Monthly Archives: January 2012

Raw Vegan Shake Diet – Week 23

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It may be a bit insane to keep track of how long I've been doing this thing at this point, but it's still going strong.  I had mentioned before about how positive reinforcement really keeps me going at this.  This last weekend has been another great example of that.  Every single one of my children has been sick, it's been a symphony of sickness in this house and as the Father, I simply cannot afford to take a break.  (Someone has to be able to hand them tissues)  I absolutely LOVE that through this lifestyle I can be healthy when the world around me is struggling.  I know that I do get sick anyway, but only about 25% of the time other people do.

There is a challenge I would like to put to myself, it is that for one week I do just this raw vegan shake thing.  The goal is to avoid going out to eat and simply find contentment in drinking my meals, just for this week.  It's a pretty serious challenge, I do love to go out, but I do know the health benefit is undeniable, and it honestly tastes REALLY GOOD.

 

Weekly Update – 1/30/2012

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I hope that the time warp that I'm going through is a singular event that doesn't last much longer.  This last week has just started and it's already nearly next week.  

The kids have been sick, there was a pinewood derby, and work has reached a level of intensity that keeps my mind working almost constantly.  

My favorite post of this past week was the pinewood derby one, the first bump on younger son gave when he won was worth all the effort of the week, but it wasn't just that fist bump and smile of satisfaction, my oldest son also had a grin that split his face in half!  

I love that though the children have been sick, I have been well, I blame the raw vegan shakes… they're almost magical for keeping me healthy when the children aren't feeling well.  I love being able to give them the care and attention they need without moving like a walking corpse.

This coming week promises to be nearly as busy, but without the pinewood derby excitement and crafting fun that comes with that.  I've made a goal to not go out to eat this week, though the children love it, I want to explore not relying so much on the easy satisfaction of that after a long day at work.

How was your week?

My Children are AWESOME! – Pinewood Derby

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The Pinewood Derby is an epic time for boys around the age of my boys.  I remember, vaguely, the whole setup and anticipation.  

My children had a blast, even though the most popular question was "Did you do his car for him?" to which I have to answer "I did cut out their design" and I helped with the spray paint, but the design was theirs, and the ideas weren't mine.  

My genius son said "I saw on Mythbusters that they dimpled a car and it worked well.  I want to dimple mine."  So we did… and it worked flawlessly for him.  I'm incredibly impressed!

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The Kettlebell Experience – Week 4

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With any new thing you bring into your life, it's important to evaluate if it's better or worse without it there.  In doing that over the last few weeks with this Kettlebell routine I have discovered differences to my body that are more than positive.

  1. Functional Strength
  2. Toning Up
  3. Physical Therapy.

First… for the Functional Strength: I have always been like a jungle gym to my children, when we cross a street from the parking lot to a store the girls like to jump high and just hang on my arms.  They are getting bigger, and despite time in the gym, I wasn't getting strong enough to do this easily.  Over the last week I absolutely noticed a difference as the girls jumped into the air I was able to stand there like a T with a girl hanging from each arm, hovering there like a shoulder exercise that didn't have to stop.

Second… Toning up:  I blame this on the high impact part of the kettlebell exercise, I'm gaining more cardio benefits from this than I have from running on a treadmill, and I can tell because when I first started to do swings with the kettlebells I could barely do 20 at a time, and now I feel like a machine.  In order to fix that I just purchased the next weight level of kettlebell so I can keep the momentum moving on these changes.

Third, Physical Therapy:  Once upon a time I was barely held together, my body ached all of the time.  As I've put this unique style of pressure and stress on my body I feel even more 'tightly put together' bodybuilding helped manage a lot of the pain, but kettlebell's have helped me feel that extra level of young again.  Combined with this raw vegan shake diet and I consider myself at the best state of health I've ever had in my entire life.

 

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Real Steel, a Fatherly Movie Review

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Life is pretty crazy, it seems that everything every where is fighting for time and a place in your life.  That's my excuse for missing out on a lot of the movies that have just come out, or will come out, or came out over the last several years.  It's a sacrifice, but I don't mind making it, especially in this world where everything is getting faster, and more crazy.

Family is important, all the time they are a priority, and so after a long week, and a long day, I felt slightly justified in letting the kids stay up late and watching a movie that had come out in the new releases named "Real Steel" with Hugh Jackman.  

 

Here's my review:

Immediately the girls fell asleep, that's okay… it was a boy movie… more than a boy movie, it was a Father and Son movie.  Really the plot has been done to death, irresponsible person has a child enter their life that makes them turn into a responsible person… but what was clever is that on top of the old cleche they added the boxing movie, a copy and paste of one of the Rocky movies over a touching Father and Son movie.  Hugh Jackman's acting was… obvious and expected he's good… the kid int he movie was a child, a good child actor is worth their weight in gold, and he wasn't made of gold.  I have a good imagination though and with my two boys there with me through this Father and Son adventure it was easy to forgive and forget.  

The movie was touching, action packed enough to be a good time, and simply fun.  Best of all though, the kids and I got to spend some quality time together laughing and talking through the movie.

It was a definite must see!