The Sisters Got Their Hair Cut

Sophie has been begging me since last fall to cut her hair “like MeMe’s!!” but since we had dancing & needed her hair up in a bun, I’ve made her wait until after their dance recital.

Well, the wait is over. And of course, Izzy caught the fever, too. She wanted it short, “just like Brea” “but not the big Brea,” “My friend Brea”….Ok, Izzy, let’s just cut it.

Big thanks to Instagram!! I love that software…..

 

First Ever Dance Recital (via Instagram)

This year marked many milestones in the Sisters’ lives.

Mainly, our 1^st ever Dance Recital.

 They did such a wonderful job!!

It was a lonnnnnggg day….

 Full of costume changes,

reapplied make-up,

up & down stairs,

hurry up & wait

and a frantic Momma to boot!

I had my phone to communicate with Grandmothers & Daddy so it was the quickest thing to take photos. Most of these shots got posted to instagram.

Sponge Rollers are A Girls Best Friend

Um Yeah, I was going to write a big long summary to go along with this post.

I just don't think words are needed.

Sophia's Face(s) The pictures say it all.....

Wishing You A Merry Christmas

My favorite time of the Year.

The most beautiful of stories.

A baby born to a virgin.

A boy grown to a man.

A man dying for my sins.

A Savior for all mankind.

All because we were lost.

I am thankful that He has found me.

Little old me.

He loves me.

All my flaws.

All my temperaments.

All my mistakes.

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given.... And he will be called

Wonderful Counselor,

Mighty God,

Everlasting Father,

     Prince of Peace.”      

Isaiah 9:6

Wishing You a season of joy, hope & peace as we celebrate our Savior being born to this world.

Love The Stellys

Emily

End of 1st Grade Football

I haven't made any of Bubb's football this year. I've been working every Saturday for the last few months & I just haven't been able to get to the field before I have appointments at the Studio.

This morning I finally got to go to his last little practice.

Chris was in NYC for business so I had taken off work to be with the kids.

They have just been practicing this year. I guess since it's 1st grade. Techniques & all....

It was the cutest thing to see all of those little bodies running drills so seriously!

After the drills were over, the coach gave them all a trinket dog-tag as a memento for the season's hard work.
That boy of ours was so cute! He couldn't wait to get his.

This is all of the boys on the "team"

Trip to Sunny Farms

This morning, Mrs. Kay & I teamed up to take our girls & niece, Mary Elizabeth, on a Play & Pray outing to Sunny Farms here in town. It’s a small farm with horses to ride & animals to feed, a big tractor for hayrides & a fun nature walk.

The kids all got to ride a sweet red named, Sunny. Ahem, I think the farm was named after him since he was probably as old as me.

Anyhoo, Izzy & Mary E. rode Sunny the sweet gentle old nag horse.

Sophie was only riding the non-living horsy on the farm.

Oh, and she would also “pet them, Momma. Not ride them.”

I think this was Sophie’s favorite.

After the kids got to ride the horse, they also loved on the other animals on the farm.

Each child got their own feeding bowl & the goats were herded along the  bench to eat feed out of the kids’ laps.

While the last of the kids were still feeding the goats, a man brought out this extremely obese ginormous rabbit. I swear that thing weighed more than Izzy.

We went on a hayride down to a trail where the kids did a nature walk & saw different trees, a fox hole & a deer brush.

The day was so much fun. My little hens were so excited to get out of the fresh air and into their second home at the mall food court where MeMe got them two rides on the carousel!

Overheard during Puzzle Time

We ♥ puzzle time at our house.

Lately I’ve been letting the girls get out their puzzles & play amongst themselves.

Secretly I sit behind the couch just listening to their little conversations. (Don’t you be judging me!! I get my giggles any way I can!!)

They can be quite entertaining if you catch those little boogers on a good day:

Izzy: Sophayy, I don’t wanna do da boy puzzle!!

Sophie: Izzy, it’s mine turns to do da printhess puthle!!!

Izzy: Sophayyy! You need to share or Jesus is gonna spank you!

Sophie: Izzy!! Not if you don’t tell on me!

Insanity - Day 38

Max Cardio Conditioning.

Oh.My.Lanta......

Poor Chris. He did his work out yesterday after work. So that means he only had around 11 hours between two work outs.

Poor Guy.....

I know how sore I was from a 20 hour break in between.

Rickety. I was rickety. {I don't care if it isn't a word}

This was a fully 47 minute work out that gave no breaks for water or rest in between sets. You just guiltily stopped during the work out to run to throw up, catch your breath, fart, take a water break. It says it on the screen, "rest when needed." So I rested.

Actually, I rested a lot during this work out.  I just wasn't able to keep up. Chris did much better than me. Even after working out just 11 hours ago.

Tomorrow is Max Recovery or something of that sort. I'll update tomorrow.

God Save the Queen. And my quads.

Insanity - Day 36 & 37 MONTH #2

Phewwww, I'm rickety today.....

I am just going to spare the embarrassment that was yesterday & skip right on to today.

Well, today wasn't much better.

Okay, so yesterday was the 1st day into Month #2.

Lawwwddd!!! We had the fit test ANNNNDDD the work out.

Thank God Chris was home for Labor day.  We were able to break up the two during the day.

Here's my Fit Test for yesterday:
MOVE: Fit         Test 1       Fit Test 2       Fit Test 3
Switch Kicks          45            104               97
Power Jacks            30              45              47
Power Knees           60             87              102
Power Jumps          10              19               25
Globe Jumps            2               8                7
Suicide Jumps          5               7                10
Push-Up Jacks         8              12               12
Low Plank Oblique 27             30               38

Over all, I did better. But we were both worn out!! It took us a few hours to recoup & then we did the full work out at nap time.
TODAY:
Today was Max interval Plyo
Um, yeah. I'm still rickety (Yeah, its a WORD!)
PLYO in every sense of the word. It was 55 minutes of jump, control training.
The work out was really hard. But I was determined to do at least a rep of each work out.
I feel great.
Great, but sore.

Insanity - Recovery Week

This week has been a "recovery" week for us.

It's all the same work out every day so there's not much to report.

The work out is called Core Cardio & Balance.

It was a great work out to help us rest our bodies but keep the momentum going.

I'm kind of concerned though, that I'm not keeping up enough to be ready for the next phase of the work out. But I think they know what they're doing.

We'll see, right?

Insanity - Days 22, 23 & 24

Chris & I have both hit a wall.

I don't like speaking for him but he said it this morning in our work out.

I feel better knowing I wasn't the only one.

Bad for him, Good for me. At least we're in it together, right Babe?

Again, I'm condensing the past few days because it's been a tough week.

We've got another sick kid. I think Izzy has that same virus that Sophie had last week.

Perfectly fine during the day. Active toddler, playing, eating, sleeping great.

High fever through the nigh. {....SIGH}

Just like Sophie last week.

Twins are great - except when they're not sick at the same time.

Sequential sickness is H.E.L.L.

Right now they're watching The Sound of Music.

Hopefully it'll entertain them for a bit while I have a minute to myself.

Here's the past few days. Uneventful, but here they are:

Day #22: Pure Cardio & Cardio Abs
**********We didn't get up this morning b/c we were both up with Izzy most of the night. 103 degrees freaks me out. I think I stared at her all night. Just making sure that tiny chest moves up and down is more of a comfort than a complete night of rest. Anyhoo, I did my work out while the girls were napping & Chris did his after supper & bedtime.

Day #23: Cardio Power & Resistance
**********Again, I worked out during nap time & Chris worked out after supper. **My shins & calves have been really giving me trouble. I make it through the warm up & the stretch. By the time the whole work out is over, I'm in some major pain. I'm not sure what to do. I think I'll do some research online. I'm not quitting, though. DIG DEEP!!

Day #24: Plyometric Cardio Circuit
*********WE DID IT!! We woke up together & worked out at 5:30 this morning!! This work out was tough, tough, for me - my shins were hurting so much! Once the warm up & stretch are over, there's a bunch of jump/plyometric training sets, squat jacks, ski jumps, tree climbers, etc.... I was so ready to quit. READY.TO.QUIT. Thank goodness for my work out Buddy! He had such encouraging words. I pushed through but when it was over I fell on the floor like a sobbing two year old. Poor Chris. He just stood there like, seriously? I had my cry, stood up & drank my coffee. It made me feel better but I'm still hobbling around like I just had 2 knee replacements.

{{Two things that are random in the blog post today: "plyometric" and "cardio" are highlighted in spellcheck. Weird.}}

Insanity - Days 17, 18 & 19

It was bound to happen.

We got out of rhythm & now can't wake up at 5 a.m. unless the house was on fire.

So for the past few days I've been doing the work out at the Sisters' nap time.

Chris is doing his work out after supper.

GOOD NEWS: we haven't skipped a day & are very much still on track.
BAD NEWS: I miss my morning work out Buddy.

So here's the condensed version of the past three days:

Day #17: Pure Cardio & Cardio Abs
**********I DID TEN PUSH UP JACKS!!! TEN.IN.A.ROW.

Day #18: Cardio Recovery
**********I'm not fond of this work out but it helped in the place of a rest day because my shins have been taking a beating these past few days. THEY HURT.....

Day #19: Cadio Power & Resistance
**********Today was the 1st day in three weeks that I've only done 1/2 the work out {GASP!}
I started later this afternoon than I thought & ran out of time to wake up the girls & get Bubb off the bus......excuses, excuses....I know...

We are Baby Ballerinas

The Girls started dancing today.

Ballet & tap girls.

We enrolled them with Miss Machita & co.

We love her so much.

She loves the girls & teaches them so much more than just dance.

...Poise, composure, modesty, self confidence, inner beauty...

We love her so much.

 

We got the girls their tap & ballet shoes on Monday & they’ve already put scuffs on our wood floors.

I think we’ve already created two monsters.

It was all they could do to make it through nap time. I could hear them giggling in the monitor most of the hour.

When I went in to wake them up to dress them & get them ready, they could hardly keep still.

Wiggly & giggly.

Sophie had to break out into some type of improvisational dance, she was so excited.

Seriously, I can't make that kind of stuff up.

It was all I could do to keep them still to take pictures in their leotards & tights before we had to get to the bus stop to pick up Bubb.

They did so well with Miss Machita.

We love her so much.

They walk through the house singing,

“with our tutu’s & our new shoes, we are baby ballllerrrrriiiiiiinaaaaas.”

Oh, what a sound.

Insanity - Day 16

Day #: 16
Awake Time: 5:25 a.m.
Workout Today: Cardio Circuit
Accomplished: Y
Feeling: This morning was really hard for me. I don't know what was the deal but I wanted to quit before the warm up was over. I am glad I pushed through because when we went into the stretch in the middle of the work out, I was able to stretch out the problems & make it through the whole 41 minutes.

I still hate Push-Up Jacks. I'm just sayin'.

Insanity - Day 15 {Back on Track}

Hallelujah!!

We're back on track!!

It was causing me momentary anxiety not doing the proper workouts on the proper days.

I'm OCD like that.

This morning was Fit Test 2.

I've been curious to see how far I've come in these INSANELY wild 2 weeks.

Well, wait no more:

MOVE:                              Fit Test 1          Fit Test 2
Switch Kicks                        45                     104  Can I get a WHATWHAT!!! ?
Power Jacks                         30                       45
Power Knees                        60                      87
Power Jumps                        10                      19*
Globe Jumps                         2                        8
Suicide Jumps                       5                        7**
Push-Up Jacks                      8                        12*********
Low Plank Oblique              27                       30

I have to say, I am pretty proud of myself. There were moves that I wondered if they were working or not & today's test proved that they were. Also, the numbers show me the areas that I need to improve on. I'm PUMPED!!

*Power Jumps. After two C-Sections, the 2nd one being for twins, my abs are shot. So for me to do 19 Power Jumps in the 2nd week is an EPIC accomplishment for me. SO LONG POOCH!

**Suicide Jumps are from Hell & Damnation itself. Enough Said.

***********Push-Up Jacks are the siblings of Suicide Jumps....But I did 4 more this time!! Whoop Whoop!!!

Insanity - Day ??? {I'm so confused}

This has been one.rough.week.

Not complaining.

Just explaining.

I'm really not sure what day we're on.

Blindly trusting in my workout Buddy:-)

I know that today we did Pure Cardio & Cardio Abs.

CARDIO ABS

Seriously? I woke up to do that?!?!

I just had to keep saying, "it's almost over, its' almost over..." over & over & over again.

We almost finished the abs.

Sophie woke up crying about her legs hurting.
{Lord, please tell me we're at the end of this sickness...}

I feel better than yesterday.

So that counts for something right?

Insanity - Day 11

Day #: 11
Awake Time: 7:00 a.m. Work Out Time: 1:30 p.m.
Workout Today: Cardio Resistance Power & Resistance
Accomplished: Y
Feeling: I FEEL AWESOME!! Such a good work out!! I did boy style push-ups!!  However,  I did it by myself.
Explanation: We didn't wake up early AGAIN! I didn't sleep well again last night because I was really keyed up from last night's work out. So I worked out during the Girls' nap time. I missed my buddy really bad!! I'll be glad to get up with him tomorrow morning!!

Insanity - Day 10

We're sticking with Chris' method of counting the days in the workout.

I'm think we're justa blowin' in the wind.

This week has been cray-zee!!

Between Sophie being sick, school starting & practically no sleep, it's been brutal sticking with a workout plan.

But, sticking with it, we are! Dig Deep!!

Last night was another rough one with Sophie's virus & so we couldn't pull ourselves out of bed.

Tonight we worked out at 8:00.

I didn't want to do it.

Repeat: I didn't want to do it.

I behaved mighty bratty, as a matter of fact.

Chris stuck with encouraging me (gently I might add) so I caved.

I'm glad I did.

I made every excuse you can think of:
I'll never sleep tonight, I'll be so keyed up!
We'll wake the kids up!
I just ate supper!
I don't want to (she says whiny...)

Day #: 10
Awake Time: 7:00 a.m. - work out time: 8:00 p.m.
Workout Today:  Pure Cardio
Accomplished: Y
Feeling: I feel great!! I'm really keyed up so I know it'll be a while before I can go to sleep. But I'll go to sleep glad that I did the work out!

First Day of 1st Grade

Lord Have Mercy!!

{Translation: LAAAWWDD Have Mercaaayyyy!!}

We made it through another summer.

It sure was a busy one:

Blue Bayou

Audubon Zoo

Swimming Lessons

Swimming at MeMe's & Poppies

Riding the Golf Cart at Nonny & Paw's

Splash Park

Play Dates

Sleep Overs

It's all over.

At least for one...more...year...

Now it's on to:

Bus Stops

Homework

Tests

Reading

Writing

Math, Science & Religion

Playground

Lunch

Snacks

No....More....Naps.....

I've got a big boy on my hands.

 They've got a big brother to deal with.

 Not a Baby any more.

 A 1st Grader in our midst, folks! Watch out!!