TOS Review - K5 Learning

This is a sight/site that makes my oldest jump for joy:



K5 Learning is an online reading and math learning program for kids pre-kindergarten through 5th grade. I was able to try this program out for the last few weeks, and it's one that my son asks for regularly. I'll have to get more of his personal responses for this review (he wanted to give me input for this review as his sister got to give hers previously, but bedtime came before I sat to write this. I'll have to catch him in the morning!) Anyway, from what I can tell it was quite the hit with him!

I like that this program is very thorough and clear in teaching each lesson and takes time to test the child on that information. My son had been playing around with it for some time before I figured out/realized that I was able to get a free assessment done for him in reading and/or math. I requested both and set him to work. Shortly afterwards I was able to go into my reports and get a pretty good idea of where his strengths and weaknesses were. If I'd have to say what the most valuable part of this program is I'd definitely highlight the reports... I find that the information that I was able to gather there has helped me focus how I teach to him. Along those lines, an additional highlight of this program is that based on the child's scores it adapts lessons better fitted for their abilities to help them gain the knowledge needed to further excel in that area.



The first time that I logged into the site I remember that there was a character that was wearing a tank top, and I didn't like that. However, subsequently I haven't seen her again, and I was informed by the creator of the program that I can preview the lessons and use my discretion on if I would allow my children to do a certain lesson.... however, the characters are meant to be role models for children and he didn't expect that I'd have any issues (and I haven't since). I feel comfortable allowing my son free reign on K5. There are no chat capabilities, outside ads, or outside links. I know when the program is on that all he can access is the learning and quiz screens (there's reading lessons, math lessons, spelling facts and math facts... the last two we really didn't use. In any case, I also know that if I have any questions/concerns about the program that I can feel free to shoot an email to the creators and that they will respond quickly. I think that impresses me most of all! I also like that one of K5's self proclaimed advantages is that they aren't focused on "edutainment." That word definitely fits with a lot of products that I've seen out there and I'm glad to see one that uses their time more effectively. My son loves this program and learned a lot, but even though the characters are interactive he wasn't being entertained.



K5 offers a 14 day free trial offer that allows you to get a feel for their program with unlimited assess to 4 complete programs with "no obligation, no credit card, and free math and reading assessments." K5 also offers a monthly subscription to their program for $25 for the first child and $15 for each additional child, or an annual subscription for $199 for the first child and $129 for additional children.

To see what other crew members are saying about K5, please feel free to go here.

*As a member of the 2012 TOS Homeschool Crew I was provided a free copy of this product in exchange for my honest review of its content. I have not received any other compensation for the opinions stated here, and they were not promised a positive review.*

TOS Review - Reading Eggs

When asking my daughter what she thought of Reading Eggs her first response was "cool!" I have to agree :-)

Reading Eggs is a really fantastic program that helps children build all of the skills necessary to be confident readers... all while having lots of fun!

I tried this program out on my ever so dyslexic 5 1/2 year, and we both have loved it. This is one program that she asks to use everyday (she just asked about it right now in fact! *laugh*). I had her start at the very beginning of the program with phonics etc, although there are options if your starting with kids that already read some. Meeting her was a cute duck that tracks her progress along a path. When going into the first lesson we meet another character, an ant, who introduces the letter that the child is working on, tells the child the sound the letter makes, has the child click on the letter coordinating with that sound, sings songs, acts silly, and is my daughters FAVORITE. The child is then guided through more activities with the same letter, ending with making "sound books" (which is also a highlight for my daughter). The sound books allow the child to find the written words to put with pictures.

I think the progression from learning the phonics of a letter clear through putting it to use in words is seamless. The creators of this program should be VERY happy with themselves.

We have a slow internet connection here, so my daughter has also had the opportunity to try out Reading Eggs clever egg catching game that plays while her next page is loading. So smart! It keeps the child interacting and engaged during loading so they don't lose interest.

I think the only think that I don't care for is the actual game section.... which kids of course love! What can I say, I'm a prude :-D. I think the program by itself is fun and very well put together and doesn't need a supplement of activities. That being said, the games are educational from what I've seen, and the option to dress your progress duck in different clothes using the coins one's earned is fun for the kids. Maybe my issue is more that I can't tell if there's a time limit for the games. It seemed like my daughter spent more time away from the lesson then I cared for.

Anyway! Back to my pros, Reading Eggs also tracks the child's progress and is really user friendly. I highly recommend it!

Reading eggs can be used for children ages 3-13.... and there's a FREE TRIAL! . Reading eggs can be purchased by creating a login and then selecting "Purchase Reading Eggs" on your dashboard. Then the options for a monthly $9.95, 6 moth $49.95, or 12 month $75 subscription come up. A nice break for parents with multiple children is that they offer 50% of for additional children getting the same package. Definitely a bonus!

We've really enjoyed this program and has improved my daughters understanding and confidence with letter sounds and relating them to words. To see what other crew members are saying about this product you can go here.

*As a member of the 2012 TOS Homeschool Crew I was provided a free copy of this product in exchange for my honest review of its content. I have not received any other compensation for the opinions stated here, and they were not promised a positive review.*

Blessings

I have lots to write about since moving to Japan last month, including thoughts and reviews, but I wanted to leave you with some words that came from my 6 (7 in June) year old son the other day:

"Mom, children are a blessing.... and parents are a blessing to children!"

He said this with a H U G E smile on his face. I'm so thrilled that he knows that he, his sister and all of his brothers are a blessing to their mom and dad, but I was taken back by his sweet addition that we are a blessing to him. Might we all live to be worthy of the accolades of our children. I hope to forever be called a blessing to him as we walk this path back home together.

Make sure all your little ones (and not so little ones) get extra hugs, kisses, and I love you's today and everyday. As one of my favorite songs called Find Your Wings by Mark Harris says, "it's only for a moment you are mine to hold, the plans that Heaven has for you will all too soon unfold." Let's make those moments even more precious! There's no room for anger or impatience in parenthood, we have the perfect example in our Heavenly Father, let's recommit to that example today! There's always more room for additional love and understand for our children and for all those we come in contact with while on our earthly journey.

Love to you all!
~Cherie

TOS Review - KinderBach

We've been blessed to try out another great product that I had no idea existed! KinderBach is a web based program that helps your child(ren) learn about music theory/piano and that you can log into from any computer. I thought this program was going to be more about learning composers etc., but was pleasantly surprised that it was basically a piano teacher in my own home! I teach my children piano (it's a mandatory skill in our home), but this was a great reinforcement and Miss Karri taught them concepts in a very fun and clear way.

From the first lesson I was really excited about this program. I downloaded a good sized piano/theory book (free from the website), so my children not only watched a well done video explaining the black keys on the keyboard and learning what letter is associated with white keys based on their placement around the black keys, but they were able to follow along and find things in their "workbook." I found myself enjoying listening and watching the videos as well and I loved watching my littlest guys be able to have fun and learn as well (since they are not currently "being taught" piano). I would recommend this program to anyone with children ages 3-7 (and maybe a little younger and older depending on your child.

I am highly considering buying the program myself... there is a discount for buying a year at a time for 95.88 which makes the monthly more than half off the regular. Or, you can go month to month and pay 19.99. You can also access the lessons on an iPad, Android Tablet, Kindle Fire or Nook, so that makes using this program pretty easy no matter what your device or location. And, of course my favorite thing about KinderBach, is that you can try it for FREE! Yah, I'm a sucker for that. I think if you go to the website and give it a try that you'll be pleasantly surprised. Being able to learn and receive information in a lot of different forms is big in our house with such a wide variety of learners, so from video, to audio, to hands on and coloring pages etc., this stimulates all my children's learning styles and has taught and helped me teach a lot of concepts.

A few of there perks of KinderBach is that the lessons can also be purchased in DVD form and in either medium you can skip around lessons if your child needs to go ahead or redo any concept. You really can't go wrong with this program, especially if you're considering getting a piano teacher for your little one(s). This will save you a lot of money in the formative time of learning piano and give them a great head start for when they will start working with a teacher.

In addition to the normal great pricing, KinderBack is offering an extra 30% off any order by using the promotion code: TOScrew2012 ! So yes, go check this one out! You have nothing to lose and a great resource to gain if you do :-)

To see what other crew members are saying about Kinderbach you can go here.

*As a member of the 2012 TOS Homeschool Crew I was provided a free copy of this product in exchange for my honest review of its content. I have not received any other compensation for the opinions stated here, and they were not promised a positive review.*

TOS Review - We Choose Virtue Cards

I'll be honest. I was really excited when I found out that we were going to review for We Choose Virtues.... and then I was a little disappointed when I got the product initially. I pulled out this tiny packet of cards and wasn't at all sure what to do with them! Over time they've become something that we actually look forward to spending time with. The package that comes is a set of cards (the size of business cards) in a plastic envelope that snaps shut. The cards themselves are high quality thick card stock, printed with bright colors, and the illustrations/design is really fun. My initial disappointment was over the fact that the cards were so small.... however, we still found great usage.

For example, there is a card that comes in that pack that suggests picking a virtue to work on for the day. I thought this was a good idea and then realized that not only was there a virtue and definition of what it is and what it isn't on the front, but that the backside extended a specific challenge for the child for that virtue. So, starting with day one I had one of my children pick a card and we would discuss it and try to work on the challenge for the day and I'd use the virtue topic throughout our day in both praise and correction. i.e. "Wow, you're being really diligent, thank you so much!" or "When we do '_______' is that showing self control?" I've really looked forward to each day and so have my children. They all get to take a turn picking a card throughout the week and eagerly await the next time they get a turn. Eventually I got smart and I grabbed a magnet that has a clip on it and my oldest now switches out the card of the day on the whiteboard that has our memorization things on it so we can actually see the virtue that we're working on so we can memorize the definition of the virtue too.

After having these cards, and not having any other connection to this company besides things other bloggers have said, I went off in search of more products from them along the lines of teaching virtues because of my experience. I think what has ended up really appealing to me is the fact that the definitions given of each of the virtues are what I want to teach my child. I enjoy that the children learn what being honest, diligent, obedient etc., is and are given examples of what it isn't in a straight forward and clear/kind way. I often find that companies or people teaching moral principles use scripture to condemn a child or focus too much on the idea that not acting in accordance with these virtues is sin. Yes, I understand that we're not perfect and that not following these guidelines is a sin, but I don't think we needs to be so negative with children and "talk them into" being good by striking fear within them. Anyway! Long story short, this product stays upbeat and is encouraging children along this path of learning moral character. I love that! I've since looked into getting larger poster of the virtues for my children as well as a chart that might help them get even more excited about this aspect of life that the are considering more closely.

I'm very happy that I got to review this product! Don't let the size fool you, this is a great addition to any home and it's portability may be even more helpful to families on the go! A quick reminder on the way to school or a lesson of some sort could make a big difference in how your children handles themselves on any given day! Every opportunity to teach our children should be seized and this is a great tool that will easily find a spot into your family's schedule!

You can purchase We Choose Virtue Cards for $19.99 from their website that can be found here.

To find out what other crew members are saying about We Choose Virtue Cards you can go here.

*As a member of the 2012 TOS Homeschool Crew I was provided a free copy of this product in exchange for my honest review of its content. I have not received any other compensation for the opinions stated here, and they were not promised a positive review.*

A Little Improvement and Strength Training

So... the scale was finally nice to me today. I don't know if it said that I lost one or two pounds, but the fact that I'm not the same weight or more than I was last week was cause for much rejoicing! This weeks numbers are:

Weight: 184/183
Waist: The little slash under 37 1/4" :-)

This past week I've still been hitting the treadmill and workout out with my Mom's Into Fitness DVD in addition to swimming (which I LOVE!) I've seen more definition happening too, so while the numbers don't reflect the work I've put in, I'm wondering if it's just because my muscles are no longer in a state of atrophy :-D.

I was asked last week about strength training (I didn't forget, promise!) Strength training will keep you from injury especially if you're a runner (or attempting to be, like myself). Without it it's not a matter if but when you'll get injured, so don't overlook it! Because I'm lazy and like to get the most out of a workout without much brain power, I really enjoy the strength training portion of the Mom's Into Fitness Boot Camp 2 DVD. Like, I LOVE IT, and actually look forward to it. I don't necessarily do all my exercise at once... yesterday for instance brought a mile walk with baby in the morning, a 3 mile run in the afternoon, and I was supposed to do a video that night (but baby had other places :-D). Sometimes I can do everything at once, but it's also nice to spread things out during the day and found time here and there... also makes me feel like I'm kicking up my metabolism to help fight fat more often! So, these short videos are awesome for that!

Anyway, I definitely recommend buying Lindsay's Boot Camp video... like now... what are you waiting for? And grab two different sets of weights to do with them... you'll thank me later, promise! There are 6 levels in one DVD, the workouts are short but intense (something about mountain climbers and squat thrusts even for a minute leaves me covered in sweat!) If you can't afford the DVD at least go to her website, she has some free things and you can check YouTube.

You can also do quite a few things by using your own weight as your resistance, and minus someone telling you what to do. I picked up a triathlon magazine last year that had some great strength training tips... so check out a running magazine somewhere and I can almost guarantee you'll find tips to get stronger! Here's a link to runner's world's compilation of strength and cross training, definitely worth checking out:
http://www.runnersworld.com/subtopic/0,7123,s6-238-263-266-0,00.html

Here's an article with more specifics:
http://www.tipsonhealthyliving.com/diet-and-fitness/the-best-strength-training-program-for-runners

and here's a video that show's some specific workouts:


My favorite triathlon book "Triathlon For Dummies" has a great section on strength training as well. It's worth flipping through (and buying!) in my opinion.

Overall my favorite strength training exercise is the plank. Love a good plank! There's something about that simple exercise that makes me feel like I'm really working hard and I can feel it working my whole body, love that!

The other thing that I wanted to mention is a phrase that I learned from my high school tennis coach: "Walking builds strength, running builds endurance." If you're not a runner and have no desire to even fake being one then so be it (although, I do recommend that you at last try... you may surprise yourself, running is a mental sport and really is cheaper than therapy :-D). Walking is a great exercise! I like to set my speed low and crank up the incline of my treadmill to get in a good burn in my legs. Just a thought!

This Saturday brings my first race post baby! My husband and I are running a 5k for charity and I'm excited! What do I think my time will be? Umm.... S L O W! *laugh* I'm not looking to break any records as I'm only 5 weeks from having the latest baby and want all my guts to continue to stay put, but it'll be fun and I can at least run the whole distance without stopping. Doesn't hurt that the company will be great! I started racing in 2010, 5 months after baby #4, and with my husband on deployment, so I was always alone with just me and my brain... it'll be nice to have the hubby to chat with :-). We'll take a picture and I'll post it with my next Weighing in Wednesday post.

How are you doing?!

Weighing in After the Holiday's....

...wasn't as brutal as it could have been, but not entirely what I thought. I expected that I would as least lose a little bit of weight, but, alas, staying stagnant is all that I pulled off. So, for this week my numbers are identical to last week:

Weight:185
Waist: 37 1/4"

I definitely could have worked harder and had less fatty foods to eat, but all we can do is move forward right? This week I've put in a little more effort than before. I picked up some heavier weights for strength training (very important for EVERYONE. Strength training is huge for building muscle... which will burn fat... and helps keep you together better! Muscles are good!)

Mine have been a bit sore as of late, but that's not necessarily a bad thing :-). I can get in about 2-3 miles a day on the treadmill, usually I can run it... yesterday not so much though... so I walked. Walking is great! If you do nothing else a 30 minute walk a day will do you good. I chose to add an incline to mine as a way to burn more calories faster as well as get a good burn in the legs!

I've also been lucky enough to have a husband willing to take on all of the kids so that I can hit the pool. Yesterday was the first day that I could go and the low impact workout was so awesome I actually felt like I as breaking a sweat over the laps! It was great... the most painful part?? Well, that'd be seeing myself in a swimsuit in a public place. Ugh! Talk about some motivation... and irritation! It was after that sight that I picked up heavier weights :-D.

Here's to hoping and working towards a better week!

How have things been for you? Will the New Year find you making resolutions towards better health?

Life...

...is an always changing, daily opportunity to learn and grow and adapt (hence my blog name). Life for us has definitely followed this definition lately! At the beginning of October we were informed by the military that my husband was needed in Japan before the end of February... I was 8 months pregnant... and we had 4 children ages 6 and under. While excited, the prospect of having to acquire passports for everyone and the mere idea of having to be ready to move in January was/is a bit daunting. The last time I moved overseas I had to follow my husband by myself later with an 8 week old baby because his passport hadn't come in yet... and I'll tell yah, once I go to our layover in Seattle I was very tempted to have my in-law's pick me up and to call my husband and tell him that I would come only when he came to get me! It was terrible! Not really because of the baby, more just the people and airline etc., it was nightmarish, I was never happier to see Korean soil then when that flight was over! Anyway, thanks to that experience I had this horrible feeling that because of our time frame that I'd be moving not only with an 8 week old but also a 23 month old and 3, 5, and 6 year olds.... SO GRATEFUL THAT WON'T BE THE CASE! (Although, my husband did mention that if it was that while it would be difficult he would be willing to take one for the team and fly to Japan alone :-D).

Anyway, as the calendar screams at an alarming pace towards January I have at least one "AAHHH we're moving!" moment a day. I've grown accustomed to having to expect the unexpected thanks to the military, but this one really caught me off guard. We were given every assurance of being here clear into 2013, so we were planning for the baby, I had a race calendar all planned out for next year, we both had plans to start on our masters, we were planning our garden.... HA! They just wanted me to get cozy :-). In any case, I really do have to care for a 1 month old (as of yesterday), the rest of the kids, and make sure that our house is separated into storage, unaccompanied baggage (the smaller shipment of necessities that gets there faster), our household goods (the everything else stuff that goes on the slow boat and we get whenever it shows up), and to ensure that all the stuff we need stays separate from all that because if not IT WILL GET PACKED. So, I need to pack everyone's bags for about 2 months worth of clothes etc. Good times! Yes, "freak out moments abound here."

The one thing that I thought I had figured out was lifestyle once we got there. I got in contact with another American couple in Japan who attends a Japanese church that we wanted to go to. She was excited to hear of our coming and was encouraging of our patronizing the church. So, case closed, we're good right?! NO! *laugh* She asked me if our children would be attending Japanese school. Well, my husband and I talked about it briefly... he brought it up and I didn't turn down the idea but I certainly wasn't entertaining it either! I figured we could find some extracurricular classes to get the kids into etc. that wouldn't require them to be gone so long everyday.

Anyway, she's in the same situation that I'm in.... a husband that speaks Japanese, kids with squishy brains, and a slow go at learning the language herself (my brain LITERALLY hurts after studying Japanese). When she mentioned that her oldest children are fluent and both read and write in Kanji something in my mind clicked. I knew that our children needed to go to school there... but I still don't like the idea! *laugh* I talked to my kids about it, they're enthusiastic to go, and then I tried to talk them out of it! They'll be in school all day being immersed in Japanese, then come home to Japanese homework and they'll still be home schooled in English reading and writing. They were all still up to the challenge. THAT ONLY LEAVES ME WITH 2, COUNT THEM 2, CHILDREN FOR THE MAJORITY OF EVERYDAY! So not happy about that! I can't stand in the way of a great opportunity for them though. They'll pick up the language and culture in a way that we can't provide for them otherwise. We know we'll be there for at least 3-4 years with the potential of more, so now when their brains are squishiest and able to pick up the language is the best. My husband had offered to have them start when we go back after this assignment when they were older, but that's just not fair of me. They'll have a much easier time now. My husband's been speaking and living in Japan on and off for the last 13 years, has a degree in Asian Studies with a minor in Japanese, and is still learning new things everyday. What a gift that my children won't have to struggle to learn as much. My father-in-law speaks Japanese as well... he told me that he expects the children to come back speaking better than him too :-D.

Because of the way the schools run, my older 3 will be there to start the new school year IN APRIL. Yes, school runs from April to March. BOO! Pretty sure Heavenly Father knew that I needed to know that now instead of when we hit the ground there so that I had time to take it all in. It helps that there's a huge running group on base, all kinds of running events and triathlons between them and the nearby Naval base, and that because of the move I had to push my Master's work until April/May. Boy will I need that distraction then! No wonder my brain couldn't put aside going back to school this last year... I needed everything in place for when my children go to school and I'm with my little guys that both nap during the day. It's weird to be faced with so much quiet when you're use to chaos!

In the meantime we're all on Japanese learning track.... we have a bunch of movies by studio Ghibli (recently they came out with Ponyo which was pretty popular in the US, also Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle) and some other selections that the children watch in Japanese.

We also scour the Hiraganamama website like crazy! I enjoyed her website before, now it's more of a lifeline. She has links to youtube videos that have been helpful, worksheets, and overall information. I love this one, definitely something to check out! She has a New Year's card up on her site.. it's a dragon and she provides how to write a message for the New Year, we'll be working on that today! Your kid would enjoy it too I'm sure!

I also have access to Rosetta Stone and try to login to that regularly. (If you're military you should look into getting access to this for free. The library also has Mango that you can use from home). It does make my brain hurt, but I am picking up on a lot more.

My husband also found several apps in the iTunes store that he uses on the iPod of iPad to help him learn additional Kanji (which I am SO NOT ready for... I'm still trying to master Hiragana and trying not think about learning 2 more alphabets thank you very much!)

We also have a few learning books that Nathan picked up on his last stint in Japan.

Anyway! Life's been exciting here and definitely NOTHING like I thought it would be. Learning to change and be adaptable it good though :-). I know my children are headed for an amazing opportunity and one that Heavenly Father had in store for all of us. I'm resistant to change and really don't care to have someone else dictating my schedule, but perhaps there's the lesson for me in all of this! Who knows. Either way we're off for an even bigger adventure than I had imagined! It's a good thing that the one sailing this ship knows where it's headed because we'd surely be lost otherwise!

I hope your holiday's have been wonderful and that you're able to see the working of God in your life at this time to in whatever it may be that you're doing!

And Thus it Begins!

Today marks the first day of Weighing in Wednesday! This was the brain child of yesterday's workout... I was trying to come up with a good way to track myself, as well as provide motivation for others. So, every Wednesday I will be getting a weight and waist measurement on myself and sharing it here, as well as giving a rundown of what I was up to excercise-wise for the week, and probably offering some kind of tips/advice/goals. I have no problems throwing all of this out into the abyss and just for my own use, but if you'd like to come along you can either leave comments below whenever you feel so inclined, or let me know that you'd like to start your own Weighing in Wednesday blog post and I'll pay to add a linky tool to my blog so that several people can blog hop each week (which would be even more fun! Motivation AND accountability :-D)

To start with, here's a little info on me. Our 5th child was born 3 weeks and 5 days ago. I am just shy of 5'9", pre-pregnancy I weighed 149lbs (I'll explain the significance of that number later), and the day our son was born I was about 216lbs. No, I didn't have gestational diabetes, my body just likes to gain about 60lbs in my belly and legs with each pregnancy... Which is probably why I find something physically crazy to get it off each time! Last year it was triathlons... This year it's triathlons (I'm hooked after last year!) and long distance races (the ultimate goal is a marathon late next year... Still trying to get the base that we're moving to to schedule one for me :-D).

As of today my numbers are:
WEIGHT: 185lbs
WAIST: 37 1/4"

Last week I was 190 lbs and my waist measured over 40" (I don't remember how far over, enough that I quickly forgot though!) Over the last week I've put in a few miles walking, usually with baby in a sling (because he can smell that I'm trying to workout, so even though he's fed and I've laid him down he'll start crying about 1/4 mile into things! Oh well, I figure he helped me put it on he can help me take it off!) Yesterday I got in 3 miles... actually getting to run 2 of those miles because baby did sleep, and today it was an agonizingly slow 2 miles, but it got my heart rate up, so I can't complain too much. In addition to walking/running a minimum of 1 mile a day... minus Sunday... I love the boot camp DVD put out by Lindsay Brin from Mom's Into Fitness (I have this set, the Bootcamp one goes through 6 weeks of increasingly harder workouts for your core and another set for toning and cardio all in one DVD and only taking 10 minutes a piece!). Her philosophy is that MOM'S CAN GET INTO BETTER SHAPE THAN THOSE WHO AREN'T! I've found this to be absolutely true for me. With each baby I've weighed less at the start than with the previous one and I've been stronger and able to do more physically in the meantime. Case in point? I was something like 167lbs when my husband and I GOT MARRIED, and, asa I mentioned, I was almost 20 lbs lighter than even that prior to getting pregnant with baby #5. So, if you use pregnancy and motherhood for any excuse, let it be the excuse that those things have made you stronger and let's get to work!

My biggest tips for you today goes towards new moms, since that's the phase I'm in. The recommended weight loss for new nursing mothers is 1 lb per week. You'll probably notice that my numbers don't follow this, but consider that "the recommended weight gain" is about 35 lbs... my body just doesn't like recommendations! If yours are lower or higher, then they are. As long as you are listening to your body (i.e. if you're beginning to bleed bright red, pull a muscle, anything hurts unnecessarily... we like good pain though!), slowing or stopping down as needed, and baby is getting fed as normal then you should be fine!

Thanks to the men out there who were willing to sift through that in order to get to this tip for everyone:
Be sure to stay hydrated! Lack of hydration is a big factor when it comes to weight loss, the pounds have a hard time dropping off without it! I reposted from a blog last year on how to find out how much water you need each day... the typical "8 glasses" isn't suitable for everyone so make sure you're getting enough... your body will thank you!

My personal goal is to get back down to at least 149 lbs. I don't have a timeframe for this... I just focus on healthy behaviors in eating, exercise and sleep (when I can). Healthy living is a lifestyle and weight loss and maintenance will be a lot easier if you look at it that way now. I don't do anything when I'm losing weigh that I don't do when trying to maintain :-). The 149 lbs is a number that I strive for because in triathlon you can usually race by age group and then there's the Athena's and Clydesdales. To be an Athena you have to weigh 150lbs or more... there are some absolutely amazing athletes in that category, but I don't want to be one. Mentally knowing that I HAVE to compete in my age range against people who haven't had 5 kids (or usually any for that matter), and can spend more time training makes me work harder!

Let me know if you'd like to "weigh-in" next week either physically or metaphorically!

Children...

I've been thinking a lot about children lately.... don't suppose it has anything to do with being surrounded by them everyday? Who knows?! :-).

In the post I wrote yesterday I mentioned how a few of my friends had lost babies in their second trimester that were due the same time as me. It's one of those things that reminds me how fragile life is. When you think about it, the fact that a little human with all the same characteristics and organs etc of an adult can grow from a two tiny cells is AMAZING, and not to be taken for granted. I think it's interesting how trivial people can make this miracle, and how we think that we're so smart in staving off having such a blessing in our lives. Outside of medical/psychological/emotional/spiritual situations where you know you shouldn't have anymore, it's interesting to me to overhear conversations... I think the most interesting being "I think I want my kids to be "x" amount of years apart, yah, that sounds good!" or "I don't want them to close". It's fascinating to me that we think we're that in control of this process! Everyone is entitled to their own opinions on children... mine certainly aren't what they used to be! And when it comes right down to it, you and only you are responsible for your decisions, not me :-). You know what you can and can't handle for whatever reason, so don't get offended by anything I write here. You, your spouse and the Lord are all that matter when it comes to your family and I won't ever judge you for that... just wanted to throw out some things to think about and places to find encouragement if you want it.

I read a post a while ago written by Misfit Cygnet called Faith and Fertility: Mormon Ark Culture and The Choice to Have Children. While I don't always 100% agree with everything that she writes, I do find it enlightening and thought provoking. I'd take a gander through more of her site if you choose to go and read her thoughts on the subject of children. If you agree with what she says then great and if you don't you at least have a chance to think through why you don't and see if that's really the stance you want to take. I love stuff like that!

Another post I read is from Christina at handsfullmom called "Why am I doing this again?". She copied and linked to as story by mother of 10 Janene Baadsgaard... I loved the story and even had my husband read it. At the end of the story Christina has a chart that shows the declining fertility rate of women with age and her feelings about how once she was so sure that she'd have more children because "there was time" and then how lately she'd felt like that time is slipping away. (She's pregnant with her 9th by the way, so excited for them!) Reading Janene Baadsgaard's blog is a joy too!

Another blog I wanted to direct you to is Tristan's at ourbusyhomeschool.blogspot.com. Tristan is pregnant with their 7th baby and found out a little bit into it that he has some complications including spinal bifida. I bring up Tristan because I remember an email sent back and forth with her or a comment that she left on my blog one day that mentioned how she felt she shouldn't be on the TOS Crew this year, even though she'd done it previously and enjoyed it. Then, a little bit later she wrote and said that she figured out why she felt like she shouldn't... she was pregnant again after just having a baby last year! Then they found out about the complications the baby was having, and what a blessing it was that she didn't have one more thing to do. God really is in control and can guide us to what we should and shouldn't do in order to care for His children. Tristan to me is a testimony of that! People always tell me how they could never do what I do, or just shake their heads when it comes to not only the amount of children that we have or that we want more.... but really, God will direct our footsteps if you let Him! Some may be blessed with only a few children or may not be able to have any, but allowing His will to be done will be a blessing regardless of the trials that may attend.

Lastly, here's the link to the Duggar's blog. After the miscarriage of their 20th child, Michelle wrote and recorded a message to her baby girl. Here she expresses her love for her daughter, tells her she was greatly wanted by everyone, that she was a blessing, and that none of the children saw her as competition but loved her dearly. I think it's important to hear these words. All too often children are seen as a burden. Which actually brings up a post that I read this morning: How Not to Look at Children.

Children really are an heritage of the Lord. We read in the book of Moses that God's work and glory is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.... how is that possible if we keep denying children in our homes or shooing them away to be taught by other people and rejoice that they're gone for hours on end? Child rearing is far from easy, but they really aren't ours are they? These children are the Lord's and will return back to Him... we're just here to help them on their journey. What an honor! We may not do things that other people think of as normal, but we're happy!! And we have each other and the joy that comes from family. For me, I find joy in "collecting diamonds" and the memories that came from that which I can take with me forever. I wouldn't trade any one of my children for a nicer car, home, or a dream vacation... I am living the best dream that I could ever imagine, and one that I never knew that I wanted!

Again, enjoy what you have, don't take a single breath for granted. Every day is a gift and every child is a blessing! The comments, especially that I receive from those in the church make me sad. Eve gave up her easy life in the Garden of Eden so that we could be here, she was commanded to multiply and replenish the earth.... and we learn from Elder Andersen in Octobers General Conference that this commandment has not been revoked.

Your choices and decisions are between you and the Lord, as are mine. Please be kind to those around you who are following their convictions, and don't make comments or choose actions that make their lives harder then necessary. We each have different callings and abilities, what's right for one isn't right for another. My message here is meant as one of encouragement to those who find it hard to continue to have more children, or just haven't thought about having more than 2 or 3 because "that's the norm." I was given a chance to rethink my stance on children (I never wanted any, and then when I got married we MAYBE wanted 3 or so and even then we were going to wait 5 years), so I wanted to share the gift and lessons that I've learned over the years. Prayer and quiet contemplation is good. :-)