Trying to (vitamin)D-feat sickness

I am over winter!  I love snow and all, it's very pretty for Christmas, but by mid-March...I am over it. Especially since this year has been crazy.  We have temps in the 60's  one day, then negative teens the next.  Sadly, I am not even exaggerating for dramatic flair.  It's been a long, hard winter here in northeast Ohio.  With all the bitter cold, and then the fluctuations people are bound to get sick.  I feel like a part of me (and most of the people I know) have actually suffered some this year from SAD (seasonal affective disorder) just from it being SO cold you couldn't be outside. 

So with warm days promised earlier this week (not today, today beings yet another Snowpocolypse) I had visions of grandeur with the kiddos.  Being outside, riding bikes, roller skating, walking the dog as a family...but alas and alack...the temperature jumps and drops hit our house and I was home Monday with two sick kiddos.

Mini me was just a congested, snotty mess.  You've seen it at daycare, the nose running non-stop yet somehow the voice comes out all congested and sad.  No fever, no need for meds, but also no sleep which makes for a miserable kiddo and miserable parents.  My big girl started in with a cough late last week that was up and down with how she felt but then was on overdrive by Sunday (of course...the pediatrician isn't open then right). 

So bright and early Monday morning we are on the road to the doc.  Doc listens to her lungs and has her try to blow a pinwheel.  Sad.  Doc says, "That sounds terrible in there."  So they decide to give her a breathing treatment. 

double whammy to a 12.5 year old...breathing treatment inn a farmyard room


Doc comes back 10 minutes later and big girl can make the pinwheel go around with out coughing.  We go home with an inhaler to use until feeling better.  My poor sweetie.

So later that day, since it was SO nice outside, I decide to go clean up after the pup in the yard.  All the melted snow has left a treasure trove of "doggy surprises" in the yard.  Since it was sunny and warm...and made the girls come outside with me for a bit.  They were confused about being outside when sick, well for the pre-teen confused is the wrong word...aggravated that I pulled her from her bed and kindle seems more accurate. 

I told them they needed some fresh air and Vitamin D.  I expected the look of confusion from my mini, but I KNOW I have talked to big girl about this.  Did they get a HUGE amount of Vitamin D from sitting on our porch steps for 30 minutes in NE Ohio in March...probably not but they should have gotten at least some, and couple that with the fresh air...I think that is why BOTH were feeling much better by bedtime.  A little modern medicine, a little Mother Nature, and a lot of love from Mom!!!

Warmth Abounds

I love getting ready for the holidays!  I love getting out all of our decorations and making the house look festive!  I love getting gifts ready that I think people will really like.  I love all the excitement of Santa coming and the sheer joy of Christmas  morning.

Even with so much joy on the horizon though there is still that lurking thought in the back of my mind.  The question no one actually asks out loud but it is there like a giant elephant on the room.  How much damage are these few weeks going to do?  It's a time when we feel we can loosen the ropes some and just indulge.  

I am quite happy to say that this year the hubs and I did a pretty good job of staying on target.  We had a cookie here or there, and a few items that were far from gluten free, but in all honesty we stayed pretty close to the line with our meals.  We even had a healthy good challenge for our annual Christmakkah party.  There was garden vegetable soup, dill matzo ball soup, GF pasta and marinara, veggie tray, so many good healthy choices!  It was awesome!  

Where we have been "less then successful" (as failure is NOT an option) is in our workouts.  We have been running on empty and just enjoying time with the kids and family and friends!  But today, we are turning it around!  When I was a kid, Christmas break was all snow forts and sledding.  The weather lately though is so crazy that instead of donning snow pants we were outside in our jackets and the girls were roller blading/skating and riding bikes yesterday.  The unseasonal warmth was a great reminder to the hubs and I though of the importance of getting out there and moving!  It felt great having the sun in my face and watching the girls being so active (and silly).  

How have you been doing with all the holiday craziness??? 

Making Waves

Mini me and me at the beach


What an AMAZING weekend!  While we are all a bit sad this week while my oldest is off with her Aunt in South Carolina, it is giving the hubs and I a great opportunity to spend lots of 1 on 1 time with the wee one.  After we packed up Maddy and sent her on her way, Arden decided she wanted to go to the beach.  Once Momma's little bull headed baby gets an idea in her head its nearly impossible to sway her.  We had a laundry list of errands that needed to be taken care of but Dadoo announced, "ok lets get our swimsuits on and go."  It is moments like these that make me stop and really appreciate how lucky I am to be teamed up with him.  He reminds me that there is always time for Home Depot and mulch buying...he makes me a better parent.  So we slathered ourselves in sunscreen, got in our suits and hit the beach.

It was a PERFECT morning.  We got there before the crowds rolled in, before the oppressively hot temps took over (which they did later that afternoon) and just played and laughed and had a blast.  It was especially nice to mark another milestone off of her list...baby's first trip to the beach.  Living in NE Ohio, nice beaches are few and far between...but this weekend we seemed to find our own little slice of Heaven in the sand.



sandcastle by dadoo and daughter designs :)

 

On Sunday we took the dog to the park to swim in the river and walk the trails some.  Now back in the day these trails were well worn by my hubby and me.  We would take the dog over and run 2-3 miles, then "dunk the dog in the river" and head home.  I LOVED these runs!  Even in crazy hot weather, running along the bridle trails under the tress with my hubby was always one of my favorite times of day.  Soooooo as we were walking along yesterday on the trails I decided that I wanted a bit of a run, but how to make this fun?  I tried tag and it worked BEAUTIFULLY!  We got mini me engaged in about a mile or so of interval running trying to chase and tag me, me trying to chase and tag her, chasing Dadoo and the pup, being chased by Dadoo and pup.  It felt amazing to run, and even more so to run with my little miss and hear her giggling along the way.  Bu doing it as tag and in intervals no one was overworked, we let her set the pace...and afterwards she asked it we could do it again.  How amazing would it be to instill my love for running into my wee one?!?!  I am hoping this could be the start of a healthy and fun new activity for us to do as a family. :)

 

The benefits of getting us all up and moving is obvious, but we can also bond as a family through exercise....I LOVE IT!!



Full of Thanks

     What an amazing weekend we had here in lean, mean state 17!  We have been lucky enough to get sporadic bouts of unseasonably warm weather, and I am loving it!!  Definitely helps to put me into the spirit of Thanksgiving.  We got lots of holiday crafts done this weekend, managed to purchase the first of many Christmas gifts, and spent the majority of the day outside in the sunshine yesterday.  We got up early and made homemade pumpkin pancakes, then Little Bear and I played on the swing set, tossed the ball around the front yard, and spent a good deal of time working on her fairy field journal (a la Tinkerbell and The Great Fairy Rescue).  After getting some leaves and flowers to tape down in our journal, Dadoo and I took turns helping draw pictures of fairies and bumble bees and lady bugs, etc.  Dadoo even had enough time while we played ball to organize the garage enough for me to pull my car in again.  HOORAY!!  That is nor small feat. 
     I have so much to be thankful for and yesterday was a great reminder of that.  On tap for tonight haircuts (hopefully) and manicures.  What will Dadoo do?  Bask in the glow of  his three beauties. :)

Now for a little Friend Making Monday!

 

If you’ve taken part in FMM then you know the rules. If you’re new, please take a moment to answer this week’s question on your own blog then add your link in the comments section here at: www.alltheweigh.com so we can all see your FMM questions and answers. Please invite your blog readers to add their links here too so everyone has to opportunity to be seen. The idea is to connect with other awesome bloggers so take a moment to post your own FMM post and comment on a couple of other posts. Now it’s time for this week’s topic!

Thanksgiving Edition

 

1. Do you have any Thanksgiving traditions?  Not so much, whether we go to family’s houses or not we always have a full turkey dinner at home during the Thanksgiving weekend so we can enjoy our own leftovers.  We generally stay home though and enjoy the day with the kiddos.

2. List at least three dishes that are on your family's table every year. Sweet potato casserole, cranberry sauce and turkey!!!

3. Do you prefer pumpkin pie or pecan pie?  I prefer pumpkin, but the hubs likes my homemade pecan.  This year we are doing desserts at a friend’s house and are taking chocolate and strawberry pies.

4. Will you watch football on Thanksgiving Day?  No, we are not really football people in our house.  Now soccer is a whole different story.

5. Do you plan to exercise Thursday?  Not on Thursday…I do plan to try and offset Thursday damage though over the rest of the long weekend.

6. Do you prefer ham or turkey?  For Thanksgiving I prefer turkey…I like to enjoy ham at Christmas. J

7. Will you shop on Black Friday?  Two of my girlfriends and I are contemplating it…it would have to REALLY be worth my while though.

8. Do you take a nap on Thanksgiving?  I don’t but the hubs and the lil one do.

9. Share one dish that probably won't be on anyone else's table.  Hmmmmm hard one…we do most of the traditional stuff…no one else will have the version of biscuit my hubby is going to attempt.  He is a master in the kitchen, but biscuits have always been his nemesis.  We shall see…more to come on that later.

10. What are you thankful for today?  I am thankful for my family.  We have been through a lot and only become stronger each day, and so full of love.  That goes for my hubby and the kids, as well as my parents and brother and aunts and cousins.  I am truly blessed.

 Now it's your turn to post the questions on your blog!  Don't forget to come back and link up in the comments!  Happy Monday, and happy Thanksgiving!