Muscles

Here's the honest truth (isn't all truth honest?) After the insanity of P90X Week One, I have had to re-evaluate. Five hour-long workouts per week turned out to be a little much. So now my goal is to work up to five times per week.

And I'm ok with that. This week I'd like to maintain three workouts and add in the Ab Ripper (sounds delightful.)

So even though not making my goal was a little disheartening, I did have the encouragement of discovering that I lost five pounds. And sometimes a little encouragement is all you need to keep up the good work. And eat less donuts.

Clearly, there are a few perks to exercising. Right now my favorite thing to do is shove my arm in Chet's face and flex my bicep.

Two heads are better than one

So the other day at breakfast, Sharks had an epiphany: Mom! If Finn had two heads, then he could eat from BOTH at the SAME TIME!

True.

Mooo-ving on.

Remember how not too long ago I decided to go for a run and how I was all excited about it? And then I ran another time?

Well, that was it.

So I'm giving P90X a try since it's still too cold to run outside. My plan is to do it 5 times a week for one month, then re-evaluate. A friend is doing it also, for accountability, which is kind of laughable because we've tried to be exercise buddies before and that lasted maybe 3 times?

No matter. This time we're going to Bring It! because This is the MOTHER of all P90X workouts! I mean, it's motivating the first time you hear that, but I have now realized that the guy says that for every workout, and I'm pretty sure that by tomorrow I'll be annoyed enough to chop his head off.

Anyway today is Day Two. It is hard enough to exercise on a normal day when I am feeling fine but after yesterday, which was the "Chest and Back" workout, also known as Push-up Torture, well I can hardly lift my arms and can't even imagine exerting the energy to put in the dvd.

My arms are so dead that it was painful to switch the baby from one side to the other when he was nursing last night. Right about then I was wishing for a two-headed baby.

The results are in...

...and the first person to get it right was...Me (which I think is Katie?)! Look forward to some tasty chocolate coming your way!

And yes, I picked tricky pictures on purpose...otherwise it's no fun.

I especially liked that some people guessed wrong twice.

But this just goes to show that there's a reason why I felt like I gave birth to the same kid three times over (all boys, and all within 3 oz of each other.) Thank goodness their personalities are different or I would call them by the wrong name even more than I already do.

Like, Obey mama's words, Harceefin! or maybe Finndeearks, eat your dinner! or even Don't sit on the baby, Cedafinkins! but usually it's just, *sigh* whateveryournameis.

Maybe we should have given them rhyming names, like Ed, Ted, and Fred. So that when I get it wrong, I could play it cool, like, "No, I said Ted. Really."

Who's Who in the Hutch Household?

UPDATE: So I guess this is a little tricky! No one has gotten it right yet. Not even Chet. First person to guess it right can pick a kid to borrow for the weekend.

Just kidding. But I will send you some chocolate. (By the way, Mandy, I owe you some from last time...oops.)







You tell me.

A Home Date Night Extravaganza

(Note to Chet - halt in your tracks - no reading this one, mister. You'll ruin a surprise.)




It came to my attention a few weeks ago that my hubs has never had pizza delivered. Ever. Is he even American?! I didn't grow up getting pizza delivered regularly or anything, (my mom was a homemade pizza maker), but I know that at some point, I've ordered pizza.

It's time to remedy that. So tonight we are having Date Night At Home (thanks for that Brite idea, pun totally intended, sorry in advance.) Plus I have all the pieces to wear an outfit like this and since I have no reason to wear heels in my everyday life, Date Night it is. Not to mention the fact that it will be great to eat and talk together without interruption.

I mean, Chet is almost thirty after all, and he needs the experience of a delivered pizza before the big 3-0. So, thanks to a little Christmas gift from my Grandma, expressly for this purpose, I am secretly ordering pizza, to be delivered after the kiddos are all tucked into bed.

I can't wait to hand him the cash and say, "Here, go pay the delivery guy." Because that is when he will learn what dinner is. Ha. We have definitely never ordered food to be delivered in our married life, and since it's not going to be a regular thing, it feels kinda extravagant.

So here's to beer and pizza that I didn't have to make. And a sweet date night at the homestead.

All That Glitters

Today, at breakfast, Sharks burst into tears and said, "I'm really scared!"

"I'm afraid that King Midas is going to turn me into gold!"

Ok, so being solid gold wouldn't be awesome.

We went through our usual routine when fears are involved (praying, saying a memory verse, etc.) He also says this little line - GO AWAY bad thoughts, I'm resting in the joy of the Lord - at bedtime sometimes if he is thinking about something scary, so we repeated that for awhile.

Then I explained that King Midas wasn't real, so he couldn't turn him into gold.

Sharks countered with, "I know he's not real, but I'm afraid he's going to turn me into gold in my dreams."

Oh boy.

Skirtain

Back in the fall, I found a couple of fashion blogs that I've enjoyed. One of them is kind of vintage-inspired, and I like that she wears weird things but still rocks them.

Since our clothes budget is practically non-existant, I thought I could find a few things at a thrift store that would add a little vintage-y fun into my wardrobe without breaking the bank.

Enter this skirt. I chopped off a couple feet and hemmed it above the knee. Throw on some tights and boots, and it was ready to go.


(Evidence that I am a mom and not a fashion blogger: baby sock on floor.)

I was well satisfied with my afternoon's sewing project and was feeling all cute in my vintage-inspired skirt when Chet came home and asked, "Is that your Halloween costume?" I admit I could have styled it better, but come on!

Guess how many times I've worn it since?

So, after finding this blog, which I love and would wear almost everything she does, I noticed her easy skirt tutorial. After the Halloween skirt debacle, I decided to give it a try to redeem myself.





I went on a hunt to find some material or fabric of sorts, and found a beautiful curtain panel for $3 at Goodwill. Including the cost of the elastic, the skirt - or skirtain, get it?! - cost $4 total. Not too bad. I think it turned out quite well.

Plus, I am loving the flannel plaid pockets, made out of an old shirt of Chet's.

A pain in the...refrigerator

UPDATE: Success! We have a fridge! Sharks told the delivery men, "Thank you for making our fridge healthy!" as though they were fridge doctors. Close enough.

So remember this? Well, after almost a week, our landlord got us a new fridge. It is being delivered as we speak...or, as we write/read?

But since we live in an old house, the doorways and hallways are quite small. And there happens to be this little shelf that juts out into the hall that is blocking the way.

Which means that the fridge doesn't fit.

I would really, really like to have a fridge in my kitchen. I mean, the coolers have been fine and all, but to have to run out back every time I want some milk in my coffee has really made me question my second (and third) cups.

Anyway, now the kind delivery men have to take off the doors off of both the new and old fridges in order to attempt to get one in, and one out of the kitchen. And even so, it's a little iffy whether it'll fit...

Coal train...I mean Coltrane...

Every time we pass under the train bridge near our house and I say, "Look, guys! It's a coal train!" I chuckle to myself and think, "Coal train/Coltrane! Hardy-har-har."

So today I figured we'd go for it - we played "coal train" while listening to Coltrane.

Sharks thought it was funny too. I guess word nerds run in the family.

Then we had this enlightened conversation:

Sharks: This train has to go to the coal line.

Me: You mean the coal mine?

S: I thought it was coal line.

M: Well it's called a coal mine because you have to mine for the coal.

S: Oh, like you use your mind and say, "Where is the coal?"


Anyway, you should try the coal train/Coltrane combo sometime. It made for a very relaxing train time. In fact we were so relaxed we forgot how to properly communicate.

Happy Warrior

Finn's name means "little blond soldier" and since he's such a happy fellow, Chet's dad calls him the Happy Warrior. I find that quite fitting.

Ask Chet who our "soldier" is supposed to be fighting, and he says, "Satan." Which struck me as a bit dramatic at first, except that we really are in a battle with the Enemy.

Today Sharks asked me if God is holding Satan back so that he doesn't distract us to make us sin. We have been listening to these cds everyday, which I think provoked his question. I'll be honest, I had trouble answering him coherently. At least in a way a three-year old would understand.

We've been working on self-control a lot around here recently (tantrums seem to be cropping up in the wake of weeks of sickness), and one thing we've been coming back to is the verse that says "Be sober minded and alert, for your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." (in 1 Peter, I think.) It has helped Sharks to realize that in being self-controlled he is fighting God's enemy. Still a work in progress. Aren't we all!

That was kind of random. Funny how one thought leads to another and suddenly the blog post where you planned to post pictures of the baby ends up being about fighting sin.

Oh well, I don't know about you, but I need the reminder to fight.

Born on a mountain top in Tennessee

I made the boys these Davy Crockett/Daniel Boone outfits for Christmas, following this pattern, with just a few alterations to make it more Frontiersman, less Neverland. (For the record, it was very, very simple. Hardly any hemming and only a couple of straight seams.)

I wasn't planning on making Finn a costume at all, but I accidentally made Deedo's too small. So much for very, very simple. Good thing I bought extra fleece. So Finn doesn't have a coonskin cap and definitely looks more Monk than Frontiersman. Well maybe those frontiersmen need some religion.


Of course I had visions of them running around wearing their costumes, playing and exploring and killing bears.

Instead, they wear them for a maximum of 5 minutes. But perhaps in years to come they will enjoy them more?

One day during those 5 minutes of costume-wearing, Sharks told Deeds they were going bear hunting but that only he could kill the bear because he was three and Deeds was only two. (Nice literal interpretation of how Davy "killed him a bear when he was only three.")

For now, I am still convinced that a little boy in a coonskin cap is the cutest, ridiculous-est thing ever.

Out with the old, in with the new...

Old fridge:


New fridge:


Good thing this happened in winter, eh? Plus we feel a little like Little House on the Prarie. Because having your fridge in two coolers on your back porch is just like the pioneers.

Books

(shelf from smartfurniture)

Since I forgot to write a book list last month, I figured I'd just mention what's on my shelf at the moment.

Crime and Punishment by Dostoevsky

and

a bunch of books about beekeeping. Which I have been loving, but I figured they would bee unbeelievably boring to most of you. Unfortunately, it looks like I will have to postpone getting my hive for another year.

So, no idea if anyone really cares what I've read, but I figure C & P will take awhile, so there may not be any list updates for a bit.

Let me count the ways...

Family Resemblance?

This may not be the best picture of Chet - who has had to deal with me shoving my new camera in his face when he's on the phone, eating dinner, reading books - and maybe it's just me, but I cannot believe how much these look alike.

Well, I guess I can believe it. They are related, after all.