Its Official

Well it is official. I have bought the T25 Challenge pack and also have signed up to be a coach.

I hope to help anyone that wants to get fit, meet all their goals! So please, if you would love some help, you can sign up on my Beachbody page (for free!!): www.beachbodycoach.com/mitchellsaz.

So Aaron and I will be partaking in the T25 challenge in just a few days.If you want to join us, let me know! There is a FB page for the challenge that will be great for support as we go thru this all together! It is a 10 week program for 25 minutes a day, 5 days a week and we are both very excited to get started. I said before that I still plan on doing this in conjunction with lifting weights. This will be my morning workout and then lift in the evenings.

Curious as to what T25 is? Here is a video preview. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfi80Wf29_M
It is a 9 minute video but if you watch to about minute 3 or so, you will want to keep watching just to see the results. I would love results half as good as these people got so I will be doing it hard and heavy. One guy that did this (about minute 7) started off in the 290s. By the end of the 10 weeks he was 226.

Ok that is enough out of me...you will hear some updates regarding the T25 as we start but I am not going to be the person that constantly shoves Beachbody down your throat. You know I do it, you know I would love to help. I am here for you so contact me if you want to get going. End of story...well the start actually ;)

So I never got to work on Zumba routines yesterday because I was busy with the Beachbody thing but last night I went to the Rec Center. I did 2 miles on the track. 22 laps. Geeze! Does anyone know of an app or a way to track your laps so you dont have to constantly think lap 2, lap 2, lap 2 as you run? I tried using my digifit app but it doesnt get good gps reception in the gym and I dont know that it would pick up that small of a lap.

After I was done with my two miles, I hopped on the evil elliptical and did the Fat Burn setting with Glute Blaster for 15 minutes.

Then it was back downstairs where I did leg adductors, leg abductors and then went over and did 100 squats using a weighted bar. After that I did leg extensions to work the quads and I called it a night. I walked home from there...0.44 miles. I am sore today.

Eating was on point.
Breakfast was Arbonne protein shake (I am officially out of oatmeal)
I got a little hungry later on and had a homemade protein bar
Then at lunch I had an english muffin, two eggs over medium with melted pepper jack cheese and some sauteed onions.
Before hitting the gym I had some tuna with fat free mayo, celery and onion and some crackers.
After the gym I had a little bit of chicken, a little bit of pork, a half of a protein bar and then my casein shake later.

Today I woke up and was 175.0. Two more pounds gone! How excited am I?

My goal is to get as much of this weight off before starting the challenge. I want to get the best results possible. Dont worry...I am eating what I need to and tracking everything in myfitnesspal.

Today the kids have physicals. Then we are going to a friends house for them to play. Then tonight I will be picking the kids up Happy Meals as a treat for them to eat on the way home. Then it is off to Treefort at the Rec Center so Aaron can work out while the kids play. Then it is my turn.

I think tonight I am going to aim for 2.5 miles on the treadmill then 15 minutes on the elliptical. Then it is back and biceps. I am trying to slowly work my mileage for running back up. When I was training really hard I sort of gave that up and my body can tell. I just dont have the cardio endurance I used to.

My friend Jamie posted this yesterday on her FB page:

It is a great thing to think about before you eat something.

This past Monday I wore my heart rate monitor to the gym while I taught Zumba. I shared with the class at the end how many calories I burned. I think it was 776 or something like that...

Anyways, one of my students said "thats a donut!". And I looked at her and smiled because she always goes to get ice cream after class. She must have realized what I thought because she went on to clarify "I mean that is ONLY a donut!". All that hard work and thats ALL we worked off.

Now I know that donuts arent that many calories, but I would rather have her think about that before she was leaving to go to get her ice cream. She is under the mindset that she gets a double scoop because it is only 30 cents more. And heck...it is sugar free right? My hope is that next time she thinks before she eats.

Also I am wondering what your weakest time of day is as far as snacking goes?
One thing I have figured out is that when I work out at night I really dont want to snack.

Another thing is that if I paint my nails at my weak point of the day then I cant snack because they are wet. A great tip for you.

How do you get your weakest points of the day?

Tip of the Day:

Holy Water Weight Batman!

So yesterday...

Ah yes, yesterday.

Eating was on point. Oatmeal for breakfast w/ unsweetened cocoa powder and some real maple syrup. Lunch was toasted english muffin (dry) with two eggs over medium with sauteed onions and pepper jack cheese.
Snack was a homemade protein bar made with Arbonne vegan protein powder, oatmeal, peanut butter and honey.
Dinner was some tuna and some crackers.

I could tell that  I was shedding some water weight yesterday because I was needing to use the bathroom a lot.

Then yesterday afternoon I was finally able to work on some Zumba routines. I did that for about 15-20 minutes and then Aaron got home. He had bought a bike for Landry yesterday from Craigslist so I had to go open the garage. We bought Xavier a bike too with his birthday money and then we paid for the rest. So we surprised both boys.

And of course the training wheels I bought for Landry didnt work. The poor kid almost fell over on his bike because they were too flexible. Who makes training wheels flexible???

So then it was time for me to go to Zumba. I had one new person for a total of three for class. And so my energy level was really high. In one hour yesterday in class I burned 783 calories.

I did not end up working legs like I wanted to because I needed to return the old training wheels from Landry's bike and get new ones from a different store.

Then when I got home I had a casein shake before bed.

And that brings me to an interesting question.

I found a new show last night on our On Demand that I have never seen before but had heard about.

Extreme Weight Loss.

Ever hear of it?

I had heard about it because the guy that was on it July 16th felt so much pressure to lose weight that he altered his numbers he was sending his trainer. Instead of losing the weight, in 90 days he GAINED 46 lbs!

Do you ever feel pressure to look a certain way? Lose more weight? keep it off? I know I personally feel pressure but it comes from a personal standpoint. It is all from me. What gets me pissed is that I know I am a food addict. I hit a rough point or a busy point and I turn to food to get me thru. I did it with the tornado and I did it again when we just moved. What pisses me off about it is that it undoes all the hard work that I just did!

But there was an interesting quote last night by the trainer: "Transformation is never perfect". And then he went on to say something like: when you fall down you can always pick yourself back up. Yup. Thats me. It doesnt matter how many times I fall down, I will always pick myself back up because I dont want to go back to the way I was back in 2010.

This leads me onto my next thing. I know I said that I want to start training like I was going to be in a competition. I will be buying my "competition" food and prepping it next week. My friend is currently in "getting ready" mode for her first show in April and shared some of her work out and diet tips with me.

She does HIIT cardio in the morning and weights in the afternoon and evening. Usually about 25-30 minutes of it.

And there was this program that I have been hearing about that is 25 minutes and great cardio. My goal is to do it in the morning and then lift in the evenings.

Soooo....

Tonight I will be ordering a new cardio program. It is from Beachbody and is called T25. It is by Shaun T and delivers the Insanity results in just 25 minutes a day, 5 days a week. I figured what the hell? I will give it a shot! And they have a 30 day moneyback guarantee. Have you heard of it??

And because I am going to get the challenge pack, I get to waive my sign up fee to become a coach. So I figured what the heck there as well! If I dont like being a coach, then I can quit at any time. No commitments. What do I have to lose? I hope that being able to inspire people helps me here with some financial freedom. LOL.

So you will have to stay tuned as I will be reviewing the new Shaun T program. I told Aaron I would get it if he can  commit one month to doing it as well. He said he would. I will make sure to take before and after pictures of us. :)

Onto today...

I weighed myself this morning...

Remember yesterday I was 181.5

This morning?

177.0.

Yeah you read that right. -4.5 lbs!

Serious water weight right there I guess! And I never really ate anything that would bloat me or was really salty this weekend either!

Today I am going to work some more on Zumba routines.

Tonight we are going for a walk while the boys bike ride.

Then I will be heading to the Rec Center after the boys go to bed to do legs.

Should be a fun and active day!

What are you all doing?

Tip of the Day: I love this because when I was up at my mom and dads a couple weeks ago, we went to boil eggs and actually had some floaters. I had never had floaters before!!

Checking in- quickly

Hey all!

Well this weekend went pretty well.

Saturday morning I was down to 179.5. Woot!

Then I had zumba class. And even though I burned over 700 calories and ate well, the next day my weight was up to 180.5.

Yesterday I took a rest day. I really needed it. I was starting to get a sore throat again so I hit the tea and honey last night.

Eating was on point yesterday too. I even resisted fig newtons and cupcakes ALL WEEKEND!!

But with not exercising, there was no surprise I was up another pound today to 181.5. Thats ok. I am hoping to get it back off today.

Tonight is Zumba. But first thing this morning I am going to start working on a learning a new Zumba routine. So I will be burning calories all day as I learn. Then afterwards I will be working out. I think I am going to aim for doing 100 squats with a weighted bar. I think because I did the 500 lb leg presses last week that I am going to skip that and do lunges tonight as well. Front lunges, lateral (side) lunges and back lunges. Maybe some wall sits as well.

Aarons parents are taking the kids after his grandpa's memorial on Saturday. Woot! Hopefully that means that I will be able to get my personal training test done and turned in next week!

And I hope this weather warms up. This has been a really sucky summer.

Ok I am off for now. Things to do so I can get this routine learned!

Oh and PS....I posted this picture at the top because I am striving to workout to get a body a tenth of hers. LOL. She rocks! Dana Lynn Bailey if you didnt know.

And I think when I go to the grocery store this week that I am going to start my nutrition differently and eat as if I am training for a competition. 5 small meals...lots of protein...we will see!

Have a great Monday!

What did I do yesterday?

Ok first things first...

I am having major issues with my internet. We found out that it isnt the actual modem from Brighthouse but our wireless router which is netgear brand. Brighthouse said I have to switch the router to channel 11. Anyone have any idea how I do that? lol

I have to restart that damn thing every 5 minutes. Literally.

Which makes it EXTREMELY hard to do my Personal Training test. *sigh*. (Not to mention writing my blog!) Yesterday I had the bright idea to print off all of the essay questions so I can write them in my word processor without being online. So that helps.

But the test is driving me crazy because it is hard, hard, hard. So I am taking a break from it today.

Now.

Day 3 of no earwigs. Whoot!

And my workout yesterday:
I decided NOT to do Turbo Jam. I knew that if I went into Ypsi last night for RPM that that would be plenty of cardio for the day.

So for breakfast I had warm oatmeal with unsweetened cocoa powder and a little real maple syrup.

Lunch was two eggs over medium topped with some melted pepper jack cheese, a 100% whole wheat english muffin, and some sauteed onions (with a smidge of olive oil).

Dinner was a little bit of homemade mac and cheese before I went to the gym. And when I say a little, I mean maybe a 1/2 cup. It was made with whole wheat pasta, a smidge of milk, and colby jack cheese. It is my moms recipe and I always loved how it gets uber crunchy, crusty. Yummy.

The carbs helped get me thru my workout.

When I got to the gym, I skipped cardio and went right to chest and tri's. First thing was pull ups and dips.
Then I did standing tricep extensions, cable chest flys, upright cable chest presses, and cable push downs. Then I did some rowing for a couple minutes on the rowing machine.

RPM time. Last night was no joke. Class was an hour and 10 minutes. And it was my first time doing RPM in a month...or maybe more. AND we did three mountain tracks in a row...towards the end of class. That is 20 straight minutes of mountain climbing.

Boy am I glad that I didnt do Turbo Jam yesterday.

Then I got home and had some tuna with onion and fat free mayo, eaten with celery stalks and then my casein shake before bed.

All in all, in 2 hours and 38 minutes at the gym last night, I burned 1161 calories. Yup. Thats right. I am BACK!!

Today I was down to 180.0.

My goal tomorrow is to be back in the 170's.

So today I am trying to decide what the heck to work out.

The plan is to go to the rec center tonight with the kids. They can play in the treehouse and I will watch them. Aaron can work out while they are playing. Then he will take the kids home and I can workout.

I am thinking that tonight will be more cardio. A mile on the track, the evil elliptical and then shoulders and more back and biceps..core.....not sure though.

Tomorrow morning is Zumba class so as much as I want to do legs again, they will have to wait until Monday. Sunday I will need a rest day.

I am not much of a yoga or pilates person so that just isnt an option for me. 

So that is the news today. Do you have anything fun planned for the weekend? What are you doing for exercise today??

Tip of the day:

Confession Time

Hey everyone.

So I have some confessions to make here.

I finally stepped on the scale after realizing that my shorts were tight.

Well...the news wasnt good.

The number was back up to 183.0.

UGH.

So now I have gotten back on the train and gotten the real kick in the ass that I needed.

The last couple days has been work outs galore.

Tuesday night I went to the local rec center and ran a mile and about died. LOL. Amazing how quick your cardio endurance goes bye bye when you dont use it! Then I worked on this evil elliptical called Octane. I did the fat burner session with the glute killer pushed on. The thing that is so cool about this machine is that every minute, there is a little circle that spins and tells you what to do. So one minute it may tell you to go fast...then you get a minute to recover...then it may tell you to go backwards and squat...then a minute recover...then it may say to lean back and go fast....the thing is CRAZY!

After that I did back and biceps and core. All in all I burned 764 calories that day.

Yesterday I was down 1.5 lbs.

Then yesterday I did my first day of Turbo Jam. I did the 20 minute routine. It was fricken awesome!! In 19 minutes I burned 199 calories.

Then last night I ran another mile and then crushed legs. Leg abductors, adductors, leg extensions, hamstring work, 500 lb leg presses and then a strip set. And on top of all that, I went on the escalator stepper for 15 minutes. AND I didnt mention that I ran to the gym (0.44 miles) and then walked home. My legs couldnt take a run. LOL.

Burned 796 calories last night.

Only down another half pound this morning but I know part of that is because of lactic acid buildup. I am quite sore today.

In a bit I will be doing 20 minute Turbo Jam again and tonight I will be heading into Ypsi for RPM. My plan is to work my chest and triceps before class.

Aaron and I are in a bit of a competition. He found some swimsuits for us that neither of us can wear right now. LOL. So we are seeing who can be ready for their swimsuit first. It wont be anytime soon but it is helping to get our ass in gear.

I am also back using MyFitnessPal again to track everything. So far so good. I know my biggest downfall was alcohol. Damn it. LOL. Bye bye. Had to cut it out again. I will just have to stick with red wine every once in a while.

Ok...update on the earwigs.

I finally found some insect killer for the yard that will prevent the bugs for 3 months. We were starting to see an increase of them in the basement again.

I also bought silicone caulk to caulk between the gaps between the baseboard in the basement and the floor and also between the baseboard and the wall. I cant paint over it but the baseboards look nice and glossy. LOL. I also bought spray foam insulation to fill in some of the gaps where pipes go thru the foundation.

ANNNDDDD....

Knock on wood...

Two days and no earwigs in the basement!!

Ok lets see....what else...

OHHH

I started my personal training exam. It is no fucking joke. I am seriously nervous I am not gonna pass this thing and it is open book.

Why do you ask?

Because I have two case studies and 6 essays to do and it is all subjective to whoever is grading my answers. And that is in addition to true and false, multiple choice, matching and calculations.

So please say some prayers.

I am going to really take my time answering everything. It may take me a month or more but I want to make sure that I am throughout and give them what they are looking for. Plus these essay questions are insane. Some involve me having tests done at a doctors office or taking a first aid class or doing assessments on 10 friends. Really??? That seems crazy to me. But I have to try.

That is why I havent been on here updating. I have been studying and trying to take this test.

Also on top of all that, Monday I woke up with a splitting headache and an earache. Well later that day my eardrum ruptured. Yeah. Again. Damn it. Luckily I had some left over amoxicillin that I started to take. That helped. Now I am just waiting to heal because I cant hear out of my left ear. LOL.

So that is it for now.
I will give you an update on how I am doing on my test later on. If I am not on here much you now know why.

Tip of the Day:

Did you know?

RED - The phytochemicals in red foods are carotenoids and anthocyanins. One of the most abundant carotenoid is lycopene. Lycopene helps reduce damage from free radicals in your body and it also prevents heart disease, cancer, prostrate problems, and reduces the skin damage from the sun. These red foods help memory function, urinary tract health, and makes your heart healthy.

(Gotten from Juicing Vegetables on Facebook)

Needing a Groove

I need to find me a new groove.

Now that my personal training package at Powerhouse is done I just dont feel like driving in there anymore.

Dont get me wrong. I love the classes and the people...

But the drive is starting to kill me especially after just joining the rec center in Livonia yesterday.

Yup. For $39 a month for the entire family, we now have access to a tree fort for the kids (indoor play area), indoor and outdoor track, workout machines, free weights, lap pool, lazy river, skate park, outdoor splash pad for kids, HUGE climbing wall, an indoor water slide and pool, a kids center where they babysit them while you work out, saunas, hot tubs, a gymnastics room, an open gym for things like half court basketball, soccer field and so, so, SO much more!! I feel like such a gym traitor!!

Yesterday after I signed up, the kids played in the tree fort area for about 90 minutes before I finally said we had to leave so we could eat dinner, get Aaron and come back. Then when we came back we did the outdoor splash pad for an hour because the indoor pool was closed until 7pm for swim lessons (I didnt even mention the different classes you can take!! A little extra $ but not bad at all!) and then went indoors. I didnt think Landry would want to do the waterslide because of how tall it is but he was all about it. But he insisted and our first trip down (both kids have to go with a parent because of their size) the raft dumped into the water but he was a total trooper and wanted to do it again.

Xavier did too. We would dump here or there but most of the time I was able to dump on my feet and grab  whichever kid I was hanging onto. My legs got a workout too continuously climbing the stairs to get up there.

I had to tell the boys though that we can only do the waterslide when there is mom and dad there. I cant take both kids at once incase we dump. They had a great time though. We did that for 30 minutes or so and then went and got cleaned up and let them play in the tree fort again until 8pm.

So I am not sure what to do.

Do I keep my Powerhouse membership just for the classes? The Rec Center doesnt have the Les Mills classes that I like and it is set up per session...not just an ongoing thing...

The Rec Center does have all the cardio equipment that I love...treadmills, ellipticals, the dreaded rotating stairs...PLUS stuff I have NEVER seen before!

And my other gym is about 35 min away...so time and gas is involved...

Maybe if I just plan on doing my gym for Thursday RPM and Friday Zumba...but is that worth $30 a month? 8 classes a month...That is cheaper than drop in rates at the Rec Center which is $7 a visit...

I just feel like I need to find my groove again. Yesterday was a great time and I am taking the kids back today  while we wait for my mom to come down. I told her to text me when she is on her way so I have an ETA so I can be here to help her into the house.

She can now walk after surgery but cant do stairs but on her butt and our driveway is a bit broken up so I want to make sure we are back.

Like yesterday (and if you didnt read yesterdays blog, please do) I am asking for opinions here about the gym thing. Y'all know that I love Zumba which is the Friday class at my gym BUT I teach that twice a week already at a different gym. So I have been hit or miss for Friday especially with summer and stuff going on.

I just know that I am going to be hitting the Rec Center just about every evening to go lift. Aaron wants to go in the morning before going to work but of course he overslept today. LOL

Oh and in regards to yesterdays blog...

As soon as we got home from the first trip to the rec center yesterday M was over. Like immediately. Asking to play. I told him in a few minutes because the boys were getting changed into swimsuits because we were going to be having dinner and go back to the rec center.

No problems. He came back and the boys were already in the backyard playing.

Immediately they asked to play inside. But by now it was cool out so I said no. Outside. I was trying to get the house picked up for my mom to come down (you know how it is).

Well M didnt want to play outside and left.

Then he comes back a few minutes later and once again Xavier comes inside.

This time Xavier says to me "M is going down to the Dairy Barn for ice cream but all he has is change. Do you have a dollar you can give him?" WTF? Really? I told Xavier that I did not have any dollars he can have. Then Xavier looks at me and says "well I do!!" I had to tell him no, that that is HIS money and not M's. So M left again to hit up another neighbor.

I dont know if M was using his own money, or if his parents even knew that he was going down there to GET an ice cream, but the dad across the street from us gave M some money and his 8 yr old son B some money and they went down by themselves (the 6 yr old and the 8 yr old) to the busy street and got an ice cream. Granted it wasnt like they had to cross a busy road or anything but I am not comfortable with that.

Then when they get back, M comes over with his ice cream wanting to play with the boys. Now how do you play while you are eating ice cream? I didnt think that was fair to my kids to watch him eat ice cream and we were getting ready to have our dinner so I told M no. That their dad (Aaron) was going to be home in a few with pizza and that we were eating and leaving again.

Still bizarre to me. Not sure if this is normal kid behavior or what.

But then last night after we got home after 8 and got our kids to bed, both M and B were outside wandering around and it was almost dark. I guess I get the 8 yr old being out a little later and maybe it is because M is 7 and I forget he is older than Xavier that it bugs me when they are out so late. Oh well.

Now that we are members of the Rec Center, we wont be around as much and M being over all the time will be a thing of the past. The Rec Center is literally right across the busy street from us. So down the block and across. The boys and I could even walk there. It is like having a pool without the maintenance. So I am sure we will be there just about every day.

That is the news for now. I am off to make coffee and get myself ready. You know those kids are going to want to go to the Rec Center just about as soon as they wake up! LOL. Plus I need to finish cleaning before my mom gets here today.

I will fill you guys in more on probably Monday. Tomorrow and Saturday are art fairs that we are going to and Sunday Aaron and I are hoping to have someone to watch the kids so just he and I can go do something. We shall see!

Have a GREAT day!!

Tip of the Day:

Need some help here...

Hi everyone!

First, thank you SO much for all the warm wishes and welcome backs and compliments about the house. I love this house (besides the earwigs) even more than our other houses we have had and I can see us here for a long time.

Someone asked if I read Run For Cookies blog because she had a tummy tuck. Yes. I read Katie's blog. In fact she lives in Michigan and has run some of the same races I have though I have not personally met her yet.

One problem with having insurance cover a tuck for me is this:
I dont have rashes from loose skin or issues because of it. I mean dont get me wrong. I could make rashes by itching myself raw. Every once in a while that happens. BUT it isnt often enough to have it documented by a doctor. SO that means that I need to pay out of pocket. It is ok though.

Onto today:
I said today I needed some help. Here is the situation.

There is a boy that is a year older than Xavier that lives a few houses from us.

He is the second youngest. He has a sister that is a year younger and is Xaviers age. He has another sister that is 10 and a brother that looks like he is a teenager (think peach fuzz mustache).

His dad just got out of the armed forces. His mom is a stay at home and they have one car. They rent the house.

We have met the mom and dad briefly one night for about 30 minutes when Aaron walked over and introduced himself to them with the boys. I went over after I got home from Zumba. The parents were not really talkative to us at all. A bit here or there but no big conversations.

Since then, the boy, we will call him M, has been over every day and multiple times a day.

There is nothing wrong with that but I am starting to feel like a sitter. And red flags are starting to raise up.

M is very polite. In fact one day Xavier started to talk back and M said that he should really listen to me. How wonderful right? No flag there...BUT...

But this kids parents are never seen outside the house. M walks up and down the street with no one looking after him. Our street is fairly quiet but ends on a very BUSY street and while we are down from it quite a bit, M has been seen up there with no parent.

Many times M comes over and asks if he can stay for dinner-as in immediately asks. Or if it is raining out if he can play inside. I have avoided him playing inside because I have been trying to unpack and didnt want to clean up after toys.

Now M does run home to check in with his parents. Thats good.

Saturday a neighbor was shooting off fireworks at the end of the street. It was about 10:30 and Aaron and I went on the front porch to watch them. WELL M and his 10 yr old sister were outside wandering. No parents. No nothing. The door wasnt even open and the blinds werent open either. Absolutely no supervision. M saw us and asked about Xavier and Landry and where they were. To which we replied that they were asleep. WTF?? At this point it is almost 11pm.

Two days ago M brought over a friend and his mom and his little brother who were out biking. M wanted his friend to play here too. I had no problem with that and the mom and I started talking and I said how I started to feel like a babysitter. Well she mentioned that she found M down at this busy road. It raised some flags with her too. She didnt want her son to play here initially because she was worried about supervision. So I invited her and her kids in the backyard to play and we started chatting. M ran home to get his parents so they could meet his friend and his mom and when he showed back up with his dad, this mom mentioned about M wandering around by the busy road. This kid is 7 btw... The dad brushed it off and said that he has a friend that lives down by the end of the street. He asked me if M had any fits because he is "ODD or ADD..whatever" and has those at home. I said no he has been fine. M mentioned wanting his mom to meet his friends mom and the dad said "nooo...mom needs her breaks just like these moms" to which I thought...who the heck gets a break when your kid is over here all the time!!

But that night he came over again and I was gone to teach Zumba. Aaron said M could come in and play and he asked for a snack. Well Aaron said no not right now and M said he hadnt eaten since he had some eggs for breakfast. WTF really? Aaron wasnt sure if he was just fibbing in order to eat something but thought if that was the case he really needed to eat. M proceeded to pound down a hot dog, veggies and some puffed popcorn.

About 8pm his 10 yr old sister came looking for him. I asked if she was looking for M and she said "yes. We cant find him". I said he was in the basement and the kids were picking up and I would send him home. She said ok because his mom was looking for him.

If my child went missing, I would be going crazy. Outside calling for them...going to their friends house...you know. Nothing out of the parents. Just sending the sister looking for him. WTF?

Now another thing is that this 10 yr old sister does not smile. At all. M said something about his sister either being to shy to smile or doesnt like to smile but it raises a flag. I am not sure if that is a 10 yr old girl age thing or not. Maybe someone can help me out with that.

M never says "lets play at my house" or anything like that. Seems odd to me though I like knowing where my kids are. Aaron doesnt want the kids to go down there at all anyways. Too many little questionable things. He doesnt know if the dad is PTSD after being in the armed forces or if the mom and dad are trying to get reacquainted after he was deployed. We just dont know. All we know is that we never really see them.

And then yesterday M didnt come over at all. I can assume that he got grounded because of him being inside the house or out too late or not checking in. And I guess I would agree with him being grounded if he didnt do something that he was supposed to. But it is sort of the lack of reaction on the part of the parents that really worries me.

I am just not sure what to do. Do I just keep my ears open to what is going on? Do I talk to the parents? I dont want anything to be taken out against M though the kid doesnt have any bruises or anything on them.

And one more thing...M was across the street at another kids house and said something about that kid smoking pot. Something like "B is smoking pot! B is smoking pot!" Now the kid obviously wasnt. But what 7 yr old knows about pot? I know my kids dont. But then again, we dont have it in our house and I dont allow my kids to watch shows that have it in it. Maybe with having older siblings in the house he is more exposed to it?

And we NEVER see the 6 yr old younger sister. Maybe once M brought her over to play.

And M comes over all the time- with the exception of yesterday. When I say the kids cant play he asks what he did? Nothing. They need to cool down from the heat or Xavier got grounded a day..etc.  Or if we run errands he immediately comes over and says "where were you guys?"

Am I reading into this? I just think it is REALLY hands off parenting. But the kid is learning manners from somewhere.

Every once in a while M comes over with a hot pocket or a sundae his mom got him from the ice cream place the end of the street at the busy road. It seems weird he brings food over here to eat when no one else over here is eating. I dont particularly care for that because then my kids want what he has or they want to eat when it could ruin their meal...etc.

Or if we tell him it is time to go because we are going to eat he says "ok I will wait here". Um...no. It is like his parents told him not to come home or that he cant go home or he doesnt want to go home.

Let me know what you think.

Have a great day everyone. Today I am signing us up for the rec center and we may hit the pool tonight with the kids. Should be fun.