Cheer Mom....Let's Go Jets!!

A few pictures from tryouts

Last weekend Mo spent 3 days at tryouts for the competitive cheer team at her gym.  She spent one day learning a cheer, and one day learning a dance and about tosses.  On the 3rd day she had to "try out" and show the coaches everything she had been taught.  

When the names were posted after tryouts I had to tell her that she didn't make the team.  As a parent do you know how heart breaking that is?  To have your child's hopes get crushed?  I don't have many things that get to me but, my kids definitely are one of the major tender spots in my heart.  I don't like to see them hurt.  But, luckily she didn't take it that rough {or at least she didn't let it show.}  She knew that she would still be doing gymnastics and she was even getting another class added every week.  

Tonite we showed up to the gym assuming it was class as usual.  I looked up at one point to notice Mo and her coach pointing and staring at me.  Come to find out, she DID make the team!  Obviously, someone who is getting over pneumonia, is doped up on 2 different prescription medications and cough syrup should NOT be put in charge of reading names.  

So now I am the mother of a competitive cheerleader.  She starts practice tomorrow.  I have a LOT to learn.  I know absolutely NOTHING about cheer.  I do know that Mo is a flyer and I actually know what a flyer is.  

The kids also start their at home training on Saturday.  Stay tuned for how that goes.

If you have any advice for a new cheer mom please let me know in the comments below!

H is for Happy, Healthy Kids

{Note:  I started this post a while back and I decided that now was as good of a time as any to post it.}

Happy, healthy kids.  Isn't that what every parent wants?   I know I do.  My kids have always been pretty active.  In the summer we were constantly at the beach or pool, the fall and winter we spend our time outside at the playground, riding bikes, taking walks, or just running around the front yard.  

Now that my girls are doing sports they have a whole new reason to stay healthy.  Now. my girls don't do sports just because it's fun.  Kaylee and Mo both have their sites set on Olympic gold.  {This house has a "go big or go home" mentality as you can see}  Having kids with Olympic dreams is great sometimes.  When they ask for that 600 calorie dessert?  "Do you think Michael Phelps/Gabby Douglas would eat that?"  

Speaking of Michael Phelps and swimming.  Below are some links to what the proper nutrition for a swimmer is.      

Swim Nutrition
Resources
http://www.swimming.org/swimfit/nutrition-and-diet/
http://www.usaswimming.org/DesktopDefault.aspx?TabId=1546
http://www.sasoswimming.org/Swim%20Nutrition.pdf

This was in the newspaper the other day.  

The fact that 75% of the kids in my county AREN'T obese is a very good thing.  I was a chunky kid.  I know how rough is can be.  Kids are mean.  They can say some very hurtful things.  I want to save my kids the pain and hurt feelings (as well as high medical bills and premature death.)  Childhood obesity is a makjor issue in the United States.

As of January, 17% (12.5 million) 2-19 year olds were onbese.  70% of obese kids had atleast 1 risk factor for cardiovascular disease!  That's ridiculous.  Below are some of the many health consequences of childhood obesity. 


Health Consequenses of Childhood Obesity
(From the Florida Commission on the Status of Women link)

Type 2 diabetes

Cardiovascular risk

Sleep apnea

Asthma

Being overweight as an adult

Potentiality of high health care costs

Psychosocial consequences

Liver disease

Early puberty

Skin infections

Ask yourself, are these things you want your 5, 6 or 13 year old to deal with??  Is this fair to them?  Read this list to your kids and see if any of these things are appealing to them.  Ask them if being laughed at and called names is fun.  Now realize that you are in control of your child's weight. 

Yes I said it.  YOU ARE IN CONTROL OF YOUR CHILD'S WEIGHT.  

There are a few easy things you can do to help your kids get healthy.  Cut down on their daily intake of fats, sugar and sodium.  Some easy things to do are replace chips with plain air popped popcorn or switch from hamburger to ground turkey.   Don't let them sit in front of the tv.  Send them outside to play{when the weather isn't too hot I shove my kids out the door for atleast an hour.  They are only allowed in for drinks and to use the bathroom},  take them to the park, get them involved in a sport, or do some exercises in the living room if you can't go outside.  

I don't want to hear the excuse "it's too expensive to eat healthy."  If you want to know how far your money can go for healthy food take a look at this link from SparkPeople.com

Eating healthy is not that hard.  People are always kind of surprised by the way that we eat.  Low/no fat, low sodium, healthy desserts and most of our meals are 90-100% homemade.  Why is this weird to people these days???  Because I don't use a pound of butter in everything I'm a horrible parent??  At Kaylee's birthday party one girl freaked out because the popcorn didn't have butter or salt,the syrup at breakfast was sugar free and we didn't have any ice cream in the house (yet, at this party there was a gorgeous, store bought cake [thanks to Sirrr], chocolates and we roasted marshmallows)  

Below are some resources about childhood obesity and how to help your kids be healthy and active.  Helping your kids lead a healthy life isn't that hard.  What's stopping you?
    

Resources
CDC
NICHQ
NAEYC
American Heart Association
Let's Move!

Healthy Snack/Dessert For The Kids

Today was one of those days that had 40 bajillion things go wrong.  Actually it was only 3 but they were really annoying. I made myself some angel food cupcakes for Mantha's birthday (since I can't eat her cake.)  I expected a couple dozen cupcakes to come from the mix. NOPE!  It made 50!  REALLY??  I don't need 50 cupcakes for myself.  Then I ate one after dinner and the sugar content is too high and made me fuzzy.  I had mushroom stroganoff planned for dinner.  I decided I would make spaetzle to go under it.  I have made it before and it's worked just fine.  I made it tonite and instead of being noodles it was a gooey, yucky mush.  To top it all off the stroganoff was sub-par, and that killed me. 

BUT, today wasn't all bad.  I took the kids to the park.  We walked since Ken had the car at work.  2 miles round trip.  I was amazed that Sunny made it the whole way.  I found this recipe for Coconut Energy Bites on Sprout's website.  I altered the recipe a bit.  They kids loved them.  I took them to the park with us as a snack.  My one suggestion is that you make sure to keep them cold.  They start to get very soft when they warm up.   

Coconut Energy Bites

(adapted from  Sprout Online)

Makes 16

Nutrition: 106 calories, 4.8 grams of fat, 5.6 grams of sugar

1 1/4 cup plain oatmeal (I used quick cooking)
1/2 cup reduced fat peanut butter
1/2 cup light maple syrup (you can also use honey)
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

Directions

1. In a food processor, grind oatmeal until fine
2. In separate bowl mix together peanut butter and syrup
3. Mix in oatmeal and coconut
4.  Using a spoon or small cookie scoop, scoop and roll into balls using your hands

My Secret Obsession

I have a guilty pleasure/secret obsession.  Not many people outside of my family and friends know about it.  It's The Biggest Loser.  I watch it religiously.  I DVR it.  I get upset if an episode doesn't get recorded. The show actually motivates me.  It drives me to workout.  It reminds me what I never want to go back to. 

This season they're tackling the subject of childhood obesity.  I love that they're doing this because so many children are overweight.  I fear about my own children's weight and health occasionally.  But the growing number of obese kids is due to the fact that almost every house has a TV with 200+ channels and atleast 1 game system (Wii, Xbox, Playstation 3 etc.)  I think the root of all evil are the parents though!   

When I was a child I was not asked if I WANTED to goto the playground/park.  I was just taken.  It was not suggested that I go out and play, I WANTED to go.  And if I didn't want to?  I was still told to go out.  

Parents allow kids to sit inside on their butts all day eating junk food, watching TV and playing video games.  Parents are the ones that buy and cook the meals that are causing 7 year olds to weigh the same as full grown adults. 

I find it amazing that people my age don't know how to cook a healthy meal from scratch (yet there are 40 new food blogs popping up everyday).  Convenience meals and fast food is part of the reason America is fat.  My daughters' friend came over for dinner one nite and she told me she had never had a salad before.  My jaw nearly hit the floor!  REALLY????  Even before I turned into a "health freak" my kids ate salad.  Even Sunny will eat a big salad (a deconstructed salad but, salad all the same).  They love salad.  

Okay, enough ranting about parents and the poor choices they make for their children.  

I am very happy that The Biggest Loser is back.  I'm also very happy that Jillian Michaels is back.  She's actually my idol.  I'm excited to see how the contestants change and who wins.  

In order to do my part to ensure my kids aren't included in the obesity statistic I have signed Kaylee up for soccer and as soon as we get her practice schedule Mantha will be starting gymnastics.  I can't wait to post picture from Kaylee's first game!

How do you feel about The Biggest Loser?  Do your kids do any sports?  

Writing Prompt --  What is your favorite song that gives you energy?
Answer -- I don't think I really have a specific song.  Anything with a good beat.  Normally when I workout I turn on Pandora and just go with it.  I have never been lead wrong by Pandora.

Name Changes

So, all my girls decided that they don't want the nicknames on my blog anymore.  They say that they're "grown up and want to be called by their normal names.  So, I willl.  And I'm not going to lie, keeping up with the names I had chosen for them was getting a bit difficult.

I'll be back in the next few days with a normal post.  We're leaving Virginia today and should be home late Saturday so, I'll be back with my normal content.  New recipes, workouts, and health tips!

Happy Friday!  What are you doing this weekend?

Christmas Photos

Christmas Eve Dinner

The girls on Christmas Morning

Here are some of the photos from Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  The girls made out like bandits.  Actually everyone in the house did!  All my gifts were either food related (cake pop mold, waffle iron, cookbooks) or workout equipment (a new set of dumbbells), which I LOVE!  The girls received a ton of cool toys.  They have been busy playing and exploring all their cool stuff for the past few days.  Mr. Amazing was given a heavy bag, a new grill cover and tools.  It was a great day.  

How was your Christmas?  Did you get everything you wanted?

Donut Date Night

I might be a health nut (or freak if you prefer) but, I'm also a mom that occasionally enjoys spoiling her kids.  Tonite was one of those nites.  Mo went to a birthday party so I decided to indulge Kay's sweet tooth (which will be her downfall later in life, just like me.)  I took her to the nearby Dunkin Donuts.  Okay, I can't lie, I also enjoyed spoiling myself with coffee.  

 
Why no donuts?  It's a Dunkin Donuts/Baskin Robbins combo store.  Kay decided that she wanted ice cream instead of a donut.  

I ordered a Pumpkin White Chocolate Latte.  It was delish!  Perfectly pumpkin-y and just the right about of chocolate.  Plus, a medium only has 280 calories and no fat!  

Tonite was a nite about learning, not just desserts.  Kay learned that her tummy has adjusted to our new diet way of eating.  Her stomach is very upset right now from the hot chocolate and ice cream.  She even told me she wished she had gotten a donut instead. 

I look out for my kids healthy 99.7% of the time.  Indulgences should be no different.  Next time I won't even offer to let her get the unhealthier option.  I've always said you can indulge in a healthy way.  I need to start applying this to my kids too.  

Do you indulge your kids in ways you wouldn't indulge yourself?

3 Kids and a Turkey

Do your kids like helping you in the kitchen?  I know mine do!

They have each told me that they want to help with Thanksgiving dinner.  This of course means that dinner will take me twice as long (and there will be at least one fight during the dinner making process.)    

But I honestly believe that it's really good for kids to help you in the kitchen.  There are many skills that they can learn.   If nothing else though it gives me time to talk to the girls about random things.  Conversations seem to flow easier in the kitchen don't they?  I learn about the girls likes and dislikes, friends, and gossip.  

The topic of what ingredients are "healthy" normally comes up.  I have explained more than once about how butter isn't necessarily unhealthy you just need to limit it.  1 cookie is okay but, if you eat the whole batch then it's not.   

I let the girls measure everything even if there's nothing else for them to do.  This is excellent practice for fractions.  How do you double a recipe?  Or, I need 1 cup for flour but only have a 1/3 cup.  How do I do this?

Baye enjoys stirring and dumping.  This works on a toddler's motor skills.  

My kids are very creative.  They love to do arts and crafts.  Cooking is another way that a person can express themselves.  Like in the photo of the cookies.  The girls get to decorate those themselves.  We end up with some of the most interesting cookies.  

Math isn't the only class that kids get real world applications of while cooking.  Cooking also teaches them about science.  What makes bread rise?

You have to wait while your bread rises right?  Well, this is a lesson in patience.  Cooking requires a ton of patience.  My kids DEFINITELY need to learn this (don't most children though?)  

I love the look on their face when they taste something and figure out that they made something awesome.  It's a major self-confidence booster.  

If nothing else, cooking is a skill that everyone needs later in life.  You really can't live a 100% healthy life on packaged microwave food. 

Sorry that this post was so scattered.  My brain isn't working really well today.  So if you made it through this post then congrats!  So, question for you: Do your kids like to cook?  Do you allow them to help? 

Side note:  I read on SparkPeople.com this morning that Thanksgiving meals can have over 4500 calories and 229 grams of fat.  That's disgusting!  For low-calorie, low-fat Thanksgiving recipes take a look at my Thanksgiving menu recipe post.  (   )  And read the whole article I found this fact on HERE.

Vacation Picture Post

I was going to start doing "What I Ate Wednesday" today but I forgot to take photos after breakfast.  It still bothers me that I can't find my ring.  

Since nothing worth talking about happened today besides getting a wicked sunburn on my shoulders at the beach I'll leave you with a photo post from the trip.

Before I leave you with the photos, the prompt today is "What makes your heart leap?"  And honestly it's my family.  The people in these photos.  They "make my heart happy" (as Kai-Lan would say)

Our fridge before we left.  I used up everything that could go bad. 

Mr. Amazing and the girls in the hotel room

Mr. Amazing, Kay, Baye and me.  Mo wanted to take the picture

Pile up on daddy!

Kay and Mo being silly

 Mr. Amazing kills spiders.  He's the best spider killer I know.

 The girls under the manta in front of the aquarium

Big fish 

Glad that croc's behind glass.  It stared Baye right in the eye.

Bird

We kept joking that there would be a mermaid and low and behold there was!

Seahorse

 Baye and the manta

 Looks like a face doesn't it?

I want to hold my vow renewal ceremony here.  In front of this big window 

A SHARK!

Sea dragon

Jelly fish

Isn't this beautiful?

Kay at dinner

Mo at dinner

Baye 

Excellent place.  If you're ever in Clearwater, FL I highly recommend it.

Mr. Amazing with his oysters and beer.

My super grouper sandwich. I had them cook it with cajun spices and grill it.

Mr. Amazing also got wings.

Kay's burger and fruit

Baye had chicken tenders and fries

Mo's fried shrimp and fries 

We played on the playground by the Pier after dinner

She loves to climb

 Being a good big sister

The Acromaniacs 

Gorgeous sunset.  This was one of the things on my bucket list.  To see the sunset over the water.

The clouds were amazing

Sunset.

Me and Mr. Amazing with the sun setting behind us. 

My whole world.   

Mr. Amazing relaxing by the pool

Mo pretending to be a shark.

The breakfast at the hotel

The waterslide on the cruise ship at the Port of Tampa

Mr. Amazing and Baye playing shop

Me and Baye playing shop

I used the swings as workout equipment.  

Driving to the beach makes me go crazy!