Roller skating with the family

I went rollerskating last night with the family.  My little boy's Cub Scout troop rented out a rink.  We had a hoot!  There were so many good things about our night out.  I got to hang out with my  ten year old daughter and it was fun.  Sometimes we struggle to have fun together.  I got to skate with my six year old too.  He was so frustrated because he couldn't skate.  He hadn't gone fifty feet and he wanted to give up.  I let him cry and freak out for a while and then I sat him down and we had  talk.  I explained that trying new things can be really hard and even more scary.  I went on to tell him that if he never tried he would never get to enjoy it.  He  finally gave in and tried.  As I left him alone to try he excelled!  He had so much fun by the end of the night, he was asking when we were coming back.  Another fun part of the night was watching my three year old on the sidelines with Daddy.  They hung out all night.  They played video games and watched everyone skate.  He loved when I would go by and give him a high five or kiss him on the nose.  Dad hung out with the dads and seemed to enjoy that too.  I can't remember the last time we all had so  much fun.  We will be doing that again!  

We get so busy with the mundane things of life, our activities and the requirements of life.  Find something fun and do it with your family.  It will refresh you and make your kids smile.  And they'll have wonderful memories too!  Don't forget the camera either.  My husband got a great shot of our little boy and his best Cub Scout friend.  It was nice to see him smiling and all of his tears gone.  I would have cried if I fell three hundred times, too.  

Did I  mention the best part of the night?  We won three stuffed animals from the claw machine!!  Who ever wins anything out of that game??  We never have.  Our kids had a blast and had a souvenir, too!  What a way to cheer us all up in the middle of some nasty weather.  We've been cooped up with illness, too.  We needed a night of fun.

Bottom line?  Have fun with your kids.  The best gift you can give them is your time.

Be lifted!

Proverbs 17:22

A cheerful heart is good  medicine...

Is There Recreational Fun after Baby?

After we had a baby, a recreational activity for me and my husband was going to Walmart together. That was about it. Maybe you know the feeling! Yet doing fun things together, maybe something you did before baby, is important to strengthen your marriage. Your spouse can feel forgotten when diapers and onesies take front and center.

This week on my Losing Weight After Baby podcast, I talk about one thing your husband needs: recreational companionship. And guess what? When you bike, hike, swim, play tennis, etc. with your husband, you'll be burning calories at the same time. And you're having fun while communicating how much you enjoy your man. That's multitasking at its finest!

On my website, I have a list of activities to jog your brain about things you can do together with your spouse and even a few you can do with baby. Right now, we love to hike with our 3 & 1 year old. Ethan loves running in the dirt and Noelle is all about being outdoors. Summers approaching...take out your calendar and plan a little family fun! When you keep active, the pounds will come off much faster.

Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not
obey the word, they without a word, may be won by the conduct of their
wives. I Peter 3:1

-Arlene