Tag: walking

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Family

Are Early Milestones A Sign Of Intelligence?

Are hitting milestones early related to intelligence?

When I meet some mums or people out and about they ask about my little boy. I tell them what he has been up to and give them a quick update on things.

Our little boy who is six months old tomorrow seems to be hitting most milestones early.

When I mention this to others I get one thing said back to me….

“He is going to be intelligent”

Geez I hope so but I’m not sure if laughing before the doctors tell me the baby should be or trying to stand when you cannot crawl or doing things before the allotted time-frame means you are going to be genius or at the very least a smart bunny or smarter than the average bear.

Since he was born he has wanted to stand up. I picked him up and he put his legs down on me to stand up. He was just born…. why is he wanting to stand? I had no concept of this due to having preemie twins for my first children. Having a baby born exactly on his due date changes things.

It has not just been one person who has told me that due to Alexander hitting his milestones early he is going to be super smart, there have been many, actually too many to remember.

Resting after having some floor time
Resting after having some floor time

I do think that he is in a hurry to do things. Maybe he has places to be, worlds to conquer or a business meeting to attend? I don’t know but he is keen to be racing around like the other kids.

Is it due to him being the youngest child? He sees the older kids do everything? The twins did not have this, although they had the constant company and help of having someone with them at all times.

What can my little boy do now?

  • Roll everywhere (Travels everywhere)
  • Crawl a little bit
  • Grabs everything even with a pincer grip
  • Laughs at his own jokes and others
  • Follows instruction to roll over to an area or part of the room
  • Has to get to his toys even if they are out of reach. Likes to play with toys that are not his…. yes the twins need to keep their toys and room tidy.
  • Getting more hungry
  • Has increased his solids intake to more and more each day. Sometimes it depends on the day and how hungry he is…. seems to be increasing.
  • Makes eye contact with people – He has done this for a long time now. I think from about 2 months he did this or before.
  • He likes to give you cuddles
  • He LOVES cuddles from mummy especially and also his sisters, oh and daddy.
  • Loves mummies singing… YES I know this will change but he thinks it is wonderful at the moment!
  • Has a funny sense of humour….. He laughs at things that you think babies would not find funny. It is like he has a quirky offbeat understanding of comedy and humour already.
  • Sits up in his rocker chair
  • Loves to see everything when we are out and about…. if he is in his pram he must be sitting up. This started months ago and I was hesitant to have him sitting up as I thought he was too young…however he would fret and freak out if he could not see what was going on and also be included.
  • He loves to be with his big sisters in their room. The girls tuck him in their bed and fuss over him. He has smiles and giggles, and of course looks so happy to be there it is lovely to watch.

I personally think that it does not matter when your child does anything. As long as all is well with development and they are happy, healthy and loved it will all work itself out. Of course if you are worried about something it is always best to check. Having checkups and making sure that development is on track, if there are any issues you can hopefully get to see the right people earlier rather than later and things will be resolved or better than they could have been without the help.

I always had the twins checked at certain ages for milestone development when they were babies and I’m doing the same for Alexander. My kids don’t do what others do and vice versa. When things happen is up to the individual and of course if it is like when the twins lose their baby teeth we are not keeping up with the other kids at all. My girls have only lost 3 teeth in total, mind you I was slow on that front too as a kid, so maybe it genetic.

From my reading online I found that if your child is an early reader, it is likely that they are smarter. Yes you read that right.

“We also know something about early reading. While it’s not necessarily a sign of genius, early readers are usually “smarter than the average bear.” Nancy Ewald Jackson, a developmental psychologist and reading acquisition expert at the University of Iowa, says one review of the literature found the average IQ of early readers was 130. “That’s clearly above average, but half the group would not qualify as gifted in terms of IQ,” she points out. One of her studies showed that precocious kindergarten readers tended still to be reading above grade level by grades five and six. But it isn’t clear whether that’s because they were bright, and therefore read early, as opposed to because they read early, and thereby became smarter.” ( Hoffman, John, Today’s Parent: “Earlier, faster, better: precocious kids”, Oct 4, 2006)

The twins and now our little boy have done things earlier than expected. The girls did things way before it was thought things would happen and maybe that was mainly due to the fact that they were six weeks early. Well could have been seven weeks early if one twin had her way!  They spoke, sat up, crawled and rolled over way before they were supposed to. Maybe they were in a hurry like our new little boy is as well. Or could it just be genetics again?

I wish I had a crystal ball to tell me if these comments are right about intelligence and smarts.  I am just pleased that he is a happy, healthy, we think he is smart, and active little person.

Did your baby hit milestones early? Were you told that your little boy/girl was going to be intelligent due to reaching these development milestones before they are supposed to?

 

If you are a parent to older children has this idea panned out? Have they blitzed their grade? Or the top of the year at uni? Or how about launch a million/billion dollar idea as a startup company? Let us know.

 

Categories
Exercise

Flexing with Fitbit

On my weekend in the city I purchased a new Fitbit Flex. I did have a Fitbit Zip but that died a long time ago. At first I thought it was simply a battery issue, however it seemed like it was an issue with the zip device itself. So I have been without a Fitbit or other device to help me in getting fit and slinky.

My new Fitbit Flex. I got pink as a change from black. I had a black Fitbit Zip. Plus the girls love pink!
My new Fitbit Flex. I got pink as a change from black. I had a black Fitbit Zip. Plus the girls love pink! Got it last Saturday while away in the city with hubby.

I was using my phone but due to having iPhone 4s the battery is not lasting and you can do one thing and it powers down, regardless if I have 70% battery power! I will get a new phone one day but have to wait currently. So imagine my excitement when I replaced my much loved Fitbit Zip with my new bright coloured (Yes it is pink!) Fitbit Flex.

The Flex is great. It is just like a bracelet or more like a watch band. You forget you are wearing it. It is much better than the Zip. The Zip I had to clip onto my bra, top of my t-shirt or put in my pocket. I was lucky that I never washed it and of course had to check that it was not in any clothes before I did the wash.

What does the Flex do?

  • Syncs to the Fitbit app by WiFi, either on your desktop computer or via your phone or tablet
  • Count your steps
  • Calories burned
  • Distance traveled
  • Hours slept
  • Quality of your sleep
  • You can add in your food and water consumed and much more
What the flex looks like when not on showing the dots for the steps.
What the flex looks like when not on showing the dots for the steps.

You can change the colour of the band for the Fitbit and make it more you. The Flex came with two bands, one bigger and one smaller. Surprisingly I fit into the smaller one and according to hubby I am the same as the twins. Have very skinny wrists. At least my wrists are skinny…. now for the rest of me!

I am still figuring all the Fitbit Flex out and it is still new. I am still learning about the alarms and the sleep modes…. I have yet to set up the alarm but need to figure out if I am doing something wrong. I might be as Sunday my Flex was in sleep mode for half the day and I had no idea what the dots were telling me. If your Flex has 2 dots on the left and 2 dots on the right that flash either side and keep doing so. You are in sleep mode. Double tap to get out of sleep mode. It should vibrate and show the dots to let you know you are no longer in sleep mode.

Close up of my Fitbit Flex. You tap it to show you the dots. The dots represent how many steps you have done. A full row of dots indicates you have completed your 10,00 steps or more! Half way shows that you have done at least 5,000.
Close up of my Fitbit Flex. You tap it to show you the dots. The dots represent how many steps you have done. A full row of dots indicates you have completed your 10,00 steps or more! Half way shows that you have done at least 5,000.

 

Yesterday I made it to just over 10,000 steps so that was a great achievement and today I have reached, 13, 676 steps so far. No wonder I am sitting here wanting to go to bed. I am so tired and all I have been doing is housework today.

I have done a record amount of laundry and it was helped with the fact it is hot and extremely windy. The washing has dried in no time and then I was off to do another load. Non stop all day! (It did help that the kids went to vacation care today! I was able to get a few things done)

 

As I write this I have done 13,676 steps.
As I write this I have done 13,676 steps.

Why 10,000 steps?

“The Japanese first started using the 10,000 steps a day number, as part of a marketing campaign! (to help sell pedometers).  Since that initial campaign however, medical authorities around the world have agreed that 10,000 is a healthy number to aim for. The American Heart Association uses the 10,000 steps metric as a guideline to follow for improving health and decreasing risk of heart disease, the number one killer of men and women in America.” (http://blog.fitbit.com/the-magic-of-10000-steps/)

I like the idea of showing how much exercise you have done doing tasks around the house. As you can see by my 13,676 steps today with just doing housework I have moved a fair bit today!  I was going to go for a walk but it is very windy and of course I then blessed with hay fever so thought staying home would make more sense. I did more around the house, and still managed to do some exercise. So a win all round.

How Do You Add More Exercise to Your Day?

After kids it is hard to exercise or do things you used to. Interruptions and not having childcare sometimes makes you time next to impossible.

These are some things that I did when the twins were babies:

  • I managed to walk most places while they were in the pram. (Can’t now due to no pram and kids too big – I could take them with me, however to do this I would have to walk slow and I hate that so would rather wait to go for a walk on my own)
  • I would book them into care while I went for a swim/aqua aerobics or went to the gym
  • I did stretching with them, and a bit of yoga.
  • I played with them in the garden and in parks. Running around helps us all.
  • Dancing to music with the twins in the living room. We all still do this and of course this burns calories and is fun
  • Move more when you do simple chores, like walking around the house.
  • Stand up when you fold the clothes

I know it is hard to get going, but even a small amount of exercise can change your mood and make your day better. Little steps help to get started. It doesn’t matter how much you do, just as long as you can keep it up and don’t hurt yourself in one session. There is nothing worse than over doing it and then hurting yourself. As a mother and the primary care taker of the kids I cannot afford to hurt myself so I need to go a little step at a time.

I have been guilty of doing too much too soon so I know what that is like also. It is not fun and at the time I felt very silly that I did it. Now I just take my time and do things slowly.

Do you have a Fitbit? What type do you have? Do you love yours as much as I love my new flex?

What is your greatest tip that you would love to share? Let us know.

Note: This is not a sponsored post for Fitbit Flex. I just love it and had to share. It is making me want to do more and I thought it might be something my lovely readers are interested in as well. Keeping fit and healthy is something that I am interested in.

Categories
Exercise

Mums is Your Neck & Shoulders Aching?

New mummy cuddles. Both mummy and baby are tired. Image courtesy of papaija2008 at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
New mummy cuddles. Both mummy and baby are tired. Image courtesy of papaija2008 at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

When I had the twins I was so exhausted. Yes I am sure you can imagine. I had over 30 hours of labour that the doctors and nurses thought was not happening and of course it went on forever and ever! I just wanted to go to sleep. This could not happen. I had the first baby and blanked and forgot for a while that I had to do another. Silly really, but this is what happens when you are sleep deprived and physically exhausted and have mentally left the building as well. I am sure I am not the only one that has done this. (Let me know if you did this too, well if you had multiples)

After I had the babies, they of course went straight to intensive care so I tried to catch up on much needed rest in-between doctors/nurses visits and the NICU ringing for breast milk that I had not made yet! OH GOSH THE PRESSURE!

Once our stay in hospital was over and I was finally home with my two precious bundles of joy and I was of course super tired and zapped of energy. Thank god I cooked and froze dinners for three months to help. More on the blog later about that. I will share some of my favourite meals I froze and what made it easy in the first three months home with new born twins.

One thing that was clearly apparent soon after having the twins was that I was constantly bending over and this in turn was making my neck, shoulders and back ache. This was very annoying. I loved being with the babies but since I had to feed them and at times ended up in awkward positions it of course was not good for me.  Has this happened to you?

Not only did I ache, I had to keep on doing the same activity that made me sore! OH how annoying. What can be done you ask?

I went to the gym and found that they did not focus enough on exercises that stretch your body the other way. For example if you are constantly bending and leaning over, why can’t we stretch backwards? Have more movement with stretches that allow you to move the other way rather than constantly putting pressure on the part that hurts or is causing an issue.

Here are some great exercises to help the back, neck and shoulders (Note, this is just what works for me and I am not a fitness expert):

    • This is one of my favourite exercises. It makes my shoulders feel so much better. Image courtesy of stockimages at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
      This is one of my favourite exercises. It makes my shoulders feel so much better. Image courtesy of stockimages at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

      Backstroke. Swimming backstroke stretches and flexes the muscles that you are not using that much and it feels great as your body is having the other side exercised. This I find helps me feel more balanced and helps my neck and shoulders.

    • Yoga. Stretching and relaxing with yoga no matter your skill level I find very beneficial. You can either go to a class or have a DVD at home so that you can do it at a time that is easy for you to add to your routine. If your kids are older maybe get them to join in. If your child is still a baby sneak in a relaxation session while they are sleeping if you can.
      The cat pose, the tree and the spinal twist ones are my favourite. Not sure if I have listed them correctly but hopefully you know what I mean. I also like the mediation relaxation on the floor at the end. It helps centre you and makes me more relaxed.
    • Stretch your arms. I like to put my arm on a door or wall. Then I lean the other way so this gives you the stretch on the other side of your body. I do this to both sides and then it makes all joints and arms feel much more relaxed.
    • Meditation. I find a small window to meditate with nothing going on. I know this is hard if you have a house full of kids and activity. I do find that the times the kids are at school I take a part of my day to just sit still and do nothing. I like listening to the stillness, the quiet and just love it. No one yelling, “Mummy!, can you come here!” Sometimes it just takes those moments to make my shoulders and neck relax and it makes the difference to a calmer and more peaceful day.
    • Walking. I know it is not exactly exercising the back, neck and shoulders, but it is low impact and it gives the body movement and takes you to a different environment where you can breathe in the fresh air and relax. Don’t under estimate a good walk around the block or say around the park.
    • Aqua Aerobics. I love this form of exercise. Not only is it good for your joints being low impact, you are doing more as you have to use the water as an added weight that helps you tone up and get fit. You can push yourself as hard as you like or take it easy depending on your fitness level.

I like most mums don’t take enough time for themselves and I should. It is hard to fit it all in and I hope that some of these tips might help you. It will soon be daylight savings and I cannot wait. More daylight, in warmer weather to be outdoors.

NOTE: I am not an expert in exercise. Check with your doctor if these are right for you.

Here are some links that might help you:

Do you find that exercise programs don’t have stretches to help with the fact that we are bending and leaning over more? I do! I feel that we need to focus more on posture, relaxation and stretching. If we did more of this we might not be having such ailments like headaches due to neck pain and so on. I suffer most from headaches due to tension in my neck.

Let us know what you do to relax and make the aches go away. I must say a massage and a weekend away does wonders also, however does not happen often.

Categories
5 years and beyond

Family Getaway: Taronga Zoo

Hubby and I took the kids away for the weekend. Well it was mainly due to winning a competition from BoundRound, but I am claiming it was all me to the kids.

So what did I win? 

Well I was lucky to get a family pass to Taronga Zoo and two night’s accommodation at The Cremorne Point Manor. What an amazing prize and how lovely that we were able to stay close by when visiting the zoo.

What was it like?

Hubby took Friday off to make it a long weekend, and after kids finished school that day we continued onto the city to check into the hotel. As we drew nearer to the Cremorne Point Manor the houses got more stately and larger.

 

I would say they were not houses, more like mansions. Some were just amazing and I was drooling all the way to our destination. When I make it rich, I know where I want to buy some real estate. Pity that my starting bid would never be close enough! I suppose I need to keep on dreaming.

On arrival the staff at The Cremorne Point Manor were lovely and the place, room and everything was just wonderful. The room was amazing and just right for us and the twins.

Our room at the Cremorne Point Manor
Our room at the Cremorne Point Manor

We stayed in the family suite and it was just perfect. It gave the kids space and us as well. It was so nice to have our room separate from the kids. The blurb below is from the Cremorne Point Manor’s website:

“The family suite consists of a Queen Bed in one room, and a bunk bed and single bed in the other room. With an ensuite bathroom. This is a perfect room for a family or group of friends. The doors can be closed to allow Parents some peace or left open if you have small children.”

Kids room at the Cremorne Point Manor
Kids room at the Cremorne Point Manor

 

Dinner on Valentines

After we settled into our room we rested and then changed to go out to dinner. We decided to have dinner at Mosman Rowers as it was close and caught the ferry one stop and walked the rest of the way.

While we were waiting for the ferry we spied a possum that was not shy about people and daylight. He was busy munching on leaves and other plants and was not bothered by people passing or the kids running around. This possum allowed us to take some pictures of it and seemed to be posing for the camera.

The posing possum
The posing possum

 

Waiting for the ferry
Waiting for the ferry
Waiting to go to dinner
Waiting to go to dinner

The twins had never been on a ferry before so this was a great experience. It was a shame we were only going one stop but they had fun none the less. Dinner was very tasty at Mosman Rowers and the mains came out fast.

Dinner at Mosman Rowers
Dinner at Mosman Rowers

However there was a big mix up with dessert for hubby and I and we waited a while and he finally got his and they forgot about mine. We could not wait as it was very late at this stage. When you have kids that are tired and over it, you have to call it a night. On the whole it was good but was upset about missing out on my much waited for dessert. The lady that served us at the bar, gave us a free wine each while we waited, and we thanked her, although we had to leave due to the kids.

Luck or planned? Our number for dinner was 14 and it was the 14th, Valentines actually
Luck or planned? Our number for dinner was 14 and it was the 14th, Valentines actually

We decided to walk back to the hotel and as it was not that far was a good idea. It was a balmy and nice night to have an evening walk. Although kids were tired and whingey they did well to get back to the hotel on foot. I think they loved the adventure.

 

Our day at Taronga Zoo

The kids were taken with the ferry from yesterday but to get one to the zoo we would need to get it from Circular Quay. As we were only a 10 minute drive and the weather was rainy the decision was to drive. Driving also allowed us to be relaxed at the end of the day knowing that we could get in the car and drive quickly back to the hotel.

Just arrived at the zoo
Just arrived at the zoo

The twins were very excited about going to the zoo and have told everyone at Kindy that they were going. I also have a song in the car called, “Daddies taking us to the Zoo tomorrow” then it says, “Mummies taking us to the zoo tomorrow” So of course they were singing it all the time. So yes they were very happy to go and see all the animals.

What animals did the kids want to see?

One animal that was on the list to see was a unicorn. I did mention that this might not be there. Yes I know it would not be there, rather than might. I was trying to break it to them gently. So as you probably guessed, we did not see a unicorn. However others that were on the list that we did see were: Zebra, Elephant, Hippo, Monkeys and Crocodiles, and so on.

What was it like when we got to the zoo?

As it was a day of rain and very overcast, I borrowed some umbrellas from the hotel. The morning is when it rained the most but it was mostly heavier drizzle and not that bad. Just enough to get you wet. After a while it passed and most of the day it was not raining so not too bad considering. Hubby purchased a rain coat from the Zoo shop and we were right to go about seeing all the animals.

When we first arrived we went on the sky safari which is the cable car that gives you a bird’s eye view of the zoo and all the animals. The kids loved it and we did a round trip.

 

What shows/talks did we see?

We went to the elephant talk, the seal show and the penguin talk.

Penguins
Penguins

How did the kids go walking everywhere?

The kids were very good. I was wearing my fitbit for both days and the day at the zoo I walked well over 10,000 steps so that must have been for hubby and the twins also. Although they were very good they did whinge about their feet and how tired they were. These are the things that were said!

“My feet are sore!”

“My feet are on fire!”

“When are we going back to the hotel mummy?” All while saying what animal they want to see next.

 

What was the food like?

I did think that it would all be deep fried and little choice of what to get. Mostly my experience with these types of outings I am annoyed at the lack of healthy choices.

Taronga Zoo had plenty of fresh and healthy options. They had yummy and tasty food that hubby and I were raving about how great it was and a pleasant change.

My only disappointment was due to the kids complaining that they were hungry and then not eating anything that was given to them.

We ate at The Taronga Food Market. Hubby and I had the pulled beef chipotle burritos and they were so yummy I could have had another. Kids had a salad and an apple with fruit juice.

There was fruit to pack so you can go and see the rest of the zoo, or you can sit and have lunch if you wish, they have thought of everyone.

 

Zoo Shop

A word of warning. Make sure to keep an eye on your kids. Mine were so taken with the moving toy animals (tigers) in the window that they fell. One of my girls had to pat them and this made it fall! Yes they are life sized and we had to get two staff members to help us put them back where they should be. Great shop but such a joy for kids. I only took my eyes of them for a second. You have been warned! Staff were great about it, and I’m sure this happens all the time from their reaction.

The kids and I waiting for dinner at The Oaks
The kids and I waiting for dinner at The Oaks

Dinner after the zoo

After the zoo we were very tired as you can imagine. We walked all of the zoo and kids were very good although at times annoying due to them whinging but very good considering they are not used to walking great distances.

We got to the car and then made our way back to the hotel. After such a big day, we had a rest and then showered and got ready to go to dinner.

Our dinner destination was The Oaks. It was lovely and although they said they were not very busy they looked hectic. I suppose since there were still tables available in the courtyard and elsewhere that might be the case.

Kids had a cheese pizza, hubby had a steak and I had a burger. I think after such a big day out exploring we were all very hungry. Service was great, and there was nothing to complain about. We had a great time and it was a good place to get a quick meal.

 

Inside the Cremorne Point Manor
Inside the Cremorne Point Manor

Thanks to everyone for making our weekend getaway possible

I would like to thank BoundRound,  The Cremorne Point Manor and Taronga Zoo for making this weekend possible. It was amazing that I won, and could take the kids to the zoo and staying so close made it much easier, especially when we live away from the city. It was a lovely to give the kids this experience and I would love to do it again one day soon.

 

Categories
The Slinky Project

Wild Flowers

Today I walked for 40mins and burnt  445 kcal. I even picked some wonderful wild flowers that are now making my kitchen sunny. I wanted to share the lovely sunshine that the flowers are giving me. Also I am pleased that I got the flowers for free!

Wild Flowers
Wild flowers that I picked on my walk today.
Flowers looking happy in the kitchen
Flowers looking happy in the kitchen

Have you managed to get something while on a walk and it made your day? Years ago I picked up 2 kids chairs that were sitting on the side of the road for council clean up (this is when the council picks up your rubbish and takes it to the tip rather than you paying for it) this was a good find as I needed 2 chairs and they twins love them and use them all the time. Let us know what you have found? Was it something useful or just a pretty bunch of flowers? Send in your comments.

 

Categories
The Slinky Project

Sun, Exercise and Swimming

Yesterday it was such a lovely day and both girls especially Julia were bugging me to take them swimming.  If I was to drive to the pool mummy would get no exercise, the kids are not ready to just leave on their own so I can do laps, so I need to supervise and I love doing that but wanted to at least have some exercise for me.  What should I do?  I know, put the kids in the pram and walk to the pool!

This sounded like a great idea but then doing it I did have moments of why the hell I did this, what a crazy lady I am! It was the hills and the fact that some areas don’t have a footpath that posed some issues. Also with the kids chanting faster, faster and so on did not help when I ran out of steam at various points, mostly with the hills and making sure I hung on downhill so not to have the pram get away from me. With the fact that the girls are bigger now, there is more weight in the pram, so if you do go down a hill no matter how small it tries to get away from you. Not good, but we managed and I think next time I do this, if I do, I will choose a different way that will hopefully be easier.

After walking for ages, we all arrived at the pool, getting in after a hot walk was wonderful. The girls were kitted out with their backboards and just loved jumping and playing in the pool. They were very independent and I only helped if they needed their goggles on or fixed and of course if they were in danger.

The girls are doing very well with their swimming since we have not been to a paid lesson for a while. Lillian was doing the strokes like freestyle and Julia was on her back and kicking very well and of course Lillian did this as well. They discovered how fun it was jumping into the water at the deep end, it was giggles, laughing and joy was had by all of us.  One lady mentioned that they need a level removed from their backboards as they are doing very well with 4, so they would need to work harder with 3. Soon they will not need it at all, and what a day that will be.

After the pool, we had to walk home, and we faced more hills and no footpaths. Oh why can’t this be easy! My body was tired and over the walk but we had to get home. I kept on thinking I did this to myself and I was crazy at deciding to walk there, I had no one else to blame but me.  All three of us ended up home but I was the only one huffing and sweating from the experience.

Just to give you an idea of what distance I travelled, here is the breakdown:

Home to Pool – 2.8kms

Pool to Post Office – 1.8kms

Post Office to home – 1.7kms

Total kms walked: 6.3kms

Have you decided to do something that sounded like a great idea and then while you were doing it you thought, why am I doing this? Am I crazy for this? I should have driven to the pool. The Slinky Project ™ is one of the reasons that I am motivated to incorporate more exercise into my day. My May deadline will be here soon, so I have to power on until then.

Send in your comments, what have you done that while you were doing it you wish you choose the simple way to get it done? I do know I will be better for it in the long run, but you cannot help think all sorts of things when things get tough and tiring when in the process or the exercise.

Why not continue the discussion on our twitter or facebook pages.

Categories
3 years and beyond

Productive Day

Today has been a very productive day. While the twins are at school, I have gone to get a check up, organised paperwork that needed a JP to sign it, gone for a walk, and had lunch. Just need to go out to the chriropractor and then off to pick kids up.

For my walk I went around the oval 6 times and did a little jogging in there as well, although it was mostly walking. I read that if you do jogging as well as walking you burn more fat. So we will see. If you would like to know, I walked for 37mins and 43secs and burnt 290 Cal. It felt good to be out in the sun, breathing the fresh air and to be walking by myself. It is nice to not have kids at your side and to worry about, very relaxing indeed.

My day does not end after kids are picked up, we are off to the child care board meeting. Well I am, the girls are getting looked after by some of the staff. The twins love going there as they can catch up with friends that they don’t see as often and also to see much loved staff members. It is good that we are going as they have been asking to visit.

Now off to have a cuppa tea and sit down in front of the television for a little do nothing time. Send us an email of what you have been up to this lovely sunny day? Hope that it is sunny where you are.

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Categories
Feeling Frumpy

A Day of Walking

Exercising my extra bits off. Picture by FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Exercising my extra bits off. Picture by FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Today I did a bit of exercise. Maybe saying it was a bit is an understatement. I walked to the chiropractor, kids were in the pram, and pushing them now is definitely harder. After the chiropractor I walked to playgroup although very late, the girls had a bit of a play.

I tested an iPhone application called Endomondo and it was a great success. It was recommended by a friend, and she was right it is pretty cool. It gives you info on where you are going, elevation, can talk to you (keeping you motivated) and much more.

I did two walks with the kids and in total I have burnt 310 kcal. Would like to have burnt more, but it is a start. Maybe if the weather is good tomorrow I will go for another walk, crossing fingers.

Did you manage to fit in some exercise today? If not understand, it is hard with kids and other things on your plate. One great tip that Dr Oz and my friend said, “Just get moving”, and they are right. More action and activity is better than nothing. Even if it is not exactly what you had in mind, it is better than sitting down or not doing it at all.Send in your comments on how you moving?

Categories
Feeling Frumpy

Exercise Has Started

Weights
Aim to get toned – Gotta lift more weights

I made it to aqua aerobics today and was very pleased with myself. The workout was good and the instructor worked us hard. Legs and arms are a bit wobbly and after a lot of weights with the resistance from the water, I think I will sleep well tonight.

While doing my exercise I had fantasies of having the well-toned, worked out body of my dreams. To reach this ideal, more time at the gym, walking and at aqua is needed.  Today was a good start and it is a step in the right direction, now just got to stick with it.

With the kids back at pre-school I am hoping to fit more exercise in. Do you find it tough to fit in exercise now you have kids? I definitely do.

The plan tomorrow is to do some Wii Fit, Tuesday some walking, and Wednesday more aqua, then maybe more walking on Thursday/Friday and of course some more Wii Fit. Then Sunday will do more aqua aerobics. This is my plan and I hope to stick to it.

Do you have a routine to fit in exercise? I find that once I get back exercising it m

akes such a difference, I have more energy, I am happier and I feel better about myself. Exercise might also make me feel better about losing more weight, so that would make me happier anyway. Send in your stories about how you manage to get fit with kids.

Categories
3 years and beyond Pre-School

Last day of term

Yo Gabba Gabba fake Tattoos
Fake tattoos

Today is the last day of term 1 for pre-school. I must say that I have really enjoyed the time to myself on these three days, and I am looking forward to the holidays. However, I am also going to be counting down the days when school starts again.

Before we could leave the house, I promised the girls that they could get some fake tattoos of some Yo Gabba Gabba characters. Lillian wanted Toodee and Julia wanted Foofa (The tattoo was the character and their name). To my great surprise Lillian recognised nearly all off the letters in Toodee’s name aside from the e.  Once the girls had their tattoos, I was able to put their hair up (the girls have taken to not wanting their hair up, to an annoyed mummy), so this was a fantastic.

After I dropped the girls off at school, I did two laps around Catalina Park, the weather this week has been so lovely, sunshine, warm weather and just divine. I know it is just great weather, so who cares. Well, when you have had nonstop rain for months this is just wonderful.  How I missed having a summer.

I am feeling great that I have done more for project slinky and will try and get more done each day.  Now need to focus and get stuck into my assignment for university or I will be in trouble, the plan is to do some now, tonight, tomorrow and Friday night, and hopefully all done so then can submit on the weekend.

 

Julia and Lilian on last day of school for term 1
Last day of school

Do you get upset when school goes on holidays? Is it just me that is feeling like this?  I know holidays are good and fun, however my holiday is when they are at school. Send your comments in.

Categories
3 years and beyond Feeling Frumpy University Study

Sun, exercise and study

Today I went for a nice long walk in the sunshine. It was wonderful to be all on my own and to be finally exercising. Yesterday I did about 20 minutes on the Wii Fit and then it was a bit crazy with the fact the kids kept on pulling out toys, hard to have room to do things with the floor filling up with toys and junk.

So now mummy and daddy have had lunch and rested. The girls got a vegemite sandwich each and not much has been eaten.  I am about to do some study and work on my assignment for university, while the girls and daddy are in the backyard.

Daddy however wants to tidy and clean the backyard and the kids are more interested in building houses out of branches and leaves, and making a mess.  Off to get my cuppa tea and get started on the study. Wish me luck, hoping to not get interrupted.

What do you have planned for the day or the weekend?  Have you had time to yourself to do what you like or exercise? I must say that just going for that walk made me feel ten times better about myself.  Note to self, fit it more walking. Send your comments in.

Categories
3 years and beyond Feeling Frumpy Katoomba and Weather

A walk in sunshine and rain

Woke up to nice sunny, hot weather, about time I hear you say. It feels like the rain has set in and will never leave.  Very worried about autumn and of course winter. Living in Katoomba in the Blue Mountains, it gets very cold. If it continues this wet weather we will be in for a cold and wet winter. This is not something I enjoy. I love summer, but not when it is wet and gloomy. So as it was sunny and warm, I made the most of it.  I organised the girls to get in the pram, packed us up and I walked into town, well Katoomba that is.

As I have been meaning to do some exercise, it was nice that the weather was so nice.   So all 3 of us were out and about for a walk, well mummy was walking and huffing and puffing some of the way. It is hard to push the pram with it all stocked with 2 little people on board now. I suppose this helps with the exercise, so I shouldn’t complain.  We finally got to the shops, I dropped of daddies shirts at the cleaners, then we went off to check the post office for a parcel we are expecting went to the bakery and purchased cheese and bacon rolls for the girls, then off to Coles to get some shopping.

On the way back the pram was packed up well with all the shopping plus the girls. It was getting black and dark. There was a big black cloud getting darker and darker. We heard loud thunder and I thought I had to speed up to get us home. I had a bit of walking to do. The whole idea now of taking the pram seemed like a stupid idea. How will I ever get back in time.

I managed to get down Station Street and if you know that street it is all downhill. I jogged with the pram all the way down that street. I was trying to make up some time to get us home quickly. However that did not help a great deal, just around the corner from the house it started to rain, thunder and lightning seemed to be getting worse and felt very close. I was trying to keep up with the jogging but could not, ended up fast walking. This was met with sadness from the girls as they liked me going fast and really enjoyed the speed. Pity it was not something I could keep doing. Maybe after more sessions jogging or fast walking I could do that, only if the weather would permit.

We managed to get home, wet and I was so exhausted. I got the girls out of the pram, put the pram under cover, and opened the house. Made sure all windows were closed and then raced outside to get the clothes off the line.

Have you ever been caught by the weather? Has it made it difficult if you had kids with you? What did you do? I did think of getting a taxi or bus, however you would have to wait for that and the likelihood is that the rain would have been worse by this stage. After we were all indoors it bucketed down. I also learnt that there were weather warnings for hail and severe thunderstorms in the area. We were very lucky to get home when we did. If I had known that would have happened, I would have taken the car.  Although every time I do and it ends up a nice sunny day, I kick myself for not going out and exercising and enjoying the weather while we can.