Fit Kid Gift List: Jump Ropes and Rhymes

I realize I just wrote about jump ropes yesterday for you, however I didn't want to leave the kids out.  Jump ropes for kids are fantastic.  I'm not kidding.

Old school jump ropes -- love them.

When I taught kindergarten, it was a goal of mine to get more kids jump roping.  We'd bring out the ropes and turn and turn and turn for these little guys.

They are cheap.

They get the kids moving.

What more can we ask for?

Some things I look for in a jump rope for the kiddos are weight and length.  I like the segmented old school jump ropes.  The are the perfect weight for the kids to turn and they have the swivel handles so the rope doesn't get twisted.  

As far as length, it really does depend how big they are.  I just bought my boys some 7 and 8-foot ropes for their stockings.  If they are too long, they just wrap them around their hands.  My daughter is really getting into Double Dutch, so I got her two 16-foot ropes.  

Home Depot special

My very thoughtful mother gave my daughter this 16-foot nylon jump rope last year.  We have used it and used it and used it.  She just went to Home Depot, chose a heavier nylon rope, then burned the edges.  Brilliant.

Wanna see something even more brilliant?  She also gave her this:

A notebook full of Jump Rope Rhymes

This homemade notebook of Jump Rope Rhymes has kept my little gal and her brothers busy many a day after school.  After all that jumping and rhyming, Tressa has even come up with her own rhymes and written them down in the back of the notebook.

Again, 

it is cheap.  

It gets my kids moving.  

What more could I want?

Fit Kid Gift List:

Go! Go! Girl Sports Doll

Zip Lines

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Happy Thanksgiving!

It's been a marvelous week leading up to arguably the best holiday of the year.  What can compete with a day dedicated to gratitude?  

Here'a a few links to help you get through the next few days:

Get Your Game On!

Navigating the Feast

I'm Thankful For...2009

Great Holiday!

From my crew to yours -- Happy Thanksgiving!

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Snake Holes and Open Sky

I am thankful for:

Cactus Hotels.

Rocks.

Cloud oceans in the sky.

Kids that love to climb.

Sisters-in-law that are goers.

Cousins as fun as my own kids.

New nieces and nephews.

Desert hikes in the winter.

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Fit Momma Question: Active Holiday Traditions?

Fit Momma Jen sent this question over recently.  Her husband has recently dropped some weight and they are trying to navigate the upcoming holidays:

The holidays are coming up...  Do you have traditions that aren't food related?  Traditions are really important to me, but so is supporting my husband in his weight loss and having a healthy family. So, any suggestions?

Suggestions?  Me?  ABSOLUTELY!

Before I jump into them, I must stress that these activities HAVE to be scheduled in to your busy week.  Whether you spend the holidays with extended family or not, putting some active traditions on the calendar will make sure you don't get buried with all the cooking, shopping, and sports watching.

Another thing I adore about active traditions is that they typically are free or very low cost.  With the holidays and all the money that is being sucked away during that time, this is quite a nice relief for the pocketbook.

Some things our family is doing or has done over the holidays:

Family Hikes
Over the years I've found several kid-friendly hikes back home.  My kids look forward to doing them every holiday season when we return home to AZ.  We always invite cousins to come and we have a little party on the mountain (it's really a hill, but don't tell them that :).

Grown-up Hikes
I've already gotten the emails from my sister arranging the time and date of the adult-level hike.  These are quite more challenging and totally a blast to do with siblings.  We leave the kiddos with a sitter during nap time then hit the mountain for a few hours.  Heaven on earth.

Family Bike Rides
The day after Thanksgiving my sister and her family have invited us for years to join them on their family bike ride.  If the kids can ride and hang with the crew, great.  If not, we break out with the bike carriers and baby seats. They have an easy ride that takes us to some fun parts of town.  The kids feel as accomplished as Lance Armstrong winning his seventh, I swear.

Grown-up Bike Rides
Last year the Doc and I joined my BIL and a few other hundred riders for an early morning 40-mile bike ride.  It was challenging (for me, not for my BIL or the Doc) and we torched through a ton of calories.  It was the perfect set up for Thanksgiving day:  we could eat and sleep and not feel one ounce of guilt about it.

Turkey Trot
A few members of my extended family got together last year and put together their own Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning.  They were sick of the entry fees and long drives to the local Turkey Trot, so they made their own.  Brilliant!  They mapped out a 1 mile fun run, a 5K and a 10K route and opened it up to all of us.  I plan on running in it this year and am looking forward to the finish line with my kids and family cheering me on.

Family Walk
In our family we are dealing with babies, nursing moms and kids of all ages.  This year we've decided to check out a Riparian Preserve nearby my parents house for an interesting walk.

Dance-Off
This deserves an entire blog of its own, but I will try to explain briefly.  I come from a clan of dancers and years ago -- I'm talking at least 20 -- my cousins started a "Dance-Off" in their living room.  Basically you bring your music, best dance moves, and maybe a costume to the floor and slap them down for all to see.  It has grown into something so big and crazy I cannot begin to do it justice (there are some very incriminating pictures out there of me from Dance-Offs of yesteryear, I'm sure :).  We do this on a smaller level at home all the time.  My kids beg to have family Dance-Offs and they are a huge hit every time.

Family Olympics
My mother and I are in the middle of planning our family's first annual Family Olympics for the evening before Thanksgiving.  We have events for the kids, for the grown ups, and family events.  When we pull it off, I will definitely share the details.  In a nutshell, we are making it participation based and the kid events are open to all ages (if they can walk, they can participate).  Everyone will get a medal from the Olympic Officials (Grandma and Grandpa).  Every family is bringing a family cheer to perform.  It should be a ton of fun and get us all moving before the turkey, stuffing, and pie hit us the next day.

Some more ideas:
Family kickball, basketball, football, soccer (you get the picture) game
Roller Skating
Ice Skating
Snow skiing
Snow shoeing
Sledding
Roller blading
Bowling
Musical Chairs
Limbo Contest

Hey Fit Mommas, what active traditions do you enjoy with your family over the holidays?  Comment below and tell us WHAT WORKS!

Related Posts:
More "Fit Momma Question" Posts
Kid-Friendly Hikes
Hiking
Great Holiday!

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Family Fitness: Kid Friendly Hikes

Well, well, well.  Right when I was at my breaking point with the 100 degree days and weird species of mosquitos, some cooler weather has come into town and you know what that means:  time to get out!

I live close to the hill country.  I had no idea what that was until we drove into town pulling a U-Haul behind my minivan.  Literally -- rolling hills.  And trees.  Lots of trees.  And green!  Oh, the green was overwhelming for this desert dweller.

I did learn quickly that rolling hills also translated to no mountains. Although I miss my Camelbacks and Squaw Peaks (oops!  I mean Piestewa Peak.  I must be PC) -- I have come to appreciate these rolling hills.

This also means there are a few kid-friendly hikes nearby.

Although this trail has a paved road, we opt for the natural trails.  Now that my kids are a little older I've ditched the strollers and baby backpacks and make them use their own two feet.  The little one is not too sure about this, but with some prodding (a several piggy back rides from mom), he can hang with the big kids.

With very little planning and a backpack filled with TONS of water and food, a family hike is the perfect way to get out of the house, burn of some energy, kill a morning, and enjoy the cooler weather.

Kids:

Hikers.

Adventure heros.

Discoverers.

Water guzzlers.

Biologists.

Ninjas.

Look at those red cheeks -- how could I say no?

Mom:  

Caterer.

Wrangler.

Pack mule.

Cheerleader.

Hey, Fit Mommas!  Now that fall has arrived (insert singing angel chorus here), what are you doing to GET OUT?  Comment below and tell us WHAT WORKS!

A few sites to get your family on the trail:

Top Ten Family-Friendly Trails

Family-Friendly Hikes from REI

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Fit Momma Question: How to Juggle Kids' Activities?

Oh my, I deserve a medal.

A gold one.

I just survived the eternal process of getting passports for all three of my kids.  It has taken endless errands just to get us to that point, then an HOUR wait in the post office.  An hour in a small room, with a long line full of already grouchy folks, getting grouchier because my kids are scaling the walls.

So, ahem.  OK, I'm pulling myself together, and am going to defuse my tension by blogging.

It works every time :)

Fit Momma Lori asked last week:

I’d love some suggestions on how to manage sports for kids with an already busy schedule. It seems to cut right into dinner time and can really make me stressed.

Lori, I hear you. We just started soccer this week. For us that translates to:

two kids playing

one kid not playing

two teams

three nights of practice

60 to 90 minute practices

30 minute drive one way to get to practice

dozens of ants on my feet and legs

1.2 billion mosquitos biting me 

one really disgusting, really full port-a-potty

two games every Saturday for the next eight weeks

Notice family dinner time is NOT on that list?  

Somedays it seems like a faint echo...

Now, I know I sound like I’m complaining. Really, I am very happy my kids are doing this. I realize these type of activities are completely optional, but for my kids this type of thing is right up their alley. They love their coaches (I’m not one of them this year -- YEEHA! I get a break this season!), enjoy meeting new friends, and just love sweating their little blonde heads off while chasing a ball.

And I cannot tell you how much the Doc and I LOVE watching them do this.  It is a thrill.

However, this cuts right into family dinner time.

 Like SMACK-DAB-IN-THE-MIDDLE.

Bullseye.  

I have been been dealing with this issue for years and have thought about this issue every which way. I don’t think there is one way to slice it. We do something slightly different every night, but here are some of my methods:

Serve dinner early
We have to hit the road for practice at 5:30 PM. So, that means for us dinner is an early 5:10 PM. I let the Doc know, my parents know, and the kids know it is an early eating day. I do slightly restrict their after school snacks somewhat, so by dinner time they are truly hungry. This takes extra planning and prep for me, but it does work.

After practice snack
After a normal dinner, I typically let my kids know that the kitchen is closed. However, after an early dinner, a 90 minute soccer practice, the poor chillin’s are starving. So, they can grab a quick bowl of cereal, fruit, yogurt, or PB&J before bed to tide them over until morning.

Bring dinner
I often will schedule dinners that can be eaten in the Mom Taxi or when we get to practice. If they are hot, I will cook them at home, wrap them in foil, then throw them in the car for eating on the go. I also am the Cooler Queen.  I bring a small cooler with fresh fruit, some baby carrots or other fast vegetable, some healthy baked treats and TONS of water. It’s our very own picnic!

Some fast, healthy dinners on the go are:

Turkey Burgers

Whole Wheat Pizza

Bean and Cheese Burritos

Tacos
Chicken Nuggets
Mexican Pizza
Stromboli

Breakfast Burritos

Egg Sandwiches

Tuna Sandwiches

Turkey Sandwiches

Just because our kids are in sports or activities doesn’t mean we are sentenced to eating by way of a drive-thru or at restaurants all the time. With a little planning, or even if you don't plan at all, the busiest of us can run home, throw some scrambled eggs together with some fruit and milk and call it good.

Lori, I agree whole-heartedly this can make a mother stressed.

Exhibit A:  ME.

Many mothers opt not to do extra curricular activities for this reason alone. I honestly do not blame them. For our family, however, we’ve decided the stress is worth braving the all the elements involved.

We do it for the kids.
The exercise.
The chance to be on a team.
The chance to win.
The chance to lose.
The memories.

So, despite my raging hatred for the monstrous, Texas mosquitoes -- we're in it for the long haul.

Hey, Fit Mommas, I know a lot of you are in this same boat.  What do you do to manage the craziness of the kids' sports, dance, rehearsals, etc.?  Comment below and tell us WHAT WORKS!

Thanks for questions and emails!  I don't make cute headbands or bows for my gal or nieces-- this is what I do.  So send any questions or feedback my way!

Related Posts:
Kids and Exercise:  How Much?
More "Fit Momma Question" Posts

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Kids and Exercise: How Much?

I devote a ton of time on Trainer Momma about the exercise needs of us women and mothers. How much to exercise? How often? How hard? We’ve gone over it, then over it again.

But what about the kids? The USDA and American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that kids and teenagers get 45 - 60 minutes of exercise most days of the week. I’ll be honest -- this is overwhelming to me most days. I’m working my tail off just to get them up, clean, dressed, fed healthy food, in school on time (or almost on time), homework done, and not ripping each other’s heads off. Let’s face it, just keeping them alive is a full time job -- and THIS TOO? When am I supposed to fit in that in among the carpools, meals, school, escaping dog, work, and homework? Hello?!?

As a mother, I do want to raise healthy kids that turn into healthy adults. So, despite the challenges and time restraints, I have chosen to TAKE THIS ON when it comes to my kids. They deserve and need it.

I’ve learned the easiest way to get my kids moving is to build it into our day. I realize they are not mini-adults and I can’t expect them to get on a treadmill after school and run for 45 minutes solid like I do. If moving is part of our routine and is broken up into smaller segments, then it gets checked off the list.

√ Walking
We daily walk to school every morning. It is the easiest 20 minutes to sneak in and terrifically bonding for our entire family. The kids tell about their me about their lives, we find worms, we talk about friends and school. I’m not on the computer, phone, cooking a meal, or changing a diaper. They have mom’s undivided attention and they take full advantage of it. It’s just the road, them and me.

Another favorite time for us to take a walk (particularly when it cools down) is after dinner. The Doc is sometimes home and we just do a quick 15 minute loop around the neighborhood. Again, another time when they have our undivided attention.

√ Outside time
I have vivid memories of being a kid in the sweltering heat of Arizona and my mother kicking us out the back door and locking it. Yes, locking it. We were not allowed back in the house until she was good and ready for us.

I will admit to following in the footsteps of my mother. I do take mercy and pass water to the kids through the window to them when I see their cheeks are a little on the red side. Or, heck, sometimes I just tell them to get a drink out of the hose. No, I honestly am not punishing them... It is during these outside times they run, play, slide, zip, make up games, problem solve, build relationships -- oh, and get exercise to boot.

√ Sports
We are a competitive sports family. Soccer is starting this week for our family and we are all totally geared up for it. The weekly practices and games take over our lives for a few months, and we eat it up. Be it swim team, baseball, basketball, volleyball, gymnastics -- anything will do, really. It is again, a built in time for my kids to run for an hour or more a few times a week.

√ Family Fitness
This is what my kids love the most. Times when Dad, Mom, and kids are all exercising together. We try to regularly schedule in park time, swimming, biking, hiking, or walking at least once a week. Right now this is easy for me since my kids are in the blissful “honeymoon ages” -- no infants and no teenagers. Gauging on how loudly I complained when my mother dragged us on hikes as a teenager, I’m sure I’ll have my come uppin’s in a few years.

For now, however, I’m taking full advantage of their willingness to do just about anything to do something fun with their mom and dad.  That way, they're exercising and not even realizing it.

And I can check another thing off my list.  Whew.

Hey Fit Mommas, I know you have taken on the challenge to get your kids moving too.  Comment below and tell us WHAT WORKS in your family!



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Family Fitness: Swim Fit

When summer hits in this neighborhood, we know it because we can practically hear the kids screaming with wild glee as they run through the streets to our neighborhood pool. Our pool is busy with swim team for the first six weeks of summer, open swim, swim lessons, and adult lap swim.  In my opinion, it is the glue of our neighborhood.  The neighborhood pool was a foreign concept for this native Arizonan, but I am now a staunch supporter.

A few summers ago after swim team was over, some parents from the neighborhood got together and begged asked our swim coach if he would put together a "Swim Fit" camp for kids AND parents who wanted to stay in shape throughout the summer. Amazingly, Coach Patrick, the world’s awesomest swim coach, agreed. Swim Fit was born.



We met for one hour, three days a week for one month. It was totally cheap -- $25 for the month. It was not your typical swim team workout, but more out-of-the-box workout to accommodate non-swimmers and to mix it up for the hard core swimmers.

It is heaven.

It provided me with:

-  an extra workout (Yippee! Just load it on!)
-  time to spend with my kids
-  an opportunity for the kids to see their mom huffin' it big time
-  time outside (what else are we going to do in 100+ degree weather all summer?)
-  chats with other adults in the neighborhood

This summer’s Swim Fit was particularly sweet because I conned convinced a friend and her daughter to do it with us, plus my little sis joined in the fun during her visit here.

While Coach Patrick lounged in the comfort of his dry, shaded deck chair he threw out the commands: 

 Swim! 

Jog!  

Kickboard drills!  

Tarzan swim!  

Doggy paddle!  

Shoes on!  

Ab work!  

Dry land squats!  

Push ups!  

Butterfly kick with breaststroke arms! 

 Nothing was off limits.  

Our workouts resembled a lot what you saw here. Some days were more nuts than others. And we loooooved to moan and groan about it while Patrick just smiled and calmly said, "Do it again."

The finale to Swim Fit was a “Healthy Food Party”. All the kids brought something they thought was healthy. Most everyone “got it” -- however we did have a Costco size box of Bear Claws and Apple Danishes show up (the mom thought it was healthy because it had fruit in it). I spoke briefly to the kids about nutrition: what it is, what it isn’t and what they actually should eat during a day.

It was a marvelous experience and one I hated to see end. I couldn’t help but think, however, that all this came about because parents made it happen.

Just think what else we can pull off if we put our minds to it!

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Coach Mandi

Time to play ball.  Spring was on its way and that meant it was time for my six-year-old to spend some time on the baseball diamond.  My dad is a baseball fanatic, both my brothers played some serious ball, even the Doc did a few seasons of little league.  I, however, think I did one season of t-ball when I was eight-years-old.  Baseball and I were virtual strangers.

As I sat in the mandatory parent meeting for the league, the director droned on and on about the rules, uniforms, the season in general.  He finally ended the spiel, then added, "OK, it's time to talk amongst yourselves and decide which one of you is going coach your team."

I hate this part. All of us parents suddenly had the urgent need to check our phones, dig through our purse, or examine our fingernails.  Then, the typical excuses begin to fly:

“I can’t do it, I work crazy hours.”

“I don’t get off work until 7:30 PM”

“I’m going through a divorce.”

“His dad’s in jail and I am handling 4 kids by myself.”

"I'm his grandma.  His parents are deployed to Afghanistan."

I hadn't given my excuse yet -- However, which one should I choose?

I don’t have time?
My plate is totally full as it is?
I have this blog that I need time to write each day?
I work part-time?
I have a three-year-old who thinks he's a teenager? 
My husband is never home and can’t help me with watching the other kids?
Cooking a good dinner every night is a huge priority for me?
I like sitting in the bleachers for an hour while someone else deals with my child and gives me a break?
I haven’t played t-ball, softball, or baseball in something like 30 years, so I’m completely unqualified to coach?
I just really, really don't want to?

The table stayed quiet amid all the chaos that filled the rest of the room.

“I’ll do it.” Everyone's heads turned towards me.

I had the privilege of coaching this little t-ball team of twelve 5-6 year old boys for the past 2 months. When I volunteered, I just took a big sigh and added it to my endless list of things I commit to.  In the end, however, it surprised me how much I enjoyed this experience.

Some of the ups:

I learned how to play baseball.

Everyone called me Coach Mandi.  It rocked.

I was able to set the time, day, and location of practice. This was AWESOME for this mother of three. In the future, I will be very motivated to coach for this reason alone. It actually simplified my schedule in many ways.

I worked with different parents from all walks of life: from lawyers and mechanics to DJ's and hairdressers. These parents were not sideline parents at all;  they figuratively and literally stepped up to the plate and helped me out willingly.  Together we created a very positive atmosphere for our children.

I got to work with 5-6 year olds again. Yes, in my heart I still am a kindergarten teacher without a classroom. To joke with the kids, play with them, see them progress, push them a bit, and discover their personalities put me right back into my teacher mode that has been dormant for the past nine years. To see them hit a line drive or see their toothless smiles as they rounded third base thrilled me every time.

It forced me to leave my house, my kitchen, my emails, and my laundry twice a week and be outside. It was so refreshing and helped me destress at the end of the day. I found myself looking forward to tossing a baseball at practice for that reason alone.

I was able to spend two hours a week with this kid. I can’t remember the last time I got to do that. He is my middle, very mild and gentle child. His needs often are overlooked due to a baby that needs to be fed, or an older sister that needs to be run to another lesson. He patiently plays his middle child role day in and day out.  Only he and I shared this memory together:  Brian, me, and baseball.

The season is over. 

I’ll most likely never see those little, dusty faces again.  

They reminded me of something that I had forgotten:  

Giving of my time and myself does not take away from me.  

It fills me.

Have you ever coached a team for your kids? What did you think? Was it worth it? What did you gain from doing it?

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Family Fitness: Skate Park

Spring break is here and it couldn't be more welcome! I LOVE (and frankly, need) a break from the grind. This is designated "YES" week in our household. All the things I've been saying "no" to for the past eternity we are finally going to do.  Well, some of them anyway.

Item #1 on the kid's agenda: 

Hit the skate park.

We brought the rollerblades, scooters, and helmets and shared the cement with the local 18-year-old 10th grader skater dudes (yes, they are fabulous role models :). They were surprisingly generous with their turf and even let the kids borrow their boards for a few runs.

The kids LOVED rollerblading on a smooth surface (it beats our bumpy streets in our neighborhood) and especially were taken with the ramps and jumps available to them. Of course, being me I just encouraged them to go higher and faster, however Grandpa was the voice of caution and kept them relatively safe.  No broken teeth, wrists, or tailbones to report.

Eventually, the blades came off and they enjoyed just running up and down the ramps as much as anything.  They suddenly turned into snowboarder Shawn White from the Olympics boarding the half-pipe.

Overall, they had a ball for a hour and a half and I couldn't snap the pics fast enough.

BTW -- check out your local parks and rec website to see if you have a skate park in your neck of the woods.  Thanks to Liv for passing on this winner idea!

Happy Spring Break to you and the kiddos!

Early Morning Boogie

It has been C-O-L-D 'round these parts of TX. I know, I know -- no blankets of snow like the rest of you are experiencing, but having early morning temperatures in the low 40's is just down right freezing for this AZ native.

When the weather is warmer, my kids love riding their bikes to school. In fact, it has been the one thing I've found that makes them hustle and get ready for school on time.

We've had to park the bikes for a while, and our mornings have been dragging. Sergeant Mom has returned, and frankly I can't stand her. So, I figured out another motivator to get my kids' hustle back on:

Boogie Time

When the kids wake up in the morning, I just let them know if they are ready for school on time, they can have their Boogie Time. Whoa -- they can move fast when they want to.

It takes just three minutes. We take turns picking their favorite song to get down to, then just crank the amps and get down! They crack me up every morning and we all leave for school smiling, laughing, and with a little groove in our step.

Do I dance with them? Need you ask? OF COURSE! If there is anything I love, it is moving that boogie body! :)

Zip Line Bliss

Today school is out for the kids and guess where I found them before breakfast, in their P.J.'s, and in 45 degree weather:

From Collages

The zip line.

Santa scored big time this year when he pulled this one out of the sack. I can't get over how much they love it.

I must admit, my kids are daredevils due to some well placed encouragement from their parents. It's in my roots. My parents threw us in the ocean to swim, had us climbing trees, repelling, canoeing, ropes courses, mountain biking, water skiing all at young ages. High adventure family. It is a wonder that I ever ended up so overweight when left to my own devices. Ah, well, what's past is past.

Cut to now, and the Doc and are I all about what can get the kids outside and moving (luckily we live in Texas where we can pull that off more months than not).

The zip line ran Santa around $100, was the only thing Santa brought the kids besides their stockings, and has been a HUGE hit. Friends and neighbors are coming over to try it and there are smiles all around.

Yes, we've had just a few scrapes. The zip line runs through the middle of two trees. Santa thought it was a brilliant idea. They've only slammed into the trees a few times, but are fast learners.

They've gotten very creative lately--sometimes I just can't look outside. They remind me of some good memories a few summers ago:

From Costa Rica 2008

Man, it feels good to feel good.

Fit Momma Question: The Attack of the Goodie Plates

Fit Momma Crystal asks:

What do I do with all the tempting stuff showing up at my door?

Rolls.
Fudge.
Popcorn balls.
Sugar cookies.
Cinnamon rolls.
Gingerbread men.
Chocolate dipped pretzels.
Homemade peppermint patties.
'Tis
the
season!

All this and more – at your doorstep! Yep, that’s right, the goodie plates have started to pass over the from their house to yours… What are you gonna do?

From Collages

You can play three roles here… I have tried all three at different times, and have found the last option is the one that works for me and my family:

Jolly Old St. Nick– Just forget it. Keep it all, enjoy, inhale every cookie with the force of your Shop-Vac, and slurp up every last crumb. Deal with the damage come January 1st.

Ebenezer Scrooge – Dump everything in the garbage can ASAP and squirt ketchup on it so you can’t go dumpster diving for it (I learned that trick from my sister-in-law. It works. Trust me, divinity with ketchup is not a good combo).

I remember missing most Christmas goodies since my mother would literally not even let them hit the kitchen counter before giving them away to someone else. We had to be seriously fast on the draw to nab a sugar cookie or piece of homemade fudge. This irritated us kids and we still joke about it every Christmas. I realize now that my mom was doing that for her own protection, not necessarily to be the Sugar-Cookie-Scrooge of the season.

Fit Momma – Be moderate. Let everyone in your family have a treat from your well meaning neighbor, then its time for that food to move on! I’ll send them to work with the Doc, regift to a favorite babysitter, give them to the lawn guys, put them in the kids’ lunches, freeze and bring them back out on Christmas day for an all out gorge session.

I realize that this post will most likely greatly reduce the amount of holidays treats the Readings will be graced with – sorry kids! I'll make it up to you... :)

30 Minutes Can Work Wonders

It was late afternoon, I was doing my “get out of the kitchen, I’m trying to cook” routine, while the boys were doing their “I’m hungry, I’m bored, let’s play tag in the kitchen” routine.

Luckily, the Doc came to rescue!

The Doc, Brian (my five-year-old) and the dog needed some exercise; Johnny Scott needed to be outside (and away from me) for a while. So, whala! Leave it to my husband to think outside of the box:

From Collages

I love my boys!

Check out the thrill on my two-year-old’s face…
The happiest face was behind the camera that day: mine.
Thanks, Jared, for the extra 30 minutes
the 30 minutes of quiet
the 30 minutes of peace
the 30 minutes of cooking.
the 30 minutes of making your boys utterly happy.

Wall of Fame

From

I first heard of my aunt doing this a few years ago. She gathered sports photos of her family from throughout the years, framed them, then created her own Wall of Fame in their home gym.

I loved the idea, however, didn't have $$$$ to blow up and frame all the photos I would like nor the craftiness to make it spectacular (not a talent I possess). I did, however, have a bulletin board, some glitter, and paint I wasn't using -- thus our mini Wall of Fame was born.

The photos celebrate anything that encompasses exercise, healthy fun, outdoors, and movement. It is a place we showcase the dozens of ribbons, medals, race numbers, gymnastic meet scores, etc. The kids and I enjoy rotating the pictures throughout the year. I hung it up in the garage simply because it is the highest traffic area in our house.

It reminds my family what we value:

health
fitness
fun
memories
each other.

From Collages

**I'm sure you can create one of your own, much cuter and more eye catching than mine. If you do, email me a pic!

A Mom's Battle Scars

From Personal Training pics

White.
Bruised.
Hairy.
Varicose Veins.
And a kiss from the bike chain.

Embrace your battle scars.