Play-Learn-Grow-Repeat

From Monday Mom – Neetika:
We all know that the acts of birthing and raising children can have lasting effects on our bodies. Since I’ve had two kids, I’m in… interesting shape. I’m eating extra calories to breastfeed, and they aren’t always the healthiest. I’m sleeping very poorly, given that I’m still up with Hudson several times a night. Even if I had the energy to incorporate exercise into my daily routine, I don’t really have the time. So you can imagine what the physical manifestation of these patterns is.

Well, over the weekend I decided enough was enough! I just felt I had to do something to make myself feel better. Given that I’m starving and pinched for time when grabbing food, and there’s no forcing a baby to sleep well, I opted to focus on something I could control— working out. With Hudson down for a nap and Haley playing with her dad, I pounced on my opportunity and hit the treadmill. It felt great to get my blood going and my body moving.

I was pleased to discover that I could maintain pretty much the same speed and intensity as I did before I was pregnant. So I went with it. Unfortunately, I paid for it later. Into the evening my legs slowly grew sorer and sorer until I finally took a pain reliever. I wish I could say it was a good kind of hurt, but without continuous sleep, my body didn’t recover the way it used to.

However, I’m undeterred. It would be a shame if this incident turned me off from running and jump-starting my quest to return to healthfulness. I feel like I can get away with making excuses until Hudson is older—no one would blame me for slacking. But I don’t want to make excuses. I want to be healthy and whole. I want to provide a good example to my children. I want to feel good about myself. The time is now.

From Monday Mom – Neetika:
We hit some chilly temperatures last week—while the area is still recovering from “Superstorm” Sandy and many are still without electricity or heat. Although out building never lost power, we did have a cold night without our steam heat kicking on. The reasons why are dubious; the bottom line is that the landlord needs to figure some things out in the basement. We are usually comfortable, but go through periods of being way to hot or way to cold during every 24-hour cycle. We often dress warmer when it’s cold and open a window when it’s hot. Being that several folks in the community are worse off than we are, we’re trying to roll with the punches.

I like the winter. I enjoy curling up on the couch with my sweats on and a warm blanket—maybe even throw in a nice steaming cup of hot chocolate—and I’m set. Turn on a movie or hand me a good book and I’ll be happy for hours. Haley on the other hand, takes after her dad. She is not a homebody—she likes to get out. Like most kids her age, she really needs to get her energy out. We take lots of walks, which are great exercise for me to. Her favorite outing? The park! Where you can swing! It’s almost comical the amount of time Haley can spend swinging without getting bored or unhappy. Unfortunately, when it rains or snows, the park is not an option. During the big storm, the city parks were closed for days. During that time, we went for walk one day, and when Haley saw the playground, she screamed. I took her up to the gate to show her that it was closed and that we couldn’t open it, she kicked it!

Luckily, I don’t think the playgrounds will be closed very often. As long as there’s not precipitation, I can always bundle Haley up in extra layers and head to the park. And the days when it is kind of gross outside, I can take her to out local YMCA, where there’s an indoor playtime set up several mornings a week. It’s a great option for young kids in the winter. They may not have swings, but at least Haley can get some of her energy out.

Have a great week, everyone! Stay warm.

From Wednesday Mom – Janelle:
As a military family, home is where the Navy sends us. As you know, at the moment home is Mississippi. We enjoy the slow pace of southern living and we have made great friends. Unfortunately, Mississippi is statistically the fattest state in the US.  Sadly, it has been for six years. Nearly 35% of the population is obese. My husband complains because there are more fast food options in our town than actual restaurants, and I complain because there is no reliable source for fresh produce. We shop at Super-Walmart because there is no Farmer’s Market, Whole Foods, Albertsons, Publix or other options. Our family eats as well as we can with the ingredients we have. We really have to work to keep our family healthy.

I was not surprised to hear that Paula Deen had been diagnosed with type two diabetes. I am sure she does not exist solely on the rich comfort foods she prepares. We have even made some of her recipes occasionally. My husband even made a fried turkey on Christmas. My problem is not with Paula Deen. My problem is with the parents who send their elementary age child to our pool with an entire large pizza for lunch and a two liter bottle of Pepsi. I am amazed by the things parents feed their children around here. We try to moderate the amount of junk our kids eat, but some of Jack’s classmates seem to exist on sugar and processed foods. We are not crazy food nuts by any means, but the amount of childhood obesity here is disturbing.

The best thing we can do is expose our kids to healthy food options.  Also, making them aware of the effects that come with unhealthy eating habits will hopefully minimize their junk food consumption.  I must admit, Jack is a very picky eater, so it gets challenging.  We try our best to exercise as much as possible.  Running around the backyard or playing at the park is usually a daily activity.  I hope as parents we will make an impact on our children’s decision making.