How We Do PE

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October 29, 2018 By Jennifer 9 Comments

Physical education is so important, but often overlooked by homeschool families.

I want my kids to be healthy inside and out, and being active is a part of a healthy lifestyle.

In this world of planned playdates and scheduled activities, I want my kids to have fun and freedom to play and learn how to stay active for the rest of their lives.

I have to model healthy activity if I want my kids to be active.

I can’t just tell them to go outside while I sit at my computer or watch Netflix. I often go for a walk while they rollerblade or scooter or we all walk as a family after dinner. I plan hikes in the woods or a local nature center. I don’t force my kids to play team sports, but I try my best to offer that option. When we have bad weather or it’s very cold, we stay active in more creative ways.

How We Do PE

Outside Play

I encourage my children to spend time outdoors at least 30 minutes each day, no matter the weather. Sometimes, this is hard…and other times, I have to drag them inside to eat or bathe or go to bed.

We’re thankful we live in a neighborhood where they can roam and be kids.

They like to rollerblade, ride bikes, and scooter around the neighborhood.

They play with hula hoops and jump ropes.

We have wiffle balls and scoops and frisbees.

We sometimes do fun things like obstacle courses.

They often wander the woods behind our house and play in the creek and come home with ropes and ropes of daisy and clover chains.

Their friend down the street has a pool and they learned to swim this summer.

Team Sports

I’m not big into sports, and my kids have tried almost all of it, with varying results.

The kids used to do gymnastics. My eldest participated in Civil Air Patrol and they have a PT program.

Currently:

My youngest daughter is playing recreational soccer.

My son loves baseball, and plays on a rec team in the fall and spring. He tried out for some elite leagues, but isn’t quite strong enough yet.

Family Activities

We love to go hiking and exploring and do nature study at local parks and playgrounds, state parks, and natural areas.

We often go bowling, usually for free summer bowling or for celebrations.

During bad weather, we often join a homeschool group at a trampoline park.

The kids have gone ice skating each winter.

We’ve gone snow sledding during the winter. Climbing back up is a workout!

We love homeschool park and gym days.

My teen daughter and I used to go the base gym each week.

Our local YMCA offers great deals throughout the year on classes and events for families and homeschoolers.

I was a part of a family workout group one year for moms and kids and that was super fun. Stroller fit is a good one for moms with young kids.

Family Time Fitness offers lots of PE options for families.

Inside Play

I try to make sure my kids get outside a little while every day, but still, it’s sometimes cabin fever in the winter or rainy season.

We have a Wii with active games like Sports and Just Dance.

I often turn on a Spotify playlist and have a dance party or do a big house cleaning.

I feel it’s super important to model healthy activity to my kids so we’re all leaving a healthy legacy.

How do you stay active year round?

Also, check out Health for High School Homeschool Credit.

Linking up: Create With Joy, Our Holiday Journey, My Pinventures, Organized Dream, Darling Down Diaries, MaryAndering Creatively, Inspo for Moms, Mostly Blogging, Blogghetti, Squishable Baby, Chicken Chick, Timeless Mama, Purposeful Faith, Trekking Thru, LouLou Girls, April Harris, Home Stories A to Z, Jessi’s Design, Gingersnap Crafts, Our Three Peas, Over the Moon, Holley Gerth, My Life Abundant, CWJ, Fireman’s Wife, Being a Wordsmith, Simply Sweet home, CKK, Coffee With Us3, Anna Nuttall, Answer is Choco, Cup of Tea, RCH Reviews, Momfessionals, Penny’s Passion, Blended Blog, CKK, Thursday Fave Things, Charm of Home, Life Beyond the Kitchen, Life with Lorelai, Our Mini Family,

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Home Workout Inspiration

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June 12, 2018 By Jennifer 13 Comments

If you’re someone who likes social media, you probably have an Instagram account. Along with millions of active users, you’re probably enthralled by the app’s sleek design and diverse content.

If you’re starting a new health and wellness journey, there are so many ways to incorporate Instagram into the mix.

I love home workouts. It’s easy and frugal for me as a busy homeschool mom. Home workouts are more practical for me when my husband is deployed.

Often, my kids and pets join in on the fun!

I don’t even need any equipment – I can just use my own body weight.

I can turn on some fun music, workout at whatever time I can fit it in, take breaks when I need to, drink whatever recovery drinks I want, and be near my family if they need me.

I don’t have to worry if my leggings match my tank top or if my belly shows when I’m doing stretches. I only have to compete against myself. No one is watching.

Consider these ways Instagram can be a great guide to optimal health:

1. Meal Prep

There are hundreds of Instagram accounts that are specifically dedicated to healthy eating. Many of the accounts demonstrate how to cook healthy yet delicious meals and stick to a certain diet. Whether you subscribe to a gluten-free diet or a vegan diet or anything else in between, there are plenty of accounts and hashtags to follow and learn from. The pictures always make me hungry and I love to try new recipes!

2. Trainers

If you don’t have a membership at the local gym, it tends to be harder to find a trainer in your area. Thankfully, Instagram has hashtags. You can put your city in the search engine along with the type of trainer you’re looking for. It’ll take some perusing and scrolling perhaps. However, you can find a good trainer in your area. If people in your local circle post about their workouts and trainers online, check to see who they use. When a trainer has a presence on Instagram, they tend to use it to validate and showcase their services. This way, you’ll have a better idea of what you’re walking into. Some even travel to your home or work or offer online sessions! A good personal trainer is more than a tight shirt and condescending attitude.

3. Workout Ideas

If you’ve ever been in the midst of a workout regimen to lose weight, it’s not uncommon to experience a plateau. When this happens, there’s a struggle to continue losing weight or getting stronger. In order to break past the plateau, it’s important to focus on a variety of elements. Perhaps, you’re not getting enough sleep. You might want to eat more vegetables and cut out certain carb-heavy foods. You might also want to try different workouts.

Instagram fitness influencers provide a range of workout regimens. You can find everything from Kettlebell workouts to aerial yoga workouts on Instagram. There are times when it’s going to take a lot more than a simple jog to get the weight off. And jogging can be boring or unwise if you get injured.

In addition to using home gym equipment, get inspiration from the workouts you see online. It’s a great idea to create a workout list and use inspiration to build a variety of workouts. As you try the different workouts throughout the week, your body has a better chance of breaking past the plateau.

I keep a health journal to monitor my progress. I’ve been in physical therapy for a few weeks due to knee pain. I keep track of inflammatory foods and try to avoid those. I note my physical and emotional changes.

How do you use Instagram for inspiration?

Linking up: Blogghetti, Create with Joy, Our Holiday Journey, MaryAndering Creatively, My Pinventures, Mostly Blogging, Inspo for Moms, Chicken Chick, The Mrs. Tee, April Harris, Timeless Mama, Abounding Grace, Jessi’s Design, Home Stories, Lou Lou Girls, Gingersnap Crafts, Over the Moon, My Life Abundant, Sarah Frazer, Purposeful Faith, Oh My Heartsie Girl, Penny’s Passion, Rachel Lee, Crystal Storms, Creative K Kids, Imparting Grace, Debbie Kitterman, Try It Like It, Poinsettia Dr, French Ethereal, Susan Mead, CWJ, CKK, Fireman’s Wife, Blended Blog, Momfessionals, Simply Sweet Home, Coffee with Us3, Easy Peasy Pleasy, Anna Nuttall, Answer is Choco, Counting My Blessings, Lyli Dunbar, Crystal Waddell, Life with Lorelai,

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How to Maintain Healthy Weight

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January 26, 2016 By Jennifer 2 Comments

The holiday season is officially underway, signaling the start of a period filled with shopping, decorating, celebrating, and of course, eating.

It’s estimated that people gain 1 to 5 pounds during the holiday season, with normal weight people gaining an average of 1 pound and overweight and obese individuals gaining about 5.

While gaining 1 pound over the holidays may not seem like a lot, it can have quite an impact. Research suggests most people never lose that extra pound, so they add up year after year. This annual holiday weight gain can contribute to health issues, such as heart disease or Type 2 diabetes.

Nearly 70 percent of U.S. adults are considered to be overweight or obese, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney. This means many Americans can expect to gain around 5 pounds if they don’t make healthy dietary choices and the necessary lifestyle changes.

I see so many overweight kids. They learn bad habits and poor lifestyle choices from their parents. It becomes a losing battle the rest of their lives. The media and society doesn’t help. It’s cheaper, easier, and trendier to get that value meal at the McFastFood joint than to purchase and prepare a healthy meal.

Weight is a symptom and cause of many other health problems – problems I want our family to avoid.

It’s my job as a parent to teach healthy habits and that includes eating well and watching weight without stressing over numbers. I want to ensure a healthy body image in my kids with healthy lifestyle choices.

We eat meals as a family. I usually eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the table with my children. We have a family dinner every night. We seldom snack and we try to keep it healthy and balanced when we do. Soda and candy and junk food are rare treats.

We try to get outside every day, no matter the weather. It helps to set our internal clocks for eating and sleeping well. And walking or playing in nature is fun and healthy.

It’s more than counting calories. It’s more than the number on the scale or the measurement of a waist.

It’s about our health!

It’s about balance.

Tips to maintain healthy weight:

Eat only when you’re hungry.

It should be simple to do, right?

We should only eat when we’re hungry.

But often, our body clocks are off. We aren’t hungry at designated meal times. We were taught to clean our plates. We eat when we’re stressed and when we’re celebrating.

This might be very difficult to do if food is associated with activities.

If you feel the need to eat when the TV is on, try substituting that urge with something else.

If you’re not hungry at meal time, change the schedule or sit with the family and sip water and converse.

If you’re offered food at an event or celebration, politely decline. You’re not obligated to nibble. It’s ok to say, “No thanks.”

Drink lots of water.

Many of us think we’re hungry when we’re really just very dehydrated and we don’t recognize that feeling. Try drinking a glass of water first thing in the morning and before bedtime. Add some lemon or ginger or ACV for more detox.

Try drinking a glass of water before meals to curb your appetite and therefore eat a bit less.

Drink a glass of water before retiring at night and you might sleep better and wake up feeling more refreshed – and hydrated.

Colorful food is healthy food.

And I don’t mean Skittles candy. (Why did they replace lime with green apple?)

Eating colorful fruits and vegetables is healthier than the whitish carbs and animal products most Americans prefer.

Start with salads.

Limit grain intake.

Learn to make different veggies – steamed, raw, roasted – and have meat as a side dish.

Eat correct portion sizes.

Start using a smaller plate.

Having a lunch-size plate instead of a big dinner plate helps to keep portions in check.

Ask for to-go containers when your restaurant order comes and separate it right then to curb temptation. Most restaurant portions are way bigger than a single serving.

I love this easy chart from HealthyEating.org that uses our hands to help us judge portions!

Supplements and essential oils.

Please don’t succumb to chemical diet pills or drinks. These are not healthy and will trick your body.

Avoid replacement sugars and additives in your food that trigger addiction and excess body fat.

Supplement with whole foods like cod liver oil and multigreens in smoothies.

Use essential oils on your wrists, navel, in a diffuser, or even a teeny tiny drop in water. I really love the scent of grapefruit and it can help with cellulite!

Intermittent Fasting

I’ve done really well with drinking lemon or ACV water in the mornings and waiting to eat a light vegetarian meal for brunch/lunch or sipping on a smoothie all day while waiting until dinner.

I occasionally do a smoothie cleanse like this 3-day cleansing diet.

Also, eating vegetarian or vegan before 6 PM has been very helpful to eliminate toxins, water weight, and fat gain.

Get active

All the diet advice in the world won’t work if I’m sedentary. Sitting at a computer all day isn’t going to help me lose my middle.

I walk 3 miles twice a week and at least 1 mile 2-3 times a week.

I often do yoga. Stretching is great for stress relief.

I sometimes do online workouts like Jillian Michaels’ Shred or P90.

I play outside with my kids – soccer, baseball, frisbee, scoops, water balloons, hiking. We like dance parties indoors.

Manage Feelings

Get Out from Under Weighty Emotions for Healthier Eating

“The key to losing weight and keeping it off is to understand the role unresolved emotions from past events play in your health,” veteran holistic physician, Dr. Bradley Nelson, says.

If you use food as a way to deal with stress and anxiety, here are 5 steps you can take to overcome emotional eating:

Find Your Triggers: Spend some time thinking about events in your past that make you sad or anxious. “Realize what is going on in your own mind that is triggering you to want to do the emotional eating. That is half the battle.”
Journal Foods & Feelings: Write down not only what you are eating but also what you are thinking and feeling at the time. What was the underlying emotion that prompted you to eat that entire bowl of chips or carton of ice cream? Understanding the relationship is key to breaking bad habits.
Develop a Strategy: Create a plan for how you will respond the next time you are tempted to overeat. One simple method Dr. Nelson suggests: Wear a rubber band around your wrist and when you feel the urge to eat what you know you shouldn’t, snap it against your wrist to help you “snap out of” the underlying emotion that’s driving you to eat.
Exercise Daily: Too busy to work out? No excuses! “Find a way to work exercise into your daily chores. Challenge yourself to get the whole house cleaned in half the normal time, and you’ll work up a sweat with all the scrubbing and running from room to room.”
Talk More, Eat Less! Here’s a neat little trick Dr. Nelson recommends: When you go out to eat with friends, come prepared with stories to tell so you talk more. As a result, you’ll inevitably eat more slowly. Eat your salad first so you fill up on live food instead of the sugary and fattening stuff. Remember your body’s needs and respect them.

Download a FREE copy of the eBook and the audiobook by visiting www.EmotionCodeGift.com.

What do you do when you want that sugary dessert or feel an almost uncontrollable urge to snack or just crave something sweet or salty?

10 tips:

Have just a taste. Don’t have that humongous slice of cheesecake. Just take a tiny slice or just a bite or two. Share with someone else!
Eat something healthier but satisfying – like a crunchy apple or carrot sticks with hummus.
Green tea. Even with a drop of honey!
Water with citrus or mint.
Brush your teeth.
1 teeny tiny drop of peppermint or spearmint essential oil under your tongue.
Sugar-free (xylitol, not aspartame!) gum or hard candy.
Do something with your hands – crochet or knit, play solitaire, draw.
Take a walk or exercise, especially outdoors.
Do something distracting like reading or listening to music or watching birds.

What are your tips for maintaining a healthy weight?

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The Problem with Kids Sports

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November 18, 2015 By Jennifer 1 Comment

I didn’t play sports as a kid.

I played outside in the neighborhood until the streetlights came on, every single night and all day long in summer.

I really don’t remember any of the neighborhood kids doing recreational sports until we started junior high. As far as I know, there were no after-school sports practices or Saturday games or tournaments or summer camp sports intensives. There certainly were no kids’ Sunday sports events in the Bible Belt.

I’m not totally anti-sports. I’m sure sports in and of themselves are fine. I’m sure there are lots of positives for kids playing sports. I don’t want to play and I sometimes struggle to get excited with and for my kids.

I have some issues with the recreational sports organizations my kids have participated in.

Our family’s kids sports experiences are a little different since we homeschool and we’re military.

We move around a lot – every two to four years. We don’t have the luxury of really delving in with volunteering, training, learning, or growing with teammates and coaches. We’re never gonna be part of that good ole boy network.

As homeschoolers, we don’t look to the junior high or high school for team sports. We probably won’t live in this school district long enough anyway. I realize that many school districts offer extracurriculars and sports to homeschoolers. We’re just not interested in having our kids participate in anything at a government-run school.

Kids sports seems like a race to nowhere, and it does not often produce better athletes. It too often produces bitter athletes who get hurt, burn out, and quit sports altogether.

The pressure and anxiety of kids sports steals one thing our kids will never get back: their childhoods.

Great Articles:

How organized sports have co-opted play and why early organized sports aren’t a great option for kids.

Playing tackle football before age 12 doubles the risk of behavioral problems and triples the chance of depression.

Maya Castro, author of The Bubble: Everything I Learned as a Target of the Political, and Often Corrupt, World of Youth Sports, who says her own experience as a young soccer player was tainted by misguided and misbehaving adults, offers ideas on how adults can improve the youth-sports culture:

Strive to be a mentor. Castro says parents and coaches have a great opportunity to use sports as a teaching tool for life. “The learning aspect of the game needs to be the focal point of youth sports,” Castro says. “Sports should be an extension of family values and behaviors. Good parents and coaches tie in the ups and downs of competition with the challenges in navigating adult life.”
Model positive behaviors. Part of the negative image of youth sports is related to parents yelling at coaches, referees, opponents, or even their own kids. “There are enough critics in the stands hurling profanities and insults during a game,” Castro says. “Parents should set the right example for their kid – and for adults who obviously haven’t grown up.”
Enjoy the moment. Too many parents and their young athletes are fretting the future. “Too often it’s all about winning and getting the scholarship,” Castro says, “but my parents told me there was a time when kids actually enjoyed playing for the sake of playing, and parents won just by getting to watch them play. We need to get back to that. Without it, memories are wasted.”
Be encouraging. “Celebrate the effort, not just the result,” Castro says. “This goes for youth coaches as well as parents. When kids do some good things, don’t let the mistakes cloud your post-game comments. Be honest in discussing room for improvement, but not at the expense of making them feel like they have to play perfect to get praise.”
Make education first. Castro and many observers of youth sports say parents have lost perspective by thinking their kid is on the fast track to a scholarship or a pro career. Statistics show few advance that far. “In the meantime, kids are exhausted from travel leagues and tournaments,” she says, “and the way their future through sports is emphasized, education becomes a distant second.”

The military child and youth sports organization CYS is just haphazard (both Army and USAF). I understand it’s all volunteers, but anyone who pays plays and often it’s just a free for all at practices and games.

We’ve had some lovely experiences with track in Hawaii and Utah and Germany. Those coaches seemed really passionate.

Soccer, gymnastics, and baseball have been a bit disappointing.

There are just some problems with kids recreational sports.

Poor organization and planning.

The kids are assigned to a team randomly, with no knowledge or care to talent or gender. Anyone who pays plays.

My teen daughter quit playing soccer at age 12 because it was just uncomfortable and pointless for her to continue playing with boys.

Even my 8-year-old is experiencing some ability issues playing with boys in soccer. It’s not fair to have co-ed teams.

The military kids activities on base have volunteer coaches who get points on their performance reviews for volunteering. Each year, it’s a new coach and new kids on the team. Some of these parent coaches have no clue whatsoever how to coach children or sports at all. Often, not enough volunteers are found until after the season begins.

Schedules changed 4 times for fall soccer, which lasts 2 only months! Uniforms were only borrowed. It makes me wonder what the registration fee is even for – $40 for Peewee (ages 5-6) and $34 for minors (ages 7-8). We will look for another organization to play soccer next year if we even bother.

With the time change, it got dark by 5:30. Soccer practices and games were cut short or canceled because it was too dark to see the ball or other players. There are no lights on the kids’ soccer fields.

There is no education.

Even when the kids begin playing sports at age 3, there is nothing but running around and playing with the ball instead of teaching discipline or rules. Some kids act like they’re forced to be there and pick flowers or cry or refuse to listen.

There are few drills or strategies taught to the kids even at age 8-12. There is no teamwork. There is no actual coaching.

My kids, thankfully, know most of the fundamentals and rules of soccer and baseball. These organizations don’t focus on the rules. It’s all supposed to be fun and sharing and fuzzy wuzzy feelings. My kids come away frustrated that rules aren’t followed and scores aren’t kept. They don’t know what the point is.

We often just have other priorities.

Sports are just a fun past-time for us, an extracurricular activity for my kids. I think it’s important that they get some exercise and learn something about teamwork. But sports are not our lives. And I know some families who are really into it.

We enjoy lots of other things way more than sports.

We focus on academics. I sure don’t encourage my kids to strive for a sports scholarship or anything. We don’t put any emphasis on sports around here.

We like to travel. We’ve missed practices and games for trips. Whatever, my kids are 5 and 8 and life goes on. The coaches and other parents sometimes get a little bent out of shape over this.

I don’t enjoy listening to parents during practices and games yelling at all the kids (including mine) like they’re at some professional event. They’re children and all the fun is taken out of their playing if they’re being screamed at by maniac adults giving them conflicting directions from what the coach says. We look sideways at them and just wonder what they’re like at home.

My kids are confused by the mixed messages of “it’s all just fun and we don’t keep score” yet being hollered at to score goals or make a good play.

Everyone gets a trophy.

This mentality is everything that’s wrong with America.

What’s the point of even trying if that kid picking flowers gets a trophy along with this kid who scored a goal from the midfield?

My kids know when they play well. They know who really cares about the game and who doesn’t want to be there. Who are we fooling with participation trophies?

I loathe this self psychology we’re teaching American kids.

Trophies and awards are for merit. We cheapen it by offering it to everyone, regardless of excellence.

At least in gymnastics and track, the kids only get ribbons or trophies if they earn them. There are clear finish lines and points systems.

Snacks after games.

The snacks kill me.

Why do these kids even need snacks after an hour of outside time?

We don’t reward with food.

And why do these parents think it’s ok to offer my kids non-food as snacks every week?

It’s usually lunchtime after games. We’re heading home to eat real food. I don’t want my kids munching on Doritos and Fruit Roll-Ups and drinking neon Gatorade ever, much less right before a meal.

After the last game, some well-meaning parent often brings store-bought or box mix cupcakes with brightly colored icing.

I always get weird looks when we politely decline the chemicals offered each week. Some kids and parents get really offended.

Parents

I’m disgusted by how the parents speak to and about their children.

At practice and games, they brag about punishing their kids, complain about their kids’ behavior, and ridicule things their kids say.

At games, parents compete to holler loudest at their kids, distracting them from the game. They laugh at injuries. They roll their eyes and complain about lack of skill. The children are 6 years old! And we’re all just supposed to have fun, right? Everyone gets a trophy.

One mom called a kid a mo-fo. Others laughed. I was horrified.

Most of the coaches are parents of a player. There are some coaches that really shouldn’t be around kids. They scream at their own child and their teams. They use punishment and humiliation as motivators. It’s inappropriate for 8 year olds. We’ve witnessed some really terrible coaches who want to win at any cost. And the parents on these teams aren’t anyone I want to be around.

Check out this horrific video!

I don’t think the answer is to quit sports altogether.

My kids are mostly oblivious to the issues I see with kids sports, except the garbage snacks, at which they turn up their noses.

I realize that the volunteer rec teams and military CYS doesn’t exist to prepare kids for anything, except maybe the tryouts for travel teams or prep for school teams. It’s just another service offered to military dependents as a semblance of normal American life, especially when we’re overseas. It’s harder for American kids to join local teams. We’re up against a language and culture barrier. Some kids just might not succeed at tryouts without natural talent or real training – that isn’t offered until about age 10 anyway. The American mentality is that everyone should be accepted onto a team despite having any aptitude or ability. Many local teams don’t want to waste time and resources on kids who will be transitioning soon.

Aaron’s family is obsessed with sports. They live and breathe it. I think that’s great they have something they love to do together. They spend lots of time and resources on sports – coaching, teaching, playing, traveling, watching. I think they have an advantage because they have lived in the same town their entire lives and know everyone there. They can build a real team and grow together. They often win tournaments – even state.

Military kids only get to skim the surface of the world of sports. The athletic services offered on base don’t allow for anything other than recreational play. It doesn’t prepare kids for high school sports nor the real world.

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Math and Exercise

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November 17, 2015 By Jennifer 1 Comment

We did the most fun activity in math rather than just doing worksheets or workbooks.

We combined exercise and math with a lesson on distance, rate, and time.

This is perfect for kinesthetic learners and we all had lots of fun.

We did several physical activities with a timer.

I just used my stopwatch and timer on my iPhone.

We chose a few easy activities that even little brother could do with us.

This was based off a lesson in our Singapore math workbook.

We counted how many times we could jump rope in 1 minute.

We saw how many times we could draw triangles or write a phrase in 1 minute.

We timed our sprints to see who was fastest.

I just guessed how far it was from the curb to the table. It certainly wasn’t 100 meters, but it was fine for our methods!

Then we ran a few more times and did averages.

We discussed distance=rate times time or d=rt.

This is a bit advanced for my kids, ages 5, 8, and 9. My girls are just getting into multiplication. But they will remember we did this in a couple years when we begin algebra and physics in our studies.

We enjoyed being outside for school and doing a fun activity rather than just book work.

I made a fun notebooking page to go along with our activities.

Click to download a copy of our notebooking page: Learning Distance Rate and Time

Linking up: Kids Activities Blog

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No More Incontinence

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April 30, 2014 By Jennifer 9 Comments

Apparently, I have a tiny bladder. My family teases me that I have to go all the time.

My first grade teacher told my mother I was retarded because I needed to use the restroom frequently – and got my p’s and b’s mixed up. I remember too many embarrassing days when I had accidents sitting at my desk because my teacher refused to allow me to use the in-class toilet except during her prescribed breaks.

Of course, pregnancy and childbirth causes stress to the bladder and urinary tract. It seems I haven’t fully recovered and my youngest is now four years old.

Time to research and heal so I can run, jump, laugh, and sneeze without having an embarrassing accident.

Urinary Health

Going to the gym is always an adventure. Many of my acquaintances can’t relate because they’re stronger or they don’t have kids – or maybe they only have a couple kids who were born with average weight and don’t have any bladder issues.

I have four kids and I can’t do jumping jacks.

My kids were BIG babies. And they kickboxed my bladder. They came out like toddlers, holding their heads up and their hands out for the car keys and demanding steak dinners.

Liz was almost 8 pounds and I bounced back completely after having her because I was young at only 24. Tori was almost ten pounds. A mere fourteen months later, Kate came along at almost eleven pounds. She was my C-Section baby. Alex was VBAC and he was 9 pounds, 1 ounce.

I’ve been taking half dropperfuls of a urinary health tincture twice a day, morning and evening. I use a great oil blend that includes spearmint, sage, geranium, myrtle, nutmeg, and German chamomile (over kidneys) and cypress essential oil (over bladder) topically every evening to try to help balance out everything and support urinary health.

It does help! I forgot to do this routine a couple nights and I had more problems those days than when I remembered to do this regimen.

I drink lots of water. While that does mean I go more frequently (which is really, really frequently compared to most people), it does help toxins get flushed out of my system. I love citrus oils like lemon, grapefruit, and other citrus oil blends in my water for flavor and antioxidants. Peppermint in water is great for workouts since it keeps me cooler and helps with energy (or maybe I imagine that part). Just a teeny drop of peppermint is enough for a humongous glass water bottle. Any more and my lips tingle rather unpleasantly.

I try to limit caffeine and alcohol consumption because those irritate the bladder.

I try to eat well. We had lots of catering trays of sandwiches the week the moving company was packing and moving our household goods. While it was a healthier option than greasy fast food, that was not the best week for my urinary and digestive health.

One day, I drank a Throwback (real sugar) Mountain Dew and that was a big mistake. A healthy digestion oil blend and rest and eating better the next day helped.

I should stick to water and tea.

Strengthening the Muscles

Some of us bounce back fine from having babies. I did ok until Kate came along. Then, there was no more bouncing for me.

It took quite a while for me to lose weight and feel better after having Kate. My body was pretty drained. I was advised to take mineral supplements and adjust my diet. It was recommended we follow a Paleo-type diet – long before that was a fad! This was the beginning of our healthy journey!

I slowly got healthier and got my energy and body and life back.

Then I got pregnant again with Alex.

I was healthier during that pregnancy since I was put on a no-sugar diet.

I still have about ten pounds I would like to lose. I usually feel great and have enough energy to get done what needs to get done. Supplements and great diet help.

But diet alone isn’t enough to heal all the mama parts that are stretched out and loose and weak by pregnancies.

But most of the exercises at gyms and in home videos and online aren’t helpful. They could actually harm the body more.

I recommend Fit2Be. It’s a great membership with online workout videos, a Facebook group, forum, and a lovely teacher.

I love how Beth teaches. She’s direct, professional, and knowledgeable.

The exercises are short and sweet for busy moms, but they really work with regular use. Many of the exercises can be done sitting while you’re doing other things.

There are programs for the whole family. The kids love to do yoga moves with me!

There are workouts for pregnancy, strengthening that core and pelvic floor, challenges, and running. I’ve never found another workout program so comprehensive, challenging, yet gentle.

I’m still on the strengthening part. But I’m getting stronger.

I think incontinence is more common than we think. My mother even had surgery to repair her bladder. Many women occasionally confide that they have to wear pads in case of accidents. They complain they can’t play with their kids on the trampoline or run for fear of accidents.

It’s embarrassing.

It shouldn’t be.

We’re all in this mama journey together. Let’s help each other instead of hiding.

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Fitness Club

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October 24, 2013 By Jennifer 1 Comment

I’ve joined a fitness club on base and since the schools were on fall break, the trainer asked us to bring our kids.

They loved it!

Here’s what we did:

Butt shots of the bear walk. It was fun!

Tori did cartwheels all the way down the field.

Tori and Kate did forward rolls down the field.

Alex did rolls up and down the field a few times instead of following directions.

Katie crab walking

Getting ready for frog jumping

Kate was pretty worn out about halfway through

The girls took turns being the wheelbarrow. Alex was my wheelbarrow. He’s strong!

The fireman carry. Alex was giddy! He loved it.

Here’s our group (minus Alex, who was just so done)

Here’s our group being silly!

I told the kids to thank the teacher. Here’s when they jumped on my friend.

We’re competing in the Family Time Fitness 90 Day Challenge.

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Homeschool PE Time with Wii

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September 14, 2012 By Jennifer Leave a Comment

I’ll tell ya: these Wii games can make ya sweat!

We’re loving Wii Just Dance games right now. The girls are saving their allowances to pool together to collect them all! We currently have the Kids’ Just Dance 2 and the regular game Just Dance 3. The kids love the songs and moves. It’s great fun for me to watch!

You get stars and praise when you do a move perfectly. I need the praise.

The games are a great incentive to get the girls to complete their work. They love to dance and the songs are fun! I occasionally join in, but they make fun of me! I guess I don’t have the moves.

I love that they’re not just lying on the sofa watching something pointless; they’re active and we count this as homeschool PE!

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Last Track Meet

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June 16, 2012 By Jennifer 2 Comments

Tori did great on her last track meet Tuesday. All the kids had the option of competing in 6 events: 50, 100, 200, 400, softball throw, and long jump. Tori did them all. Only 5 out of 15 kids did all 6 events.

Getting ready to run!