Winter Games

I’ve decided to think of Kayliana a little bit as our dog (in the most loving, motherly way, of course).  I’ve wanted a dog for a while but am well aware that we’re just not quite ready to add another dependant creature to our family.  So, Kayli will do.  In many ways, she is like one – she still drools (occasionally and out of anger which is weird but then again a lot of what toddlers do doesn’t make a ton of sense), she has the occasional piddle accident, but most of all she needs to be taken out for daily exercise or we all pay for it. 

Obviously, I understand that kids need exercise.  It’s not like I’ve let Matthew and Zachary live completely sedentary lives, but to be honest, I put my need for physical activity before theirs because, as kids, they tend to get their exercise just in how they are – ripping around, jumping, wrestling, just being active kids.  For the boys, they also get the daily walk to and from the bus stop (a ¼ mile and up-hill on the way home).  They get a few recesses at school.  They have P.E. at school.  They’re both signed up for sports – Zachary just started basketball and Matthew has baseball try-outs at the end of January with practices starting in March. And we’ve done long stretches of twice-a-week swim lessons.  This has worked well for them. 

Kayli is different.  She seems to be our little Energizer Bunny; our little athlete; our little non-stop moving machine.  So, I’ve made it a goal of 2014 to make sure she has plenty of chances to use that energy…outside the house (and then maybe she won’t run and crash into things and require stitches…at least not as often anyway, but never would be ideal).

On Christmas Eve, I took Kayli for a mile run to wear her out.  She ran nearly nonstop.  Every once in a while, she would stop, walk a few feet and then say, “More energy!” And start running again.  We basically live on the top of a mountain (it is, actually a foothill to Cougar Mountain), but it’s dang hilly, and the girl just ran, and ran, and ran.  My goal was to exhaust her endless energy before Christmas Eve Mass.  It sorta didn’t totally work.

As of this week, Kayli’s schedule is: Monday – short run with me after taking the boys to the bus (just our trip to the bus stop and back is ½ mile – if we walk both ways, then that’s a mile per day right there for her little 3 year old legs). Tuesday – playing at the gym kids’ club while I do my Spin class (where she runs, climbs on the play equiptment, etc.).  Tuesday afternoon – swim lesson.  Wednesday – playing at the indoor gym at the community center for one hour, followed by sports class for one hour. Thursday – swim lesson.  Friday – short run with me after the bus.  Kayli also joins me occasionally while I do a work-out video.  This week, she joined in on Wednesday, AFTER she’d spent two hours running around in the gym and doing sports class.  She got down on the floor and did ‘plank’ and push-ups alongside me, then was up for jump-squats and lunges.   

For sports class, Kayli insisted on wearing the tutu my mom gave her for her birthday.  Kayli insisted that it made her “run faster” (she made sure the instructors knew this).

Kayli LOVED her first swim lesson.  It’s just her and one other little boy with a phenomenal teacher.  As you can tell by the last picture…mission accomplished!