Just recently I’ve come across a number of blog posts and what-nots on how to get your picky eaters (kids) to eat their fruit and veggies.
They’ve all got all kinds of helpful tips and things to try, ways to sneak it all in to other yummy foods and everything a mom would need to get their kids eating all the healthy goodness from fruits and veggies.
Which is all good.
But tell me this….
Where are the blog posts for mom’s like me; How to keep your kids from eating all the (as in before anyone else can get any) fruits and veggies?
I know that is a weird request but honestly, I can’t keep up with the consumption of fruits and veggies in this house. Seriously the minute a 2 pound bag of grapes hit the fridge they are gone. When I bring home a bag of apples my kids won’t stop asking for them until there is no more to ask for. For a quick snack they choose carrots. They sneak in the kitchen and steal bananas. I mean I have to actually think of ways to hide it so they don’t eat it all, and it doesn’t just stop there. In cooked dishes they will pick out the carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower and going back for more before you can even sit down and start eating. At restaurants they choose the steamed veggies over french fries every time and sometimes they would rather just order a big salad. My son consumes whole cartons of cherry tomatoes when I buy them. My girls love grilled onions and peppers.
So where is my blog post? I need to know how to keep up with it, and more importantly, how to AFFORD it!!
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Monday, August 29, 2011
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Homeschool: To do or Not to do?
Before I go into this understand I value a college education and I will gain a B.S in Education with a focus on Kinesiology (you know, because I’m a health nut and all) in the Spring and I hope to then work on my M.S. I want my children to desire and understand the importance of a further education. I am choosing to lead by example. I understand that not everyone feels/thinks the same. Moreover, each family has their own beliefs/values/opinions on homeschooling. I respect that. Please respect mine.
The kids have been back to school a couple of weeks now. I find myself agonizing even more over germs, safety, teaching methods, and most of all, preserving my children’s innocence. I always toyed with the idea of homeschooling, back before Nate entered Pre-K. While most in my family gave me funny looks, my husband was and is supportive and understanding. However, I questioned, then and now, my ability and my patience. I have never been one to think that homeschooled children are unsocial, or weird. In fact, I believe they are more mature, responsible, passionate, sensitive, careful, and respectful. Who doesn’t want that? My main concern has always been the education level of those who taught their kids. While most are qualified, many are not.
The public school system, which has certification and licensure requirements, though less so with the private schools, which set their own teacher qualifications criteria, the qualifications for homeschooling are not much more than being a parent. In addition, parents - like all other members of the general population -not specially trained in instruction, may be better or worse teachers, with greater or less knowledge about any particular subject area. Although parents can bring a wealth of specialized information about and understanding of their child to the teaching situation, teaching is not just about the child: it is also about the subject area and the process of acquiring the knowledge of and mindset for each subject area and ability to perform the processes and tasks associated with it.
The skills of parenting and instructing are not exactly the same. Teachers not only have some subject area expertise, knowledge of child development and the needs of students with various learning styles, but they also have training in assisting children with special needs, such as learning disabilities. Teachers are required to undergo continuing education, that is, professional development in their fields, even after they receive a teaching license. (While I have elaborated, I do recognize that bad professional instructors do exist. The difference to me is a child will have that teacher for one year not the course of their entire education.)
Off my soapbox now and back to my point.
Before they entered public school, I taught both Nate and Kira reading, writing, and simple math and now I am beginning the same journey for Kyla. The difference? I am now following a curriculum. I have challenged myself. If I can effectively teach Ms. Sass, then I know I can do this homeschool thing. I enjoy the pleasures and the challenges of educating them. I demand to be an active participant in their education. I want to slow down just enough to allow them to fully take in what they are learning, to care about it, and to enjoy it by relating it to the greater spectrum of knowledge, thereby making learning relevant. I want them to gain greater values, greater freedom, and greater satisfaction with their family and their life. While the idea is overwhelming, stressful, and causes maybe a slight panic attack; the moment that understanding flashes on Kyla's face makes it all worthwhile. (And I will admit...makes me a proud Momma!) Stay tuned and I will let you know how it goes!!
The kids have been back to school a couple of weeks now. I find myself agonizing even more over germs, safety, teaching methods, and most of all, preserving my children’s innocence. I always toyed with the idea of homeschooling, back before Nate entered Pre-K. While most in my family gave me funny looks, my husband was and is supportive and understanding. However, I questioned, then and now, my ability and my patience. I have never been one to think that homeschooled children are unsocial, or weird. In fact, I believe they are more mature, responsible, passionate, sensitive, careful, and respectful. Who doesn’t want that? My main concern has always been the education level of those who taught their kids. While most are qualified, many are not.
The public school system, which has certification and licensure requirements, though less so with the private schools, which set their own teacher qualifications criteria, the qualifications for homeschooling are not much more than being a parent. In addition, parents - like all other members of the general population -not specially trained in instruction, may be better or worse teachers, with greater or less knowledge about any particular subject area. Although parents can bring a wealth of specialized information about and understanding of their child to the teaching situation, teaching is not just about the child: it is also about the subject area and the process of acquiring the knowledge of and mindset for each subject area and ability to perform the processes and tasks associated with it.
The skills of parenting and instructing are not exactly the same. Teachers not only have some subject area expertise, knowledge of child development and the needs of students with various learning styles, but they also have training in assisting children with special needs, such as learning disabilities. Teachers are required to undergo continuing education, that is, professional development in their fields, even after they receive a teaching license. (While I have elaborated, I do recognize that bad professional instructors do exist. The difference to me is a child will have that teacher for one year not the course of their entire education.)
Off my soapbox now and back to my point.
Before they entered public school, I taught both Nate and Kira reading, writing, and simple math and now I am beginning the same journey for Kyla. The difference? I am now following a curriculum. I have challenged myself. If I can effectively teach Ms. Sass, then I know I can do this homeschool thing. I enjoy the pleasures and the challenges of educating them. I demand to be an active participant in their education. I want to slow down just enough to allow them to fully take in what they are learning, to care about it, and to enjoy it by relating it to the greater spectrum of knowledge, thereby making learning relevant. I want them to gain greater values, greater freedom, and greater satisfaction with their family and their life. While the idea is overwhelming, stressful, and causes maybe a slight panic attack; the moment that understanding flashes on Kyla's face makes it all worthwhile. (And I will admit...makes me a proud Momma!) Stay tuned and I will let you know how it goes!!
Monday, August 22, 2011
Beginners Guide to Body Fat Loss
I'm adding some of my past posts from a previous blog that seem to be on subjects many people ask about.
If you’re just starting a fitness program with an objective to lose body fat, this blog is a good place to start. There’s no secret of the tips to fat loss. The key objective for a successful program is to ensure one formula is met.
‘Calories in’ is less than ‘Calories out’.
Calories in is obviously the food you consume. Calories out refers to the number of calories your body burns throughout the day, often enhanced through exercise.
Simple.
However, beyond this key principle, there are other elements that will make your program more effective and successful.
The key to losing fat and maintaining a healthy weight is all about a lifestyle. Forget about the concept of a diet. A diet is a temporary eating plan with temporary results. In fact, on average, those that lose a substantial amount of weight using a fad diet often result in more weight gained if and when the individual quits an unrealistic eating plan. The key to losing weight is to simply change your eating habits for life. Now, before you close this page, this concept doesn’t mean that you can’t eat your favorite foods. But the key is to eat them in moderation, at the right time and in conjunction with an exercise program. It’s important to note that fad diets are not based on effective nutritional principles and are often unsustainable for the long term. However, simple and sound eating habits are easily attainable for a lifetime and thus are more effective in the long run.
Losing and maintaining fat loss requires a change in your life. A change to the way you eat and a change to your activity level. If you aren’t willing to make changes to either of these areas, then your chances of successful weight loss are slim to none. People continue to spend billions of dollars every year in hopes of finding a quick fix to weight and fitness goals. To date, the formula and practices in this article are the only means of meeting those goals. Many people elect or are forced to proceed with gastric bypass surgery. This is often a life-risking surgery that will result in an inability for individuals to consume large amounts of food, but why risk your life when you could improve your health and life with a little effort every week?
Ignorance and laziness are the main culprits as to why there are more and more obese people in society today. Ignorance of what is most healthy and beneficial to eat and laziness to take the time to ‘eat clean’ diets, and not the processed and preservative laden foods currently found with fast food and pre-prepared meals.
The function of food is to supply energy and nutrients to the body. What’s important to note is that some of your favorite foods encourage and promote fat loss. But it’s key to eat them properly, with the right portions and at the right time.
What’s important to note is that for most people, the objective is to lose body fat, not body weight. The goal in a program such as this is to maintain muscle and lose body fat. Your body burns more calories to maintain muscle, which requires a faster metabolism. Your metabolism is the process and speed at which your body burns calories. A goal during fat loss is to speed up your metabolism as much as possible so you are burning as many calories at possible, even at rest. So it goes without saying that a fast metabolism that supports your ‘calories out’ exceeding your ‘calories in’ is a crucial component to fat loss. Metabolism can be increased through proper eating habits and exercise, which we’ll get to later.
Diet
Food consists of three macro nutrients:
• Protein
• Carbohydrates
• Fats
There are numerous functions of proteins in the body, but I'll just concentrate on the most important: proteins are involved in growing, repairing, and replacing tissue. Proteins are large organic compounds made of amino acids which are obtained through the consumption of foods containing protein. These proteins are used as the building blocks of muscle tissue, while others are converted to glucose for use for energy. This use of protein as a fuel is particularly important under starvation conditions as it allows the body's own proteins to be used to support life, particularly those found in muscle. This is what the bodybuilder or fitness enthusiast wants to avoid. The goal is to ensure that protein intake is used almost exclusively for growing, repairing and replacing tissue. Amino acids are also an important dietary source of nitrogen.
Carbohydrates are the preferred form of fuel for the body's energy needs. An important point about carbs and where the average person makes a mistake is that after you supply your energy needs, any excess carbs will be stored as fat. Once your energy needs are met and you keep eating high carb meals, the excess "spills out" and you will add fat.
Fats are by far the most efficient energy storage form. They have various functions in the body including providing energy for cells, controlling what goes in and out of cells, determining the integrity of nervous tissue and helping to form hormones. As much as you hear of the evil of fat, it is actually a required and beneficial nutrient. Many people aren't aware of what the "good fats" are and in what foods you can find them. The American Heart Association recommends restricting the total fats in a diet, reducing the consumption of cholesterol-rich foods, such as milk and butter, replacing saturated fats with unsaturated fats, and limiting the intake of trans fats. Although fats are required in every nutritional plan, it is crucial to control and limit their consumption as required.
High protein, moderate carb (particularly complex carbs), and low fat is the most common and effective nutritional strategy for fat loss. As well, smaller and more frequent meals (5-6 per day) prevent stress on the digestive process and will ensure your metabolism is a finely tuned machine.
The most common fat loss nutrient daily ratio recommended is 40-45% carbs, 40-35% protein, and no more than 20% fat. Depending on one’s metabolism, this daily formula is commonly optimal. In addition, this ratio creates a favorable hormonal environment that leads to muscle growth and fat loss.
Exercise
Judging by the line up for the elliptical machines at your local gym, it’s obvious that people view cardio exercise as the most important means of burning calories and losing fat. However, by using cardio as your sole source of exercise, you will lose equal amount of fat and muscle. As mentioned above, a fast metabolism is key for an effective fat loss program. Solely focusing on a cardio fitness plan will result limited effective fat loss with a lower metabolism due to muscle loss.
Gaining muscle is the secret to permanent at loss as the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn at rest on any given day. In addition, gaining muscle is the key to achieving the firm good looking body that everybody wants that dieting and cardio alone will not give. As we get older, we all find ourselves losing muscle. Losing muscle also slows our metabolism. Weights are a key way to mitigate this.
Of course there are many women that are concerned that if they lift weights, they will become bulky and manly looking. If this was the case, every guy that walked in a gym would easily look like Schwarzenagger. The women with large muscle mass are focused, either through an extremely intense weight lifting program and/or the help of performance enhancing drugs, in their effort to go beyond what the female body is naturally limited to looking like.
Recovery
The three pillars of a fitness program is diet, exercise and recovery. Exercise is what sparks growth, food ensures the body has the ability to leverage and respond to training, and recovery allows the body to respond to the stress that it’s faced and prepare for the next workout. If you do not get enough sleep, it will hinder your gains. Without enough rest or sleep, you will lack energy for your workouts, and a large amount of exercise benefit and fat loss actually occurs during sleep. Be sure to get at least 7 hours of sleep a night and allow your body the opportunity to rest and relax. After all, when working out with great intensity, you deserve it.
This article should be a good starting point to meeting your fat loss goals. As was said earlier, it isn’t rocket science and the high level overview in this article touches on an approach that is tried and true. There’s no secret to fat loss. If you are willing to commit to an exercise program, eat properly and ensure proper rest, you’re on your way to meeting your goals and living a healthier life.
If you’re just starting a fitness program with an objective to lose body fat, this blog is a good place to start. There’s no secret of the tips to fat loss. The key objective for a successful program is to ensure one formula is met.
‘Calories in’ is less than ‘Calories out’.
Calories in is obviously the food you consume. Calories out refers to the number of calories your body burns throughout the day, often enhanced through exercise.
Simple.
However, beyond this key principle, there are other elements that will make your program more effective and successful.
The key to losing fat and maintaining a healthy weight is all about a lifestyle. Forget about the concept of a diet. A diet is a temporary eating plan with temporary results. In fact, on average, those that lose a substantial amount of weight using a fad diet often result in more weight gained if and when the individual quits an unrealistic eating plan. The key to losing weight is to simply change your eating habits for life. Now, before you close this page, this concept doesn’t mean that you can’t eat your favorite foods. But the key is to eat them in moderation, at the right time and in conjunction with an exercise program. It’s important to note that fad diets are not based on effective nutritional principles and are often unsustainable for the long term. However, simple and sound eating habits are easily attainable for a lifetime and thus are more effective in the long run.
Losing and maintaining fat loss requires a change in your life. A change to the way you eat and a change to your activity level. If you aren’t willing to make changes to either of these areas, then your chances of successful weight loss are slim to none. People continue to spend billions of dollars every year in hopes of finding a quick fix to weight and fitness goals. To date, the formula and practices in this article are the only means of meeting those goals. Many people elect or are forced to proceed with gastric bypass surgery. This is often a life-risking surgery that will result in an inability for individuals to consume large amounts of food, but why risk your life when you could improve your health and life with a little effort every week?
Ignorance and laziness are the main culprits as to why there are more and more obese people in society today. Ignorance of what is most healthy and beneficial to eat and laziness to take the time to ‘eat clean’ diets, and not the processed and preservative laden foods currently found with fast food and pre-prepared meals.
The function of food is to supply energy and nutrients to the body. What’s important to note is that some of your favorite foods encourage and promote fat loss. But it’s key to eat them properly, with the right portions and at the right time.
What’s important to note is that for most people, the objective is to lose body fat, not body weight. The goal in a program such as this is to maintain muscle and lose body fat. Your body burns more calories to maintain muscle, which requires a faster metabolism. Your metabolism is the process and speed at which your body burns calories. A goal during fat loss is to speed up your metabolism as much as possible so you are burning as many calories at possible, even at rest. So it goes without saying that a fast metabolism that supports your ‘calories out’ exceeding your ‘calories in’ is a crucial component to fat loss. Metabolism can be increased through proper eating habits and exercise, which we’ll get to later.
Diet
Food consists of three macro nutrients:
• Protein
• Carbohydrates
• Fats
There are numerous functions of proteins in the body, but I'll just concentrate on the most important: proteins are involved in growing, repairing, and replacing tissue. Proteins are large organic compounds made of amino acids which are obtained through the consumption of foods containing protein. These proteins are used as the building blocks of muscle tissue, while others are converted to glucose for use for energy. This use of protein as a fuel is particularly important under starvation conditions as it allows the body's own proteins to be used to support life, particularly those found in muscle. This is what the bodybuilder or fitness enthusiast wants to avoid. The goal is to ensure that protein intake is used almost exclusively for growing, repairing and replacing tissue. Amino acids are also an important dietary source of nitrogen.
Carbohydrates are the preferred form of fuel for the body's energy needs. An important point about carbs and where the average person makes a mistake is that after you supply your energy needs, any excess carbs will be stored as fat. Once your energy needs are met and you keep eating high carb meals, the excess "spills out" and you will add fat.
Fats are by far the most efficient energy storage form. They have various functions in the body including providing energy for cells, controlling what goes in and out of cells, determining the integrity of nervous tissue and helping to form hormones. As much as you hear of the evil of fat, it is actually a required and beneficial nutrient. Many people aren't aware of what the "good fats" are and in what foods you can find them. The American Heart Association recommends restricting the total fats in a diet, reducing the consumption of cholesterol-rich foods, such as milk and butter, replacing saturated fats with unsaturated fats, and limiting the intake of trans fats. Although fats are required in every nutritional plan, it is crucial to control and limit their consumption as required.
High protein, moderate carb (particularly complex carbs), and low fat is the most common and effective nutritional strategy for fat loss. As well, smaller and more frequent meals (5-6 per day) prevent stress on the digestive process and will ensure your metabolism is a finely tuned machine.
The most common fat loss nutrient daily ratio recommended is 40-45% carbs, 40-35% protein, and no more than 20% fat. Depending on one’s metabolism, this daily formula is commonly optimal. In addition, this ratio creates a favorable hormonal environment that leads to muscle growth and fat loss.
Exercise
Judging by the line up for the elliptical machines at your local gym, it’s obvious that people view cardio exercise as the most important means of burning calories and losing fat. However, by using cardio as your sole source of exercise, you will lose equal amount of fat and muscle. As mentioned above, a fast metabolism is key for an effective fat loss program. Solely focusing on a cardio fitness plan will result limited effective fat loss with a lower metabolism due to muscle loss.
Gaining muscle is the secret to permanent at loss as the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn at rest on any given day. In addition, gaining muscle is the key to achieving the firm good looking body that everybody wants that dieting and cardio alone will not give. As we get older, we all find ourselves losing muscle. Losing muscle also slows our metabolism. Weights are a key way to mitigate this.
Of course there are many women that are concerned that if they lift weights, they will become bulky and manly looking. If this was the case, every guy that walked in a gym would easily look like Schwarzenagger. The women with large muscle mass are focused, either through an extremely intense weight lifting program and/or the help of performance enhancing drugs, in their effort to go beyond what the female body is naturally limited to looking like.
Recovery
The three pillars of a fitness program is diet, exercise and recovery. Exercise is what sparks growth, food ensures the body has the ability to leverage and respond to training, and recovery allows the body to respond to the stress that it’s faced and prepare for the next workout. If you do not get enough sleep, it will hinder your gains. Without enough rest or sleep, you will lack energy for your workouts, and a large amount of exercise benefit and fat loss actually occurs during sleep. Be sure to get at least 7 hours of sleep a night and allow your body the opportunity to rest and relax. After all, when working out with great intensity, you deserve it.
This article should be a good starting point to meeting your fat loss goals. As was said earlier, it isn’t rocket science and the high level overview in this article touches on an approach that is tried and true. There’s no secret to fat loss. If you are willing to commit to an exercise program, eat properly and ensure proper rest, you’re on your way to meeting your goals and living a healthier life.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Mommy, as seen in "The Wiggles"
This evening I found myself rooted to the couch, watching a grown man in a pirate suit lunge and flail his way across the screen, presumably in an attempt to entertain the 4 and under crowd. Every kid in my house was asleep.
I found myself wondering what my own price would be. How much cash would it take for me to make a complete idiot of myself for a few young laughs?
And then a series of surprisingly vivid flashbacks slammed into my brain like one of those Acme anvils in the roadrunner cartoons.
Me, straighfaced, with Ava's BFF balanced neatly on the tip top of my head.
Me, crawling around on the floor in my "comfy clothes" growling like a dinosaur.
Me, hiding under the level of the bumper on Ava's crib, popping up and down unexpectedly with a new ridiculous look on my face each time. (A blanket/towel/pillow also elicits the same action).
So, basically, I make a complete idiot of myseself every. single. day.
And here's the worst part: I do it for free.
I found myself wondering what my own price would be. How much cash would it take for me to make a complete idiot of myself for a few young laughs?
And then a series of surprisingly vivid flashbacks slammed into my brain like one of those Acme anvils in the roadrunner cartoons.
Me, straighfaced, with Ava's BFF balanced neatly on the tip top of my head.
Me, crawling around on the floor in my "comfy clothes" growling like a dinosaur.
Me, hiding under the level of the bumper on Ava's crib, popping up and down unexpectedly with a new ridiculous look on my face each time. (A blanket/towel/pillow also elicits the same action).
So, basically, I make a complete idiot of myseself every. single. day.
And here's the worst part: I do it for free.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Truth is...
For me, blogging is an interesting beast. It's a creative outlet for me, and at the same time meets my imaginary requirement that every good mom needs to scrapbook. I don't scrapbook because I'm awful at it. I blog.
Anyway, I try to make this blog an honest, real, and revealing place, but I also have boundaries. Some boundaries are safety related (not posting my address, for example) and others are for personal or even stylistic reasons. It's a balance between being cheesy and boring (my life is so AWESOME that it is AWESOMER than anyone else's and here are 8 more posts about how AWESOME I am in case you somehow forgot my level of AWESOME) and sharing intimate feelings with the world.
So anyway, it's a challenge and the more serious posts are tougher to navigate. But, whether anyone else wants it or not, sometimes I want it said so I can feel it later.
Here is the truth: I hated being pregnant (Shocker, right!? Since I have given birth to 4 beautiful babies). There were many unpleasant things: I waddled about, for instance. And I puked a lot. And I peed a lot. And sometimes I peed when I was not planning on peeing. I was always miserable. And I complained. A lot. Pregnancy is not necessarily lady-like.
However, it is womanly. I may someday forget my own name, but I will never forget what it felt like when my kiddos moved and kicked inside of me. I was proud to stand without sucking in, tightening, pinching, hiding, or twisting myself into any of the myriad of positions women find to hide themselves in plain view. Each time, I felt as if my body-- however imperfect-- had purpose. I joyfully anticipated the need for each part. My arms to hold and rock a child. My legs to kneel as I washed my baby. My lips to kiss and my fingers to stroke each cheek. My body grew as they did, and it was good.
Now, at nearly 4 months post-partum, I find myself wondering (for the final time) how to regain that sense of purpose and confidence. I love my babies, and I revel in my ability to physically care for them. I hold, carry, touch, tickle, caress, wash, snuggle, kiss, and teach. Mothering my children is a verb, and I am blessed with capability.
Now, knowing that I will never again experience pregnancy and the sense of meaning it brings; I must find a way to appreciate and treasure my body and its importance. I must find a way to banish my nay saying and revel in who and what I am. It is not about the size or shape or even the objective of my body. It is about the dialogue in my mind.
Because, you see, I am the mother of not only a 4-month-old daughter, but 6 and 3 year old princesses as well. And if I cannot restructure and redraft the words that run through my head, then someday my beautiful, perfect daughters will look at their beautiful, perfect bodies with the same terrible thoughts that I have about my own. And I cannot let that happen.
Anyway, I try to make this blog an honest, real, and revealing place, but I also have boundaries. Some boundaries are safety related (not posting my address, for example) and others are for personal or even stylistic reasons. It's a balance between being cheesy and boring (my life is so AWESOME that it is AWESOMER than anyone else's and here are 8 more posts about how AWESOME I am in case you somehow forgot my level of AWESOME) and sharing intimate feelings with the world.
So anyway, it's a challenge and the more serious posts are tougher to navigate. But, whether anyone else wants it or not, sometimes I want it said so I can feel it later.
Here is the truth: I hated being pregnant (Shocker, right!? Since I have given birth to 4 beautiful babies). There were many unpleasant things: I waddled about, for instance. And I puked a lot. And I peed a lot. And sometimes I peed when I was not planning on peeing. I was always miserable. And I complained. A lot. Pregnancy is not necessarily lady-like.
However, it is womanly. I may someday forget my own name, but I will never forget what it felt like when my kiddos moved and kicked inside of me. I was proud to stand without sucking in, tightening, pinching, hiding, or twisting myself into any of the myriad of positions women find to hide themselves in plain view. Each time, I felt as if my body-- however imperfect-- had purpose. I joyfully anticipated the need for each part. My arms to hold and rock a child. My legs to kneel as I washed my baby. My lips to kiss and my fingers to stroke each cheek. My body grew as they did, and it was good.
Now, at nearly 4 months post-partum, I find myself wondering (for the final time) how to regain that sense of purpose and confidence. I love my babies, and I revel in my ability to physically care for them. I hold, carry, touch, tickle, caress, wash, snuggle, kiss, and teach. Mothering my children is a verb, and I am blessed with capability.
Now, knowing that I will never again experience pregnancy and the sense of meaning it brings; I must find a way to appreciate and treasure my body and its importance. I must find a way to banish my nay saying and revel in who and what I am. It is not about the size or shape or even the objective of my body. It is about the dialogue in my mind.
Because, you see, I am the mother of not only a 4-month-old daughter, but 6 and 3 year old princesses as well. And if I cannot restructure and redraft the words that run through my head, then someday my beautiful, perfect daughters will look at their beautiful, perfect bodies with the same terrible thoughts that I have about my own. And I cannot let that happen.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Wait for it...
The first game of Nate's season was today! Awesome start to a season, by the end of the fourth quarter neither team had scored which led to a total of 4 overtimes. Final score: 18-12 WooHoo!
But that isn't the point of the story. My kids are a constant source of entertainment. This particular football field has a baseball diamond (?) that runs parallel on the visitors side (where we were sitting/standing). I look over at one point to make sure my girls were still playing good with the other kiddos and this is what I see:
Teeny Tiny's response when I asked what in the world she was doing: "Oh you know, makin' angels." As if that location was perfectly normal and making angels was to be expected.
But that isn't the point of the story. My kids are a constant source of entertainment. This particular football field has a baseball diamond (?) that runs parallel on the visitors side (where we were sitting/standing). I look over at one point to make sure my girls were still playing good with the other kiddos and this is what I see:
Teeny Tiny's response when I asked what in the world she was doing: "Oh you know, makin' angels." As if that location was perfectly normal and making angels was to be expected.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Baby Daddy
Before she was born, Ms. Ava has looked just like her daddy.
I'm sure some of you are interested in imagining what a tiny version of Tommy would look like with a bow and a diaper. I am happy to oblige.
For example, engrossed in SportsCenter, Baby Girl Husband would look like this:
The resemblence is particularly startling when she is sleeping.
Sleeping Baby Girl Husband looks like this:
Feeling a bit shy, Bashful Baby Girl Husband is a doll:
And, deciding this diaper business isn't all that bad,
Cheerful Baby Girl Husband:
I'm sure some of you are interested in imagining what a tiny version of Tommy would look like with a bow and a diaper. I am happy to oblige.
For example, engrossed in SportsCenter, Baby Girl Husband would look like this:
The resemblence is particularly startling when she is sleeping.
Sleeping Baby Girl Husband looks like this:
Feeling a bit shy, Bashful Baby Girl Husband is a doll:
And, deciding this diaper business isn't all that bad,
Cheerful Baby Girl Husband:
A Monkey's Legacy
The written word is powerful. Certainly, it's important to speak words of blessing and encouragement to our sons and daughters, but writing has the potential to last much longer since words can be saved and read over and over again. The written word has power to shape and encourage our children and build a lasting family legacy. Short notes, journal entries, letters and even e-mails can be great tools to keep in touch and affirm our children. One great way of doing this is by keeping a written journal for each child. Just get a book of blank pages and write about what's happening in your family's life; or the joys of being a father; your hopes and dreams for your child as he or she grows; or the important values and beliefs you want to pass on.
Start while pregnant, or if your kids are older, it's never too late. You can write every day, or once a week. More realistically, record your thoughts on birthdays or holidays, and at special events like graduations, significant "firsts" in their lives, or a time when they're embarking on a new venture or taking a step of faith. Or, it could simply be a time when something specific is on your heart. Including the date will give it even more long-term impact like a family record.
I have decided to not only do this for each of my 4 monkeys but also record some of these moments on an electronic format (you know, just in case something were to happen to the "hard" copy). In a way, that was how I was using social media networks. Randomly posting things my kids have said or done that I found important or down right funny. These are things I want to retell one day...and well, with 4 of them I'm sure I will forget the details.
Start while pregnant, or if your kids are older, it's never too late. You can write every day, or once a week. More realistically, record your thoughts on birthdays or holidays, and at special events like graduations, significant "firsts" in their lives, or a time when they're embarking on a new venture or taking a step of faith. Or, it could simply be a time when something specific is on your heart. Including the date will give it even more long-term impact like a family record.
I have decided to not only do this for each of my 4 monkeys but also record some of these moments on an electronic format (you know, just in case something were to happen to the "hard" copy). In a way, that was how I was using social media networks. Randomly posting things my kids have said or done that I found important or down right funny. These are things I want to retell one day...and well, with 4 of them I'm sure I will forget the details.
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