Letters to Aden: 3 1/2 Years

Aden,

You are 3 years and 4 months old now, and a non-stop wrecking ball of little boy energy. We always say, "there's no one else in this world quite like you," and it's true. You are full of interest in the world around you and determined to live life on your own terms.

For the most part, you are a happy, easy going child. Not much upsets you when it comes to sharing toys with other kids, what to wear everyday, or what you eat for meals (okay, sometimes you do have an opinion about food). Try to get you to do something that wasn't your idea in the first place though and whoo-boy, good luck! "I do it myself" is a phrase we hear quite often from you, though you aren't afraid to shout, "a little help here!" when you need it. The irrationalness of toddlerhood is still in full effect at Age 3 1/2. Just the other day, you threw a giant tantrum because you wanted to push the elevator button at preschool which - as I reminded you repeatedly - you did. For the life of me, I couldn't understand why you were crying.

Outbursts like that one aren't very common for you though. You're typically happy when you're along for the ride, and always up for an adventure. You remind me of Curious George by the way you turn an everyday trip to the grocery store into a five-alarm event. There was the time you soiled yourself in poop from bum to boots while sitting in the grocery cart, or the time you were lost in Target and an employee had to radio for assistance. I carry you everywhere, despite your very capable ability to walk, because you find running in busy parking lots to be a exhilerating experience.

 
See what I mean when I say life with you is full of surprises? Here's what else is new with you:

GROWTH
You weigh 32 pounds and are 37 inches tall which is average, if not a bit on the smaller side, for your age. You wear size 3T clothing and size 9 shoes. Lately you seem to be shooting up in length, even if your clothing size doesn't yet indicate a change. I snapped this picture of the two of us together in a bathroom mirror last week, and I couldn't believe how big you looked in my arms. No longer my baby; you're growing up Aden Boy!

SLEEP
We took the pacifier away around your third birthday (which you were totally fine ditching, by the way) and with that, you decided to drop your afternoon nap. The absence of the pacifier didn't cause an interruption in your bedtime routine - thankfully you still went to sleep at night without issue - but you were over laying down during the day without it. Not that you seemed upset about it; you'd just stay awake in your room and bang on the door until we let you come out. So, rest in peace afternoon quiet time. It was fun while it lasted.

The upside of dropping your afternoon nap is that we're not as limited by a time schedule during the day. This allows the three of us (you, Tory and I) to go to playground after Tory's morning preschool class ends or run errands in the afternoon. You're also ready for bed when 7:00pm rolls around often saying, "Phew, I'm tired. I want to go to bed now." And, you do. You lay down and go to sleep almost every night without issue.

MILESTONES
There's been some big milestones in your development the last few months, Aden. You're now potty trained which is a big accomplishment. For months, you showed zero interest in using the toilet and I didn't push you toward it. Knowing you and your temperament, I figured it would have to be your decision. Tory and I went away for a girl's trip one weekend in late February and when I returned home that Monday, you said you were ready to go potty like a big boy. Wahoo! I'm not sure what Daddy said to you (other than "boys stand up" which you've recited more than once). Just like that, you went from wearing diapers to being fully potty trained day and night. Easy peasy.

Since we took away the pacifier, you've become more conversational. Some of my favorite things you say are, "Will you come check me up?" (aka: will you come back and check on me?) when I put you to bed at night and "shake it off, Tory" when she's whining about something or another. You have a bit of trouble communicating sometimes, often hanging on the vowel sound in a word. As an example, you might say "Can I have a tree-ee-et?" I consulted an early childhood specialist within the school district about it, and she assured me it's part of a child's development at this age. Soon, your language skills will be able to keep up with your quick-moving brain and all should work itself out in the end.

FAVORITES
You'll all about 'things that go' in this stage of life. A cabin friend of ours owns a big John Deere tractor which you love, and you request to go there to ride in it nearly every weekend. You also love driving our Ranger UTV and Sportsman ATV at the cabin with Dad. Last fall, one of our cabin neighbors gave us their old Power Wheel tractor and it's by far your favorite toy on the planet. You'll ride circles around the cabin for hours on the weekends. The battery dies eventually, you cry, we charge it up, and then you do it all over again. 

You also love riding your tricycle outside and playing in the dirt. I'm excited for summer because I know you'll have a blast fishing at the lake.

THINGS TO DO
Once a week, you attend a preschool class through the state's Early Childhood Family Education program. At the beginning of the school year, you weren't a big fan of separating from me at the mid-point of class, but now it's a non-issue. You're a natural leader among classmates and fairly outgoing. Week after week at school, you either play at the water table or roll toy cars up and down a wooden ramp. You'll happily play side-by-side friends in your class or do these activities alone.

You're also taking swimming lessons this spring in preparation for summer at the lake. For some reason, you want nothing to do with lessons this time around. You're not afraid of the water or the instructor; it's like you're bored after swimming for the first 10 minutes. Time and time again this spring, you hop out of the pool halfway through the lesson and say, "I all done" in a matter-of-fact tone. Sigh. As I mentioned before, you rarely do anything unless you want to. So ... we'll keep working on it.

FOOD
Not much is new with you in this category. You continue to be my meat and veggies eater, and I have to remind myself over and again that you don't like the same "kid food" as Tory. You prefer beef, pork, chicken or fish and a side of broccoli, asparagus or green beans over PB+J any day. In fact, you still refuse to eat any bread at all. Pancakes or waffles are hit or miss with you.

Also different than Tory, you prefer to wake up a bit before you eat breakfast. I'm accustomed to Tory who demands food the minute she wakes, and I've learned you're far more likely to eat a substantial meal if I wait until you're truly hungry mid-morning.

Your mild allergy to dairy products continues. Milk or butter used in baked goods doesn't seem to bother you, but eating ice cream (which you love!) induces an almost-immediate skin irritation in the creases of your arms and legs. It's an eczema-type rash, so nothing life threatening, but irritating nonetheless.

One food you're obsessed with is Doritos. I don't usually buy chips, so every time you go to Daddy's office or to Nana and Papa's house you bee-line for the snack drawer. Nana even sent some in your Easter basket this year because she knows how much you love them. Not the healthiest by any means, but I suppose we all have our guilty pleasure.

PLAYMATES, FRIENDS + FAMILY
Tory remains your very best friend; the two of you are glued to the hip! For the most part, you play together so well and it's adorable listening to your conversations and imaginary play the older you both grow. Recently, I have noticed a bit more squabling between the two of you and usually, my boy, you are the one picking on Tory. You take something away that she had first; then, she screams and you squeal in delight. I'm not sure how you'll react when Tory's in kindergarten full-time this fall. It's safe to say, you'll miss her greatly.

Your best friend outside our family is Elia, the son of a friend of mine. When it's just you and Elia, the two of you play well together. When Tory's around, Elia tends to play with her more and you'll happily go off to play on your own. Actually, that's exactly what happens with Dominic - the little boy who lives in our condo building. You and Dominic will be in the same preschool class this fall, so I curious to see how your friendship develops over time.

You also have an adoration for your cousin, Brooke (or Brooklie, as you call her). We only see our Nebraska relatives a few times a year, but you seem to pick up where you left off every single time.

-----

Life with you is always an adventure, Aden, and I wouldn't have it any other way. All the wild and crazy moments are forgiven when you wrap your arms around my neck and give me one of your fabulous "neck hugs." My baby boy you'll always be.

XO,
Mom

Day In The Life: Spring 2017

Time for another Day In The Life post. Thanks to Julia at My Life in Transition for hosting.

The day I selected to document is Monday, April 10.

Andi and I are both 36 years old
Tory is 5 years, 7 months old
Aden is 3 years, 4 months
Chloe (the dog) is 12 years old

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4:59am: I wake up to the faint sound of Aden crying in his bedroom. Sound familiar? If it feels like most of my Day In The Life posts start this way, it's because they do. This morning, Aden's early morning wake-up is precisely one minute before my Fitbit alarm is set to vibrate on my wrist. Sigh, I suppose it's time to get up anyway.

As I fumble downstairs in the dark to retrieve Aden, I recall the dream I was in the middle of and it makes me LOL: I was carrying a black collapsible cooler bag with a built-in sewing machine. I have no idea why I'd need such a thing, and I guess it'll remain one of life's mysteries ...

5:05am: Andi's awake now, so the three of us snuggle together in our bed for a few minutes. Limbs are draped over one another as Aden's lovingly strokes my chest. Ten seconds later, he requests milk and an applesauce pouch - aaaand, the moment of sweetness has passed. Happy Monday!

5:10am: I get up and retrieve Aden's milk and applesauce from the kitchen while Andi lays with Aden and starts Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on TV. I let Chloe outside to potty and I pull on my workout clothes that I'd laid out the night before on the desk. Slam my pre-workout drink and head to the basement to push play.

 

Loving the new Lululemon razorback tank I bought with my birthday gift card!

5:30am: Downstairs, I toss Ken and some Barbie cars toward the doll house, and give myself a quick motivation pep-talk. "You have the power and the passion to achieve anything," I tell myself. Last week, I started a new workout program called Insanity Max:30 and I know today's Cardio Challenge is going to be tough, but I also know it's worth it to push outside my comfort zone. I can do this!

5:50am: Out of the corner of my eye, I see Aden coming down the stairs and he looks unhappy. I realize Andi must've left for work, so I pull out an earbud and ask Aden what he needs. "Wahhhh!" is basically the response he gives. The point of Insanity Max:30 is to push yourself to your limit -- don't stop until you can't possibly go another second -- and that's your "max-out" time. Aden could care less about my ability to keep going because he's rolling around at my feet, trying to grab my legs as I'm jumping up and down. Bah! I finally stop and ask him what he needs in a breathless, not-so-sweet voice. I pause my workout, carry Aden back upstairs, and get him set-up with another show in my bedroom. Then, I hurry back downstairs and finish the last 10 minutes of my workout.

6:30am: Workout's done, and I take a few minutes to check in with my fitness accountability group and log my meal plan for the day.

6:45am: I make myself Shakeology in the blender - today I'm having Chocolate with frozen spinach and raspberries - and wrap up some homemade granola bars I made last night while my shake blends. Here's a tip: I portion one cup of spinach into snack-size baggies for my shakes. After I've used one, I put the empty baggie back in freezer and refill them every Sunday for the week ahead. Easy way to sneak some veggies into my day!

7:00am: Hop in the shower with my shake in hand (Monday morning multi-tasking at its finest!) while Aden plays with a cup in the bathroom sink. I get out of the shower, get dressed and help Aden go the bathroom and brush his teeth. I always want to remember these fuzzy Mickey Mouse jammies Aden wears to bed almost every night.

7:20am: I ask Aden to go downstairs to wake up Tory, and he runs off. Meanwhile, I finish getting myself dressed and then go to the kitchen to start breakfast for the kids.

7:35am: I realize Aden never came back upstairs with Tory, so I go downstairs myself to see what they're doing. Both Tory and Aden are playing in her bedroom and I urge her to get dressed quickly. For the first time in his life, Aden decides to have an opinion about his clothes. He picks a red waffle tee and blue corduroys.

7:50am: The kids will have to eat breakfast in the car this morning because we're going to be late. I brush Tory's hair and teeth, and rush them both to put on their socks and shoes. Like usual, Aden decides running away from me is a better idea. I finally back him into a corner and carry him to the door while he cackles with laughter. "Wait! I made this for you yesterday," Tory says, pulling cloud art from her backpack.

8:05am: On our way to school, phew! We're not running too far behind, thankfully. "Can we go there in a few days?" Aden points to a random building as we drive by.

8:20am: We pull into the parking lot at Tory's school, and I help the kids get their coats on before we exit the car. Tory's still eating her granola bar as we wait in the lobby for her teacher to greet us. It's complete chaos as parents and kids rush into the school, others wait in the lobby with our group, and a pile of children's items for sale take up precious real estate standing space on the carpet. "Good-bye Tory! Have good day!" Aden shouts to Tory as she eventually walks off with her teacher and we head back to our car.

8:45am: Every Monday morning, Aden and I drive to a local gym to pick up the fresh-prepared meals we purchase for dinners each week. As we pull into the parking lot today, Aden shouts "I have to go potty!" with panic in his voice. The gym where we pick up the meals is in the same parking lot as Andi's office, so I go there instead to take Aden to the bathroom. I'm sure the small gym has a bathroom somewhere, but it's a battle keeping Aden off the workout machines the way it is without leading his little wrecking-ball body throughout the entire place.

I remind Aden we aren't there to see Daddy - we're just stopping to go to the bathroom and leaving. "Please I have red chips, too? OK!" Aden says excitedly. Favorite part about visiting Daddy's office, for sure. (Sorry Andi) I feel some Mom Guilt about letting Aden eat Doritos at 9:00am, but saying 'no' would lead to an epic meltdown I don't feel like tackling this morning. 

9:00am: When we walk in the front door, Aden beelines straight to the kitchen so I give him a friendly reminder about using the bathroom. "Oh, yeah!" he says with a laugh. This new potty training a boy experience has me up-close-and-personal with toilet lids and I have to say -- ewww. 

9:15am: We make a quick pit-stop by the kitchen to grab a bag of "red chips" and walk down the hallway to Andi's office, but the door is closed. I decide not to knock since Andi wasn't expecting us and I don't want to interrupt, so I usher Aden toward the door and we leave.

Across the parking lot, I run into the gym to grab my pre-made Paleo meals. On the menu this week is: pineapple ham, chicken alfredo, and chicken and cauliflower hash. They could very well serve dog food and I'd probably eat it because that meal service is just so darn easy.

9:30am: Back at home, I unload the dishwasher and throw in a load of laundry. Andi texts me and asks me to stuff some paper towels in his wet tennis shoes laying out to dry on the patio, so I do as he requests.

10:45am: After my morning chores are done, it's snack time. Today I'm having apple cinnamon quinoa with almonds which I'm really digging lately. I measure 1/2 cup cooked quinoa in a bowl, sprinkle a generous amount of cinnamon on top, and warm it up for a minute in the microwave. Meanwhile, I chop up an apple and share some with Aden who's standing beside me on a chair. I add the remainder of the chopped apple to the warmed quinoa and sprinkle sliced almonds on top. YUM!

9:53am: This is my favorite part of the morning. I sit down for a minute at my desk in the kitchen to work on my computer and eat my quinoa. My legs are exhausted and it's only 10 o'clock in the morning. Deep breath in, deep breath out. Aden is quietly sitting at the table watching Daniel Tiger and eating apple slices.

10:15am: Aden uses the bathroom and I grin over his little boy underwear. I can't get over it! So cute. Then he dribbles a little on the floor and the moment of "cute" has passed. #momlife I clean up the mess in the bathroom and decide to keep mopping the rest of the floor while I'm at it. Aden asks to help sweep so he follows me around through the kitchen and hallway.

10:30am: I get a text from the condo handyman saying he'll be working in our place with a HVAC contractor at 11:00am, so I decide last-minute to take the kids to an indoor play park after we pick up Tory from school. I open the fridge door and toss some food into a cooler bag for kid lunches. My Fitbit alarm buzzes on my wrist to remind me it's time to get Tory so I put the dog in her kennel, chase Aden around the condo trying to get his shoes on, and we leave for preschool in a rush.

10:55am: I pull into the preschool parking lot just in time. Tory gets snappy when we're late picking her up, so I jog into the building carrying Aden in my arms.

Tory and Aden pile into the car. I ask Tory to guess where we're heading and Aden shouts, "Bouncy pillow!" before she can respond. InnerActive has an indoor playground structure, blocks, ball court, and a huge jumping pillow. My kids love it. It takes us about 20 minutes to drive there.

11:30am: It's getting colder outside - brrr! We hustle into the building and the kids bee-line to the pillow area. Fortunately, it isn't very busy which is a nice change. There's plenty of room to jump and tumble without kid collisions.

 

12:30pm: The kids run zig zags between the sport court, climbing structure, blocks and jumping pillow. Eventually Aden says he's hungry, so I grab our cooler bag and find a spot at one of the open tables. I grabbed Lunchables in my rush out the door this morning, but I'm fairly sure Aden won't eat it. He's allergic to cheese and generally refuses crackers and lunch meat, but it was a fast and I was in a hurry this morning. As expected, he turns his nose up to my food offering. I fish out a granola bar from my purse, he takes a few bites and runs off to play.

1:00pm: Tory stops to eat, and scarfs down both Lunchables. Tory is a total "kid food" lover -- she'll eat anything PB+J flavored or that comes in a squeeze tube. Aden, on the other hand, is my meat and veggies boy.

1:30pm: The kids are jumping on the inflatable pillow when Aden falls and hurts his foot. He starts crying and just as I go to retrieve him, I hear Tory crying from the other side. Now she's fallen and says she hurt her leg. A mother nearby seems concerned by Tory's wails, but I know from the sound she's not really hurt. "Time to go," I say to the kids and carry them both to the entrance area to find our coats and shoes. The concerned mother follows us in her concern for Tory, and I again reassure her Tory's fine. The lady tries to make Tory laugh, and Tory stifles her grin. She's hurt, remember? Gotta be sad.

1:45pm: Tory says she can't walk on her leg, but I encourage her to do so anyway. She walks normally for a few steps until she remembers she's hurt and then hops on one foot in a dramatic display of discomfort. By the time we reach our car in the parking lot, Tory is completely fine. I'm really not trying to be mean; I know she's not hurt and I can't carry both her and Aden out of there. Carrying Aden is a necessity because I can't trust him to stay close to me in the parking lot, so I need Tory to tough it out. Thankfully, she does.

As we're leaving, I see a text message from the handyman saying the HVAC contractor is just now on his way. Oy. The whole point of going to the play place was to avoid the construction work. Oh well, the kids had fun.

2:00pm: Tory, Aden and I arrive home and I immediately set in on making my lunch because I'm starving by this point! I defrost some shrimp and saute them in a skillet on the stove top with zucchini noodles and spinach pesto. While I'm making my food, I bake some chicken nuggets for the kids to eat either now (because Aden didn't eat much for lunch) or for dinner tonight.

Of course, Tory says she's not hungry and runs downstairs to play in her room. Aden and I sit down at the table and play a game of tick-tac-toe while I eat my lunch. Aden's never played tick-tac-toe before, so I'm teaching him as we go and proud that he picks up on it pretty quickly! I snap a picture of him playing, and smile when I see his tongue hanging out of his mouth. Classic Aden, always paired with his devilish grin.

The HVAC guy leaves while we're playing at the table, and Eric the handyman says he'll be back in a few days to repair the drywall. It's always something here ...

2:30pm: Aden says he's tired and asks to lay in my bed to watch Blaze and the Monster Machines. He doesn't nap anymore, but he's also been awake since 5:00am so I'm sure he's tired.

2:45pm: Tory comes back upstairs and asks to watch Mia and Me. She's been playing downstairs so quietly, so I agree. I can use some quiet time, too. Something funny about Tory at this age is how she always wears her pants with one leg up - always. She says she's "hot" and apparently this helps regulate her body temperature. Or, maybe it's the latest fashion statement.

I turn on the cartoon for Tory in the living room and swipe a Shakeology peanut butter cup from the freezer. These little nuggets are my saving grace for satisfying a chocolate craving.

3:00pm: It's pretty quiet in my bedroom, so I got to investigate. I find Aden asleep in my bed. That's what happens when you wake up so early! Tory and I take advantage of the one-on-one time and play a few rounds of tick-tac-toe. We move to the sofa and I start typing up this post while she builds Legos beside me. I love watching her concentrate so intently on these, and I'm amazed by how well she follows the directions on her own. Eventually, we play with the Legos creations she's built.

4:00pm: Time to wake the gremlin or he'll never sleep tonight. I get up to get Aden, but Tory begs to wake him for me. She runs into my room and I hear her say, "Aden, it's time to wake up!" in the sweetest sisterly voice. Tory and I play a sight word / opposites puzzle until Aden joins us in the living room. Then, the three of us wrestle around the living room floor. It's one of those "pinch me, I love this life" moments. 

6:00pm: Andi walks in the back door and the kids rush down the hallway to greet him. Tory always helps take off his shoes (I have no idea why) so she bends down right away and unlaces Andi's boots. Aden yells, "Daddy's home! Yay!"

6:30am: Tory and I continue to work on sight words in the living room while Andi starts dinner. Sounds about right - he's gone at work all day, comes home and cooks dinner for us. In reality, it's not too hard to warm up an Origin meal on the stove; not much "cooking" required. While the food cooks, Tory proudly shows Andi how she can read the words on the card game we played earlier.

Andi sits down to dinner at the table and I ask if he made the kids anything. He gives me a puzzled look, so I quickly chop some chicken, green beans and strawberries for the kids. We all sit down to dinner and both Tory and Aden are fighting over who gets to sit on my lap. I traveled to Nebraska over the weekend by myself, so the kids are still missing me. It makes me smile.

I planned to have ham with green beans and sweet potatoes tonight, but Andi wasn't pleased with his chicken and cauliflower hash so we switch.

7:00pm: I get the kids' pajamas on downstairs while Andi takes a quick shower. Tory is wearing a new pair of size 6 pajamas which blows my mind. When in the world did my little girl grow so big?

Andi and Tory peel off to her bedroom to read a Fancy Nancy chapter book while I read Pete the Cat to Aden in his room. Aden is tired so I keep it short and sweet. Andi is still reading to Tory when I'm finished with Aden so I go upstairs to clean up before bed. I find a note stuck to the side of the counter from Tory. She's drawn a heart and written our family's names all around it. What a sweetie.

 

I lay out my workout clothes for tomorrow morning on the desk, wash my face and put on my pajamas. Yes, it's 7:15pm and I'm heading to bed. I'm still in the habit of early nights all the way back from my years of kid up-all-nights.

7:30pm: Andi and I crawl into bed together and turn on Alaskan Bush People on Hulu. I have no idea how we got hooked on this show, but we've binged on an entire season this week. It's like a train wreck! We can't stop watching. While we watch TV, I check in with my fitness group on Facebook and read through their messages from the day.

8:45pm: Andi turns the television off; we've got to go to sleep. Five o'clock in the morning comes early. I read a page from my daily devotional, Savor by Shauna Niequist before I turn off the lamp on the side table.

Another day in this messy, fun, not-always-perfect life I love.

Two Methods for Hard Boiling Eggs

It's almost Easter and that means it's time to boil a LOT of eggs for coloring. Even when it's not Easter, we eat a lot of hard boiled eggs in our house so I make a batch almost every week.

I wanted to share two non-traditional ways to hard boil eggs - in the Instant Pot and in the oven. Here's how I do it:

INSTANT POT METHOD

Ingredients:
Eggs (however many you like - I typically do 8)
1 cup water

Directions:
1. Plug in the Instant Pot.
2. Place the stainless steel rack that comes with the IP into the bottom of the bowl.
3. Pour one cup of water in the bottom and place desired number of eggs on the rack.
4. Lock the Instant Pot lid in place. Turn the IP on by pressing the MANUAL button. Use the [+] or [-] to set the cooking time to 8 minutes.
5. Let the Instant Pot come up to pressure. It will automatically count down from 8 minutes and beep when it's finished.
6. Meanwhile, prepare an ice bath for the eggs (large bowl of ice water).
7. Quick release the pressure from the IP when the timer sounds.
8. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the eggs to the ice bath and cool before peeling / coloring / eating.

Or ...

OVEN METHOD

Hard boil eggs in the oven. This is the method I repeatedly used until I had an Instant Pot. It's simple, fool-proof, and the only equipment you need is a muffin tin (and the oven, of course).

Directions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Place eggs in the "holes" of a muffin pan (you could use a regular 12 "hole" muffin pan or a mini muffin man with 24 holes).
3. Bake for 30 minutes.
4. Immediately place eggs in an ice bath until they are cool to the touch.

It seems like everyone makes their hard boiled eggs just a bit differently than the next person. How do you make yours? Comment below.  

Celebrating Easter 2017

Andi found some crazy-good flight deals to Mexico, so we decided to book a last-minute trip to Sayulita over Easter week. Sayulita is on the Pacific Ocean about an hour north of Puerto Vallarta. We've been there once before, and we loved it - it's one of our favorite places we've traveled, and we're excited to go back again.

Since we'll be in Mexico on Easter Sunday, I thought it'd be easiest to celebrate Easter before we left. Timing-wise, this past weekend worked best for our schedules so I invited Andi's mom and dad to the cabin on Saturday and planned to color Easter eggs, have an egg hunt, and a nice dinner for everyone.

Andi's parents arrived around Noon Saturday and we started with a lunch on the deck. The weather was absolutely beautiful for spring, so spent most of our day outdoors. Andi smoked a tri-tip on the grill and we paired it with a spinach salad and roasted asparagus. I also made scandinavian deviled eggs and Janie and Jim brought a veggie platter.

 

After lunch, we colored eggs. Aden wasn't interested in this activity in the slightest, so he laid down in the bedroom and watched Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (in his defense, I don't think he felt 100%) while the rest of us sat on the deck and decorated hard boiled eggs. Janie said it was the first time in her life she can remember coloring eggs for Easter outdoors! The weather was too beautiful not to be outside and enjoy it. 

 

Tory couldn't remember dying Easter eggs before, so we gave her a quick refresher course. Of course, she was upset later when I peeled an egg to eat it. "I didn't know you were going to break my beautiful egg!" she declared. Oy. Everything is a priceless piece of artwork to this girl.

Andi bought Tory and Aden a BB Gun last week, so while Jim, Andi and Tory were target-shooting on the side of the cabin and Aden was still inside watching TV, I took advantage of the kid-free moment and hid Easter eggs around the backyard. Last year, we hid plastic eggs in the woods which made more like a scavenger hunt, but Andi had double hernia surgery last Tuesday and wasn't able to walk very far. The backyard was equally exciting for Tory who ran around like a crazy lady collecting eggs. Aden eventually joined us in the backyard, but he had little interest in hunting for eggs. Whipping around the cabin in his John Deere tracker was far more interesting.     

Speaking of the BB Gun -- I think it was a dream realized for Andi and his dad to teach Tory how to shoot for the first time. Andi said he has many fond memories of shooting targets with his dad when he was a kid, and they both beamed from ear to eat while they watched Tory do the same. She was proud of herself, too, and seem to take the whole thing very seriously.

To me, it doesn't matter if the celebration of Easter happens on a specific date on the calendar. It was just as special to honor our family traditions a few weeks before the official holiday, and I've been making a point to talk about the meaning of Easter with Tory all month long. We had a great day celebrating with Janie and Jim at the cabin.

Signs You're A 21 Day Fix-er

I've been following the 21 Day Fix Eating Plan for almost two years now, and it's changed my relationship with food and exercise for the better. I've learned to appreciate food and the way it makes me feel. It's also pushed me outside my comfort zone physically, turning someone who never worked out a day in her life into someone who looks forward to exercising every single day. Pretty incredible when you think about it!

There are some things only 21 Day Fix-ers understand and if you've been following this program for any length of time, you'll know exactly what I mean ...

YOU SEE FOOD IN COLORS
Follow the 21 Day Fix Eating Plan for any length of time, and food is no longer seen in the color of its outer skin. Apples are "purple" and cottage cheese is "red" -- it takes the phrase "eat the rainbow" to a whole new level.

STAIRS ARE THE ENEMY
I can spot a fellow 21 Day Fix-er after Leg Day - easy peasy. We're the ones crawling up the stairs thanks to all those 10-second holds.

DISCOVERING A NON-YELLOW TREAT IS LIKE FINDING GOLD
Why must everything wonderful be classified as a carb? That's the world we're living in! The great thing about the 21 Day Fix program is that I can still enjoy all my favorite treats in moderation, but when I find something that's equally delicious and doesn't use a precious yellow container? Score!

BLUE CONTAINER: DECISIONS, DECISIONS
Only one blue container (healthy fat) a day forces me to make some tough life choices. Avocado? Cheese? Almonds? Ugh. The struggle is real.

BANANA REBEL
Alert the authorities: sometimes, I eat more than half of a banana. Most days, I cut my banana in two and stashing the other half in the freezer for a later use. Though, on occasion, I have been known to steal a bite of that other half.

PEANUT BUTTER SHAME
Anyone else find themselves staring down the mouth of a peanut butter jar with spoon in hand? Asking for a friend ...

60 SECONDS CAN FEEL LIKE AN ETERNITY
I find myself applying Autumn Calabrese's famous words of encouragement "You can do anything for a minute!" to other areas of my life; such as, unloading grocery bags from the car and carrying my son's metal trike home from the park.

I'VE GOT A GIRL CRUSH
Who doesn't think Autumn is the greatest thing since sliced bread? Her workouts and healthy eating plan have changed my life for the better, and I'll always be appreciative.

If you're curious about the 21 Day Fix workouts, eating plan or Coaching opportunity, I'd love to chat. Message me anytime at hcdickson@yahoo.com