Bedtime

Bedtime is the time dreaded by most parents.  I had a most fascinating experience tonight at bedtime.

Wednesday nights are a little crazy in our house because the boys are involved in gymnastics and classes go from 4:15 - 6:00 PM.   So, we usually get home around 6:15 PM, eat a lovely dinner prepared by my most amazing husband and then head to bed.  But tonight was a bit different.  James is out of town sharing his talents with the Chicago area.  So, we arrived home at 6:15 as usual but instead of dinner on the table there was nothing.  I sent the boys up to get their pajamas on and threw a frozen pizza in the oven.  I have never professed to be a great chef.  :)  I must admit that this was no ordinary frozen pizza; run to Wal-mart some day (if you dare) and get their Supreme pre-made pizzas (they don't come frozen just premade).  I think you'll be impressed.  Once dressed we ran upstairs and put away the toys and finished picking up their rooms.  

Then, we headed downstairs and ate dinner.  Pretty uneventful except that Michael decided that he didn't like corn.  Oh well!  Then, as we were finishing up the phone rang.  I answered and spoke briefly with Michelle.  Then, moments later the phone rang again and then again.  Why all at once?  I don't understand.  By the time I was off the phone for the third time I looked in the living room and saw Joshua laying on the couch with a pillow and blanket.  He said he was tired and wanted to go to sleep.  Who is this child?  I had never met him before tonight.  I finished getting Jacob ready for bed and was headed up when Joshua refused to move, so I carried them both up to find Michael laying in my bed too tired to move.  So, I put Joshua and Jacob in bed and helped move Michael to his bed.  And that was it.  Bedtime-done.  It was the most amazing thing ever.  I just pray that it happens every night for the rest of my life!

How did this happen I asked myself.  As I pondered this question I thought about this morning when they were all up by 6:30 to say good-bye to Daddy before he left for tour.  Then, we headed to the library for story time and a little play time (quietly of course).  After lunch and quiet time I then had them carry old boxes out to the curb to be taken away with the garbage in the morning.  Then, after a little more play time we headed to gymnastics for some great physical exercise.  I wonder why they were so tired.   Now I need to think of new ways to wear them out!  All ideas welcome!

Overall it was a fantastic day!  

הבה נגילה

I've been prepping the music I'm conducting this semester, and the boys have been paying extreme attention to it this time around.  Enjoy a little taste of Hava Nagila, our choir's finale:

Day One With My Trainer

We started nice and easy with a little warm up and stretching.  Then, she took me to do some cardio.  Now I'm all for cardio, I ran three miles yesterday just for a nice little workout, but today she had something different in mind.  She took me to a machine that I think should be banned from every gym.  It is actually a machine that I have never seen before, it was a stair stepper with actual steps, so I was literally walking up flight after flight of stairs.  Running up the stairs will never seem so bad again after going about 100 flights of stairs in a half an hour.  But I survived!  Yippee!

After that great experience we then worked on strength training which I really enjoyed.  For some reason that feeling that your muscles are being worked and stretched is exhilarating.  Overall I think it was successful and gave me the ideas I needed for some great workouts on my own for a week and then I'll go back for more!  I will miss working out with someone.  Even if I only met her yesterday it is nice to have someone to talk to while working out.  Maybe I'll just have to make a friend at the gym.  She told me I need to work out 5 days a week, so that gives me plenty of time to meet people!  Now if I can just find the time to fit that in!

A Unique Week

This week was very unique and exciting for me.  For the first time the semester started, but I never left my home to teach my classes!   How can you teach math classes but never leave your house?  It all started about 3 1/2 years ago when my wonderful husband found me my first online teaching job. He even applied for me!  Now I teach for two online universities and train for my third in February.  It is fun to teach students all over the world, but I have to tell you that everything changes.  Instead of hearing that the dog ate their homework I get to hear that their computer crashed or a tornado took out their power.  It is amazing the things that can go wrong even if you don't ever leave your home.

It is very different but still a rewarding experience, and in the end I get to teach which I love doing but I also get to stay home with my children all day!  And I don't have to rely on babysitters!  Yea for not having to hire and wait for babysitters and for getting to teach in my jammies!  Does life get any better than this?!?

Bod Pod

Today I met with my personal trainer for the first time.  Today was the assessment day to see where I am and set goals for where I want to end up.  It was exciting and intimidating all at the same time.  To help me set my goals I got to put on my swimming suit including a swimming cap (I felt a bit silly--sorry no photo) and sit in a little pod that somehow figures out my lean weight vs my fat weight.  I felt like I was in an old sci-fi movie.  Then, it tells me what percent of my body is fat.  A very humbling experience.  

But then I got to play with the percents to see how much weight I need to lose to put my body fat percent in the right place and that was really fun!  It is fascinating to see how much of your body weight is nonnegotiable.  Hmmm. . . Very interesting.

Tomorrow I get to back and she will put me to work.  I can't wait!  I will let you know how it goes . . .

Moving already . . .

Today we contacted our management company to arrange getting out of our contract a month early, and effectively started the moving process.  Suddenly I'm dreading the whole thing—sorting, weeding, selling, tossing, cleaning, packing, loading, renting, hauling, and the list continues.

And then the list happens again, only in reverse.

It's maddening, really, but it's the price we pay to move onward, forward, and , well, South.  As a special bonus, however, it is an amazing opportunity to keep our lives simple, well-organized, and clutter-free.  I can be grateful for that, and I plan to be when that reverse list comes around.

Sledding

While vacationing there, we went sledding in Illinois with Grandma, Marquie, Heather, Joe and all the kids.  It was so cold I sincerely thought the adults might spend the time in complete misery and then die slow, frigid deaths on the slopes of the resident snow-capped mud pile.

Well, I was at least half right.

That being said, here's a pint-sized documentary of the fun.  My favorite is Grandma's activity of choice; she is tres chic on her little phone.

The First

We've been chatting back and forth about setting up a family blog, and I am pleased to announce the creation of just that! To kick off this fun space, we'll start with our Christmas Eve pajama photo from a few weeks ago.  Have you even seen a happier striped pajama-clad family?  That's us!  Check back often for fun stories, tales from the deep world of three young boys, and pictures of our various, yet generally tame adventures. Welcome to 2008 and the Hutchings Family Blog!