Fit Friday

Sad. 

Pathetic. 

One good week, followed by one bad seems to be my pattern. 

I'm not even gonna give the excuses.  Here's to next week.

Cry for Help

Help me!  Has anyone else had the same experience as me and would like to share some words of wisdom?  I have a 7 year old boy in Grade 2 whom I have to FIGHT (literally) out the door to school pretty much everyday of his life.  It is draining.  For all of us.  Some background - his original grad 2 teacher just exited on a mat leave.  He had her last year as well.  He got along well with her, though she had a very literacy intensive class and he was getting bored with reading and worksheets all day long.  Not a lot of action there.  So this did not just begin with the new teacher (a big fat jerk, to quote my son) but has, obviously, intensified.

Some of his concerns:
- school is boring (read: no activity.  1/2 an hour of gym class twice a week at this school.  Not enough for boys by far.  Recess often cancelled due to rain so inside time in classrooms playing games or finishing work.  Yawn.)
- I hate reading. (He is very good at reading.  Just sick of it.)
- I have no friends. (He gets along with everyone.  I've never seen a kid invited to more birthday parties.  He just doesn't have any special friends that he looks forward to seeing, and definitely never sees anyone outside of school hours.)
- All I do is sit in a desk all day.  We never have hardly any center time.  (translation: my teacher does not make learning fun or motivate me to figure things out in new ways.)

My concerns:
- my child hates learning.  He already has a bad taste in his mouth for anything related to school or reading, which is a huge concern for boys anyhow.  He's only in grade 2.  Shouldn't school be fun?  Encouraging?  Exciting?  Confidence boosting?
- it is upsetting our entire house.  Tempers and frustration rule our morning hours and set the tone for the day.  Madison is late for school everyday and that throws her completely off kilt and she suffers for it.  I even started taking her, then coming home for him, but that just prolongs the agony and gives him another 1/2 hour of stall time.
- I am tired of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.  Great, happy, easy going kid on weekends, transitioning to the nightmare on elm street by Sunday evening or Monday morning.
- numerous excuses for why he should stay home
- I am tired of trying to threaten him into school.  I think this just perpetuates the cycle and negates whatever feelings he has.  Are we hitting the problem head on?  Or are we skirting around real, big issues that he's not telling us? 

I wish he would talk.  I wish I had answers.  I need to make an appointment with the principle.  Maybe she has some suggestions.  I need to meet this teacher.  Three days into teaching and she hasn't even sent a note home letting us parents know her name.  Can I say POOR COMMUNICATION/TRANSITION.  For grade 2. 

Anyway, just venting, but if anyone has any brilliant suggestions, please let me know.

p.s. Tammy - how's that homeschool going?  I have never even considered it until this moment.  I don't think I'd do a good job.  I know I wouldn't.  But I see now that sometimes you just can't fight anymore and the concern for your child's happiness and love of learning overrules convenience and prior prejudices.  Arrrgh!

Circle of Life

Okay, so I know this is going to sound really obvious, but it's been in my mind.  Being the oldest of the cousins on both sides of the family, my memories of many of my cousins is of their younger years.  I suppose this is where they remain in my mind - the way they were when I babysat them or before I left home.  My other sisters were right in the mix and got to know these members of the family more as friends and, well, people.  Due to this, they keep contact better and have links to their blogs.  Every now and then I link to my cousins various online journals/newsletters just to see what's happening.  Last night, I was amazed how many of these "little" cousins posted pictures of their own babies.  I have to admit, there were a few where I instantly thought, "They have a child?  Heaven help us!"

Now, that is ridiculous.  The kids I knew have all grown up and become responsible, loving, caring adults.  I just never knew them that way.  It's all the circle of life.  And I can't wait for the next big family shin-dig so I can actually see with my own eyes how these cousins handle the little things their children do that are reminiscent of the things I remember about them....Hee hee!

Seven on Sunday

Well, the first list of the year and it is much needed after a somewhat frustrating, disasppointing week.  Better find the bright spots...

1. Bedtime went much better this week.  Even had time more than one night this week to straighten the kitchen and tidy the house before bed. 
2. Got up early every day this week.
3. Talked to two of my sisters in the past week, and my mom and dad.  Brightened my day.
4. Had to cover singing time in primary today.  I wasn't looking forward to it because it can be chaos when you're not in the groove, but we ended up having a lot of fun.  Had some good laughs listening to them sing Popcorn Popping like opera singers and Book of Mormon Stories in cowboy voices.
5. My kids helped clean the house yesterday with hardly a complaint.  We just gotter done.  I almost fell over.
6. Dan got to the temple this week, and we had a couple with no children ask if they could come next Saturday and watch the kids so we can go together.  I am really looking forward to it!  We have only been out once without kids since we moved here and have never been to the temple together. 
7. Got asked to work 3 days in February by an office I really enjoy.  I wasn't sure if it would work out, but my neighbor's daughter (who homeschools) is available to cover the afternoon when Dan heads out to school/work before I get home.  Not thrilled so much about working, but grateful to be requested and have things fall into place.  Extra funds are never unwelcome and I need to top up my hygiene hours before trying to transfer my license back to Alberta.

So, things really are better than they may appear.  Sunshine after rain and all that.

Fit Friday

I had a much more successful week, and I have decided I love walking.  I could walk anytime, much to my children's dismay.  I made the youngers walk to pick up the kids from school twice this week even in the damp cold and they were none too pleased - until they got outside and remembered they love walking too!

This week I basically did a combination of walking videos and the Wii.  I still cannot bring myself to thinking that the Wii alone will actually burn enough calories or break enough of a sweat to lose weight and get fit. 

Days exercised: 4
Total miles walked: 4
Time walking: 1 hour
Time on Wii: 1.5 hours
Calories burned walking: 500+ (based on 125 calories/mile walked at 15 min/mile or faster)
Calories burned on Wii:

Total calories burned:

Okay, that's not too bad to get started.  But I still feel like I will eventually have to find a way to do more.  I managed to get up nice and early every day which made me feel great and nice and tired for bed.  I still can't seem to beat my kids by enough time to really dig in.  Then again, I get the added bonus of extra weight for my leg lifts when my children sit on me.  Who needs free weights?  That's like 40 lbs. right there! 

I find I spend the majority of my Wii time in Rhythmic Boxing and Kung-Fu.  I think I just like the beat of the music and it makes me feel tough.  I did a boxing class years ago in Edmonton in a little hole-in-the-wall gym with an assistant from work.  Her husband was a P.I. and amateur boxer and he hooked us up.  It was dark and sweaty and I felt like Rocky-ette.  I really liked it.  Future exercise dream: boxing of some sort (kick maybe?) and trying out a martial art.  I have always wanted to do that.  Once the kiddies are a bit older and I have some personal time and money....



Although I enjoy walking and running outside the most, for any of you who live in Canada and are stumped by snow or rain all winter long, my sister turned me on to Leslie Sansone's walking videos.  They are fun, upbeat and not complicated AT ALL.  You can do them in your living room and she incorporates strength training and pilates to keep things mixed up.  I find they are just a great way to GET MOVING when you feel housebound.  I own two, but our library also carries some.  Check them out.  You might find they motivate you on those dark, dreary, sit and read a book days.  Like she says, "don't have time to exercise?  We just walked a mile in 15 minutes.  Forget the coffee break, give yourself a natural energy boost!"  Even the kids can do it.





Good luck, and here's to a healthy week!

Picture Updates

Here are a few little pics that I haven't yet posted...

Some of our very few pics I managed to take at Christmas



Spencer in reindeer earmuffs from Grandma

A sign of a truly wonderful Christmas!  Madi passed out upside down in the chair around 4:00 on Christmas Day.  She was up at 4:30 a.m. so it was no big surprise!

Clayton practicing his advertising photography.  These are his mini spoils from the big holiday.

Make-It Monday

Here's what the contributor called "Hawaii's answer to teriyaki chicken".  We tried it with chicken thighs (skin-off) and bbq-ed them.  Really enjoyed it.

Shoyu Chicken

1/2 c. soy sauce
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. water
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 onion, chopped
1 1/2 tsp ginger
1 1/2 tsp pepper
1 1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
1/2 tsp paprika (optional)
2 1/2 lbs. chicken thighs

Whisk everything together, add chicken thighs and toss to coat evenly (I use a ziploc bag).  Marinate in the fridge for at least an hour.  Longer is even better.  Preheat bbq medium heat.  Grill until cooked through, abt 15 mins a side.  You could also use your oven or broil them, for those in colder climates.


And, an old classic but I found a better way to make it.  My kids love Cream of Wheat but it always seems like lumpy paste to me.  I found this online and we have all been enjoying it, even Spencer who generally avoids C of W like the plague.

Yummy Cream of Wheat

1 c. milk
1 c. water

Bring to almost boiling then add:

1/3 c. of Cream of Wheat

Cook on low until desired consistency, stirring frequently.

Stir in 1 Tbslp butter, generous Tblsp of brown sugar and 2 tsp of cinnamon.

Scoop into bowls, add a bit more sugar if you want, and put a very little milk to ring the outside.  Enjoy!
We double the above to feed us all, in case you aren't sure.