Exercise and Physical Activity

  Being active is one thing most children are lacking. It's estimated that one in three children are obese. On average kids spend 5 plus hours on media oriented electronics i.e. T.V., computers, video games. It's recommended that children get at least 60 minutes of physical activity and or exercise a day. Many more statistics can be found here. I have always prided myself in that my children have always spent a lot of time being active and playing outside. However, I want to do more. I want to create family memories that are based around us being active, in hopes of cultivating a life long love of being active in my children, resulting in healthy adults. I recognize that not everyone enjoys doing the same things, not everyone is talented at the same things, so we are expanding our knowledge of all things active and passing that along to our kids. I hope to make this  series of fun and active things our family has done together, in hopes of encouraging others to lead their families to healthier lifestyles.
  Jump-roping, in schools they have done Jump for Heart jump-a-thons for ages. They are on to something. Jump- roping is one of the best ways to exercise, it tones, builds muscle, works your heart. It's affordable we got our jump ropes at walmart with an average of $5 each. We learned together what the preferred length was for each person and cut the ropes to length. BTW, standing on the center of the rope the handles are to come to your chest, no higher, no lower. The kids are learning how to jump rope. Mom and Dad are refining our skills and have learned the Ski Jump and the High Jump. This is easily a family activity also, get a long rope, an adult on each side and teach your child to jump in the middle. Many of you will remember this from your childhood. I bet after you try it, you will be amazed that as a child you were able to do this for 10+ minutes at a time. I encourage you to teach your kids the jumping rhymes that you remember as a child. If you can't remember an impressive list can be found here.

  Hula-Hooping- I have not hula hooped since I was a kid. I have gotten the random challenges here and there from my nieces, but honestly I haven't done it regularly for some time. Until today, we bought a hula hoop. I have learned there are different sizes, depending on how tall you are. To successfully hula, you need a hoop that is as tall as your navel or taller. There are many benefits from hooping you can find them here. My favorite benefit is the calories burned, it is reported you can burn a whopping 100 calories per every 10 minutes! We have fun laughing at each others attempts, have hooping competitions, and Jasey likes to teach the dogs to jump through the hoops!

  The American Heart association includes 5 ways play can change your day. Here are a few of our favorite things to do outside, with the kids.
1) Go to the park
2) Go on walks
3) Bike riding, obsticles and races.
4) Sports
5) Treasure Hunting

 What do you and your family do together for fun and exercise?

Alex growing up

 Alex is growing up so quickly. I am sad that it is looking more and more as if he will be our last baby. It makes me hold on to his baby ness a little tighter.

 This babyhood has been SO SO enjoyable. I feel very confident, there has been very little baby stress. Alex is a wonderful baby, he sleeps roughly 9:30-7:00 either sleeping through the night, or waking once to nurse. He is now in his crib in the other room. I was eager to co-sleep, but little darling is an active tosser. When he stirs is comforts himself by grabbing my hair or face, startling me and on a couple times scratching me. I began nursing him and then laying him in his pack and play right next to my bed. He slept wonderfully, but his tossing and turning would shake the bed and awake me. Before, we transitioned to the crib, I would play a lullaby C.D. when he would nap, also laying him down with the blanket we used nursing that day. After a week or so, we transferred the nap set up to the crib and he did GREAT! A week later we began doing nights in the crib. He sleeps better and I sleep better. However if he cries, I gladly bring him to bed to nurse and cuddle.

  Alex is doing things a bit slower than the first two. I know he will do everything in his own time. He plays so happily with his toys, loves his food, loves baths. He does need consistency. I have to make note of what time he wakes, because 2 1/2- 3 hours later he will need a nap. After nap he'll go 3 hours. If I forget he will get overly tired and not sleep well. If he doesn't get his naps, his night time gets messed up and it takes a couple days to fix. He prefers to sit in the shopping cart rather than his car seat. I use a stroller or a carrier, however it's hard to have him in a carrier and lift Jasey at the park. He loves the park, the baby swings, I hold him in my lap and go down the slides.

 He loves to scrunch up his face and snort, it's the cutest thing. No matter what is happening, I can't help but laugh. After listening to us do tongue exercises he now clicks his tongue. He reaches towards people he knows, and stares wide eyed at the ones he doesn't.

 I love watching him grow and change. We can see the little personality develop. Amazing how quickly it goes.

Homeschooling and Green Living

 What a concept that homeschooling has also helped us live a greener life. C.J. was in school roughly 165 days a year. Each day had a snack and a lunch. An average of 5 plastic bags a day. Plus all the individually wrapped items.

 I couldn't use glass containers made lunch way too heavy. Plastic containers took up a lot of space and several accidentally got tossed. The reusable snack bags, awesome, however they are pricer and after losing a couple not very budget friendly.

 Making lunch at home we are saving on TONS of packaging by not buying lunch size items. I am saving roughly 5x165= 825 bags a school year. That is an average of 8 boxes of plastic snack bags.

 I have almost completely eliminated all prepackaged lunch items. I can buy larger yogurt containers, blocks of cheese, gallons of juice etc...Also, all left over organic material goes in the composter. (We fixed it!)

  We are not on a bus route, so each day I would have to warm up my car and drive to the school and back twice. As the days got colder, I would allow my car to warm up longer so the kids wouldn't be cold. We no longer have to do that. We save on gas and reduce the amount of exhaust output.

  

First week of homeschooling

 I began our first day, of our first year homeschooling, very hesitant. I had spent so much time looking over curriculum, making lesson plans, going over lessons, gathering materials, and making copies, now it was time to see if the work would pay off.

 The night before Chris asked that I wake the kids later, so he could leave for work without them crying. I agreed, this would be better, since this year we wouldn't be walking out the door with him. Between, that and Alex waking and needing to nurse we started 30 minutes later then planned.

  By 8:00 am, C.J. and I were sitting at the kitchen table. I introduced the concept of a spelling list and we went over the words. I told C.J. to write his words 2x, then I set Jase up with her "school work", she was matching uppercase with lowercase. Alex was sitting in his high chair happily eating veggie puffs. I began a pot of tea, and started unloading the dishwasher. When C.J. was finished with spelling, we began a science project about deciduous trees and what causes them to lose their leaves.  From there we all sat on the living room floor, while C.J. read aloud, Jase listened and Alex played. Upon completing the reading he sat at the table to do the phonics pretest and a couple phonics worksheets. Then a handwriting pretest. We had our first break while I nursed Alex and laid him down for his morning nap. We reconvened in the living room and started English learning about complete sentences and phrases. Then Math, where we snacked on marshmallows that we used for counting, and so forth. 11:00 am and we were done. The kids ran outside to play, I tidied up and made lunch. The whole morning was relaxed and productive.

 Day three brought our first challenge, C.J. was told to write his spelling words and 45 minutes later had only written 6. He was obviously not focusing, having been told to specificlly do this, he was also being defient. I had him look me in his eyes and explained,  "Mommy is your teacher now and I need you to listen and respect me. When I tell you to do something you need to listen. Now, I am going to set a timer to help you stay on track. If you choose to continue playing around, our school day will be very long." He chose to listen and completed his words very quickly. After that, we took a break and went to story time, where he found several big foot books. Both my kids showed amazing independence at the library. Jasey sat with other girls on the craft room floor to do her craft, while I showed C.J. where the librarian was. C.J. then went up to the librarian and asked about big foot books and then followed her to the shelf and gathering his desired books and went back to the common table. I could see both kids at all times, I just stepped back and observed.

 Today, wrapped up our first week of homeschooling. I'm in love! I love watching my child learn and love learning. The whole morning routine is a wonderful 180. This morning he took his first spelling test and aced it! I am so proud. I took the kids to Mcdonalds for lunch to celebrate our first week. They played so well and burned off a lot of energy. It was a fun ending to a great week. It's so perfect that when I see him getting bored or restless, I can break and let him go run outside for 10-15 minutes. I love how we have the extra time to do fun things like the 2 science projects we have going, and the cave paintings we made (like how we read in history).  He played outside probably on average 2 hours each day, we have had a lot of afternoon rains. He did two 15 minute sessions of piano, where he is learning how to hold his hands, middle see, and the quarter note.

 I love NOT feeling rushed, pressured, stressed out. I love NOT feeling like I'm always compromising what I feel is best and sacrificing the family.

Dwelling

Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.

Choose to dwell on the positive.

My week in review

New friends are found in unlikely places, the line in McDonald's for one.

A near brand new wooden high chair for $10.

Surprising my husband with a brand new bow before hunting season, priceless.

A 10 inch zucchini from the garden.

A wonderful catch up play date with wonderful friends.

Meeting other home school moms and discovering a great co-op!

A friend surprising me with a new book.

Grilling steak with homegrown veggies. YUM.

C.J. breaking is bedroom light, sword fighting on the top bunk.

Alex managing to rocket fire orange poo all over my living room floor.

Jasey deciding all stick figure drawings need to be anatomically correct.

The bear climbed our fence and broke my composter :(

Photo Drop

Daddy holding Alex right after birth.

Growing

My kids are growing so fast, (sigh) I can't believe it. Next thing they will be starting to drive.

 C.J. is reading so well. He has started the Magic Tree House series and LOVES them. He can now read the TV guide on the television, signs on the road, directions for his legos and so forth. It is amazing to see. He continues to be emotional and passionate. I love that so much about him. He is excited about homeschooling. He is now pouring his own drinks from the gallons, opening his own food, making his own sandwiches. Not because I won't, but because he wants to. I have started letting him run carefully and while being watched across the street to check the mail. He thrives of independence. I even let him order a muffin by himself at the coffee shop with my card as I watched like one table away. He is such a little grown up.

 Jasey... my ever talking daughter. She talks and talks and talks about everything. She is really into rocks right now and stops us everywhere to pick up a "special rock". Once home she proceeds to wash her special rock and add it to her collection. She enjoys playing in mud and asks to make some everyday, she loves to play pretend and spends most of her time pretending to go some where , packing her babies a diaper bag and herself and over night bag. I have had to limit this game after the entire closet was emptied a couple times.

 Alex my cuddly boy. He is a solid chunk of baby lovin. He is sitting up and smiling all the time. He definitely is sensitive to new people and DOES NOT like random people picking him up or talking to him. He squeals and grunts, hums and fusses, but not a lot of baby babble. He loves my two carriers, which makes going places a breeze. We are transitioning to his crib, when he sleeps he randomly shakes his head back and forth smiling, making this hard to sleep with him. So far he loves the crib.

Can't believe all the changes.