Exercise? When Do You Have Time for THAT?

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The last time I was weighed at my midwife's office before our eighth child was born, the scale read 204 pounds. I know some of you blessedly tall girls are thinking, "So?", but I'm a shorty at 5'3", and 204 pounds was not a healthy situation. I can blame back-to-back pregnancies, but I still knew that I was going to have to do something about it and fast. Because of Mighty Joe's illness, I didn't get around to adding an exercise routine into my day until an entire year after he was born. What I have learned over the past almost-40 years is that I have to do what works for me. There are thousands of paths to weight loss available, but the bottom line is that I won't exercise if I hate it. I hate running. That's out. I began changing my diet by replacing breakfast and lunch with an Isagenix shake. I would not recommend this to everyone; it's pricey and if you need to get a better handle on nutrition, drinking a meal-replacement won't help you long term. But Isagenix did kick-start my weight loss, and I lost 25 pounds in just a few months. I did love the ease of shakes enough to keep at it, but I switched to Juice Plus for several reasons, not the least of which was... um... the inability to "go" with Isagenix. That's enough about that :) There is absolutely NO reason you have to do this, too. I'm just telling you what works for me. We eat generally healthy: whole grains, lots of fresh veggies, homemade food. And so then there's exercise. Running's out. So is swimming six months out of the year. A gym is not a reality, both because I rarely leave my house as it is, and the cost would drive me batty. But I spent the years between age 5 and age 20 in a ballet studio or performing live theater, which often meant musicals and tap dancing, too. I love to dance, I like aerobic exercise, and I like routines. Thanks to my incredibly hard-bodied mom-of-three childhood friend Jonelle, I was introduced to Slim in Six and the Beach Body line of exercise DVDs. This has been the answer for me. Slim in Six is my favorite series, but I do use a couple of other Beach Body DVDs just to add variety (Yoga Booty Ballet, fast forwarding through the goofy spiritual junk and Turbo Jam, which makes me feel like I'm releasing any aggression I might have hidden deep down :D ). I like the Pilates Body Band workout from time to time, too. What works for me won't necessarily be the answer for you. The key is to figure out what works for you, when you can add it in to your day, and then do it. I work out during our afternoon quiet hour or at night. That's what works for me. And listen- there is a season for everything. This past weekend my husband was gone for four days and I only worked out once while he was gone. The long days of managing all eight of my kiddos without a break at night was physically wearing. If you have a husband who is deployed or you can rarely get a break, this may not be your season for serious exercise. Can you be content to take walks with the kids or dance in the kitchen? If I can encourage you young moms just starting out- keep on top of the weight loss and fitness. If you're hoping to have a lot of children, you will need stamina and energy like you can't believe. I had our firstborn when I was just 22 and our lastborn at 37. There was magnanimous difference between the first pregnancy and the ninth. I'm 142 pounds right now. I have ten more pounds I'd like to lose to be at a weight I know I can realistically maintain. But I don't plan for 204 pounds to ever be a reality again.

Life with Preschoolers, Nurturing MomsKendraMarch 15, 2010 Comments

What our Homeschool Really Looks Like

Our life isn't always pretty. In fact, it's messy, dirty, disorganized in places, and noisy. My hair is low on the priority list unless we're headed out the door, and Mighty Joe's blanket often needs a bath. Actually, Mighty Joe often needs a bath :)

What School Really Looks Like in the Fletcher Home

Mighty Joe likes to fuss and I like to give in

In fact, he rarely sits still but I just keep talking (See? Bad hair day.)

...and then big brother has to get in on the action

Please, somebody tell me you're tripping over IKEA stepstools, gouging the bottom of your feet on Legos, and trying to be heard above the din, too!

Educating at Home, Life with PreschoolersKendraMarch 12, 2010 Comments

How Can Sunday Be Restful With Little Ones?

Just days after our sweet seventh was born

♥

I wondered if you had anything to share about what you do to make Sundays different than the rest of the week when there is still so much to do for little kids. ~Alicia ♥ Hi Alicia- I completely understand where you're coming from. I remember back about ten years ago when I would chafe any time someone mentioned the idea of a restful Sunday. Restful? For whom? Ultimately, I had to make a choice. I could be grumpy and hold a grudge, or I could rearrange the way I was going about Sundays and recognize that they could be different and less stressful than the other days of the week, and in that, they could be restful. There are definitely steps I took to make Sunday a more peaceful day. First, I make sure that all of the clothing, shoes, and hair accessories that I am responsible for are taken care of by Saturday night. I don't want to have to run around Sunday morning trying to find the baby's shoes. We have the same thing for breakfast every single Sunday morning. Bagels with cream cheese, toasted on a sheet pan in the oven all at once. Paper plates. Minimal mess. We made the choice after much frustration, discipline issues arising from unrealistic (for us) standards at church, and over-tired little people in need of a nap to not participate in the church potluck after four hours of service and Sunday School. Lunch at home after church is always simple. Cheese, crackers, salami, fruit. Sandwiches. Leftovers. When we had four under six-years-old, we stopped at Carl's Jr because it was on the way home. Little ones go down for naps, and sometimes we big ones do, too. I will not do laundry. I might pick up things here or there, but if it feels like work, I don't do it. I will, however, do something I enjoy, even if someone else might find it unappealing; gardening, couponing, reading, working out, baking. Dinner is simple, too. Pancakes, smoothies in the summer, burgers on the grill, leftovers, something from the freezer (tonight it was fajitas, quickly stir fried and served with Spanish rice, salsa, chips, etc.) My friend Cheryl has a "clean-out-the-fridge" dinner every Sunday night, or an "every-man-for-himself" approach. I grew up in a home where we had pizza every Sunday night. Pizza and 60 Minutes :) Watch a video together, listen to a book on tape, read aloud, play a game (my middle kids are really into Pit these days), take a bubble bath. Put little ones down. I admit that I do spend about an hour every Sunday evening preparing for the week. But that's for sanity's sake on Monday morning, and that is entirely worth it to me. Helpful?

Life with Preschoolers, Nurturing MomsKendraMarch 10, 2010 Comments

What is Circle Time?

Hi! I was wondering if you would mind expounding some on the Circle Time that you do with you kids. I remember reading a post on this previously at your site and would love to start some of this with my oldest this fall (she’ll be 4) and need a little more direction. Any tips where to start and what to work on with her? And suggestions for scripture memorization? That’s an area that I struggle with so I need all the help I can get since I want to do it along with her. Thank you so much! Stephanie ♥ Stephanie- Starting Circle Time (or whatever you decide to call it) now is a great idea. It has been a part of our lives for so long now that I doubt even the 16-year-old can remember our days without it, although he seldom joins us anymore. Still, on the days he is with us, he participates by leading some of what we do, reading aloud, or quizzing the littlest ones on their catechism. You asked for tips on where to start, so let’s begin there. The first thing you want to do is to determine what it is you want to include in your Circle Time. This always fluctuates for us, meaning that there are seasons when Circle Time includes just the essentials like devotions, Scripture memory, and prayer, and other seasons when Circle Time is a long drawn-out session filled with singing, reading, and lots of laughter.
Ideas for Circle Time: Psalm or Proverb of the day- read one chapter a day. Let the children illustrate something from the passage that stands out to them. Prayer- my kids are particularly fond of “popcorn” prayer, where we go around the room with each person sharing one thing in prayer at a time. We use the acronym ACTS (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) as our guide; the first person calls out one attribute of God in adoration to Him, then the next person, etc. Then the first person begins again by confessing a sin, and we move on around until the prayer is finished. Devotional- Books we’ve enjoyed over the years: My ABC Bible Verses, Discovering Jesus in Genesis, Discovering Jesus in Exodus, With the Children on Sundays, and the How God Used... series. Songs- We have worked on one hymn at a time, or our favorite hymns with everyone choosing one, or worship choruses we all like, etc. Sometimes I play the piano, sometimes one of the boys plays his guitar, sometimes we just get a little silly and sing at the top of our lungs. Catechism Review- No, we’re not Catholic. Historically, Protestants have used confessions to teach the truths of Scripture in a systematic way to their children and themselves, and we use the Westminster Confession in our home. The children’s catechism goes like this: Q. Who made you? A. God Q. What else did God make? A. God made all things. Q. Why did God make you and all things? A. For His own glory. Q. Why ought you to glorify God? A. Because He made me and takes care of me. If you’re not familiar with the different Protestant confessions, take a look at this site. Special Topic- From time to time we see areas in our lives that need attention. I’ll add some time to focus on those areas and hope to see a little progress. Currently we’re working on manners. Memory Work- Which verses or passages do you want your children to have committed to memory by the time they leave your home? Sit down and make a list sometime and then begin to memorize together. Competitions and rewards always motivate us when we get lazy. I recently purchased an audio Bible on MP3 and now we listen to passages over and over again to commit them to memory. Cards- We like the variety that flash cards give us. You can search the web for photos of famous landmarks to print out, make cards for the Greek alphabet, Roman numerals, sign language, U.S. Presidents, books of the Bible, and practically anything else you can think of that would be worth memorizing. ♥ I hope this gives you some good ideas to start with. Coming on Wednesday-- a contest to win a copy of my eBook all about Circle Time, Circle Time: Plan the Best Part of Your Day!

Yep, Still Here...

Sitting up after the big walk

Day 6 in the ICU, but we're hoping we get kicked out by this evening ;) She's walking in a big circle twice a day, but is still breathing too shallow for her good. She's not eating solids (clear liquids only) but had her heart arterial line removed today (yay!). We've been blessed with wonderful nurses who aren't accustomed to pediatric ICU patients at this hospital but have been just the perfect caregivers for our girl. Bit of excitement today. Despite the fact that we are in a brand new wing of the hospital, our massive and lusty storm was too much for the ceiling in her room and this morning the water broke through in a huge gush! You've never seen an ICU patient moved so quickly! Nothing like a busted ceiling to break the monotony, eh? We're here a while longer. And someone told me that bitten nails can end up irritating an appendix. Anyone want to verify or debunk this bit of info? Our daughter's nails are chewed to the quick, so it's an interesting theory. So far, here's what you can teach your children by way of the Fletcher family: 1. Wash your hands (Joe's enterovirus) 2. Remain seated until the car comes to a complete stop (little girly's fractured pelvis) 3. Don't bite your fingernails!

Still in the ICU

Our sweet girl is still being fed through a tube, breathing shallowly (it hurts to breathe after major abdominal surgery!), but walking a few steps to the door and back, whisper talking, and sucking on blue popsicles that make the new nurses a little shocked until they realize the real reason for her blue lips :) My posts for this week are on auto pilot, so they'll continue to go up. But if you think of us, please pray for our still-recovering daughter, our scattered hither-and-yon children, and my husband and I who will be like two ships passing in the night all week long. Love you all!

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