You are Addicted to What?

Last week I finally got fed up.  I realized that I am tired of carrying this "baby weight" around and yes, I know deep down that it is no longer associated with any babies,  since the twins are now three years old.  And I decided to join the gym.  I figured  that by joining the gym, and paying the monthly fee, I would be more likely to get my buns on the treadmill so as not to appear to waste money.

This is a beautiful gym, although quite small.  It is for women only, which I like, and that  definitely helped me gather up the courage to walk in that day last week to sign up.  I was greeted by a lovely woman, the owner, who despite being in her 50s, power-walked around that place in the tiniest shorts I'd ever seen.  She gave me the tour, and I fell in love. I felt empowered just watching that zumba class dance its way into a frenzy.

The truth is, I was inspired to go the gym, not of my own accord, but by my incredibly fit aunt who swears this gym  changed her life.  She says she is now "addicted to exercise."  Those were her words, people.  Addicted.  Yeah.  Me?  Yup, I'm addicted too.  To something called sugar.  It's real good going down, but it leaves you with a whole lot of extra inches!

Back at the gym, I had wrapped up my tour, and the owner was giving me the big sell on why I should hire a personal trainer.  I didn't need the hard sell. I would have bought an entire new workout wardrobe at that point, with matching shoes to boot.  Because apparently, that's what you need to work out at this gym.  Anyway, I said, yes, I'll do it!  I want the trainer, the whole she-bang!

I set up my first appointment with the trainer to have a fitness evaluation.  So yesterday I went in for the evaluation, thinking, "Hey, I'm pretty healthy, I played sports forever (in high school, which was how many years ago?), and I am one busy mom!"  Boy, was I shocked when I saw my results.  Sure, I'm pretty flexible, and my legs are strong, but I've got a long way to go.  And don't even get me started on those calipers, people!  When he started coming at me with those, I actually thought in my mind, "They still use those female torture devices?  Why? Oh why?"  But I didn't say a word.  I just let the poor guy measure the fat on the back of my arm.  Yuck.  Poor guy probably had to go home and do a whole bunch of tricep extensions just to get that image out of his mind.

Anyway, today was the day of my first training session, and it. was. awesome.  Yep, it truly was great!  Sure, I can barely do ten girl push-ups in a row, and my heart rate goes up super fast once the incline goes up, but my trainer assures me that this is just a starting point.  All people have to start somewhere.  And every day that I choose to eat right and exercise is progress.  And you know what?  I believed him.  Now that being addicted to exercise idea doesn't seem so far out in left field.  It seems like I really can  start to shun the "evils" of sugar, sluggishness and sloth.  I could wear really tiny shorts....uh no.  I won't  go that far.  That's not really a goal.    

So today I begin another journey.  A day by day process of getting healthy and fit.  A journey long overdue in my mind, but I will trust God and His timing, and try to use every moment for good.  Thanks for listening, and pray for me.....especially with push-ups in mind!

Hurrah! First Day of Pre-School!

My family is a big fan of pre-school for three year olds.  Emma and Cubby were lucky enough to spend their first years of pre-school with the beloved Mrs. Green, who unfortunately (for us) retired the year before the twins were to go into pre-school.  Since the twins turned three this last June, they are now ready for a couple of mornings per week at pre-school.  We decided to send J.D. and Gigi to the outstanding pre-school affiliated with our church.  They have a wonderful, loving, educated, highly trained group of teachers and other staff.  This pre-school also teaches at Christian curriculum which is important, think: prayers before snack, Bible songs at playtime, wonderful basics that a pre-schooler can totally grasp.  

The twins' first day of pre-school was this last Wednesday.  I've been a little behind in my blogging, so sorry!  We've had a busy, busy week with getting accustomed to the new homeschooling schedule.    

All four kiddos were really excited that day!  

Believe it or not, Gigi's dress is the exact same dress that Emma wore on her first day of pre-school four years ago!  I love that!

Lots of love between these two.

J.D. is sooo proud of his new metal John Deere tractor lunch box.  I think carrying that around was his favorite part of pre-school.

  

Gigi loves her girly girl box just as well!

Uh-oh, mad face.

Cubby.

Emma.

The minute we showed up at the pre-school Gigi let out a blood curdling scream of pure joy.  She was thrilled.  J.D. was silent.

We joined the rest of the kids and teachers on the playground and Gigi ran off immediately and started climbing around on the play structure, sliding down the slide, and so on.  

J.D. slowly made his way over to the sand pile and tentatively began scooping the sand, looking around for the owner to come and claim his toys.  J.D. was unsure about the whole experience. He just made his way around the playground and observed the different play going on, all the while keeping a close eye on me.  

To comfort cousin Ellie, who was a bit distressed when her mommy left, Gigi asked her to give her a push on the swing.  This was just enough distraction to help Ellie forget about Mommy and focus on Gigi.  It worked!

Cubby led Ellie around a bit.  The cousins really love eachother.  I think our two weeks in San Diego this summer really helped everyone to get along quite a bit better and learn to work things out. 

Gigi spotted a trike and started making circles around the playground.  

See ya!

It was just before this point that I decided to say my goodbyes and depart to let them have their full pre-school morning experience.   However, J.D. was not really too excited about that prospect.  The poor little guy started clinging to my leg and whimpering softly.  That's when I spotted this two seater trike, so I put Gigi on the front, and J.D. straddled the back, and the two of them took rides around the playground, as happy as can be.  As you can see, it was a little tough for Gigi to peddle that bike with so much weight on it, so one of the teachers had to push them along from behind.  Classic.

After a bit, it was cousin Ellie's turn, and then I really had to leave.  

Three hours later....I picked up the twins, and here was the scene in the parking lot......

"I love pre-school!  And, I'm exhausted!"

Time for a nap.....

Their first day of pre-school was a wonderful success, although they were truly so tired at the end of that first day.  The next day they went back and enjoyed painting and playing, and snack time.  J.D. is already a happier guy.  And mommy is thrilled about this new pre-school venture for our two precious twins.

Hurrah! It's the First Day of Homeschool!

Yesterday was our first day of homeschool.  Emma is now in first grade, and Cubby is in kindergarten.  

This day has been a long day coming!   I have been fretting about this day for about three months now.   My husband and I experienced a lot of anxiety and indecision all summer regarding our plans for schooling the girls this year.  We have flipped back and forth between choosing to homeschool our girls versus sending them to private school versus sending them to public school.  It has been quite a time of serious deliberation.

Now you may know that I homeschooled Emma last year, so what's all this anxiety about?  Well, first,  we thought that last year was just a one year deal, plus we used any and all resources at the Imperial Valley Home School Academy, which definitely eased the transition from public school to homeschooling. 

So how did we decide to homeschool this year?  Over the course of last spring and this summer, I shared my concerns and thoughts with many of my friends and family, but I still didn't have a clear vision of what we should do for school.  Finally, after all of my fingernails had been chewed, and it was do or die time, Danny and I left it up to (duh!) God to guide our hearts on this very tough and important decision.  Why we didn't leave it up to Him in the first place, I don't know.  Probably pride or control or whatever makes us want to do things our own way and on our own time.  He had already answered with homeschool as the solution for our family a year ago, and His answer remained true now.  Our moments of anxiety and stress were all for nothing, the decision was already clear.  

We are thrilled with this new season of life that includes two young children to homeschool and another two children two guide through the pre-school years.  I really look forward to teaching the children Biblical principles along with their academic lessons.  Once school time is over, the girls have many extracurricular activities to attend, including singing class, church group, piano lessons, and hopefully many more, as the year gets rolling.  

Today, I just feel very thankful to God that we were able to teach our children in this way, and at this time in their lives.  

So, the day before the first day of school, (pre-1st-day-of-school), which would be Sunday, Danny and I focused on building the girls up for their new school experience at home.  I made a special breakfast of french toast, sausage and fruit which the kids gobbled up frighteningly rapidly.  Then we had home church at our house, since three out of six of us had a cold, which begins by Danny leading the group in a good old fashioned sing-along.  He then taught a Bible lesson on being brave when being faced with a new or scary event (first day of school!), then we learned our new memory verse for the week.  After we prayed together as a family for bravery in face of great fear, I handed the girls their first day of school bags, which had all kinds of fun new school supplies, a new binder, and a new first day of school outfit. It was a great moment.   I know I had tears in my eyes.  

Needless to say, the girls were pretty pumped up about their first day of school.  So that Monday morning, they awoke bright and early, made their beds, got dressed, and brushed their hair, all before 7:30 AM, and we didn't need to leave the house for IVHSA until 8:30 AM.  No matter, we ate our breakfast, and had our morning lesson in our new classroom located in our family room.  I had decorated our new classroom with posters, an ABC chart across the top, a new snazzy bookshelf filled with their books and cubbies for their loot, and a white board with "Welcome to School!" written on it.  I am a former high school teacher, so all this cool primary  grade stuff is awesome!!!!  

Anyway, now to the really good stuff, the pictures!  Check out Cubby and Emma in their new duds, ready to leave for IVHSA on that first day of school:

Sweet Cubby has the hands-down cutest kindergarten smile of any kid on the planet.  With not a top front tooth in sight, she has kinder written all over her.  

And here's first grader, Emma, who is the old pro at all things school related.  She couldn't stop giving her little sister pieces of advice all evening the night before, or that morning at breakfast, or on the way over in the car....

Once we arrived at the academy that morning, we headed over to a larger classroom, since the number of kids enrolled in the program has doubled since last year, yay!  All the kids made personalized posters to present to the group so that we could have a chance to get to know them better.

Cubby was very proud of her poster, but a little too nervous to go up in front, so I had to go with her, and help explain the pictures.  Once she got to the front of the room, I was useless, as she courageously and quite illustriously explained every detail of every picture on the page. 

Emma described every picture on her poster page.

Yay for you, big kindergartener!!

And woo-hoo, way to go 1st grader!!

What can I say?  I love my kids.  Maybe we had to have all that anxiety leading up to the first day, so that we would really appreciate the wonderful blessing of a perfect day to start our new journey with our four sweet children.

Another Random Summer Day at Balboa Park...Walker Style

I know I post a lot about the awesomeness of Balboa Park, but I can't help it, we love Balboa Park, ok?! Here are some more fun pics.....enjoy!

The twins learned early in life how to take pennies out of the fountain to re-throw.

This crazy dragon sculpture burned everyone's buns, but kept the kids busy for a whole 10 minutes!

Grandma loves to take kids on random nature hikes.

Time for a roll in the grass....

More fun times at the Reuben H. Fleet! J.D. rocks at turning gigantic wheels!

I told you!

Here are my four favorite little people walking IN the fountain.  Yep, we are those parents who let our kids do this.  Sorry.

Time for shave ice!

We love this awesome fountain.  I have to share that I always let my kids wade around in the fountain.  Yeah, I know it's probably gross, but a lot of kids walk around in there during the summer.  My sister refuses to let her daughter walk in the fountain, so I had to refrain from letting my kids get into it while she was  with us.  But as soon as she left, oh yeah....fountain time!!!

Sweet Hearts.

Daddy and J.D.  You'll never see a happier kid than this little guy tucked into his Daddy's arms.

And there they are, cruising around the fountain's edge.

"It too cold, mommy!"

Now this is fun!!  

Thanks for letting me share with you another fun, random Walker family summer day!

Cake Pops

Let's just say that summer livin' has been pretty kick back. The four kids wake at various times, but my oldest is always  the first up.  She rushes to Grandma's bungalow out back to sit with her, read the morning paper, and smell grandma's delicious coffee before heading out to the bay for a seashell search in the sand.  Their morning tradition became an object of envy by Cubby for one-on-one time with Grandma.  So now Cubby and Emma exchange mornings for their walk with Grandma.  Needless to say, Grandma is getting her exercise every morning!

Our mornings here in beautiful San Diego begin lazily with a late breakfast and cartoons.  We get dressed around the same time  as when we nosh on our morning snack.  Yup, it's pretty slow moving around here, and I love it.  

Our diets have also reflected our new casual lifestyle.  Ayron and I have become pro's at packing picnic lunches for ourselves and the kiddos.  We swap nights cooking dinner, and once in a while we go out to a restaurant if we are too pooped out to cook, or we are feeling especially festive.  Unfortunately for my waistline, a casual lifestyle in SD has equalled a whole lot of frozen yogurt outings and sweet treat stops.  The kids haven't refused to participate in our many yummy outings!  They've been pretty happy with each and every day's sweet ending.

One evening, after a delicious tri-tip dinner provided by Auntie A, Aunt Bette provided some decadent desserts from a local bakery.  The desserts, believe it or not, were worth sharing.... 

Gigi is enjoying a yellow cake pop with white icing.  It was the most beautiful little dessert on a stick!   The kids loved them!

The cake pop came with a super cute little candied flower on top, but that was of course, the first thing Cubby nibbled.  

Cake pops = happy kids = happy parents = happy world

Some kids weren't so appreciative of the decadent beauty of the cake pop.  Some kids weren't too impressed that the cake was on a stick.  Some kids made a weapon out of the cake pop stick.  

And....voila!   The adult dessert tray.  Ahhhhh.....my mouth is watering.  See those two shifty looking log shaped confections on the upper and lower edges of the plate? That is the most delicious, amazing, perfect baklava ever created on the planet.  Trust me, it is worth the drive to San Diego.  Pure joy.

Our Summer Morning at the Science Museum

In past blogs I described that when my sister and I were kids, my parents took us to Balboa Park quite frequently.  As a kid, I very clearly remember walking down the beautifully landscaped walkway to the glittering koi pond in front of the Botanical Gardens.  I remember picnicking before watching a Shakespearean play at the Old Globe Theatre.  For me, Balboa is easily the most well-planned, kid-friendly, scenic, historic and gorgeous park in California, and it holds very special memories.  

My own family loves Balboa so much that the park was one of our main summer destinations last year.  Last summer, the kids had fun playing on the stairs at Balboa, viewed dinosaurs at the Museum of Natural History, and ate shave ice until their teeth turned blue.  

This year is no different.  We've been here for only seven days, and we've been to the park at least three times.  My sister, Ayron convinced me that I needed a pass to the Science Center Museum since they have a new kids' exhibit.  So I bought the family pass, which came complete with 8 free Imax movie tickets....nice!  Ayron was spot on with her advice!  The science center was awesome, and we will be returning many, many times!!  

All the toys are totally fun but also learning centered.  Cubby enjoyed turning the wheel on this giant set of gears.

J.D. worked on some sweet tunes on the xylophone.  His dad was very proud!

Emma turned the giant wheel to watch the little balls go around and around.

After sucking the balls in, these tubes blew air out the top, forcing the balls to shoot out into a tub at the top.  The balls then funneled back down to the bottom. The three-year-olds had a field day with this one!

We have a couple of cutie-pie firefighters on our hands!

This climbing gym was made out of stars!  Adventurous Cubby was my only child who dared to climb all over the oddly shaped playground.

Then the kids formed their own star structures.

Cool tunnel!

The increasingly technology savvy three-year-olds played games on the computers and learned their letters and shapes at the same time.

Cousin Ell loves to ham it up in the fire truck!

Now this was my favorite toy.  This super long grocery market checkout line was so fun!  Emma placed  food items on the conveyer belt, Cubby turned the wheel to make it move, then J.D. gathered the goods in the cart at the end.  

We walked over to the incredibly clear and beautiful koi and lily pad pond next.  The girls spotted lots of beautiful, colorful fish and flowers.  By the way, this is what happens when I say, "Get together!"  It's like they can't squeeze in enough.....I love it!

This is one of my favorite shots so far.  Here is poor little Gigi, who is just about plumb tuckered out, waiting for the Balboa tram to take us on a short tour of the park.  For as many years as I have been frequenting the park, I've never taken the tram, but it was 20 minutes of free fun!  The kids loved riding around with no windows while the driver described some of the park's features.

Once on the tram, we were all smiles again!

After a rigorous day of trekking around in the beautiful San Diego air, it was time for a little soft serve.  Aahhh......we love vacation.