Favorite food of the month.....Popcorn!!

The twins love their popcorn.  Imagine for a minute how cookie monster eats his cookies...  That my friend is how the twins eat their popcorn.  By the fist full.  The floor is usually so covered with popcorn when they are done they actually think that is how they are supposed to eat the stuff.  I'll give them a bowl filled with popcorn and they literally dump it on the floor or on the table where they are sitting.  I no longer even attempt  putting it into a bowl, I dump it on the table or floor for them and save me the trouble of dirtying a bowl or getting hit by a flying bowl being tossed by a sweet lil 4 year old.

I captured some photos of the boys watching tv and enjoying a snack.  Its quite entertaining just sitting and watching them eat their popcorn!

Isaac..doesn't even need to take his eyes off the tv to eat this snack.



Caleb wanted to show me what he was eating when I asked him to sign to me what he was eating

So I decided to get a different angle and get both boys in the shot



AND... I wasn't thinking.  I was in the way of their television/ snack experience!!!!
GET OUT OF THE WAY MOM!!!!!!!!


Geesh, capturing the moment is dangerous business sometimes :)

Snow...

I am not a very good mommy when it comes to sled riding and outdoor play in the winter.  I hate getting kids ready to go outside.  It take so much time and I usually have so much whining to endure when the first kid dressed is so overheated they are about to pass out before I can get the third kid dressed, then tempers flare and before I know it the first kid decids they don't even want to go outside and play with their siblings who are taking way to long to get dressed.... (can you tell I've dealt with this scene a few times in my household before?)

This wasn't the case last week though and the kids all had fun sledding with their cousins Kylie and Tyler and their Uncle Timmy.  I on the other hand skipped the sledding and hit the treadmill while the kids were occupied!!

Here are a few cute photos of the kids outside:

Tristin

Camille

Elijah


Kylie and Tyler and Uncle Timmy's head

And PROOF that Elijah is not the only Hanzely boy to wear PiNk.....LOL  when you have older sisters boys, you will wear their clothing outside since it was only worn a half dozen times by your sister!!!

And a photo of little Alex all bundled up to go shopping with his mama

Grandma's 80th Birthday Bash

Tom's grandma celebrated her 80th birthday earlier this month.  We had a little get together with pizza and cake and ice cream with the family.  This year was so important to celebrate with grandma as we lost grandpa to cancer last year and grandma is having such a hard time with being alone.  The holidays were tough on her, the weather is tough on her as she doesn't drive anymore and can't get out much, the idea of having to ask for help for all she does, grocery shopping, getting her hair done, church....etc.,  is hard on her.  I think that pride is one thing that is so hurt when your older and need to ask for help for things that were common in your daily living before.  I think the beauty of having a big family who all pulls together in time of need is that no one minds if grandma calls on them.  No one finds it a bother to stop by and check in on her and pay her a visit when they can.  I confess I don't get there as much as I'd like to, but she has someone stop by everyday.  Tom's dad and uncle stop for coffee every morning and each evening to see how her day was.  Another thing I LOVE about our family is that many of us live on an 80 acre farm, so grandma lives two houses up from us.  There are five Hanzely houses on our hill, so we are all so close by and able to walk to grandma's.

All my kids love going to grandmas for cookies and milk after school when the weather gets a little warmer.  I enjoy sitting and talking to her about her canning and cooking recipes.  It has been such a joy for me marrying into this family.  I don't have a grandma anymore and Tom's grandma has completely become my grandma in every sense of the word.

Love Ya Grandma Hanzely!!




TRICK CANDLES:


Uncle Billy had a birthday this month too and we celebrated them both at the same time:

I'm Spreading the Spark, come see how....

As you may know, I am an active member of the popular healthy-living website, SparkPeople.com.  In an effort to help SparkPeople live out their mission of helping millions of people reach their goals and live healthier lives, I have joined a contest they're holding called "The Spark Free Chapter Challenge."  If you have one minute to spare, I could use your help, because I REALLY want to win!

So here's the deal with the challenge…

Chris Downie, SparkPeople's CEO and founder, recently published a book called "The Spark" that offers a proven new approach to improving your health, transforming your life and reaching your goals (for example, real people have lost over 10 million pounds using their free online program)!

People like me who are helping them "Spread The Spark" through The Spark Free Chapter Challenge are encouraging our friends and family to download a FREE chapter of "The Spark" book.  And for every person I can encourage to download the chapter, I will get an additional chance to win a $500 weekend getaway and other prizes, as well as something they offer called "SparkPoints," which also help motivate me to reach my goals.

All you have to do to help is download a free chapter from The Spark book. Nothing else.  To do so, simply go to http://book.sparkpeople.com/book.asp?u=pookeymom  and click the button to download your free chapter.

If you would be willing to help me with this, I would truly appreciate it, and I also think you will enjoy reading this free chapter from "The Spark".  I know I did!

Thank you for your time.  I really appreciate it.

POOKEYMOM
(my username on SparkPeople)

W2D2 C25k workout.............NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok, so I get up this morning knowing that I'm going to head over to the treadmill right after getting all the kids off to school.  So first thing this morning, I sit down and read through some fellow bloggers who are doing this Couch to 5k training with me.  I find this extra motivating and it gives me something to look forward to afterwards sharing how easy or tough todays training was.

First I read my friend Gina.  She lives in Pittsburgh and has the most adorable little girl Maeve.  Off subject, but Maeve took Caleb and Isaac on a date last year to a Steelers game...lots of fun!!  She blogged that she has been running outside... UPHILL... Ok I'll give her that, she does live on a huge hill.  So my motivation today was to take the treadmill to a 1% incline.  I know thats not much but I've never run anywhere but flat land.

Next I go over and ready my friend Bethany's page.  She was the mastermind behind the Operation C25K program that lots of people have joined.  She has never run before and is running at a 4.9 pace on the treadmill.  Those of you that know me know that I did this training back in September, October and November and then ended up running my first 5k on Thanksgiving morning.  I was not quite ready to run the whole thing and it was tough, but I really loved it.  My goal for this year is to run in at least three 5k.  I want to increase my speed which is why I am doing this training again to focus on increasing my speed.  So Bethany is running a 4.9 comfortable, I'm going to run a 5 today.  I've done that but not for an entire workout session.

So off to the treadmill.  I have to walk across the street to my sister in laws workout room.  I listen to a podrunner Mp3 to workout and it always has some talking at the beginning so I turn on my Mp3 on my walk over to the house to get the chit chat over and go right into my workout when I get across the street.  I get to my sister in laws and the cleaning lady is there...ok well I'm not bashful I came to workout I'm going to work out.   Get into the room and turn on my Mp3 just in time to hear some music start.  Here we go...

Warm out walk at a speed of 3.7, then run speed of 5 each on an incline of 1.  Not to bad, not to bad.  About 18 - 20 minutes into workout I'm thinking WOW I don't remember the beginning of the training being this hard, maybe the extra speed and incline are just working me out harder... I dunno!

32 minutes and 2.25 miles into the workout I hear the DJ get on and say Great Job you just finished Week 4!!! WHAT???  Oh my gosh, that's why today kicked my butt...  Oh well, now I know I can do it.

Thanks Bethany and Gina ....Grrrrrrrrrrr.......

Ok THIS is NuTs!!!

I have to laugh at myself, really.  Who in their right mind goes out jogging 2 miles in 23 degree weather on snow and ice???   The Answer to that today is....ME!!!   I have decided to go throught the C25K program again and get ready to run a 5k in March again.  I haven't really been running so much over the winter months.  Maybe once a week on the treadmill, but today I thought lets get outside and give it a try in the winter weather.   OH BOY!!!

This is how I had to park, in a snow drift.....

This is me partially frozen after wind beating against me for 30 minutes:

Well, at least I did it.  I know I can, I know I must be officially a crazy fitness nut now, I know that there's no stopping me on my goal to running in three 5k's this year :)  Go Me!!!!

Sometimes, when in leadership positions, it is easy to sit back and dictate orders to other people and expect that things go your way with little argument. And, true, you probably worked hard to earn that leadership position, but don’t forget the path that you took to get there. Other people are now in your place. As a leader, try making other people’s jobs easier, instead of just thinking about yours. Think about pitching in whenever possible, always being a positive force. Be hands on. Be accessible and open to suggestions. Be a team player, even if you feel more like a coach than anything else. You’ll accomplish a lot more in the long run.

I got this off of my daily Motivation on my SparkPeople.com site.  I have been using this site faithfully since September and I have been tracking my food intake every day and my fitness.  I have had alot of success with it and would highly recommend it to anyone looking to try weight loss.  If you do sign up you can use me - pookeymom as the person who referred you and that way we can connect easier.  I am truly looking for extra motivation this year as I continue on my weight loss journey and my fitness jorney.

I was reading through some motvational clips today and came across one that has just stuck with me all day so I must need to listen to it.

A Goal NOT written down is just a wish.  So here goes:

My goals for 2010 are as follows,

#1 Continue my weight loss.  I would love to lose another 40 pounds by my birthday in August.

#2 I want to run/walk in THREE 5k's this year.  I ran my first 5k on Thanksgiving morning and loved it!!

#3  I will donate blood at least three times this year.  With us being featured in a Red Cross Campaign locally here I feel its very important that I give blood more than twice a year.  I will shoot for four times this year, but definately will make it a point to donate three times.

#4  I will try to get all my computer time in while kids are at school and hubby is at work and spend more time with the family than I did last year.  Working from home can be so hard sometimes because you always have stuff to do and you sit down at the computer and before you know it hours have gone by and not so much just working, but getting side tracked with facebook, emails, games, etc....

#5  I will grow my spiritual walk with God even more this year.  I will commit to fellowshipping with someone from my church once a month.  Dinner at  my house, coffee at local coffee house, bowling, whatever it takes, I want to get to know more people outside of the church building.

#6  I will continue to pray daily for orphans with Down Syndrome and God's will for each of them.

#7  I will pray for the future of all five of my children and the parents of their future spouses to be raising their children with the same values we have.

I think thats a good start :)  I pray that I can keep each and every goal written out.  I will print this and post it where I can see it to be reminded and check them off when completed.

So what are your goals for the year??