling over the toilet in about 2.2 seconds. I have never experienced anything like it. The speed at which he gets there is incredible. Truly admirable. Being a born and raised San Jose girl, earthquakes are a way of life to me. By the time I wake up from his dramatic exit from the bed, realize I have moved to Sacramento, and am not experiencing an earthquake, he is a million steps ahead of me. I slowly drag my butt out of bed, find the action and take over. You see from the birth of our first son and his first vomit experience with Mountain Mikes Pizza, we quickly discovered that when it comes to illness: Shawn takes the bottom end and I take the top. Anything else can result in one of us joining in the fun.

A slight variation occurred from the normal recently. I heard the usual steps,

but all of sudden heard Emma literally yelling at Shawn, " Daddy I am NOT throwing up". Poor thing. Imagine being yanked out of bed from a deep sleep and hung over toilet just because you coughed! Oops. Although, after a month of this flu, its a very justified behavior from Shawn. Cough and he is on the run. I applaud him. Since vomit clean up is my job, I sure appreciate the many carpets he has saved. My hero.

Tonight this ritual has occurred again. This time with my 9 year old son. I hear the cough, experience the exit from the bed, and take my walk down the hallway wondering which one of my children it is tonight. I was surprised to see Cameron this time. The next victim in our endless cycle of flu this season. As I quicken my steps to get to him I step right in the vomit, as Shawn's scoop and hang method is not so effective with a 3rd grade boy. Cameron has not thrown up in years. Therefore, the hallway carpet became the casualty this time. He almost made it to the bathroom linoleum. Almost. As I sat at 4 a.m cleaning all of this up, all I could think was what a difference 6 more inches would have made.

Day 64. The Truman Show.

Today, started off a bit rocky. Friday/Saturdays are supposed to be our days off of school, but we didn't finish everything I wanted to get done this week. The older kids and I spent some time in the classroom this morning. I am proud that I mustered up the discipline, as I have a million projects waiting for me.

Originally, I began blogging to record our "one" year of homeschooling. I am completely smitten....and so, I have decided to expand my blog and move over to Wordpress...I have a new name, a new look coming. It will be done in the next few days. Blogging is an amazing outlet for me for many reasons, not the least of which, it connects me to the grown up world. I came across this post today from Melissa over at A Familiar Path and it gave me goosebumps. It's amazing and captures my heart today.

As my husband and I were working on my new blog this afternoon, we listened to my 3 children play like angels. Today, we could have been a family on the Truman Show. In fact, as I write this my 11 year old's homemade banana bread is in the oven, the rain is falling, and my entire family is snuggled under blankets together....yes, the fire is roaring and the puppy lies at our feet. All days are not like this. In fact, yesterday, I would have considered selling my kids to the gypsies if they had come a knockin'...but that's o.k. It's those days that make days like today, that much sweeter.

Today, my little Emma was playing and wrote some words, as if she had been doing it her whole life. Amazing and to think that I taught her that....

O.k. we all learn it somewhere, but man it filled my heart with joy.

Now there are just 106 days left until summer.

The B Night Family Night.

Deviation from the originally scheduled family night tonight. Those usually end up being the best and tonight was no exception. With the parade of storms this past week, we had been inside way too much and I definitely was feeling stir crazy. At about 3 pm today, the "B" night was planned. I usually try and keep family nights at home and cheap. However, we had gift cards from Christmas and I needed to get out :)... so "rules" are always made to be broken, right?

B night How to's:

Take your stir crazy family to BAJA FRESH. Speak each word starting with the letter B, but don't say niche, itch, or stitch...

Head over to BORDERS and read BOOKS while sitting on your BUTTS...

Finally, complete the evening with a trip to BASKIN ROBBINS...

A night well spent...

Enjoy your family time this week...

Happy Weekend.

Day 63. Facebook Lovin'.

Some days are just like that. Today is one of them. I like accomplishment. I like to do things, be done, and move on. School, in some ways, is kinda like the dishes. It's NEVER done. Even though I hate that, I can roll with it. But, my whole life right now seems to be checking off tasks. Laundry, workout, cleaning, worksheets, science lessons, 21 meals a week to feed my family. It's just amazing how secluded and shut off from the world I feel some days. I am sure this is something you get used to, or it isn't really a bother for some people. 

I scored one away from the biggest extrovert, that you could be. You know on those personality test~y things. I need my people. I dearly love the short ones, but sometimes I need a little bit taller of ones. Today I am super grateful for the online world. You get such encouragement from people you would otherwise likely never talk to in a day.

Here was my Facebook status from this morning:

"today, it's one foot in front of the other....that's about all I got right now..."

...Said because, today I am just dragging...feeling like the more I accomplish, the more I see that is not done. Not just the tasks to complete, but the things I want to change in my own life. The areas I want to improve in. It's sooo slow going, sometimes. I want to see results NOW. Have I mentioned that before? The regular day in and day out can get rough for me. I need to grow up in that area.

Here was one comment from a dear friend:

"Many great things were accomplished by just that method....."

That was brilliantly stated and perfectly timed, thank you so much Jim. If I keep putting one foot in front of the other, I am always moving forward. I will get there, eventually. So my baby steps, really do make a difference. They aren't baby at all. Some days, they really are huge, simply because they are taking me in the right direction. After all, they do say "Rome wasn't built in a day"...

School is completed. I'm snuggled under covers, during the kids chill time, when they wake up it's kick boxing time, family night, and I have a sad ugly duckling chair and some great ideas waiting for me...

Now there are just 107 school days left until summer.

Day 62. Field Trip Day.

Today was supposed to be a big field trip day. We have been looking forward to it for a couple of weeks. After being tortured by various dentists (ok tortured may be a slight exaggeration), I decided to take the kids back to San Jose. We had an amazing dentist center there. The people were so sweet, we never waited...literally have never sat in their waiting room, the kids loved it...I could go on and on...They just know children's dentistry and they do it well. I like that.

After that we were going to get together with some friends and visit the Children's Discovery museum. It literally is one of the largest in the nation. It's amazing.

However, with the biggest storm of the year hitting today (o.k. its only mid-Jan, but it was a big one)... I decided to cancel. However it was mostly due to the fact of how long our trip would probably turn out to be. It takes less then two hours in good weather. However, with a storm and commute traffic...not sure. There and back could easily have been six hours. I don't know about you, but if I am in the car, with kids, for 6 hours...I better be gettin' out at Disneyland.

We still took the day off of school (except for reading) and had a rainy day party. We went to Mcdonald's playland with friends, watched movies, had popcorn and hot chocolate... a great snuggly day.

Tomorrow back to the grind....

But now there is just 108 school days left until summer.

Day 61. My ABC's of Thankful.

I adore the weather we are having these days...windy, rainy, love it! It makes me want to stay in jammies, all the live long day. I will resist the urge and upgrade to sweats today. Taylor's science lesson is on wind today. I have to admit, I am kinda enjoy learning along with my kids. I mean really, how many of you can explain what exactly causes wind. I can. Yay me. Although it does cross my mind, what is the point of learning all this, when they will not remember it as an adult??

My heart is kinda sad today. I am missing some things. I will not look back and I will trust that my God is taking care of me, both my physical needs, as well as my heart. I will not only look forward, but will look to the here and now. I was directed this morning to  http://annas-eyes.org/ from a Facebook post of a friend of mine. What an amazing young lady who is serving in Haiti. It sure puts things into perspective. Make sure and click on my Hope for Haiti link to check out some of the things that the blogging community is doing to help. I read this morning that the death toll is estimated at 200,000 and 1.5 million people are hurt and without homes. I don't know about you, but those numbers are so surreal, that it is hard to wrap your head around.

An older post of Anna's was about her ABC's of thankfulness. I thought it was awesome and a good idea to snap me out of my mood...please post yours as a comment! This is definitely going to become a school project in my kids future...

Amazing friends

Black and white damask print curtains

Christmas...and all that it brings

Darling...the actual word itself

Energy

 Family Nights

Growth in my life

Husband...my life would just be wrong without him

Ice ~ especially crushed

Jesus... who's love for me is beyond my comprehension

Krispy kreme donuts

Laughing

My children

Never giving up

Opportunity

Push ups...they make me feel like superwoman 

Queens...they are pretty

Remembering the priceless moments that I never want to forget

Sleeping in...

Target

Understanding 

Visine...makes the springtime in Sacramento, doable.

Water (kind of a lie but trying to become obsessed with it)

Xerox machines...don't judge me, my choices are severely limited

Yoga pants ~ black ones

Zebra print anything

Enjoy your day, hug each other, and pray for those in Haiti.

Now there are just 109 school days left until summer...