It’s cold and wet here in western Washington. Not only is it raining, did I mention it’s cold and wet, but it’s also dark by 4:30 pm. This does not suit my night owl nature. I like it in the middle of the summer when the sun is bright and shining until late in the day.

Thankfully I have friends who aren’t daunted by silly things like bedtimes and schedules. Oh no, these girls know how to live. All of which means last night I was ordering coffee at Starbucks at 9 pm and heading off for a 10 pm move. Yes, a 10 pm movie! On a school night!

The heady night life of a homeschooling mom.

A few notes to self:

1. Do NOT, I repeat, do NOT drink Starbucks regular coffee at 9 pm. Even ordering it 1/3 regular, 2/3rds decaf is too much. As a night owl you will NOT fall asleep in the middle of a movie. You do NOT need caffeine to stay awake. The caffeine, however, will insure you do NOT fall asleep. For hours.
2. Do NOT leave the computer turned on with email loaded and waiting your arrival home. The temptation to check blogs, write a few emails, comment on a blog here and there, and then post an entire blog at 3 in the morning is too strong to resist.
3. Give yourself permission NOT to blog once in a while. Skipping two days in a row, gasp, will NOT cause the world to stop spinning. Think of it as a kindness to your beleaguered readers.
4. Instead of playing on the computer, head to the kitchen and make your beloved’s lunch. Do NOT wait until AFTER you’ve blogged for hours to BEGIN preparing lunch. This will cause accidental snacking and throw bedtime off by another 20 or 30 minutes.
5. Do NOT turn on a movie while you are making said husband’s lunch. This will further the unconscious snacking, awaken sleepy brain cells, and ruin any chances of a solid 5 hours of sleep.

There are no pictures of the late night movie outing or of today’s sleepy homeschool teacher. There are times when even I know to leave the camera turned off (to protect the guilty).

On a complete and totally different note (that’s what happens when I don’t sleep - no attention span whatsoever), here are two online savings we used this week:

Christianbook.com:

Code - 251451AH
10% off purchase of $35 or more. Expires 12/16/2007. Offer good online or by phone.

Buy.com:
$10 off if you open a Google checkout account.

I bought a $10 USB key (complete with free shipping), opened a Google account (basically just required an email address) and received the memory stick free in the mail three days later.

Kathy — offer to get some sleep

This weekend I had the delightful pleasure of sneaking away with some girlfriends. It wasn’t an official Women’s Retreat or a Homeschooling Conference. There was no business that needed attending or meetings scheduled for the entire weekend. We had a wonderful time and I knew immediately that this would be the perfect topic for this week’s Works for Me Wednesday post.

Planning a Girls Getaway Weekend

1. Find a friend with a birthday. This should not be difficult as most people have birthdays. It is helpful if the birthday girl has parents with a timeshare or a second home at the beach. This keeps costs down considerably. Improvise as necessary with both the birthday friend and the accommodations.



Michelle was the birthday girl who organized our weekend away.

2. Hand off children to the beloved, helpful, and thoroughly capable spouse. If you do not have children or spouse, please skip this step. If your spouse is not helpful or capable (I’m presuming they are beloved) begin training immediately. This is key as children are not welcome at Girls Getaway Weekends. Unfortunate but true.
3. Gather a collection of very silly friends. The problem here is narrowing it down to just a few, too many silly friends and things get out of hand. If you find yourself with a plethora of wacky girlfriends, do not despair, you can schedule several weekends away.



Victoria, Kirstin, Michele and Nancy pose for the camera. They obviously qualify as Silly Friends.

4. Plan some relaxing entertainment. Suggestions include chick flicks, magazines, games, and shopping. All of the above should, of course, include abundant amounts of coffee and chocolate. Delegate as necessary.

   On our weekend, Beckie and Michelle prepared two delicious meals, Victoria created a relaxing ambiance with candles, music, and cozy blankets, Michelle brought up her espresso machine, Kirstin led us in some dancing with a Dance Dance Revolution game and I took pictures.



If things begin to get dull, a small kitchen fire is proven to liven up the day.

5. Be sure to include opportunities for outdoor activities. This is often best scheduled BEFORE the chocolate but AFTER the coffee, although professionals have been known to disagree.



Grab some fantastic sunglasses and hit the beach.



Kirstin and Michelle led the way on our Sunday morning hike.

6. Remember this is a grown up getaway with no diapers to change, noses to wipe, sibling arguments to diffuse or kid meals to prepare. Revel in the luxury of an all adult weekend.

   Another alternative is to completely indulge your inner child.



Michelle and I hit the swings.



Beckie tries out the zipline.



It turns out Nancy is a KILLER tether ball player. I lasted about 2 minutes. Michelle fared a little better but the battle was fierce. The things you learn on a girls getaway are very interesting.

7. Last but not least, take lots and lots of pictures. The blackmail, I mean blog fodder, alone is priceless. Use the self-timer liberally.

Go and plan your own getaway weekends. There are many other tips at Rocks In My Dryer.

Kathy

This Reunion Count Down is a killer. All the working out is seriously cutting in to my busy social life (ie blogging time). I don’t know how people fit consistent, regular exercise into their schedules. Maybe if I were a morning person it would be easier. I would get up early, while the children were still tucked quietly in their beds, and enjoy an invigorating, brisk work out. Hmmm. That so isn’t going to happen.

Heading off to the Y with trainer Julee.

In the meantime, I steal away an hour here and there every day to exercise. Today I did some weight training in the morning and then went BACK to the Y in the evening for an hour of cardio. Whew! Don’t I sound energetic and motivated. Or is it desperate and obsessed?

Only a couple more weeks until reunion time. I figure I can remain committed for that long. If nothing else, this has certainly been quite the experience. I’m logging in my food (calories, fat, carbs, proteins) and exercise (time and calories burned) daily on an Excel spreadsheet (gotta love Excel). I don’t think I’ve ever been this serious about high exercise and low calories. I’m certainly learning a lot.

1. Beef (even lean) has a lot of calories. It’s often a better “bang for my buck” to stick with chicken or fish. I had tofu tonight and it was delicious and low calorie.
2. Vegetables are amazingly satisfying when you are hungry.
3. Striving for a goal on the treadmill or elliptical (calories burned, time spent) is very motivating. It brings out a competitive side in me that I didn’t realize I had and I find myself working harder and pushing myself to the next level.
4. Losing weight and getting fit just plain takes time. I’m still losing weight that I’ve already lost before. Or rather, I’m losing the weight I gained over the summer. It will be another week or two until I hit “fresh” pounds.
5. Some condiments are so NOT worth the calories and fat - salad dressing, cheese, oil, butter. I’d rather save the calories for something else and stick to spices, mustard, and vinegar to season my food.

Interesting how keeping track of things changes your perspective and focus. Well, I don’t mean to turn this into a weight loss blog so I’ll stop rambling on. If you have a great tip on eating healthy and fitting exercise into your life, PLEASE share!! I am so encouraged by other people’s life experiences. Leave a comment!!

I’m sure the weight will start melting off at any minute now. Until then it’s:

Another day another work out.

Kathy
Project 365 - Day 283

I have a wonderful husband. Truly, he is helpful and kind, funny and wise, patient and thoughtful. He also understands being a mother of five is exhausting, full-time work with no overtime pay.

Those pamphlets for Whispering Pines (Home for Haggard Homeschooling Moms) sometimes look mighty appealing.

As a result of this awareness, Tim is very careful to make sure I carve out time for myself - walks with a neighbor, work-outs at the Y, and occasional outings with girlfriends. Last week I snuck off on Thursday night for some shopping with another homeschooling mom. This evening I went to dinner at the Outback, celebrating a friend’s birthday.

Sabrina, Holly and I after a delicious dinner.

We had a wonderful time, talking and laughing, discussing everything from courtship to September 11. On the way home I reflected on how generous Tim is to me. He hardly ever takes time for himself in this way yet never fails to encourage me to go off and enjoy myself. I came home refreshed and cheerful, ready to once again face the demanding joys of motherhood.

The dinner was a birthday celebration for Holly but ended up being a gift to me. Thank you, Tim, for your kindness.

Kathy
Project 365 - Day 278

This weekend I was invited to join a friend at a homeschooling conference in Seattle. Tim cheerfully sent me on my way (no doubt plotting to get his hands on the blog) and off I went. It was a lovely time of fellowship with an old friend; long conversations about parenting, faith and marriage; homeschool shopping, instruction and encouragement and of course some pampering.

We found this wonderful little spa during our travels. The decor was lovely and I was especially drawn to the mirror in the back.

Between us, Martha and I have 11 children. That’s quite a collection of little (and not so little) voices and messes and concerns and needs and hearts in our care. I hardly need say that finding time for quiet and rejuvenation is pretty rare. How much more precious to have an extended length of time in which to reconnect with a friend and be away from the responsibilities of life.

To make the whole weekend all the more delightful, Martha treated me to a birthday pedicure.

We don’t usually look to feet for beauty but dark pink polish certainly helps. More importantly it is where my feet take me that reflects beauty - do I serve my family, do I walk toward the needy, do I live out the gospel in the steps I take?

A little bit of pampering was the perfect way to start the weekend. No one in the salon asked me to get them a drink or find their lost sock or punish their brother or wipe up their spilled ketchup. Not once. It was actually very quiet.

Thank you for the lovely birthday present, Martha!!

There is great beauty in relationships that have been tested in the fire and redeemed through God’s faithfulness and healing.

As I return from the homeschooling conference and a weekend away from my duties and responsibilities as a wife and mother, I am challenged to think about what I look for in my children and my husband. Do I look for the beauty in them or do I only see their faults and failures?

I want to look for the beauty of God working in my children and my husband. I want to see their hearts grow more and more in love with Jesus. I want to notice the laughter and joy more and the mess less. I want to encourage purity and innocence and integrity and faith and LOVE in my family.

I am going to look for the beauty that comes from the Lord because I know that He is faithful and will complete the work that He has begun in my children, my husband and myself.

It’s good to be home.

Kathy