As promised

here is our January update!




As far as the family goals, we didn't really fulfill them but did do some things together. We watched 3 movies together, and played paw patrol a few times, and Jason and the boys played Minecraft together several times. We only went to one family outing, which I shared about (the water park) but have had fun this month.

It's been so cold most of the year so far that we haven't spent time outside, so our walks didn't happen. I also found that while I like the idea of doing crafts together, when it comes to actually planning, and doing them, I dread the implementing of it! I worry about the mess too much, or it turning into a not-so-fun activity :( So our crafts in January did not get attempted. This month we WILL be doing one craft for Valentine's day, but it's just going to be something little to send to grandparents.

E read or finished 4 books: Middle School Ultimate Showdown, Minecraft Hacks, Children of the Dustbowl, and The Outsiders (this one was a book they were reading in class with partners or alone). He also wrote once to his pen pal in Ohio, and received a letter back! So while he didn't reach his goal of 4 letters, it was encouraging to him to get a response. Who doesn't love mail?

A also finished up 4 books in January, just meeting the deadline by getting to the end of Spirit animals #3 last night! He also read the rest of The Savage fortress, Spirit animals #2 and Divergent!  He wrote to his pen pal just once but was also very excited to get a letter back. I know he is planning to write at least twice this month.

When it came down to their physical fitness and choi goals, E and A went to all 12 classes, practiced their pattern and speed drills several - although not 3 times a week - and came very close to being ready for testing, as well as being able to do between 10 and 15 sit-ups and push-ups with good form!

Alex also worked on his belt loops and while he didn't quite finish Map & Compass and Geography in January, he did do some of the requirements. With his den, he did earn his Citizenship belt loop and Citizen activity badge. We didn't take time to work towards his Parvuli Dei religious emblem, so today we decided to pick 2 of the other religious requirements in place of that so he can earn his Webelos badge this month. He still wants to earn his religious emblem and religious knot but now we don't have a set deadline, and can take our time, enjoying it.

J went to all his Little Dragons classes, tested and received his new belt, even getting to break a couple of boards! Since he learned his first pattern, he wants to practice nearly every day. We haven't pushed the potty training, but he will go if asked and he needs to go.

All 3 of the boys went to the dentist and there were no cavities to be found. Jackson did well for his first appointment but only got a partial cleaning. It appears that the tooth that we noticed "missing" on the top never formed, and is congenitally missing. Not a big deal, but does make his teeth off-centered. As he gets older and loses his baby teeth, his permanent teeth may need adjustments or pulled or something. He is also teething, getting some 2/3 year molars. Alex got sealants on his molars, and Ethan got 3 sealants and goes back in February for the final one, as his fourth 12 year molar was partially in.

While my food choices were not ideal, I did try to pay attention to triggers for overeating or cravings. I also followed along and participated a bit in my friend's facebook group. I call that goal semi-successful. It made me think. I failed to exercise but February is a new month and bring new motivation!

Menus were written, and while I forgot to link up 2 of the weeks, we followed them for the most part. Even when we did switch up the exact days we had specific meals, or decided to go out to dinner, we used the meals planned on different days or the following week. We tried four new recipes, but I think the only one we really plan to keep in our rotation will be the chicken verde. It was so easy, makes for good tacos and pretty inexpensive as well. Great for a busy weeknight.

31 days of declutter final tally = 24 bags and boxes! While not the full 31 I was working towards, I'd call getting rid of things we don't need a big success.

As for my other goals:

• I shared a photo each day (or the following day - oops!) for 365 Happy Days Growing.
• I didn't write any "original" posts.
• I didn't go to the dentist.
• I finished one full book (The Dark Unwinding), 80% of Screamfree Parenting, and started The Maze Runner.

Not perfect but I'm proud of the boys for their work toward the goals mom set for them (with input from them of course!), and they certainly did better than me. Looking back on the past month, I see where I need to work on things. That is part of the good thing about having goals, they are there to help you grow, learn and make positive changes.

Menu Plan Monday: Jan 26 - Feb 1

We ended up switching up a few days' of meals last week - Jimmy John's on Monday, Cheeseburgers on Friday, out to dinner with family on Saturday, and homemade sloppy joes on Sunday.

Monday: Leftovers

Tuesday: Spaghetti

Wednesday: Chicken and Gruyere sausages, roasted sweet potatoes, green beans

Thursday: Ham and cheese croissant "pockets", roasted broccoli, applesauce

Friday: Pizza

Saturday: Cracklin' Chicken, roasted potatoes, carrots

Sunday: Spicy tuna cakes, fish sticks, fries, veggies

Hitting the half-way mark

When it's come to reading, the boys are doing great towards their 4 book list. Ethan has read 2: Minecraft Hacks Combat edition and Middle School Ultimate Showdown. Alex is finished with The Savage Fortress and currently partway through Minecraft Hacks Combat Edition while also reading Spirit Animals #2

I'm a bit behind, but did finally finish The Dark Unwinding. Truth be told, I've been reading it for many months on and off, and finally really got into it near the end. There are at least 1 or 2 more books that follow this one, and at first I wasn't planning to look for them at all, but now I may add them to my February list...

I (re)started Scream-free Parenting and am just a few pages in. I know that I yell way too much at my boys, and I'm hoping to get a lot of ideas from this book on how to interact better with them (and maybe with Jason, too.)

My food choices have been okay, even though I've given in to some cravings - pop with our meals on Sunday, an ice cream bar after grocery shopping and a couple of mini candy bars from the boys' Halloween stash - I've also eaten more fruit and veggies, and less food in general. I'm not filling up on food to the point that I feel overfull, just until I'm not hungry.

Our menu plan was shared on Monday for this week, and we are trying our 4th new recipe of the month tonight: garlic beef roast.

Our newest total so far for 31 days of declutter is 10 and I like seeing things go or get re-organized.

Ethan, Alex and Jackson have been going to their choi/little dragon classes and doing well, although the outside practice has been nil so far... We also won't be doing any private lessons this month (It's $40/half hour per kid x 4 lessons! On top of the money we already spend for their regular classes!) We also probably won't be testing this month, as they may not be eligible per the school until Feb 22nd, and they also need their sparring gear which I am not ordering. Due to some probable changes within the next few months, we may not be in Choi after February, at least at this school and to spend $120 for 2 sets of sparring gloves and footwear doesn't seem reasonable at the moment.

The older boys have each written one of 4 letters to their pen pals - on Monday of this week which I'm finally mailing today... - and will also be drawing a picture and mailing that out Saturday or early next week. Alex's idea was to have Jackson draw a picture for one of the younger brothers of their pen pals and send it. I'm rolling with the idea and saying all 3 should draw a picture and mail it out!

As far as Alex's Cub Scouts goals, he's done 2 of 3 requirements for the Geography belt loop and one of 3 towards the Maps and Compass belt loop. He also worked on his Traveler activity badge, and once he earns both belt loops, he will also be finished meeting the Traveler requirements! I think it's very reasonable to think he will be able to turn them in to his den leader by the end of January. We are behind on the Parvuli Dei requirements but since E has confirmation class tomorrow, we can use that time to sit and finish a couple of the sessions hopefully.

Family Fun!

My parents bought Jackson a Paw Patrol board game for Christmas, and he absolutely loves it. We've played it several times. Last week, we sat down in the living room as a family and made a game night out of it! For about a half an hour or so, we played the game, laughed and just had a great time.

For movie night, we decided to finally watch How to train your dragon 2. While there was a sad part, and some somewhat scary scenes - fighting between the characters and/or dragons - it was a great movie! All three of the boys enjoyed it as well as Jason and I.

The most family fun we had this week though was yesterday. Alex sold over $1000 in popcorn, and was invited to choose between several special events held specifically for boys selling over a certain amount. While they all sounded fun, we wanted to pick one that we could enjoy as a family. It worked out that the most family friendly one was the soonest AND one of the closest to us. We had to buy tickets for the rest of us, but Alex got to go for free, and will receive a special goody-bag later. For the special event, we chose Zehnder's Splash Village in Frankenmuth!

The day started out with us all getting up and ready to head out. At just after 11, we loaded up the car, and drove out there. We went to Applebee's for a late lunch, and while waiting for our food, Alex suggested a game of 20 questions. I'm not sure when the last time I heard all four of my guys laugh so hard! Jackson wanted to play, and be asked what he was thinking of, too. When it was his turn, he asked himself questions, and every answer was no! Hahaha. Dad stumped us for a minute, but I finally figured out he was thinking of a buckeye tree (big surprise with him being an OSU fan, and the game tonight ;) ). But I really got everybody when I chose blueberry. They got close by finally naming some fruits and veggies, but didn't get it!

After lunch, we went to Splash Village and met up with another family from our den. Ethan and Alex went off on their own for the most part, going in the different areas, and checking out the slides. Jackson got to play in the zero depth pool and go down a water slide just his size several times. I even went on two water slides, one each with the older boys, and in the lazy river with Jackson twice. We only had one incident when I was in line getting drinks. Jason was waiting in the zero-depth pool, and one of the boys was walking Jackson around to the slide to go down to daddy, and Jack decided he didn't want to listen to his brother. Of course, his brother didn't know what to do and kind of froze up. I was just walking back and I saw part of what happened, and because I was closer, I chased Jack down and stopped him before he had the chance to slip and fall in the very deep pool by the water slides. Time for a small break at that point. Since it was nearly 6 anyway, we decided we were done. I went with Jackson and changed, while the other boys played a few more minutes. After we were all dry and warm, we drove to Zehnder's restaurant for dinner. That was probably the best fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, and pretty much everything else that came with the family-style dinner that I've ever eaten. E and Alex weren't very hungry and decided on some chicken fingers, while Jackson chose a pb&j. When our appetizers came, they brought enough bread and spreads for EVERYBODY, and Jack filled up on bread and cheddar cheese spread, after trying to eat a spoonful of just the cheddar cheese! He didn't like his sandwich anyway, so at least he ate something. Besides he was so tired, he fell asleep in the 2 minutes from Splash Village to the restaurant, so it's a miracle he was awake and in a good mood! All three boys slept part of most of the way home.

We had to take a day off school though today, because Ethan woke up with a stomach ache, and Alex with a cough.

Menu Plan Monday: Jan 12-18

Changing the game from Whole30. While the first two dinners below are Whole30/paleo, the rest are not fully. Three slow-cooker meals again this week, and Monday's recipe is new to us.

Monday: Leftovers

Tuesday: The best whole chicken in a crockpot, roasted sweet potatoes, and salad

Wednesday: Garlic roast beef, potatoes and carrots

Thursday: Chicken breasts, baked macaroni and cheese, roasted broccoli

Friday: Organic hot dogs (we like Applegate or Simple Truth uncured beef hot dogs from Kroger), french fries, baked beans and salad

Saturday: Chicken tacos - using chicken thighs cooked in the slow-cooker.

Sunday: Kabob Koobideh (from Nom Nom Paleo), rice, roasted cauliflower

Check out more ideas at I'm an Organizing Junkie!

January's Goal list

This year, a month by month goal list is the plan.There is a page on the tabs which will have all the links to each individual month's goals, and follow-up posts. 

Even though the list looks long, I think all of these for January are quite achievable. Many work together (like menu-planning, new recipes, whole30 and reading It starts with Food for me, Alex's 3 belt loops help him earn his activity badges, and finally the boys' choi goals will help them reach their push-up/sit-up goal and vice-versa). 

The family goals are set to help us retake family time, as well as unplug some more. It can be hard to get away from screens when we live in cold Michigan and it's wintertime, especially right after Christmas when the boys all got new electronics and/or games. And let's face it, we - as in our family -  ALL enjoy playing video games, watching TV, and being on our phones/kindles/computers entirely too much. I know my phone is in my hand and I'm on Facebook or Instagram way too often, mostly because it is so accessible and then it's even easier to just let the boys play video games or watch cartoons/tv. Christmas break has been not only a break from school, but our normal routine, and we've been spending even more time staring at screens. With school starting back on Monday, I welcome the routine and schedule so we can get back on track. Normally, during the school year (minus vacation time), we limit video game time to Friday nights and weekends. However, Ethan and Alex are doing wonderful in school and choi, so if all their responsibilities like homework and chores are done, and after working towards goals, we may ease up the restrictions some during the week. If it starts to cause attitude problems or slacking off though, we can always stop.

JANUARY 

Crystal:

• Read (finish) 5 books:   

1. The Dark Unwinding
2. Hearts Awakening
3. Maze Runner
4. Scream-free Parenting
   
5. It starts with Food

• Follow the Whole30 plan from Jan 2nd-31st, *edit: Make a conscious effort to make better choices and eat healthy, including paleo for most meals 1/7* and use Stef's FB support group daily. Used for support, followed along.
• Share menu plan each week starting Jan 5th and link-up to Menu Plan Monday.
• Make 4 new recipes that are paleo/whole30 compliant.
• Do Yoga 3-5 days a week using my new DVDs. *edit: yoga OR exercise 3-5 times a week*
• Start working towards weight-loss goals, by losing 10 lbs.
• Declutter: 31 boxes or bags of trash/donate/storage - one each day (minimum) *edit: not necessarily one a day, but just 31 total 1/7*
• Continue 365 Happy Days Growing photos on Instagram. 
• Write 4 original blog posts - not goal, menu plan or 365 Happy Days Growing related. 
• Go to the dentist.

Ethan: 

• Read 4 books. *edited to add his book choices 1/7*
1. Middle School Ultimate Showdown by James Patterson
2. Minecraft Hacks Combat Edition
3. The Outsiders
4. Children of the dustbowl
• Meet Choi Kwan Do goals:
• Attend 3 classes a week.
• Attend 4 more private lessons. *edit: cost-prohibitive at this time*
• Practice highest pattern and speed drills 2 days a week outside of classes.
• Achieve testing status and test for orange belt.*not able to right now*
• Do 20 push-ups and 20 sit-ups.
• Write pen pal 4 times.
• Write a short story with illustrations.
• Go to the dentist.

Alex:

• Read 4 books. *edited to add his book choices 1/7*
1. The Savage Fortress (technically only half the book, as he started in December but it's for his report)
2. Spirit Animals Book 2: Hunted
3. Spirit Animals Book 3: Blood Ties
4. Divergent
• Meet Choi Kwan Do goals:
• Attend 3 classes a week.
• Attend 4 more private lessons. *edit: cost-prohibitive at this time*
• Practice highest pattern and speed drills 2 days a week outside of classes.
• Achieve testing status and test for orange belt.*not able to right now*
• Do 20 push-ups and sit-ups.
• Write pen pal 4 times.
• Meet Cub Scout goals:
• Work on Parvuli Dei religious emblem book for 1 hour a week.
• Earn/work towards 3 activity badges (traveler, family member, citizen).
• Earn 3 belt loops (citizenship, geography, maps and compass).
• Go to the dentist.

Jackson:

• Potty training: Using the potty several times a day, every day.
• Meet Little Dragons Choi Kwan Do goals:
• Attend 2 classes a week.
• Practice kicks and punches 3 days a week outside classes.
• Go to the dentist.
• Go to the doctor for yearly physical. *scheduled for first week of February*

Family:

• 4 Winter-y crafts. *edit: not necessarily Winter-y, but some type of fun craft*
• Go for a 30 minute walk once a week.
• Play one board game a week.
• One family movie night a week.
• 2 family outings, including water park. 

Here's to a great start to a new year! Happy New Year!