Today’s 44 was a fairly simple move made a little more challenging with a band – a small tight band.

I did a step out to a squat – right and then step out left for 1 rep.  (so each rep had 2 squats)

The 44 went quickly but my legs were burning by the end.

Insanity the Asylum vol. 2  was up again – Upper Elite.  YIKES!!!  60 minutes of upper body with just a few cardio bursts thrown in.  More push-ups than I cared to  count, biceps, triceps, shoulders, upper back, core – some of everything!!  I’m still shaking and I finished over 30 minutes ago.  I actually had to do some of the push-ups on my knees  – hopefully next time through I will get them on my toes.

December is the month of counting down!!!  We started doing Christmas count-downs years ago and the boys still do them even though they aren’t little any more.  

Every night the boys do all of the different count downs.  Years ago they used to fight about whose turn it was so I started the odd/even – whoever is the odd age gets odd days. This system has worked perfectly for many years!!

We have a couple that you just change the numbers – 

One that you move a little star around – 

A Santa full of doors – we start with all of the doors open and close one each night.

A Santa with a big beard that starts out empty and will be full on Christmas – 

But my favorite countdown is one that requires a little more effort.  We have a row of 25 little stockings – 

Every night during the month of December each of the boys take a little piece of paper and writes down something they are thankful for.  At the end of the month (or when I take down the decorations), I type up the list.  It is really fun to go back and look at lists from years ago.  (I type it exactly as they wrote it – spelling and grammar errors and all!!)

I love Christmas but I really want our boys to know how very fortunate they are and for them to take the time to appreciate all of the goodness in their lives.

Do you have a count down tradition?

Happy Tuesday!!

Kim