Zumba Craze!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I just found out that there are these classes given at our local rec center!!!!
They are also given at the gym I go to but at 9 am in the morning. I can't do that with my daycare but there are 5 days a week that these are given in Martins Ferry!!!!
Only $5 and they go from 6:30pm-7:45pm.
I am sooooooooo excited!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Here is a video of it!!!! It looks like FUN!

Medical Miracle?...or Not???

You can decide for yourself.
Here is the link to the story about this incredible medical marvel!!

http://www.newsnet5.com/health/16363548/detail.html

You can never, ever go wrong by giving the glory to God for all good things !!!
Nikki

War in Iraq

~~~I really understand this little girls words. It upsets me to hear about people hating the war in Iraq when so many men and women of our OWN country are fighting and HAVE fought for their freedoms and our own on that foreign land.Here is a poem written by a little girl.


War Through The Eyes of A Child

My mommy and daddy have gone to fight,
To do what they know is just and right.

Protestors chant, "No war in Iraq",
While my parents fight to bring freedom back.

Americans sleep safe and snug in their beds,
While my mom and dad endure bombs overhead.

They fight for you and they fight for me,
So that terrorist threats will never be.

Please stop protesting and support the war,
So that my mom and dad can open a door,

To a future where children will only know peace,
Because the bell of freedom will never cease.

Pray for our troops who fight for us all,
So as Americans we may always stand tall.

For the free and the brave we should all take a hand,
To form a circle of love for those who fight in the sand.

My parents sacrifice is their greatest gift of love,
God's hand is safely holding them from heaven's gate above.

Please don't cry a tear for me for this I surely know,
My parents will come home to me to watch me as I grow

~Jenessa Alexis ~

Tragedy for Steven Curtis Chapman family!!!!

This dear family is suffering a major loss today!!! Their teenage son, accidentally ran over his 5 year old sister in their own driveway. This is the family of Steven Curtis Chapman, the famous Christian music singer and star.
I cannot imagine having this kind of tragedy happen. Its a double tragedy!!!!
Please pray for this family!!!

Who reads my blog????

I wonder if there are many people reading my "ramblings" on a regular basis....
If there are, I really need to know that people care about my "mundane" life hahaha....
Can you drop me a comment to let me know you are all really out there?

American Idol

Well, as far as I can tell David A. won!!!!!!!!!!!!
He is good....very very good.
David C is good too and yes, I would buy his CD...but someone PLEASE ...when David wins...have that boy some oxygen handy...he will need it...and a paper bag!!!
Nikki

Short and sweet

I found this quote and wanted to pass it along!

"We must embrace pain and burn it as fuel for our journey."
~Kenji Miyazawa

It definitely gives you something to think about!

Something fun!

Proverbs: Homeschooling Kids' Versions

A first grade teacher collected old, well known proverbs. She gave each kid in her class the first half of a proverb, and had them come up with the rest. Here are the results:


As You Shall Make Your Bed So Shall You . . . Mess It Up.

Better Be Safe Than . . . Punch A 5th Grader.

Strike While The . . . Bug Is Close.

It's Always Darkest Before . . . Daylight Savings Time.

Never Under Estimate The Power Of . . . Termites.

You Can Lead A Horse To Water But . . . How?

Don't Bite The Hand That . . . Looks Dirty.

No News Is . . . Impossible.

A Miss Is As Good As A . . . Mr.

If You Lie Down With The Dogs, You'll . . . Stink In The Morning.

Love All, Trust . . . Me

The Pen Is Mightier Than The . . . Pigs.

An Idle Mind Is . . . The Best Way To Relax.

Where There's Smoke, There's . . . Pollution.

Happy Is The Bride Who . . . Gets All The Presents!

A Penny Saved Is . . . Not Much.

Two's Company, Three's . . . The Musketeers.

Don't Put Off Tomorrow What . . . You Put On To Go To Bed.

Laugh And The Whole World Laughs With You, Cry And.... You Have To Blow Your Nose.

Children Should Be Seen And Not . . . Spanked Or Grounded.

If At First You Don't Succeed . . . Get New Batteries.

You Get Out Of Something What You . . . See Pictured On The Box.

When The Blind Leadeth The Blind . . . Get Out Of The Way.



~~~~Nikki here
Hahahaha...Tune back in tomorrow when I try this with Angel and Tony. I will post the answers :)

Diet and Exercise Woes!!!!

Last week I got a YMCA membership for Mother's Day. Oh I was so excited. I've had this extra 25-30 poundage of yuck I've been wanting to shed for a while now.
Then I thought, OH NO>>>>> that means leaving my house at least 3 times a week.
Yes, I am very busy. How do I fit in working out 3 days a week into an already VERY hectic schedule. Honestly, I have no idea.
Here is an example of my day:

Wake at 5;30am
First before school child arrives at 6:30 (sometimes 6)
Second before school child arrives at 7:15am.
Both leave at 7:45am for the bus.
8 am a 3 and 4 year old arrive.
9 am 22 month old twins arrive.
9:15am 1 year old baby arrives. (he is here 3 days a week)
2:30pm Twins leave.
2:45 3 afterschool kids arrive
6pm (7pm on Friday's) all kids are gone.

THEN I am dressed and ready to go workout. This I try to do 3 days a week. I really need to do this daily...but cannot find the time to do it daily.

Anyway, I got on the scale last week and I weighed 159.
This week...158.
1 POUND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Of course, Mike's party didn't help with the cake and pizza. But this week, no cheating. Salad, yogurt, no bad stuff at all this week. I have to lose this weight and 1 pound a week is NOT going to cut it at all. I'll be doing this forever!!!!
Now, my daycare schedule will be changing once school lets out.
Josh and Ty won't be here. Josh and Ty are the ones that come in the morning.
And Ty is the one who stays until 6 and 7pm.
So, once school is out, my schedule will be 8am-5pm!!!! Thats a normal schedule!!!!
Then I will have more time.
With working out, I see Mike less and less. He is coming home from the gym...and I'm just finishing up work and heading out lol. Hey, its the price to pay right? Thats why I can't cheat on this diet thing. I have 25 pounds to lose and the quicker I lose it, the easier my schedule will be. I won't quit working out once I lose the weight but I can cut back some. Change one of my days to a Saturday then I will only have to leave 2 times in the week. Thats not too bad.

Know what makes me mad? Years ago, I worked hard to get my weight off. I lose alot of weight and got down to a nice 128 pounds. I had a flat stomach and everything. I was running twice a day. I got into "skinny" pants....Now I'm at a weight of 159 is what I weighed 9 months pregnant with Michael. Some women would ask me .." Why put this on your blog for the whole world to see?"
Well, first of all, I can tell from my blog meter that the "whole world" isn't reading about my life lol.
And secondly, why not. Maybe someone else is out there who will read this and having the same struggles that I am having and maybe my blog will insprire someone. You just never know.

Ok I'm done now.
I will post another update on my diet soon ...and hopefully next week when its weigh in time, I will lost more than ONE STINKING POUND!!!

Nikki

Good thought for your morning!!!!

Live your life in such a way that when your feet hit the floor in the morning, Satan shudders & says...

'Oh no...she's awake!!

Joey's coming home today!

Yes!!!! Joey returns home from Virginia tonight at midnight!!!!
I will be very happy to see him but very sad knowing how sad it will be for him to leave Virginia.
You know......some of the abilities a mother has is hard to swallow sometimes. Being able to really feel your child's pain when they are sad is hard!!!! Its like taking on THEIR pain.....don't us mom's have enough pain of our own lol.

Well, yesterday was day 2 of working out!!!!

Here is a little joke I recieved in an email about working out...



Weekly Fitness Plan

Day One - Beat Around the Bush
Day Two - Buckle Your Shoes
Day Three - Drag Your Heels
Day Four - Jump on the Band Wagon
Day Five - Shop Til You Drop
Day Six - Pave The Road
Day Seven - Toot Your Own Horn

On Alternate Weeks, you may employ this program:

Day One - Jump To Conclusions
Day Two - Push Your Luck
Day Three - Run in Circles
Day Four - Grind to a Halt
Day Five - Throw Fuel on the Fire
Day Six - Put Your Foot in Your Mouth
Day Seven - Lift Your Spirits

Be Creative
Do you have some exercise equipment collecting dust in the corners?
If you do, here are a few - tongue in cheek - suggestions to put it to good use:

Got some dumbbells? They make great meat tenderizers, especially if you want to save some money on the cheaper cuts of steak - beat them silly with the dumbbell and you'll have a great meal to chase the workout with.

Got a thigh master? Perfect for wedging your child's door open at night, without letting the animals push it wide .

Rubber bands stuck in the drawer? Kids love these for toys and it's a great way to play tug of war with the dog.

Resistance bands just laying around? Stretch them between two hooks and you have a great place to hang clothes up out of the way.

Exercise ball taking up space in the closet? Kick ball in the backyard just got pretty hilarious, but don't let the kids smaller than the ball get hit with it - they may get run over.


~~~~Nikki here again!!! That really hit too close to home there!!! But it made me laugh.
But seriously, yesterday was day 2 of working out. It was a good one. Not only am I running, but I'm using the machines as well.
First of all, I walked right past that thing that tells you how FAT you are....but knew that if I got ON it, it would give me even more determination to lose what I need to lose so I got on and got weighed.....EWWWWWWWWW 159 pounds. YES, I'm actually posting my weight here for everyone to know. Now understand this, 159 is what I weighed at 20 years old when I was 9 months pregnant with Michael who is my oldest son almost 20 years old. I was not happy to see that number. At least Mike was kind and said I didn't look like I weighed that much.
I would like to see 125 pounds again but that means a loss of 34 pounds. Mike said he doesn't think I need to lose that much. But I am bound and determined to at least lose 25.
So, here is what I'm doing. I still enjoy my few cups of coffee in the morning with my creamer.
But during the day, I drink water and have my V-8 juice. I eat low fat vanilla yogurt with grapenuts and honey. I eat toasted whole wheat bread with just a smidge of peanut butter spread on it. YUM!!!
I am very careful with what I'm doing because when I work by butt off at the gym, I don't want it to be for nothing. I have to do this. The people I go work out with go in the pool and hot tub. I haven't had a bathing suit in years. Haven't felt confident enough in a bathing suit in years......but I need to get one and swim some SERIOUS laps!!!! Now THAT is exercise. Now, my gym membership is good for 3 months.
I ask myself ...what after 3 months. Will I continue? My guess is probably yes. I'm not a young'in (hahah) anymore. I will be 41 in December and as a woman ages, and her body stops producing estrogen....EWWW I HATE THAT WORD.....then my bone density starts to decrease...(along with the brain cells in my noggin ) so its best to keep up with what I'm doing even if I don't have weight to lose.
So, once I lose the weight, what happens to all my fat clothes?
HAHAHA....SOme people keep them around ...JUST IN CASE....I'll see my mental state once I get to that point.

Well, my post wasn't intended to be funny today...except for the little joke I threw in there.
But I hope it added a little giggle to your day.

Does anyone read this blog at all anyway?????
Nikki

Storms

Today and tomorrow is supposed to bring rain and thunder.

Besides the tornado's that could happen and damage home and lives, I LOVE a good thunderstorm. Not just an occasional boom but a good, good thunderstorm. I love the sound of the pounding rain, and the smell of the air during a storm. What power!!!

God is really there people. Just open your eyes. That dandelion in your front yard, that you HATE, God is in that too.

THose knats that you whisk away because they are annoying, YEP God's in that too.

God's handywork is everywhere.

Its not just in the things that we consider to be beautiful.

His handywork is in everything.

That includes His whole creation.

Take a moment to really look and see his creation as HE sees it.

Enjoy the picture!

Need a motivator!!!

Well, today that will seem like me!!! Its a good thing Angel and Tony are such good helpers!!!!
Days like today I wish I had a laptop with wireless that I can sit on the couch in the living while the little ones play cause I can chat with ADULTS on the computer....while my brain is turning to mush with these little ones!!!!
Actually, I'm hoping to try to change my perspective. If I had to do this to live....I wouldn't be complaining. I know alot of single parent daycare providers that run their childcare from 6 in the morning until midnight just to make a living for their family. Wow!!!!! They don't even complain :)
After my work day today, I plan to go get a gym membership at our local Y. I am approximately 30 pounds over weight and its time to change that. I hate my clothes I wear, and I hate even trying to think about taking my kids to the pool this year. Sooooo, add that to my crazy schedule 3 evenings a week.
I know I can do anything I set my mind to with God's help. I need help to find the energy to be able to do this.


Ok, I'm off to change the life of a child!!!!

HAHAHA

God Bless

Nikki

Diary of a Madwoman!!!!

Some think that my life is like a psycho woman!!!!
Those who live a pretty slow paced life look at me like I'm completely crazy.
Here is my life, summed up in a paragraph or two.
I have a FULL childcare.
Full time I have twins that are 21 months, a 3 year old and a 4 year old.
Then 3 days a week add to that a 1 year old about 8 hours each day.
Then after school, I have a 6 year old, 7 year old and a 10 year old. The only thing is by the time the afterschoolers get here, the twins leave.

Add to that my NORMAL routine of house and home and groceries and life with kids...AND HOMESCHOOLING!!!....well, the mind starts to twist a bit.

THEENNN...add to that my 71 year old dad coming to live with us in 2 weeks. Trying to get a room renovated for him.

Am I crazy? Am I just do far gone to even see it????

Some days I feel really gone ...especially when the hormones hit me. THEN, it takes all I have just to make it thru my day. Thank God for friends who try to give me some sanity back.

Joey is in Virginia Beach this week visiting friends. He comes back Friday around midnight ...so actually its Saturday.

I hope you all take what I've written above pretty lightly lol.
Yes, I'm very busy but its always been like this really. Just lately I've gotten back into the childcare setting full time so it will take me some time to get in the swing of things again. Somedays it does SEEM harder than others...but most of the battle is in my own mind. I need to work with my own thinking and making it positive instead of negative and it really helps alot!!!!!

God Bless you All
Nikki

Positive Quote today!

POSITIVE QUOTE OF THE DAY
-----------------------------

I think of life itself now as a wonderful play that I've written for
myself... and so my purpose is to have the utmost fun playing my
part.

-- Shirley MacLaine


I LOVE THAT!!!!
I know that we have choices to make each day that when made, have consequences to lead to what happens in our lives daily!

For example; Your child does something wrong. You can correct the wrong in a way that would be good for that child and for the relationship as mother and child or you can put that child down which also is making that child make bad choices when he or she grows up by modeling the behaivor he or she has learned from you.

I will try to live out my life on stage as a Broadway play.
Have a favorite one?

I do..Sound of Music.
So, would my family think I"m nuts if I start singing "The Hills are Alive"????
Have a blessed Day
Nikki