I've had enough people ask me about this program--what I think about it, etc.--that I figured it would be easier to do a blog post and refer people to it rather than answer the same questions multiple times. So, since inquiring minds want to know, here's the lowdown on our involvement with this exercise program.
First, a little background--I had not done much of anything in the way of exercising since we all got hit with the flu in October, and then I injured my knee trying to run in November and my back in December. But after the holidays were over, I was feeling lethargic, doughy, and a little depressed. My friend and neighbor Chris encouraged me to borrow any of her DVDs to try out, since it was too cold to go running outside. So in January I started working out using 3 different fitness DVDs that I borrowed from Chris. Two of those were produced by Beachbody, which is where P90X comes from as well.
Shortly after I began getting back into the exercise routine, my friend Jen sent an email noting her new email address. I noticed one of her web sites listed at the end was a Beachbody web site, so I checked it out on a whim and saw P90X featured, but didn't really look at it. Soon after this, Chris asked me if I had heard of P90X, and I started to feel like maybe I should be checking this program out!
So after investigating, talking with Jennifer, praying about it, and discussing it with Ted, I placed our order. I started on April 16 as my Day One and haven't looked back! I guess I should clarify that I've been doing the fitness part of the program. I have to confess I haven't even cracked open the nutrition guide, but since there are 7 of us in our family, I really don't feel like cooking separate meals. We eat pretty healthy, so I've opted to focus on the exercise and just make sure I'm avoiding stuff that I know is bad for me anyway.
Before I get to the Q&A section, I want to make clear that I am NOT profiting in any way from the sale of Beachbody products. If you would like to purchase any, I would love to recommend that you do so through Jennifer's web site and support a godly woman who is a wife, mother, and Christian songwriter.
And now for some FAQs...if your question isn't answered here, leave me a comment or shoot me an email. :-)
Q: How much did you have to purchase to start the program?
A: I ended up only purchasing the 12 DVDs ($119.95) and a set of resistance bands ($39.95). I have 3-pound and 5-pound weights but knew I'd need something more.
Q: Did you find you needed to purchase anything else?
A: I'm fortunate to have a neighbor loaning me a pull-up bar, which is one that hooks over any door frame, so I did not spend the $60 to buy that. However, it's a vital part of the program, so I intend to check out the stash at Walmart, since I saw one recently for $20, I think. (Should have bought it then!) I don't actually do pull-ups YET, but I loop the resistance band around the bar, kneel down a ways away, and can imitate the motion quite well. The DVDs show one person using the bands, so you can always adapt using either bands, weights, or the pull-up bar, depending on your exercise.
Q: Any other products that might be helpful?
A: After trying yoga with me today, Ted thinks that he should use the yoga blocks if he's going to do that again! When I workout in the basement on the berber carpet, I think about maybe getting a yoga mat, but upstairs on the cushy carpet, I don't really need it. I'm starting to wonder if I might want to order the push-up bars to ease the strain on my wrist--yesterday my wrist was in considerable pain after Friday's routine and then doing arms yesterday morning. However, after icing it a couple of times yesterday, it was fine this morning.
Q: How is it going so far?
A: At the time of this posting, I've made it 18 days straight!
Q: How does the program work?
A: If you don't know anything about it, I recommend checking out the description on the web site. But a quick rundown is this: There are a total of 12 DVDs, and you follow the program of your choosing. (I'm doing P90X Classic.) The first 3 weeks you do the same thing--meaning each Friday I'm doing chest and back, Saturdays are Plyometrics, etc. Then there will be a recovery week with different assigned workouts. Then weeks 5-7 the same rotation (but different from weeks 1-3), followed by a recovery week, and so on. It's all about muscle confusion.
Q: Do you get any days off?
A: There is one rest day scheduled, but so far I have opted to do the X Stretch DVD. Believe it or not, it's a full hour of STRETCHING! I didn't know you could possibly stretch that many body parts!
Q: How much time commitment is there?
A: I went into this thinking it would be an hour a day, and that's roughly correct. Every other day, however, you do the Ab Ripper, which adds another 16 minutes. Yoga is 1 1/2 hours, but if you were pressed, you could get away with doing the first 49 minutes (the latter half is balance and stretching poses with a bit of core work as well).
Q: Do you think I should try this?
A: It totally depends on your current fitness level and amount of activity. If you are already pretty active and in relatively good shape, you'll probably do fine. If I had started this in January after my few months of couch potato-dom, I would have had a VERY hard time. But since I had established a fairly regular routine of getting up early and working out several times a week, I was better able to make the adjustment.
Q: Any suggestions for getting started?
A: I highly recommend a partner or at least someone to hold you accountable. Ted is both a workout and accountability partner; however, he can only work out with me on the days he does not have mandatory PT on base, which typically is Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. But he has done every other workout with me (at least partial workouts on weekdays, full workouts on weekends). And on the days he has his own thing going, he still helps me roll out of bed at 4:30 a.m. to do my thing. I would NOT have made it even this far if it weren't for his help!! Also, I do post on Facebook what day I'm on, so there is accountability there as well.
Q: Can you notice a difference yet?
A: I feel as if I should look in the mirror and totally see a P90X poster-worthy body, LOL. Honestly, if I focus on appearance, it's hard for me to really tell a difference at this point. However, the reason it seems reasonable to even expect to see a visible difference is because I truly CAN tell I have improved a lot in my strength and endurance. It's amazing how far I've come with the Ab Ripper, for example! Stuff I couldn't even do the first time around I'm able to hang in there and complete all the reps for.
Q: Anything else to note?
A: Yes--I have to give a great big caveat to my recommendation. Because while I do like the program so far, and I'm excited to continue, I must give a warning about the fact that there IS some language thrown around in the DVDs that really is unnecessary. I was actually shocked the first time I heard Tony Horton throwing around swear words! I had never heard that on any other workout DVD and just never thought it would be an issue. As our kids get older, there is a good chance they'll join us during workout time, and it's disappointing that we have to deal with that issue.
Also, I just have to say I'm not a big Tony Horton fan. He's awfully pleased with himself, LOL. I have to say I enjoyed Debbie Siebers as a workout instructor much more! But still, he's making me work, so I'll give him that. :-)
May 03, 2010
May 01, 2010
Tattling
Honestly. What will they think of next?
Arden's complaint this evening: "Mo-om! Tobin made me smell your slipper!"
Hmmm. If that's a form of torture for my son, obviously I need to wash my slippers!
Arden's complaint this evening: "Mo-om! Tobin made me smell your slipper!"
Hmmm. If that's a form of torture for my son, obviously I need to wash my slippers!
A Time for Writing
There may be a season for everything under heaven, but around here, if it's not written in my planner, it probably won't happen. Such has been the case with this year's Commission Bible study. I wrote the study for Day One probably two months ago--and never even had a moment to think about what should come next.
Finally I looked at my planner and saw that I had this weekend relatively open. I talked to Ted about scheduling a day for me to work completely uninterrupted on the study, and he agreed it was a good plan. So I marked my calendar and protected today from any other engagements. I asked our small group and the Commission folks to be praying for me in the days leading up to Writing Day and also during this whole day.
It was somewhat freeing and yet somehow nerve-wracking. By telling people I'd be working today, I relieved myself of the pressure to try to "find time" to write on other, more hectic days. At the same time, I was really putting myself out there--if everyone knew I was going to be writing, they'd expect me to actually produce some material! The accountability was good, but I had to be careful not to let the burden of accomplishment rest heavily on my shoulders.
Furthermore, there was the problem of not knowing exactly WHAT I was going to be writing. I had the intro day done, sure. But I hadn't even thought (much) about what needed to come next. I spent time this week praying and trying to map out a plan for what to do once the time came to open up the file and start typing.
An appealing idea was to take my laptop, Bible, and a few books to Panera and camp out for the day. But then my practical nature took over--what if I wanted a resource from home? And what would I do with all my stuff when I needed to use the restroom, for crying out loud?!
I decided the best thing would be to lock myself in my basement office. The trick was in convincing Kenna that I wasn't there! Otherwise she'd be crouching at the door, crying to be let in. I had to deliver a stamp club order anyway, so I left the house and told her goodbye. I called Ted as I was coming up our street, and by then he had all the kids in the play room in the basement, listening to worship videos while cleaning the random toys that were scattered hither and yon. I had already set up my work space, so I quietly let myself into the office...and began a 7-hour journey with the Lord!
What a precious time of prayer, searching the Scriptures, and listening to the Holy Spirit. I found myself yearning for more times like this. It's my dream to some day write and actually get paid for it...today, God showed me that I actually COULD have time to write...IF He directs me to do so!
Ted was an amazing, wonderful help and encouragement. He dealt with all the normal household and kid duties, including tending two little ones who are sick with a fever and runny nose. (Well, Lucan apparently is on the tail end of whatever he came down with Thursday afternoon, but Kenna got hit hard this morning, showing signs of life only after some Tylenol has kicked in.) He made both lunch AND dinner and never came down to ask me any questions about what should be done. :-) I took a 45-minute break for lunch, which happened to be right after Ted put Kenna down for a nap, so the illusion of Mommy being away worked all the way until I emerged from the basement like a mole just in time to help put the finishing touches on dinner!
The upshot of all this is that I completed Days 2, 3, AND 4 of the study! I'm so thankful I was able to do it all in one shot, as these days really hinged upon one another, and the continuity and devoted prayer time really opened my heart and mind to what God wanted to accomplish. I pray He receives glory and honor as a result of today's efforts.
Finally I looked at my planner and saw that I had this weekend relatively open. I talked to Ted about scheduling a day for me to work completely uninterrupted on the study, and he agreed it was a good plan. So I marked my calendar and protected today from any other engagements. I asked our small group and the Commission folks to be praying for me in the days leading up to Writing Day and also during this whole day.
It was somewhat freeing and yet somehow nerve-wracking. By telling people I'd be working today, I relieved myself of the pressure to try to "find time" to write on other, more hectic days. At the same time, I was really putting myself out there--if everyone knew I was going to be writing, they'd expect me to actually produce some material! The accountability was good, but I had to be careful not to let the burden of accomplishment rest heavily on my shoulders.
Furthermore, there was the problem of not knowing exactly WHAT I was going to be writing. I had the intro day done, sure. But I hadn't even thought (much) about what needed to come next. I spent time this week praying and trying to map out a plan for what to do once the time came to open up the file and start typing.
An appealing idea was to take my laptop, Bible, and a few books to Panera and camp out for the day. But then my practical nature took over--what if I wanted a resource from home? And what would I do with all my stuff when I needed to use the restroom, for crying out loud?!
I decided the best thing would be to lock myself in my basement office. The trick was in convincing Kenna that I wasn't there! Otherwise she'd be crouching at the door, crying to be let in. I had to deliver a stamp club order anyway, so I left the house and told her goodbye. I called Ted as I was coming up our street, and by then he had all the kids in the play room in the basement, listening to worship videos while cleaning the random toys that were scattered hither and yon. I had already set up my work space, so I quietly let myself into the office...and began a 7-hour journey with the Lord!
What a precious time of prayer, searching the Scriptures, and listening to the Holy Spirit. I found myself yearning for more times like this. It's my dream to some day write and actually get paid for it...today, God showed me that I actually COULD have time to write...IF He directs me to do so!
Ted was an amazing, wonderful help and encouragement. He dealt with all the normal household and kid duties, including tending two little ones who are sick with a fever and runny nose. (Well, Lucan apparently is on the tail end of whatever he came down with Thursday afternoon, but Kenna got hit hard this morning, showing signs of life only after some Tylenol has kicked in.) He made both lunch AND dinner and never came down to ask me any questions about what should be done. :-) I took a 45-minute break for lunch, which happened to be right after Ted put Kenna down for a nap, so the illusion of Mommy being away worked all the way until I emerged from the basement like a mole just in time to help put the finishing touches on dinner!
The upshot of all this is that I completed Days 2, 3, AND 4 of the study! I'm so thankful I was able to do it all in one shot, as these days really hinged upon one another, and the continuity and devoted prayer time really opened my heart and mind to what God wanted to accomplish. I pray He receives glory and honor as a result of today's efforts.
April 29, 2010
Teaching Boys & Other Kids Who Would Rather Build Forts All Day
This was one of my favorite sessions from the homeschool convention. Andrew Pudewa is an amazing, engaging speaker, and I already look forward to going to more of his sessions in the future.
The first part of the topic centered on neurological differences between boys and girls and how that relates to those of us trying to teach them. I took lots of notes during this session, so I may break this up into a couple of different posts. Don't assume that this is boring--it's actually quite fascinating! And if you're a mom/teacher of boys, I'm sure a lot of this isn't going to be news, but I really loved learning that there is concrete evidence for some of the things we intuitively know!
[ETA: Mr. Pudewa referenced a book called Why Gender Matters by Dr. Sax for the following information. He did give a caveat, saying that the research is very good and solid, but be aware, should you choose to read the book, that the worldview is not a Christian one, so there will be some differences if you are coming from that perspective.]
1. Boys hear differently than girls.
Boys' ears do not detect softer sounds as well as girls' ears--in other words, they literally do hear differently! So you know those annoying little taps and other noises boys make when they are supposed to be reading, writing, or listening? The ones that drive their moms and sisters crazy (or teachers, if they are in a classroom)? Boys don't even realize they are doing it! Take a boy sitting in the back of a classroom with a soft-spoken female teacher...he is back there tapping and banging away, literally trying to keep himself from dying of boredom because he can't hear what's going on!
2. Boys see differently than girls.
The optic nerve in females has more cells connected to cones; in men, the optic nerve has more cells connected to rods. This means that women see colors and textures better, while men see action and speed better. (This so explains card-making and the Super Bowl!) Even newborns are more able to detect this information, depending on whether they are male or female.
Boys draw verbs. Give kids time to draw, and the boys will come up with pictures depicting arrows flying, rockets blasting off, etc. They will probably only use one crayon. Girls, on the other hand, draw nouns. Houses, flowers, ponies, rainbows. So typically teachers will respond to the girls' drawings more favorably--it's easier to figure out what a girl has drawn, and she uses lots of colors. On the other hand, an adult usually has to ask a boy to explain his drawing (unless, like Tobin, he labels everything in the picture!)
When it comes to writing, boys use verbs and adverbs, while girls use nouns and adjectives. If you ask a boy, "Would you like me to help you add more detail to this paragraph?" he'll say, "Naw, I'm good." But if you ask him, "Would you like me to help you add more action?" he'll be more likely to continue writing!
3. Boys respond to stress differently than girls.
Fascinating--did you know the "fight or flight" response is true only of MALE animals? All the tests were done on male animals. Know why? Because all the females had too many hormones raging! Female animals all respond to stress by hiding.
Males regulate stress by standing up and moving around and by being in cooler temperatures. So when we tell boys, "Sit down and work on this hard math page!" we are giving them conflicting messages! Studies done have shown that gender-separated classrooms that allow boys to move freely (chairs optional) have much better results compared to mixed classrooms in which boys have to sit and behave the way that comes naturally to girls.
Females best regulate stress by lying still and getting warmer. If a girl is stressed, often you first have to find her! They are often hiding under blankets. (I had to laugh at this, because it's definitely true of my Charis.)
So now the thermostat wars are explained! 68 degrees is optimal for boys; 75 degrees for girls.
4. Boys react differently to pain than girls do.
When men experience pain, there is an increase in blood flow to their cortex. This allows them to have clarity--it helps in battle, yes? One wants our soldiers to be able to think clearly despite pain. When women experience pain, however, there is a decrease in blood flow to their cortex. It's that fuzzy feeling that allows for the survival of our species--if we remembered the pain of childbirth, we would never truly want to repeat it!
An interesting factoid to close with, and then I'll finish posting the rest of the notes at another time. Scientific studies about these neurological differences showed them to hold true across the board, no matter what age or what "orientation" participants claimed to be. Males responded one way, females another. More proof that God created us perfectly for the roles He wants us to fulfill!
The first part of the topic centered on neurological differences between boys and girls and how that relates to those of us trying to teach them. I took lots of notes during this session, so I may break this up into a couple of different posts. Don't assume that this is boring--it's actually quite fascinating! And if you're a mom/teacher of boys, I'm sure a lot of this isn't going to be news, but I really loved learning that there is concrete evidence for some of the things we intuitively know!
[ETA: Mr. Pudewa referenced a book called Why Gender Matters by Dr. Sax for the following information. He did give a caveat, saying that the research is very good and solid, but be aware, should you choose to read the book, that the worldview is not a Christian one, so there will be some differences if you are coming from that perspective.]
1. Boys hear differently than girls.
Boys' ears do not detect softer sounds as well as girls' ears--in other words, they literally do hear differently! So you know those annoying little taps and other noises boys make when they are supposed to be reading, writing, or listening? The ones that drive their moms and sisters crazy (or teachers, if they are in a classroom)? Boys don't even realize they are doing it! Take a boy sitting in the back of a classroom with a soft-spoken female teacher...he is back there tapping and banging away, literally trying to keep himself from dying of boredom because he can't hear what's going on!
2. Boys see differently than girls.
The optic nerve in females has more cells connected to cones; in men, the optic nerve has more cells connected to rods. This means that women see colors and textures better, while men see action and speed better. (This so explains card-making and the Super Bowl!) Even newborns are more able to detect this information, depending on whether they are male or female.
Boys draw verbs. Give kids time to draw, and the boys will come up with pictures depicting arrows flying, rockets blasting off, etc. They will probably only use one crayon. Girls, on the other hand, draw nouns. Houses, flowers, ponies, rainbows. So typically teachers will respond to the girls' drawings more favorably--it's easier to figure out what a girl has drawn, and she uses lots of colors. On the other hand, an adult usually has to ask a boy to explain his drawing (unless, like Tobin, he labels everything in the picture!)
When it comes to writing, boys use verbs and adverbs, while girls use nouns and adjectives. If you ask a boy, "Would you like me to help you add more detail to this paragraph?" he'll say, "Naw, I'm good." But if you ask him, "Would you like me to help you add more action?" he'll be more likely to continue writing!
3. Boys respond to stress differently than girls.
Fascinating--did you know the "fight or flight" response is true only of MALE animals? All the tests were done on male animals. Know why? Because all the females had too many hormones raging! Female animals all respond to stress by hiding.
Males regulate stress by standing up and moving around and by being in cooler temperatures. So when we tell boys, "Sit down and work on this hard math page!" we are giving them conflicting messages! Studies done have shown that gender-separated classrooms that allow boys to move freely (chairs optional) have much better results compared to mixed classrooms in which boys have to sit and behave the way that comes naturally to girls.
Females best regulate stress by lying still and getting warmer. If a girl is stressed, often you first have to find her! They are often hiding under blankets. (I had to laugh at this, because it's definitely true of my Charis.)
So now the thermostat wars are explained! 68 degrees is optimal for boys; 75 degrees for girls.
4. Boys react differently to pain than girls do.
When men experience pain, there is an increase in blood flow to their cortex. This allows them to have clarity--it helps in battle, yes? One wants our soldiers to be able to think clearly despite pain. When women experience pain, however, there is a decrease in blood flow to their cortex. It's that fuzzy feeling that allows for the survival of our species--if we remembered the pain of childbirth, we would never truly want to repeat it!
An interesting factoid to close with, and then I'll finish posting the rest of the notes at another time. Scientific studies about these neurological differences showed them to hold true across the board, no matter what age or what "orientation" participants claimed to be. Males responded one way, females another. More proof that God created us perfectly for the roles He wants us to fulfill!
April 28, 2010
Testing
My kids have never done any standardized tests before this week. In Nevada, we never needed to even think about it, really. I did have the thought last spring that maybe I should have Charis and Tobin tested, just to see how they did, but when I realized the test dates for our homeschool group were the week before my due date with Lucan, I decided not to bother. Good thing, too, since Lucan arrived just a few days before the testing began!
So anyway, we moved to Ohio, which has considerably more paperwork involved when it comes to homeschooling regulations, especially compared to Nevada, where we filed one "notification of intent to homeschool" letter when our child turned 7 years old. ONE letter. ONE time. NOTHING else needed, ever. Not that it's all that difficult here in Ohio, but we do have to file paperwork with the local school board every year. Now that we're no longer going to be first-time filers, we have a few options to fulfill one of the requirements for showing that we are indeed capable of making sure our children are smarter than the average banana.
While I appreciate the option to submit a written narrative along with a portfolio, and I do like that it is an alternative to standardized testing, I decided that I could not trust myself to hang onto enough significant pieces of paper, make an appointment with someone who doesn't even know our family, and have that person make a judgment on our children's academic progress. So a portfolio assessment was out as far as I was concerned.
The easier of the two options, though admittedly more expensive, was to sign the kids up for testing. I ordered the Spectrum Test Prep booklets from Timberdoodle, which we started working on about a month ago, a few pages at a time, just to give the kids a taste of what the test experience would be like.
We have now finished 2 of 3 days of testing. The kids are loving it! Well, perhaps not the filling in the bubbles part. But they've met some new friends and love getting to hang out with other homeschoolers during the many breaks they enjoy during the day. (As a side note, I have no recollection at ALL of ANY breaks during my elementary testing experiences, LOL.)
Charis had some major test anxiety ahead of time, despite my best efforts to assure her she did NOT have to get every test question correct. She was in tears any time she missed a sample question, and I was about to despair of her ever making it through the SAT or ACT with feelings intact in the next decade. But thankfully she seems to be over that hump now and is taking on the mantra Tony Horton chants in his workout DVDs: Do your best, and forget the rest! Mostly she's just been thrilled to meet some other homeschool girls and make some new friends. In fact, I am pretty sure that the kids will end up saying this week has been one of the best school weeks ever!
Considering the minimum COMPOSITE test score is the 25th percentile...I'm pretty sure we'll be OK. Not to brag or anything, but our kids do seem to be smarter than your average banana!
So anyway, we moved to Ohio, which has considerably more paperwork involved when it comes to homeschooling regulations, especially compared to Nevada, where we filed one "notification of intent to homeschool" letter when our child turned 7 years old. ONE letter. ONE time. NOTHING else needed, ever. Not that it's all that difficult here in Ohio, but we do have to file paperwork with the local school board every year. Now that we're no longer going to be first-time filers, we have a few options to fulfill one of the requirements for showing that we are indeed capable of making sure our children are smarter than the average banana.
While I appreciate the option to submit a written narrative along with a portfolio, and I do like that it is an alternative to standardized testing, I decided that I could not trust myself to hang onto enough significant pieces of paper, make an appointment with someone who doesn't even know our family, and have that person make a judgment on our children's academic progress. So a portfolio assessment was out as far as I was concerned.
The easier of the two options, though admittedly more expensive, was to sign the kids up for testing. I ordered the Spectrum Test Prep booklets from Timberdoodle, which we started working on about a month ago, a few pages at a time, just to give the kids a taste of what the test experience would be like.
We have now finished 2 of 3 days of testing. The kids are loving it! Well, perhaps not the filling in the bubbles part. But they've met some new friends and love getting to hang out with other homeschoolers during the many breaks they enjoy during the day. (As a side note, I have no recollection at ALL of ANY breaks during my elementary testing experiences, LOL.)
Charis had some major test anxiety ahead of time, despite my best efforts to assure her she did NOT have to get every test question correct. She was in tears any time she missed a sample question, and I was about to despair of her ever making it through the SAT or ACT with feelings intact in the next decade. But thankfully she seems to be over that hump now and is taking on the mantra Tony Horton chants in his workout DVDs: Do your best, and forget the rest! Mostly she's just been thrilled to meet some other homeschool girls and make some new friends. In fact, I am pretty sure that the kids will end up saying this week has been one of the best school weeks ever!
Considering the minimum COMPOSITE test score is the 25th percentile...I'm pretty sure we'll be OK. Not to brag or anything, but our kids do seem to be smarter than your average banana!
April 27, 2010
Rebuilding a Concept of Virtuous Boyhood
The second session I attended at the homeschool convention was given by Doug Phillips from Vision Forum. What follows in this post are the notes I took from his session, which was in a very large room in which every chair was filled. Heather and I had to sit on the floor, in fact. So obviously it was a well-received topic! But unfortunately I was unable to see the Power Point slides that went along with his presentation, so my notes are probably not as organized as they could have been. As before, I will simply bullet the points.
* Like it or not, we are in an entertainment-driven culture full of ungodly violence, role reversals, and a watering down of the family.
* Boys are supposed to act like men!
* The modern priority for boys is to feed the flesh. Boys do not identify with their fathers--instead, they identify with rock stars, sports stars, and peer groups.
* Culture is religion externalized. We have an immature culture.
* Much of the communication in our culture is "verbal vomit," or inarticulate speech full of slang, verbal pauses, "like, you know, whatever and stuff."
* Noble boyhood involves relating properly to girls as sisters in Christ. Virtuous boys/men are protectors and defenders of women and sons of the King.
* Our culture is full of indecisive men who are molly-cuddled.
* Our mission: To train our boys to be mighty men of God. This involves 1) Sonship, 2) Nobility, 3) Wisdom, and 4) Dominion. (An example here is Captain John Smith.)
* Doctrine of Manliness: This involves the blessed man, the upright man, and another adjective man that I didn't catch. His point came from several Scriptures where men were exhorted to "be a man," or "brace yourself like a man," etc. (Examples: David speaking on his deathbed to Solomon, God answering Job out of the storm.)
* Duty is a guiding light for true manliness. It involves self-sacrifice for the weak, principle, and faith that overcomes fear.
* Quote from Teddy Roosevelt: "It is not the critic who counts...[much more than I could get]...the credit belongs to the man in the arena."
* Dare greatly! Peace? Ease? Entertainment? Fantasy? Is this what we are raising our boys for? If so, they will not be engaged in the world of work. Work, business, cause of Christ--this is what they need to strive for.
* Dream noble dreams for the real world.
* Sons: Do something important with your life! At age 15-16, sons should be thinking of themselves as men.
* Even at a young age on earth, Christ was about His Father's business.
* Another example: David. He spent most of his time AWAY from peer groups. His time was invested in hard work. He gained excellence in the Christian culture from an early age. He was about his father's business, and as he worked, both recreation and work became his physical salvation and prepared him for his work as a man. He played a harp, but he was also a warrior.
* Language--(remember the aforementioned "verbal vomit?!")--We need to get back to a language of honor and respect. Sons need to show honor and respect to fathers, but also it should go the other way: "This is my son, with whom I am well pleased."
* Self-discipline in language--use complete sentences! Make your words count. Watch the books you read! (Or let your boys read...)
* Then he talked a bit about developing a library of good literature to inspire boys and referenced Robert Ballantyne and G.A. Henty books. He said, "Boys need to encounter risks." Also, "How a boy responds to history helps to define his perspective about himself."
So, note to self...we need to check out those books! I've heard of the Henty books but not the Ballantyne ones. I think the Henty books are a little above where our boys are right now, but they are definitely on my list for future reading for our family!
* Like it or not, we are in an entertainment-driven culture full of ungodly violence, role reversals, and a watering down of the family.
* Boys are supposed to act like men!
* The modern priority for boys is to feed the flesh. Boys do not identify with their fathers--instead, they identify with rock stars, sports stars, and peer groups.
* Culture is religion externalized. We have an immature culture.
* Much of the communication in our culture is "verbal vomit," or inarticulate speech full of slang, verbal pauses, "like, you know, whatever and stuff."
* Noble boyhood involves relating properly to girls as sisters in Christ. Virtuous boys/men are protectors and defenders of women and sons of the King.
* Our culture is full of indecisive men who are molly-cuddled.
* Our mission: To train our boys to be mighty men of God. This involves 1) Sonship, 2) Nobility, 3) Wisdom, and 4) Dominion. (An example here is Captain John Smith.)
* Doctrine of Manliness: This involves the blessed man, the upright man, and another adjective man that I didn't catch. His point came from several Scriptures where men were exhorted to "be a man," or "brace yourself like a man," etc. (Examples: David speaking on his deathbed to Solomon, God answering Job out of the storm.)
* Duty is a guiding light for true manliness. It involves self-sacrifice for the weak, principle, and faith that overcomes fear.
* Quote from Teddy Roosevelt: "It is not the critic who counts...[much more than I could get]...the credit belongs to the man in the arena."
* Dare greatly! Peace? Ease? Entertainment? Fantasy? Is this what we are raising our boys for? If so, they will not be engaged in the world of work. Work, business, cause of Christ--this is what they need to strive for.
* Dream noble dreams for the real world.
* Sons: Do something important with your life! At age 15-16, sons should be thinking of themselves as men.
* Even at a young age on earth, Christ was about His Father's business.
* Another example: David. He spent most of his time AWAY from peer groups. His time was invested in hard work. He gained excellence in the Christian culture from an early age. He was about his father's business, and as he worked, both recreation and work became his physical salvation and prepared him for his work as a man. He played a harp, but he was also a warrior.
* Language--(remember the aforementioned "verbal vomit?!")--We need to get back to a language of honor and respect. Sons need to show honor and respect to fathers, but also it should go the other way: "This is my son, with whom I am well pleased."
* Self-discipline in language--use complete sentences! Make your words count. Watch the books you read! (Or let your boys read...)
* Then he talked a bit about developing a library of good literature to inspire boys and referenced Robert Ballantyne and G.A. Henty books. He said, "Boys need to encounter risks." Also, "How a boy responds to history helps to define his perspective about himself."
So, note to self...we need to check out those books! I've heard of the Henty books but not the Ballantyne ones. I think the Henty books are a little above where our boys are right now, but they are definitely on my list for future reading for our family!
The Little Green Drink
I stole this blog post title from my friend Annette, who wrote about this same thing recently. I've long heard that a great way to get kids to eat more greens is instead to have them DRINK more greens. And as the Happy Box people tell us, many greens are best enjoyed in smoothie fashion.
Well, I had never actually tried this, though I thought it was a great idea. Spurred on by Annette's post...AND by BOXES of greens from last week's Happy Box delivery (good heavens, how much lettuce, spinach, kale, and cabbage can one family eat in 7 days?!), I decided it was high time we tried this out.
Yesterday was our first attempt. I didn't let the kids see what I was doing, heh. Into the blender went:
* 7-8 strawberries
* 2 bananas
* 1 cup of orange juice
* about 1/2 cup of plain yogurt
* some ice
* and kale...lots of kale...all the way to the top of the blender.
I set the blender on high and let 'er rip until you couldn't see any individual pieces of green--it was just all one smooth shade of green, not unlike Elphaba's skin tone in Wicked. I poured a big cupful into a ginormous cup with a lid and straw so the kids couldn't see what was in it. Then I made them each take a big sip. After I heard all their excited reactions, I told them they could each have their own cup and straw. They laughed at the Yoda coloring, but they drank it all up! I never did tell them there were veggies in it!
Annette recommends some other healthful additions, none of which I have on hand at the moment. But as she pointed out, the simple fruit and greens combination gives so many good vitamins and nutrients!
I made another smoothie recipe this evening to go with dinner--I had made salad for Ted and me, and since our kids aren't big salad fans, I decided why not let them have smoothies?! They thought they were getting away with no veggies for the evening, ha! I did the same thing as last time, only I just had one banana left, so I used the rest of our strawberry yogurt in place of the plain yogurt. It was just as tasty.
I look forward to more experimentation! This will definitely help us use up all of the Happy Box ingredients, methinks!
Well, I had never actually tried this, though I thought it was a great idea. Spurred on by Annette's post...AND by BOXES of greens from last week's Happy Box delivery (good heavens, how much lettuce, spinach, kale, and cabbage can one family eat in 7 days?!), I decided it was high time we tried this out.
Yesterday was our first attempt. I didn't let the kids see what I was doing, heh. Into the blender went:
* 7-8 strawberries
* 2 bananas
* 1 cup of orange juice
* about 1/2 cup of plain yogurt
* some ice
* and kale...lots of kale...all the way to the top of the blender.
I set the blender on high and let 'er rip until you couldn't see any individual pieces of green--it was just all one smooth shade of green, not unlike Elphaba's skin tone in Wicked. I poured a big cupful into a ginormous cup with a lid and straw so the kids couldn't see what was in it. Then I made them each take a big sip. After I heard all their excited reactions, I told them they could each have their own cup and straw. They laughed at the Yoda coloring, but they drank it all up! I never did tell them there were veggies in it!
Annette recommends some other healthful additions, none of which I have on hand at the moment. But as she pointed out, the simple fruit and greens combination gives so many good vitamins and nutrients!
I made another smoothie recipe this evening to go with dinner--I had made salad for Ted and me, and since our kids aren't big salad fans, I decided why not let them have smoothies?! They thought they were getting away with no veggies for the evening, ha! I did the same thing as last time, only I just had one banana left, so I used the rest of our strawberry yogurt in place of the plain yogurt. It was just as tasty.
I look forward to more experimentation! This will definitely help us use up all of the Happy Box ingredients, methinks!
Kenna-isms
You know we can't go too long without having a Kenna post. Here are a few things she has done or said recently to make us laugh.
* It took awhile to figure out what she was saying, but now we understand her when she announces Lucan needs someone to wipe his nose. Her phrase? "Yu-can has a not." In other words, "Lucan has snot dripping down his face. Wipe it now."
* We're working on answering politely, since she has gotten into the habit of saying, "Uh-huh!" She does frequently answer, "Yes, ma'am," and since she was dressed like a princess recently, I praised her when she answered me politely, saying that was how a princess would respond to her mommy. She seemed to like that idea, so the next time I called her, she answered, "Yes, ma'am, uh-huh!"
* Though she is perfectly capable of feeding herself, often during dinner Kenna decides to wander away from the table; however, if dessert is on the line, she is usually willing to eat a reasonable amount from various food groups. One night recently she indicated that she desperately wanted dessert but was not willing to shovel her food into her own mouth. I humored her and asked her if she wanted me to feed her. She scooted over next to me, and I proceeded to give her a few bites. Then I asked, "Do you want to feed yourself now?" She answered, "No, YOU feed myself!"
* Much to Ted's and my chagrin, Kenna all too frequently reminds us, "I growing up!" The funny thing is, though, she announces this when she is standing on a stool or a chair or wearing some high-heeled shoes!
* It took awhile to figure out what she was saying, but now we understand her when she announces Lucan needs someone to wipe his nose. Her phrase? "Yu-can has a not." In other words, "Lucan has snot dripping down his face. Wipe it now."
* We're working on answering politely, since she has gotten into the habit of saying, "Uh-huh!" She does frequently answer, "Yes, ma'am," and since she was dressed like a princess recently, I praised her when she answered me politely, saying that was how a princess would respond to her mommy. She seemed to like that idea, so the next time I called her, she answered, "Yes, ma'am, uh-huh!"
* Though she is perfectly capable of feeding herself, often during dinner Kenna decides to wander away from the table; however, if dessert is on the line, she is usually willing to eat a reasonable amount from various food groups. One night recently she indicated that she desperately wanted dessert but was not willing to shovel her food into her own mouth. I humored her and asked her if she wanted me to feed her. She scooted over next to me, and I proceeded to give her a few bites. Then I asked, "Do you want to feed yourself now?" She answered, "No, YOU feed myself!"
* Much to Ted's and my chagrin, Kenna all too frequently reminds us, "I growing up!" The funny thing is, though, she announces this when she is standing on a stool or a chair or wearing some high-heeled shoes!
Milestone
I was cleaning the kitchen when Lucan toddled in, all clean from his bath. He wore a huge grin and some red and black Montana pajamas that family members gave us when Charis was a baby. It dawned on me that my days of seeing him crawl into the kitchen are officially over. In less than a week he has gone from taking 2 to 3 steps at a time to plodding steadily all over the house, fists up by his cheeks for balance, heading for no particular place, content just to practice his new skill.
As I gazed at him a bit misty-eyed, he wandered over to his chair and dug out some morsels leftover from who knows how many meals ago, stuffing them into his mouth hastily. I guess that's another milestone--he can now get his own meals!
As I gazed at him a bit misty-eyed, he wandered over to his chair and dug out some morsels leftover from who knows how many meals ago, stuffing them into his mouth hastily. I guess that's another milestone--he can now get his own meals!
April 24, 2010
Teaching Kids About Nutrition
Apparently the kids are picking up on SOME of the tips for healthy eating that we've been trying to teach them. Arden came armed with information to make his case the last time he asked me for a snack.
"Mom, can I have some Cheese-Its for a snack? They have zero grams of sugar!"
"Mom, can I have some Cheese-Its for a snack? They have zero grams of sugar!"
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