The focus of today’s Fitness Friday is finding more time in your schedule to exercise. In my case I have been forced into that scenario because the kids are not napping anymore. In the end I have gained more than I have lost from the new no-nap schedule.

I have an extra two hours in a day to get up and move now. We have spent nap time doing various things in order to keep the kids from falling asleep, especially after 3:00. On Monday we had “quiet time” and then went to Open Swim. We cleaned the entire house on Tuesday. On Wednesday we went shopping for a few gifts and spent over an hour walking around the store. Yesterday we moved furniture around, and today we cleaned up so I could vacuum up all of the mystery stuff we found from moving the furniture.

I’ve also had to incorporate more “Mommy directed” activity in the afternoon to help the kids stay awake until bedtime. We have gone for strolls around the neighborhood, and I even ventured out on a walk to the playground with them in the wagon (which is horrible to pull for a mile, but worth it for all of us). Another favorite activity is going to our neighbor’s house late in the day.

My next goal is to start doing yoga with the kids at least once a week. I know that we all will benefit from the stretching and muscle strengthening that comes with the practice of yoga. Maybe I will even improve my focus a bit!

Photo courtesy of Vimages

I remember when I was a child that my mother rearranged the furniture regularly. Did your mom do that? It was always a big project for us and pretty exciting when the work was done. I  liked the feeling I got after the job was finished.

Yes, folks, I have turned into my mother!

I rearrange the furniture in our home with each season and a few times in between. I try out new configurations in order to accommodate our family’s changing needs. The traffic pattern fluctuates during different seasons. As the children grow, I have to adapt the environment to meet their needs. Besides sometimes I am in this house for 36 hours straight! Why wouldn’t I move things around? I need to at least feel like I have gone someplace new!

It drives E nuts when I move the furniture! I guess his mom didn’t rearrange the house much when he was a kid. His big complaint is that I am tired and sore for a few days after pushing the couches, the piano, and such around. He doesn’t see the benefits at all.

I know that there are benefits from all that furniture shifting and switching. First, I know that the kids and I have a new perspective on life for a while when we finish. Throughout the process, we also find lost toys and clean up messes that we didn’t know existed. The house becomes more user-friendly, too. I like the sense of accomplishment that I get, and I think it is good exercise!

If by simply organizing my working and living space we end up staying in our current home longer and avoid an expensive renovation, I think that E should be thankful and encourage me to do anything I want with the decor!

Photo courtesy of youngthousands

The kids and I survived a weekend without Daddy! It really was a great weekend. They were both well behaved, and they even let their poor sick mother snooze on the couch while they played quietly. It was a great help for them to play so well together. I have been waiting for a time when they would play more independently, and it has come. They really are growing up.

One key to our success this weekend was my decision to eliminate their nap. They were sleeping for two hours, but giving me trouble at bedtime, sometimes staying up to 9:00. I kept them up one day to see what would happen. The girls were a bit cranky in the afternoon, but we saved TV time for that grouchy time. Then they didn’t fight me at bedtime. Now at bedtime they simply go to sleep. It has been the best decision I have made. But it is a sad moment in time. Now we have lost our nap – my precious time. And so it goes with growing up…

Photo courtesy of jefield

Today’s Fitness Friday is all about taking care of yourself  when you are sick. I have been pretty sick lately, but this week I somehow managed to get in some exercise. Maybe you’ll feel inspired, too.

~The kids and I have been taking neighborhood strolls. These excursions are nothing like the power walks I used to take when the kids were little and buckled into the stroller, but my energy level is pretty low with this awful cold. At least we are getting out and about.

~We had a spur of the moment soccer game in the backyard. The kids had a ball watching mommy run around trying to keep up with them! I think they had the advantage since they aren’t sick anymore.

~Of course, A2 and I had a swim lesson together. This week A2 swam to the deep end of the pool with out the barbell that we usually depend on to keep us afloat. That meant that Mommy had to work harder to keep up! We ended up swimming the length of the pool twice.

~This week we also were able to go on a hike at a local wildlife area. It was a lot of fun to explore nature and to get some exercise together as a family. It certainly wore the kids out!

I am hoping that I will be well enough to get back to the gym this week.

Photo courtesy of broma

Welcome to Fitness Friday! I’ve set goals for making healthy choices for myself, and I am committed to sharing my efforts with you every week. Hopefully you can keep me accountable, and I can encourage you along the way!

This week my kiddos were so sick, so getting to the gym was not a priority. What does a mom do when the gym is out of the question? Clean!

Regular housework can help you stay healthy since it reduces germs, burns calories, and relieves stress. Disinfecting the house will keep you healthy when the kids are sick. Go green and use vinegar to clean the house. You can can learn about the effectiveness of vinegar was a disinfectant at Care2. While cleaning the house isn’t going to replace a real workout at the gym, doing something physically active is definitely better than doing nothing at all. Just remember that you need to get your heart rate elevated while you are cleaning, so make sure you are working hard. You can find out more about burning calories while cleaning your home at Medicine.net and Everyday Health. Being organized also keeps you from being frenzied looking for things. You can read more about relieving stress by organizing your home at Ezine Articles.

Do you have any ideas for keeping yourself on track with your wellness when the kids get sick?

Photo courtesy of Thomªs

Cleaning the house never ends. I am constantly doing laundry, vacuuming, picking up toys, doing dishes, and the list goes on. The battle to keep the house in a reasonable condition happens every day, and with young children – 2 1/2 & 5 – the work load can seem insurmountable. I am trying hard to train my wee tykes to help me out with keeping the house clean. I hope to teach them responsibility and respect for our things. I also think that housekeeping is a life skill that they need.

Sheila at To Love, Honor, and Vacuum has lots of great tips to help you get the family – even the little ones – involved in cleaning up the house. I like one of her ideas a lot. She suggests organizing the toys to help kids clean up, and this is something I know works. In our family room I have the toys organized according to category in baskets. In the past I had them labeled so other folks could figure out the system, too.

Mommy Vignettes has a Hub Page,  How to Clean your House with Young Children. She also lists some practical, age appropriate ideas for enlisting your small children in chores. I particularly like the idea of having your kids help with sweeping and mopping the kitchen floor. I have my kids help me with this. They get to use the dust pan and small broom while I use the regular sized broom. Then I fill a large bowl with hot, soapy water. I add a bit of white vinegar to the water, too. (Sometimes I give the kids baking soda and a bowl of water instead.) The kids use sponges to scrub the floor by hand. I assist them and follow with kitchen towels to dry. Then the kids get a bath and Mom gets a shower! It is messy, but really worth it. (This kind of work is really great for kids with SPD, too.)

My last bit of advice for cleaning with small children is to prioritize. What matters the most to you on any given day? Do you need the toys to be cleaned up before everyone goes to bed? Does the kitchen have to be cleaned at the end of the day? Decide on an attainable goal for the day and focus on that. There will be many things that do not get finished. Be patient, though.

We have been home this week since the kids have been sick with fevers and a cough. Thankfully they have been in good spirits overall. It has been an opportunity to for me to watch them play. You’d be amazed by what you can hear when the kids don’t know you are listening.

The girls are fascinated by babies these days. Their play revolves mostly around baby behavior and mother-child interaction. They prefer to role play instead of using dollies for this game, though. One of the girls will play mommy and the other will be the baby. The baby will make some kind of mischief while crawling around the house, and the mommy will have to scold or redirect the baby. I have heard a lot of the language that I use when they play this game. It is funny to hear yourself in your children’s conversations!

The girls also really like the concept of nursing and soothing a baby. They have questioned me extensively about how it all works. I am honest and explain as much about the process as possible since I think it is really important to answer the kids’ questions at an age appropriate level.  They are so interested in this that they even nurse their dollies. Since I am not nursing a baby these days, it is intriguing to see them play around with this idea. I wonder why they are so fascinated by nursing.

I am curious to see what concepts the girls will try to tackle next!

Photo courtesy of Indiewench

I happy to report that my pooch is doing well. She was miserable with the Elizabethan collar and banged it on everything in an attempt to get it off. We gave in and took it off. So far so good with the wound healing.

The vet called with the report on the biopsy. This tumor was a grade 2, but he was confident that he removed the whole tumor and got good margins. I desperately hope that my dog doesn’t have to deal with anymore of this. It is sad.

The kids have been great with the dog. They have lots of questions about her “boo boo”, but they are being kind and gentle with her. Thankfully the whole experience hasn’t distressed them at all as similar dog injuries have in the past.

Our dog is part of our family. The kids love to play her and talk to her as if she is a human. With that in mind, I have been thinking about and dreading talking with my kids about our pet’s illnesses, injuries, and eventual death when those situations arise. We believe in being truthful and answering our kids’ questions in age appropriate ways, but I know that it will be difficult for me to discuss the honest questions that the kids will ask. Sometimes it is really hard to be the grown up!

Welcome to Fitness Friday! I’m starting this new series in order to keep myself on track with my fitness goals and hopefully encourage you along the way.

This week I went swimming with the kids twice this week. I definitely feel the results of the swimming! My shoulders and back are pretty sore right now, which means I am gaining new muscle. I am hopeful to get to the pool three times next week! It is a great way to exercise.

We also went for two short walks around our neighborhood. I miss the days when the kids would ride in the carriage because I could walk at a fast pace and I didn’t have to keep everyone on course. However, it has been great to stroll around with a couple of our friends. The kids keep each other company and the moms get a chance to chat. So far our walks have been spontaneous. Perhaps we will schedule them some time in the future.

I have been unsuccessful with getting to bed earlier most nights. I don’t understand why I’m not getting to bed since I am so tired at the end of the day. I suppose the I want to feel like I am a grown up. I have to get to bed earlier this coming week!

My new goal is to stop snacking at night. If anyone has a good suggestion for how to avoid late night munching, I would love to hear it. I need all the help I can get!

Photo courtesy of Tom@HK

Mothering is an art form. Think about what mothers do every day.

1. Mothers nurture their children. For each child that looks different, though. Some children need Mommy to snuggle them often throughout the day. Other children need the freedom to explore independently and know that mom is nearby to ensure that everything is safe. Moms have to learn what each child needs through trial and error.
2. Mothers discipline their children. All children need to be taught right from wrong, but there are multiple ways to teach children those lessons. Each child responds differently. Some children fall to pieces if you raise your voice while other children need the adult in charge to be assertive and firm.
3. Mothers provide for their children’s needs. How many meals does a mother prepare a day? Moms make sure the kids are well dressed. Moms patch up their children’s boo-boos. Mothers hug and kiss their little ones to tell them that everything will be all right.
4. Mothers advocate for their children. Moms tell everyone how wonderful their children are and what great things their children can do. They insist that the pediatrician look into a concern. Moms call the teacher, the principal, and the superintendent if necessary. Moms research to find answers and follow through on that research. Mothers pray for their children.
5. Mothers love their children. Everything that a mother does comes from love, uncontional love, and mothers are blessed.

Happy Mother’s Day. Enjoy your blessings!

Photo courtesy of ~*~Sheyla~*~