I was doing so well.... until family bowling w/ church crew (Blue Moon) and coming home after a day of super fun w/ kids (Shedd Aquarium earlier) led to.... lazy dinner, don't feel like doing dishes and OOPS!  it's 9 p.m. and I'm done. 

I'm going to give myself permission to say "that's life". 

So let's revisit bowling.  Awesome!  Fun for mom, dad, and kiddos, plus there's food, beer and socialization.  So much better since the smoking ban.

Shedd Aquarium.  Wow.  Kids loved, I loved.  I couldn't help thinking how lucky my kids are to experience this stuff as wee ones.  I mean really.  There was so much there and we only saw a fraction of it.  Thanks to friends for sharing their membership.  And thanks to all for a 3 hour nap for both kids after the adventure!

Home now... Daddy-O drumming, Mommio on the 'puter and kiddos ..... also on their computers.

Good night.

So, it turns out that the more active Mom is, the more active kiddos are.  Imagine that, kids fall into parents' lifestyle.  NY Resolution confession #2:  I'm trying to get back to healthy eating and exercise.  So I committed to the 100 Day Challenge with John "The Penguin" Bingham.  I went to the gym today, 2nd day in a row, for the first time since [ever] - or at least since I had kids. 

Yesterday, we went to family swim and afterwards they begged for me to exercise so they could go to the play area at the gym... really?  Cool.  Today, I was going to sneak out to the gym while kids stayed w/ hubs and play on the computer or watch "a show".  Nope, they begged to go with me so they could play.  The play area at the gym has toys, a mini basketball court, a craft area, a super cool slides/ climbing area and even a computer area.  At first I thought they just wanted to go there to sit at the computers and they do that a little but mostly they're crazy about the climbing / slides and playing basketball - yahoo!

Earlier today we went to Boot's first skating lesson, which turned out to be Boot and Toot's first skating lesson.  She was apprehensive to say the least, but I'm very proud of her because she did it.  We were fighting with Toot to keep him off the ice, and the lady at the registration table said "Why don't you let him try?"  We did, and he loved it.  Inside I'm jumping up and down shouting "woo hoo!!  woo hoo!!" - but I want to let them make their own choices.

Anyway, after that we went to McDonald's Play Place for lunch and they were climbing fools for over an hour.

Obsessed with my kids being active?  Yes.  Obesity is an epidemic in our culture and both my family and hubs family are prone to it.  I want to give them the best shot possible at being healthy people and not have to fight the life-long battle I have.  Now if I could just get them to eat a vegetable.

2013 underway!  I have some resolutions I shall keep to myself, but I will likely be writing about my efforts to use what I have in the house and sell or donate the excess so here's news about today's project. 

I'm making pillowcases out of flannel for the kids' friends - using up my stash of flannel and eventually the many yards I got from my mom.  I was going to go to the fabric store to purchase some odds and ends pieces so that I could coordinate some of the trim but I realized that I have so many scraps left over from prior projects, that I should be able to make this work without buying more.  And so the idea to use what I fabric, food, paint, etc. I have was born.  Stay tuned.....  pics to follow, these pillow cases are pretty darn cute.

Be kind,
Jen