Getting Fit

The last time I had a physical my doctor said that I should be exercising more.  I know this, I have never really been a very sporty girl and now especially, other than running after my two boys- I don't have time to do much.  It was especially daunting when she said I should be doing at least 45 minutes, 3-4 times a week.  What?  When?!  Finding extra time for anything, especially time for me is always difficult.  Also, if I do manage to get some time off, the last thing I want to do is exercise.  I knew I had to come with a better idea.
One afternoon, as I was watching my kids play their Wii and trying to figure out how to get THEM off the couch it came to me.  If I can't beat them, join them!  I decided that we would all start exercising with the video game.
So, we got the "Wii Fit Plus", the balance board and a couple of nunchuk controls.  We were on our way!  I have to admit, so far it's been quite a success.  I am moving more, the boys join me and get to choose the exercises that I do.  They sometimes have me just run the basic run or sometimes even have a snowball fight on the game.  It's actually fun.  It' not very high intensity which is good for me right now as I am just beginning but enough to get me sweating a little bit.  As I get used to these exercises I might try out some games with a little more intensity.  It will also be warmer weather outside, so hopefully I will continue exercising out in the real world.  It was just the thing to help me move more.  Another bonus is that the Wii fit doesn't cut into my "me time".  It's something I do with the boys and it gets all of us exercising.

New Best Friend: Super Mario

My kids have recently discovered Super Mario Bros.  They didn't really understand that it was a game at first- just 2 characters that would be fun to look like for Halloween.  It didn't take them long before they soon discovered that these two fun Italian plumbers were also part of a video game.  I caved and got a Wii, partly because I was feeling nostalgic and was looking forward to reliving playing Mario myself but also thought that it would be harmless fun for my boys.  What I didn't expect was the obsession that would soon take over.  The first thing they want to do in the morning is play Mario, I more than once had to unplug the console from the TV to get them the stop.  My boys even sometimes refer to themselves as Mario and Luigi.  Mommy guilt has firmly set in.  What have I done?  How could I let it get this far?  Last weekend I wasn't feeling very well and I have to admit that I turned on the video game and I was able to stay in bed and relax a bit while they played... Mommy guilt.
The truth is that I don't think that video games are all bad.  I think they help kids learn that practice make perfect and to persevere until they get it.  The trouble is they are so attractive to kids that it can often take over and it's all that they want to do.  I came across the following article from Circle of Mom: 8 Limits Make Video Games Good Your Kids by Sharon Silver. Reading it was such a life-saver for me.  It helped me realize that I could allow them to play the games but still find a balance with the rest of their life.  I especially liked the 3 rules that the author outlined:

1. Frustration = taking a break, like it or not.

2. Not Sharing = timers are used to make sure things stay fair.

3. Negotiations or begging for more time = no play for 24 hours.

They are simple, easy for kids of all ages to understand and clear.  I can now allow my boys to play with a little less Mommy guilt knowing that there are limits.  I also try to vary the games up like the author suggested so that I can try to make sure that some play time is a little more educational or active at times.

Things are not perfect, as I am writing this my youngest is begging to play video games but at least I can be a little bit reassured that it's a bit more controlled.  

Liberty

As a celebration of getting through this first year of my separation I organized what I called a “liberty dinner”. Sort of on the same line as a “divorce party” that is gaining popularity these days. It was a chance for me to reclaim myself and to show my friends that life is good and I am doing well. I truly love my life and am happier now than I have ever been. Being a mother is one of the greatest joys of my life and making that decision a year ago that the life we were living wasn’t healthy was one of the best decisions I have ever made for myself and my children. As crazy as the day-to-day is right now, it is much better than before because now there is peace in our life. I think it’s difficult for some people to see past the image of the perfect family. What is a perfect family? Would my children have been happier if mom and dad were in the same house but not acting and loving each other as a family? I think it’s a difficult question to answer. I don’t know the perfect right answer and it’s probably quite different from one family to another but I do feel confident that, for my children and myself, this was the right move- and I felt the need to celebrate this moment. Now, at the same time, I feel it’s important to mention that this was purely my celebration. As much as I feel better to have marked this moment in our life- I would never involve my children in the celebration. They love their father, as they should, and now when it’s ‘daddy-time’, it’s quality ‘daddy-time’ and that is also a reason to celebrate.

Perfect Easter Weekend

I love this time of year in Montreal!  We've been hibernating for so long during the winter that I find it so exciting to hear and see the Canada Geese flying overhead, seeing the buds on the trees start to appear, and seeing the tulips emerging from the ground.  Everybody is out and about - I even saw a women sunbathing on her balcony in her bikini on Friday.  This year was especially great because my boys are getting bigger and it's getting easier to take them out by myself.  It was actually pleasant going to the park this weekend.  Instead of both of them running in opposite directions (like toddlers do sometimes) they were playing together and (gasp) taking turns!  I was scared to pinch myself in fear that I would wake up to see that it was only a dream :)  It's nice to see that despite all the difficult behaviour that they often show- they are capable of playing together really nicely. It's also very exciting to know that, as time goes on, I will be able to go on more and more outings with them by myself without fear of losing one of them or having a nervous breakdown!  If the sun clears later today I might even attempt the ecomuseum.

Toddler Nightime Woes

Nightime is always unpredictable at my house.  With two little boys aged 2 and 3 I often find one crawling into my bed in the middle of the night.  I don't mind- I just pick them up, plop them next to me and we can all have a good night's sleep.  The problem occurs when both wake up at the same time!  This is one of the moments when being a single mom is the most difficult. Putting them both in bed with me doesn't work because one always bothers the other one usually my 2 year old bothering his older brother.  If I bring them back to their room, I end up awake between them trying to coax them back to sleep.  Last night was one of those nights. We tried to stay in the same bed, didn't work.  I brought my 2 year old back to his bed and asked my three year old to stay in my bed.  Just as I was lying next to my two year old in his bed and he's almost asleep, my three year old comes in the room.  Wakes us all up again.  Now they are both in their own beds and I am still with my two year old in his little toddler bed.... Just when I'm sure that he is now sleeping and I can finally return to my own bed- he meows (pretending to be a cat).  As funny as that sounds (two year olds are so unpredicatable) it is very frustrating at 4:30 in the morning!  I stayed for about 20 minutes more- finally they are both asleep.  Of course, by then it was 5:15 in the morning, half an hour before my alarm goes off.  Being a mother of two toddlers is never without surprises!

Toddlers and Vegetables

I have two boys and if I were to combine their eating habits, they would be very good eaters eating a wonderfully balanced diet!  The problem is that one eats the vegetables, the other eats the meat.  I'm not too concerned about the one who doesn't like meat because he does eat chicken, peanut butter beans, milk- he's still getting his protein.  My son who doesn't like vegetables is a more complex issue. If I make a chicken fried rice with vegetables, he can actually take his fork and expertly manipulate it to get the rice and avoid the vegetables- great for his hand-eye-coordination but not so great for his nutrition.  I've seen a lot of recipes on ways to sneak vegetables in the foods they eat.  They often involve pureeing the cooked vegetable and sneaking it into something like a brownie.- Great idea but, honestly, I don't have time for that.  I need to find other ways to sneak them in that is easy in my schedule.  Here are some things that have worked for me but I'm always looking for more ideas!

Find meals you already make to sneak in vegetables, easily.
My son loves spaghetti so when I make a spaghetti sauce I do sneak in some extra vegetables.  I choose vegetables that are easy to just grate like zucchini or carrots so that it doesn't really make it more work than it usually did before.
I also sneak in grated zucchini in meatloaf which my little meat-lover adores!
My son also loves vegetable soup (he didn't know that it was vegetables as I blended the soup with an immersion blender before serving it.

Fruit juice with hidden vegetables.
V8 makes a juice now called V8 fusion- it tastes like fruit but actually has vegetables in it too.  Some are better than others so I had to test out a few flavours- my son was able to detect the vegetables. 
I don't regularly give them juice anyway so it was actually a treat for both of them.

Smoothies.
Here is my favourite way to sneak vegetables into their diet.  My kids adore smoothies.  I throw in whatever frozen fruit I have on hand, some milk, yogourt, a touch of chocolate powder and, when they aren't looking, a few baby spinach leaves.  Once it's all blended they can't see it and the fruit and chocolate are the dominant flavours.  I've even added half an avocade once which gave it a really creamy consitency.  For added nutrition throw in some ground flax seeds.  A really great tip I got was to freeze the leftovers in popsicle molds.

Feeding children is not always easy and when you are already busy with work and life- tackling  this problem is especially daunting.  Finding easy tips to incorporate into your regular routine is important.  Now I can feel better that my son is at least eating some vegetables. 

Winter "stuff"

Winter has hit and being the mom of two toddlers I know how difficult it can be to keep track of everybody's winter "stuff". Hats, gloves, scarves always seem to be missing in those crucial minutes before we have to head out the door in the morning. My solution is simple: have lots of extras. Dollarama's selection of winter hats, gloves and scarves has greatly improved over the years. I went and loaded up on all different hats and mittens for my kids so that I would always have some when I needed even if something got lost outside or is hiding under the couch. One piece that I particularly liked for toddlers was a neckwarmer shaped like a turtleneck. It's got a turtleneck and two pieces of material for the front and the back. I like it because it stays on, no risk of strangulation and it also covers some of their back and chest.