Sump Pump Fail: The Joys of Homeownership

After a wonderful weekend away, Adam and I came home to a scene that haunts all homeowners... a basement of water. When we purchased our home back in August, the sewer pipes were to be rerouted to abide by code. All the work was done previous to the change in ownership, and the previous owner even had the foundation fixed. Thus far, we hadn't had any woes or worries, but that was not the case after the mega storm that came on Sunday.

Do you know what runs through your brain when you see water bubbling behind the paint in your basement? How about when the electrical box to the whole house has water trickling down each switch? Or when you look down and get sprayed in the face from the geyser shooting from the sump pump? What do you see in your mind's eye during all of these situations? The answer is dollar signs! Oh the dollar signs! The worry that you haven't saved as much as you should. The worry that going back to school will no longer be an option. The worry that a house you only intend on staying in for a few years will eat away at all your hard earned cash and dreams of exploring the world...ouch.

But then logic kicks in, adrenaline kicks in, and you get down to business. This is happening, there is no changing the puddles behind the basement bar, and you've got to deal. Crying wont help and complaining wont change a thing. What will help is calling your father and diving into the sump pump to fix the problem!

The water had drained, but the pipes separated again. So, I held on while Adam got the screwdriver!

Thankfully, my dad is a Mr. Fix-it and was able to give me a few tips. Once I was shoulder deep in the water, I realized the two pipes had disconnected, so the pump wasn't working at all. Thankfully, I was able to connect them, Adam was able to tighten them, and the basement immediately started draining. So lucky! We decided I would take the next day off of work to do some clean up, and my dad came over to help us figure out a plan of attack. Thank God for my papa! As Adam pointed out, we can do grunt work with the best of them, but we are still learning quite a bit about being a Mr. and Mrs. Fix-it!

Day 2: Dad is assessing the situation

After digging a few pathways to divert the water, and buying, returning and exchanging a couple of sump pumps, we found a water tile system in our backyard that had previously been covered. Dad traced the path of the pipe with a crowbar, and Adam dug down. Thankfully, he was able to puncture a hole in the lower pipe and connect the sump pump line! Hurray! Once the ground dries out a bit, we will be able to make the connection more permanent, but it will work for now. 

Adam installed the sump pump. He is a rock star. 

A potentially disastrous, money heavy situation turned out to so much better than expected! With the help of my dad, we spent less than $200 on the fix, and we found out a few new things about our home. But for me, the real blessing came in the form of a realization.  As I was holding the pipes together and silently worrying about money (and the disappearance of my fantasy vacation), Adam was right there with me. We worked together to accomplish a goal, and I was reminded that when hard times come, there is no one I'd rather have in my corner than my best friend. 

SkyRobics: An Absolute Repeat

Last night, I went out of my fitness comfort zone and tried something different. Something that had me reaching for the stars. Something I will absolutely be doing again. Last night I tried SkyRobics!

SkyRobics is a new new to me trend of working out on a trampoline. According to Sky Zone, SkyRobics is a low impact, high energy way to burn up to "1,000 calories in an hour".  The first two statements are completely accurate. I don't know about you, but there is something about jumping on a trampoline that brings a childlike smile to my face. I am fairly positive the smile never left my face!

 However, the class I attended was an intro class, so we didn't quite reach that 1,000 calorie mark. One of the other women in the class had an active tracker on, and by the end it read between 450-500 calories burned; still, not to shabby for sixty minutes of pure FUN!

Sky Zone socks to prevent slipping

On Tuesday night,  I received a text from one of the other teachers at school asking if I would be interested in a jump workout in Des Moines with a few other ladies. Of course I was! But, the 45 minute drive both ways didn't seem as fun. Luckily, we carpooled, and Adam told me suck it up...and I am so glad I did!

I'm sore today, so my fitness goal was achieved. Score!  The only suggestion I would give to people that are considering trampoline fitness would be to call ahead, and find out their busy times... then avoid those times at all costs! The experience was a blast because it was such a small group, four of us total!  If there had been 125 other jumpers...I may have had a different opinion :-)

SkyRobics

• We started with a quick warm up which consisted of jumping side to side, back to front, etc. The instructor was amazing! Our class was supposed to be canceled due to low attendance, but she kept it going just for us; four teachers from 45 minutes away, bouncing, bouncing, bouncing. 

• Then it was circuit time. There were six stations set up which ranged from TRX bands and battle ropes to bounding across the floor and spiderman jumps. The spiderman jumps were pretty fun once you got the hang of it, though they also caused my only crash of the night. 

• Next was the cardio section. For this, we bounded up and back for two minutes and then played catch with a partner. During catch, we did high knees, butt kicks, butt drops and free jump. We were having so much fun, the time just flew by! 

*BONUS* When the workout was complete, our instructor took us to the foam pit! I was a little nervous at first, but the actual jump was pretty exhilarating! The worst part was the climb out of the pit. Try to imagine what it would feel like to climb out of quicksand made of kitchen sponges...

If you have anything like SkyZone in your area, I highly recommend it! It was a great switch up from my usual workouts. Plus for a cheap $7, it gave me just the boost I've been craving. 

Oh So Cosmo's take on SkyRobics

New Fitness Page

I've decided to start documenting my workouts on a regular basis. Over the last ten years, I have swung the scale back and forth anywhere from 132 pounds to my heaviest 174 pounds (that was hard to type!). I have tried calorie counting, a few fad diets, and different types of workouts, but it really comes down to a lifestyle change. I have to limit my cheat days, and fuel my body with real foods.

Enter my husband. Though schedules do not allow it anymore, when we met, Adam could easily be at the gym for several hours a day. He is a fitness fanatic. He rarely takes a day off, and he shows me just how great you can feel when you put the time into it. I have a hard time with the motivation to get started, but I always feel better after a good sweat. He is my inspiration on those days, and I'm not even sure he knows it. Maybe I should tell him.

I'm not where I want to be, but I'm working on it. This is my journey.

Green Thumbs, Organization, and Selfies

Have you heard the new song #Selfie? It is awful. It is what is wrong with the world. I really, really, really want to hate it...but it is so catchy! Adam and I were driving up to Des Moines on Friday when BAM, #Selfie came on the radio.  At the time, we both laughed at the lyrics and honestly, made fun of it a bit. Little did we know, the song would still be circling in our heads on Sunday! Washing the dishes? Selfie! Cleaning the counters? Selfie! Watching a movie? Selfie! Oh my gracious, I thought my head was going to explode, but I also started secretly loving it. In honor of the song (and our guilt over liking it), we decided to take a few selfies. Feast your eyes on the awesome! 

Not to worry, the weekend wasn't entirely filled with selfies. The weather was amazing, so we were inspired to get a few things started in our yard. "Inspired to get a few things started in our yard" is also known as Adam picked up some sticks, while I soaked up the sun and brainstormed. This is our first Spring as homeowners, and there is a ton of work to do to get the lawn, trees, and flowers ready. Neither of us have a very green thumb, so there will be a lot to learn! What plants do we cut back? Which trees need to be trimmed? Do roses grow well in the sun, or would they be better in the back yard? I have been doing some research on Pinterest, of course, but I'm hoping my parents or Ashlynn will come over sometime soon to give me some pointers.

Stay tuned for some great before and afters!

Adam picking up a crazy amount of sticks that dropped in recent storms

When he helps around the house, my heart fills up. #goodhusband

Spring has sprung! The first of our MANY plants! 

Finally, I did a massive reorganization on Sunday afternoon. Sadly, I have not figured out a good filing system since we moved to our house in August (way to long!). This is probably largely due to the fact that I haven't purchased a filing cabinet yet, but it is on the list. I promise! Until then, my poor kitchen counters have the burden of paying the price. In fact, I don't think I had seen that countertop in months. Other than bills, all of our mail gets tossed over there. 

Before the organization, the counter looked like the aftermath of an earthquake; paper, coupons, and cardboard everywhere. Beyond the mail, Adam's protein and pre workout also lived on the same counter. It was an embarrassing eyesore, but no more! It took me well over an hour, but I am happy to report that it has been cleaned. I cleared a place in the cabinet for Adam's workout powders, and I placed every last paper into a "file, "toss, or "ask Adam" pile. There was quite a bit in the toss pile, and it felt good to purge. 

I always feel happier when the house is organized, but even Adam admitted that it made him feel less stressed to see that counter cleared. I call that a win! 

After the big clean; I can finally see our wedding photo! 

Tests, Test, and More Tests

Assessment week: the one week of the year every teacher has a love hate relationship with. All week long, my students will be under pressure to do their best, and I'm under pressure to make benchmark. Below, is a list of some things I do to make this week a little easier on my students.

1. Brain food  Each morning this week, the students will get a fruit, veggie, or cheese stick to get their bodies and brains ready for a couple hours of quiet sitting. 
2. Peppermints during the test   I'm not sure if there is actual research backing this, but there has been a movement to allow students to suck on a peppermint while testing. It is supposed to help with their concentration, and I'm happy to have the fresh smell in my room! 
3. Extra recess   One day this week, I am planning to have an extra recess for my students. The weather is finally nice, and after working so hard on their tests, they could use the time to get the wiggles out. 
4. Breaks between tests   I often have a short physical routine that I do with them between tests. The routine generally involves 10 jumping jacks, 10 toe touches, stretch to the wall, wiggle, sit back down. Plus, it is a good stress reliever! My kids can't help but giggle when I'm up there making a fool of myself. 
5. Good old fashioned encouragement    It is amazing how far a smile and a, "You got this!" can go in a student's world. 

Wish me luck, and let the testing begin! 

Trouble: Game Night!

I have spend a lot of time reading about healthy marriages in the last few months, and a repeating factor in every book and article is this: if you want to keep your marriage happy, you have to keep dating your spouse! When Adam and I were dating, we used to spend a crazy amount of time together. We quickly became best friends, and any activity was better if the other was involved... Enter adulthood life. While we still love spending time together, real life gets in the way of that more often that we would like.

So, when schedules are crazy, how do you keep your marriage alive and kicking?

Well...you make time. Last night, Adam had another evening off (score!), so we decided to make the best of it. After a Hy-Vee dinner and a formidable workout at the local high school, Adam had a lightbulb moment. Why not take a trip to Wal-Mart (the only store in town), pick up a new board game, and make an evening of it? We ended up buying Trouble for $11 and jumping back into childhood! 

source

Adam was pretty confident about his skills before the game began. 

I swear he is usually quite sweet, but competition brings out the best in all of us. He won the first game, and I was thinking I had a long night ahead of me...

But after game three, he wasn't quite as confident. My Trouble skills were coming back from age 10!

After a few more games, P.P. didn't think we were paying enough attention to her, and she let us know!

Finally, six games had passed and the winner was.....ME! We played winner takes all on game six, and I came out victorious! P.P. was happy to have us calmed down (we are pretty passionate about our gaming skills), and we all cuddled up to watch some Saturday Night Live before bed. 

Overall, it was a fantastic date! I completely agree with all those marriage books. Dating your spouse is the best idea in the world. 

Love my life. 

April Fool's

What are your thoughts on April Fool's Day? Do you love it or despise it? Are you plotting and scheming for days, or doing everything in your power to avoid another prank?

In years past, April Fool's has been a holiday of "watch out, because I'm going to get you" in our home. When it comes to life outside of work, Adam is a total kid a heart. He loves super heros, we watch way too many Disney movies, and playing pranks on April 1st is a given. Who knows why it started, but each year, I am on high alert all day. Heaven forbid something genuine and nonfictional ever happens on April 1st, because more than likely I will balk at the news.

But here is the strangest thing: the ultimate jokesters holiday came and went in our home without one trick, hoax, or escapade! I didn't even know that was possible! The closest attempt happened around dinner. Adam came home to eat, took off his duty belt, and announced he had the rest of the night off. I laughed, stuck out my tongue, and told him he needed to try harder if he was going to fool me...but it wasn't a joke! On a holiday that normally brings healthy anxiety to my world, I had one of the best stay at home evenings in weeks. We watched Mulan (what did I tell you about Disney movies), ordered pizza, worked out, and went out for ice cream.

The pizza and ice cream may have cancelled out the workout...oh well!

Yesterday was a perfect, prank free day. I loved every moment of it, and the resulting good mood is lasting into today! However, with my young at heart husband, I can't imagine "No Prank April" becoming a tradition, so I'm already scheming for next year. What pranks were pulled in your world this year?


In honor of this holiday of jest and joke, I am including a few pranks from our household's past.

1. The toothpaste Oreo switch: all you need is a white toothpaste, a knife and gullible pray.
2. You have now been subscribed to Cat Facts! text trick. Classic!
3. The "I was moving things at work and broke my collarbone" phone call. Adam tried to pull this one on me a few years ago, but luckily his mom was privy to his ways and warned me ahead of time. 
4. Your head in a jar in my fridge trick: Be careful who you pull this one on, because it can get pretty frightening. 
5. Plastic wrap over the bedroom door frame: a slap in the morning face. 

Update: As Adam and I were driving to the gym last night he said, "I'm sorry yesterday was a prank free day." He then leaned over, gave me a kiss on the cheek, and whispered in my ear, "Don't worry, we can now have 364 prank filled ones." Uh oh, America! I'd better think of some good ones quick! :-)