Balancing my Life

This year I made a resolution to find more balance in my life. The older my kids get, the crazier I become. I feel like I'm being pulled 20 different directions. Moving to Virginia in November meant me leaving my job that I'd had for 5 years. I thought that this additional 20 hours of free time in my week would drag and be left empty and boring. OH HOW I WAS WRONG. Ever since then I feel like my children have grown up SO MUCH and demanded so much more attention. My daily activities now involve religious couponing, cooking, cleaning, play group, play dates, dr.'s appointments, miscellaneous errands and still tyring to have the energy to play with and teach my kiddos. I went from feeling "pretty on top of things" to feeling like my world was caving in around me. The last few months I have felt overwhelmed and incapable to handle parts of my life. I keep wondering when the real grown-up/mom is going to come in and tell me what to do.

This all needs to change however. It's time for me to transition into full-time mommy mode and out of "the world revolves around me" mode. Now, for those who know me (YOU know who you are!) You know this transition won't be easy for me. :)

Since moving, I've picked up teaching Zumba 2 nights a week and am completely loving it. I am obsessed with Zumba and it's so incredibly awesome to get paid to do something I love. It's also a nice break from my kids (note that driving 10 minutes alone in my car constitutes a "break"). Becoming a fitness instructor has been a goal of mine the last few years, and I finally went through with it while Jon was away this fall. I am also being trained to teach Step and Low Impact, so I'll be picking up an additional 2 classes a week soon. Exercise has always been a major stress reliever for me and I admit I'm obsessed. Herewith the problem lies of finding balance. Family and friends have talked to me about at what point exercise becomes unhealthy, and it seems to come down to when the importance of working out takes place over every other aspect of my day. I am truly trying to change my thoughts and behavior in this area but I'm

a: terrified

b: such a creature of habit

c: OCD

I would love thoughts and advice from anyone who feels they've found this balance between caring for your own needs and being the best possible mom you can be.

Tucker Turns ONE!

HAAAAAAAAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY TUCKER!

My Tuck turned 1 year old on January 4th. Wow how this year has FLOWN by!! So much has happened in his little life.

He survived a year virtually unharmed living with Jackster

He grew 4 whole teeth!

He has the rolliest, most squeezable thighs ever

He has got the mullet growth down

He moved to Virginia

At one year old, Tuck loves to laugh and be sneaky. He loves yogurt and granola bars and playing with his older brother. He can be entertained for an hour emptying out my Tupperware and strategically spreading it throughout the downstairs. He's very good at climbing stairs and is getting good at balancing his chubby little body on 2 legs.

He is so active and wiggly and absolutely impossible to dress or even catch for that matter. My favorite nicknames he acquired this year are "little worm", "slithering salamander" and "ATV".

Overall, Tuck is the sweetest most wonderful baby that ever existed. (Well, tied for first). He is so happy and incredibly easy to love. Happy first birthday sweetest!!

We had a birthday celebration for Tuck at the cabin in Tennessee with his cousins and aunts and uncles. He had lots of help opening his presents, but his parents (ah hem) out of sheer laziness, chickened out of giving him his smash cake just yet. So we celebrated again on his actual birthday where he got to open a present from his Aunt Tina and Uncle Chris and eat his very own donut cake! (YES! I for once baked something without it being a total disaster!) He loved loved his cake and was positively giddy shoving it into his mouth.

Christmas at Home

Our Christmas was everything you could ever want. We went down to Georgia and spent time with our families, (minus Chris and Tina, Jess and Alex and Lucas), hung out with friends, lounged around, ate and ate, watched movies, ate and ate some more, played games and laughed a lot. We went and saw the lights at Stone Mountain and got sushi, had authentic pork Tamales for our Christmas Eve feast and got so many treats from Santa that we had to get 6 boxes shipped home. Have I mentioned I'm ready for a mini-van??


After Christmas, we drove through the snowy Smokey Mountains to a little cabin getaway in Pigeon Forge Tennessee. My entire family was there, minus Lucas but + Daniel's fiance. We did our big family Christmas there, ate ate and ate some more, went to Dollywood, the flea market and Smokey Mountain Knife store (seriously...coolest place ever. I could have stayed all day). The ladies practiced Zumba and Yoga and enjoyed the hot tub. We were all together to bring in the new year but were falling asleep all over the place at 10:00. Lively bunch. We however sprung into action and danced on the porch with our festive sparklers then came inside and toasted in the New Year (countdown included) at 11:20. My younger brothers were positively APPALLED at our lack of stamina. So we sucked it up and watched the ball drop and smooched our honey's to bring in 2011. Home again, have 3 boxes full to take to Good Will. Happy New Year!

And apologies that my pictures are all out of order! This computer is being difficult, and I'm lucky to get anything posted at the rate at which my children can destroy my house, each other and themselves without my constant attention.