Decorating the Christmas Tree

Yesterday afternoon we put on the Christmas music, broke out the egg-nog and nutmeg and decorated our Christmas tree. Our four kids, their best friend next door, my Dad and stepmother, and Scott and I worked together to trim our tree, hang the stockings and position the nativity scene.

It was both a fun and overwhelming experience. My living room really isn't very big. And, have you noticed how much smaller your house feels when an 8 foot real Christmas tree occupies the corner and all the furniture has been shifted around? Now imagine four adults standing among five excited children, with smiles from ear to ear, swarming around the tree until every last ornament is placed. And in the background, to make things just a little bit more nostalgic, we played the Chipmunks Christmas Album. It was an absolute frenzy for about 15 minutes...and then it was quite again as they scampered off to play hide and seek with one another. It was a Christmas tsunami that left my living room looking both disastrous and beautiful. Once we put away the empty ornament boxes and swept up the pine needles that had been knocked off the tree, I couldn't believe how warm and festive my home felt from corner to corner.

I'm not a fan of winter, but it's really nice to have such a wonderful holiday to look forward to right when the weather turns cold and days become so short.

My Health Journal
Tonight I had half a steak, steamed green beans, potatoes for dinner (+ a raspberry turnover for dessert :$). After dinner I helped my girls with their homework, watched a little bit of "The Flintstones" with them and then put them to bed. After working for about 1 hour on a communication brief I completed a weight routine focused on my hamstrings, quadriceps and calves. I also completed a series of sit ups to work my abdomen.

How is everyone else doing with Christmas preparations and personal health and fitness?

Grade One Evaluations and Parent Teacher Interviews

Last week I received my girls school evaluations and tomorrow I'll be going to the school to meet with their teacher to discuss the results. For today's blog I would like to give my opinion on the subject of school grades, parenting and children.

I have to admit, when I reviewed the results for each of my children I was surprised. I have 6 year-old twin girls who are in the same grade one class. I spend about 15-30 minutes a day with each of them reviewing their homework, spelling words, reading and math. I have a very good idea about how my children are doing in each subject area in school. But, when I reviewed their evaluations I have to admit, I was confused.

Before I continue I need explain that I don't believe that parents should be pressuring young children to aim for straight As. Around this time of year you do hear parents talking about how important it is to them that their child achieve perfection. I don't agree with this approach. I believe learning is important, but getting the highest mark isn't the goal. I strongly believe that children should have as much time as possible playing with each other, moving around physically and discovering the world around them. Yes - school is important, but having a balanced life between school and play is essential for the healthy development of children (in my opinion).

Okay-back to my daughters' evaluations and my confusion over the results. On paper, one of my daughters was achieving higher results than the other in every single topic. What surprised me about this is that I know with absolute certainty that my daughter who was achieving lower results is actually working at a much higher level in some topics then the other daughter. How could their evaluations be so "off"? After contemplating this for a few days it occurred to me that the "results" on paper must be influenced by other factors. And then, in a moment of clarity, I realized that my daughter's behaviour must have influenced the results. My daughter (who received lower results) absolutely likes to set her own rules, is a social butterfly, and has a tendency to do what she wants. I can imagine that when compared to her sister most teachers would find her more difficult to manage. She isn't a tyrant by any means but she does have a streak of stubborness. And I can imagine that her sister is like an angle in class.  As a result, I'm almost certain that her behaviour probably influenced the teacher to give her a lower grade in a subject that she excels at.  

So, what will happen at the parent teacher interview tomorrow? I can tell you that for my kids the focus won't be on their grades. I won't argue about whether my daughter's grades were accurate or not. I won't discuss how I think her evaluations weren't purely based on skill level. My discussion with the teacher will focus on my daughters' overall personalities, attitudes and classroom behaviour. I believe that evaluations provide us with insights that go beyond the "grade"and I suggest parents use them to both gain a general gist of their skill level as well as understand how their children are doing emotionally and behaviourally.

I'd love to hear your perspectives on this topic. Please feel free to leave comments.

Junk Drawer Confessions

How many of you out there have a junk drawer that keeps collecting more and more junk until one day you can't even open it to throw more junk in? And, how many of you carry the stress of being discovered...wondering if one day one of your guests will stumble upon your crazy junk drawer. The fear you have...knowing that every day that junk drawer exists, is another day that your reputation for being such a well put together and organized individual is put at risk.

Do you ask yourself almost on a daily basis...What will it take to get me motivated to empty out this ridiculous drawer and get organized? Oh - I know you have one. Everyone's got a deep dark secret...drawer. You know it.

Okay...this blog post was inspired by a Twitter friend (@mlanger) who recently cleaned out her junk drawer and shared ever last detail of it in her blog post. I can relate completely.

Last week, while cooking one of my healthy recipes, I had such a hard time finding the right spices. Why? Because my spice drawer was scary scary place to visit. Anyway, I'm very proud to say that I took the time to clean out that spice drawer that day and it felt good. Sometimes I just open those drawers to look at how beautifully organized they are--finally. It's a very small thing...but also very rewarding.
Here are some pictures of newly organized spice drawers :).

Unfortunately, the spice drawers aren't the only drawer in my house. And, if you were to inspect every drawer in my house...you'd find that 75% of them probably could use a major re haul.

With four kids running around the house, I find it impossible to keep my drawers organized. Can you moms out there relate to this---or am I completely alone? I'm constantly picking up toys, folding clothes and trying desperately to keep the house looking clean and organized. One of my most employed techniques is what I call the "grab and stash".  This is the practice of grabbing any object that shouldn't be in sight...and stashing it inside any drawer that's within reach. The unfortunate side effect of this technique is the guilt associated with knowing that although your house may appear pretty organized...deep down inside you're a mess.

I'd love to hear your Junk Drawer confessions. Am I alone here?

Seven Strategies to Keep You Motivated to WorkOut

A few weeks ago I asked the question - "What keeps you motivated to work out and eat right?" Thank you Teri and TRB for sharing your tips with me in my earlier blog post. Well, I've been thinking about that question too and have put together the following list. If you have a hard time keeping motivated, try implementing some of these tips:

1. Entertain Yourself. Find an interesting show on t.v. and commit to working out while you watch it. Sometimes, working out can be a bit boring. So, when I do weights, I watch a show on t.v. to make it more fun.  
2. Keep Your Gym Bag in the Car. If you've got a membership at a gym, make sure that you keep your gym bag packed and ready to go. If you plan to workout after work, aim to head to the gym directly rather then going home first. Once you arrive at home it can be very tempting to stay and kick your feet up. So, don't go home first! Go straight to the gym and get your exercise in before heading home!
3. Join a Class. At first it may be difficult to fit a class into your schedule, but once things settle down and the class becomes part of your routine, getting motivated to go will be easier and easier. The more you go, the more likely you'll make friends and the more fun you'll have. You'll also feel accountable for attending if you have friends in the class who look forward to meeting up with you. If your workout is tied to a social activity, it not only makes it more fun, but will also motivate you to get up and go on those days when you are super exhausted.
4. Write a Journal. Writing this blog helps me keep my eye on the ball. When I write my exercise and food plans down, I feel accountable to it. 
5. Measure Yourself. If your goal is to lose weight, then weigh yourself everyday. If your aim is to build muscle, measure your self. Make sure you know what your starting point is and witness your daily or weekly progression towards your goal. It feels great to see numeric proof of your hard work. 
6. Talk About It. Share your workout plans with your friends. If your friends know about your workout goals they may help keep you motivated by asking your how its going. The more poeple you have on your side, the better. 
7. Partner-Up. Finding a partner to workout with can help you get through those days that you feel really unmotivated. If you don't know someone who is willing to actually workout with you, try finding someone who will call you or follow up with you about your workout plan. 

My Health Journal

Every day I take one tablet of echinacea and one tablet of vitamin C. For breakfast I had two slices of toast with tomatoes, a glass of orange juice and a glass of coffee. For lunch I had a green salad and a tomato, basil and cheese sandwich. And for supper I had a chicken casadias. My weight this morning was 159.1 lbs.

A Glowing Review - Putting Edge Fun Center

I’m always trying to find interesting things to do with my kids on the weekend. This week, a friend of mine was absolutely beside herself about her latest discovery and she couldn't wait to tell me about the “Putting Edge Fun Center” glow in the dark mini-golf. When she told me about it, I absolutely could not believe that I had never heard of this place before, because it sounds amazing.

Apparently, the experience for her whole family was just incredible. She raved about the cleanliness and design of the facilities. Both her almost 2-1/2 year-old boy and her 6-1/2 year-old girl enjoyed every second.

I checked out their website at www.puttingedge.com. They are located at 5 Roydon Place, Unit 1 Nepean, Ontario K2E 1A3. Children under the age of 4 can enter for free. Admission fees range between $7.89-9.89 depending on age.

If you want to get the most out of the experience, it’s best to wear some white so that you glow at maximum capacity.

I haven’t yet had the chance yet to go with my family…but you bet your bottom dollar that I’ll be taking my family at the very next opportunity.

What other fun family activities are there in Ottawa? I'd love to hear from you!