Monkey See....Monkey Do.....

Every parent has those moments when their child does something or says something and it is as though you are looking into a mirror. They have become you. More often than not, when Gracie does something that is so me, it is not a positive thing. She picked up all of Keton's charming traits, and all of my not-so-cute behaviors. Perhaps God is having a little fun with me and sending me a few messages through my little one. A few days ago this was precisely the case. I came home from work to find Gracie in my sunglasses, bucket full of goodies in hand, and toting around her library card.
Hmmm.
What was she up to? Keton told her to show me what she had "purchased" at the store. Oh no. Pretend shopping? Already? Gracie hopped on over to a stack of books, upon which a statue of two women sit. She politely conversed with the ladies, letting them know that she wanted to purchase the items in her bucket, and when they asked for her card she said, "Oh yes, here is my credit card!" At this moment she produced her library card, "scanned" it through the books, thanked the ladies for their help and showed me her new items! Oh my goodness. I just stared at her and thought about how this is so not from Keton. When I saw how he was looking at me I could tell he was also reminding me of the fact that Gracie got this from ME.
Allow me to illustrate through pictures....
It is kind of sad that our four year old is using her "library" card to shop, and not for books. Although, she does love the library too, which I should go and remind Keton that the love of books and libraries is from ME as well...it is not all about shopping. Moments like these remind me that our children are always watching, and learning from us. They don't have a filter to use so that they are only getting the good, and missing the bad. I find it funny that as we are "raising" our little ones, and teaching them how to behave, they are in fact helping us to become better people and adults. We change what we do or say so that we are not negatively influencing them. We pray more so that they are seeing us pray and learning how to do it for themselves. We eat better because we want them to eat well. We get out and exercise so that they are growing up with a healthy lifestyle. We change the music we listen to, or movies we watch so that they are not hearing and seeing the wrong things. We read more, so that they will read more. We yell less at each other so as to not upset them. We kiss more because they are so darn cute. And we kiss more just to have them rush up to us and beg for attention....
Our kids help US to become better people. Funny how you think the influence is only going one way....
Thank God for children. And for the joy they bring to our lives.
And the laughter. Lots and lots of laughter....
I wonder what Gracie will purchase today....I better go intervene before she maxes out her library card and can no longer afford great literature.

Creating a Workout Space

Most days I wake up feeling like this. Perhaps it is because I went to bed too late the night before due to my little ones trying to fight bed time and the need to spend some precious undivided hours with my husband. Or it could be because Stella wakes up at 1:30am, 3:30am, and is ready to rock and roll at 5:30am!!!!! And I do have to be up by 6:00am for work...
Another reason I feel like this in the morning is because all of my waking hours are just so packed with "to-dos." Work starts by 7:30am and is non-stop until 3:30 (teenagers have a lot of energy!). As I have said before, I am in the process of training for a half marathon right now. So usually by 3:30pm the girls and I are out on our run, which goes until about 4:15 or 4:30 on a super good day. Truth be told, my coworkers that are running with me are the reason I actually get out and do it! My run is then followed by the drive home, and once I am in the door it is mom and wife time! Snuggles first, then dinner for the hungry bunch, and bath time! Stories before bed, and once they are all tucked in, there is Keton waiting to have some time with me as well. Time with hubby= staying up late and barely getting any sleep during the night.
And then when the alarm goes off (or Stella screams) the day repeats itself.
I know it sounds like I am complaining, but I am not! I LOVE my life, and my family, and I actually really like my job. Overall, we are beyond blessed and I am grateful. But I have just found some things challenging. How can I do it all?
Back in December, this daily grind was making me feel like this:

This was when I figured it was a good time to revamp my eating and workout routines. Since December, I have been running an average of 4 days per week, and I began to add in some circuit training two days per week. This is where I get to the title of my blog. The change in exercise has been beneficial, and it has helped with my stress management. I recommend it for all of you moms out there that have low energy, or high stress (or in my case both!). Keton and I have decided to create a "Home Gym" within our little home. I read an article in the latest "Shape" magazine that detailed the construction of home gyms at every budget. The funny thing is, we have most of what we need. Free weights of different size, a small space to construct, workout dvds, an old, yet efficient workout bike, music, etc. Now we are just putting our heads together trying to figure out what to use to construct it, and what additions would be necessary. A resistance band for example, would a cheap but necessary addition that would work for both of us. We are incorporating things we already have like a shoe rack for the weights, a basket for the resistance band or core weight ball, etc. We are setting this up in our living room, which has a the TV for the videos, a fridge close at hand for water, and soon we will hunt down a mirror to hang on the wall so we can keep an eye on our lifting.

We have decided that there are three big reasons for this latest project:

1. The "fitness space" is out in the open and visible, so we are more likely to use it when we see it constantly!
2. The materials are easily accessible, which means we can grab some weights or a dvd and squeeze in some workout time quickly.
3. Creating this space is a great example to our girls. We want fitness to be something they are raised with, and we hope that they will enjoy it and see the value in it as they get older.

As for the eating part of this project. We are doing well for the most part; shopping at fresh markets, buying produce, cooking veggies and whole grains, etc. However, the recent sale of Girl Scout cookies might have set the family back this weekend:) We have found that the best way to eat well as a family is to "eat in". We try to eat at home most days and nights, and have made going out to eat a true treat. And even when dining out, we chose wisely and try to teach Gracie how to do the same. But the occasional treat keeps us from losing motivation and quitting it all!
My race is May 2nd. Fast approaching! And it is about time to get my shoes on and hit the road for a run...
We hope our families' new health project will inspire your families as well! In no time you will find yourself feeling more like this:


Carpe Diem! And go buy some veggies too....

Gracie Turns 4!

Here we are, another birthday for Gracie. It is hard for us to believe it is her 4th. She has grown into a little girl, and apparently we had our backs turned. I try to watch both of them so closely so that I don't miss a minute of their lives. But they still grow overnight when I am sleeping. Amazing how that happens. We made a cake, bought presents, and sang her a very Happy Birthday song. She was a princess for a day! Oh, who are we kidding? She thinks she is a princess full time. There is never a dull moment when raising little ones, even though you will find yourself praying for one! I find it so odd when I hear my student's at work comment on how "boring" life is. It is almost as though I do not even know the meaning of the word! You know it is pretty bad when you are out and about, ALONE, and when you hear the cry of another woman's child you feel the urge to go and take care of them too. I have to actually force myself to sit for any lengthy period of time, and forget about "doing nothing". Before I even knew what happened, I turned into this super productivity obsessed person. However, Gracie teaches me to look at all kinds of things in life in a different way. With each year, she grows more sweet and vibrant. She is a true ray of sunshine and burst of freshness! Everyone knows when she is in the room:) It is true that children depend on their parents, and I know that Gracie depends on us. But in reality, it is more that we depend on her. On her birthday this year we told her the story of her birth, and how she took forever to come into this world. She had her own timing from the beginning! She loves to hear her birth story and loves to know that she is cared for and appreciated. Truth be told, we have no idea where we would be without her. She made me a mom, and she changed our lives forever. It is amazing how "big" little one's birthdays can be for the grown ups! It is difficult to explain why we had tears as we sang the Happy Birthday song, although I am sure that you parents out there know what I mean.

Another year older, another phase finished....
And yet, another year has begun and another phase has started! I have to admit, I am really loving the little girl she has become! What a blessing! (Ok so at night when she is fighting sleep, we might not feel so warm and fuzzy towards her; it is a good thing God made her adorable!).

Happy Birthday Little Gracie...

A Moment to Remember

I don't usually blog this close together, but I could not miss the opportunity to share this story...

The Crime: A bitten nose.

The Victim: Gracie Annalyn Quigley

The Suspect: Stella Kay Kiyono Quigley
The Story:
The girls were in their room "napping", and things were going well. By going well, I mean that they of course were not sleeping like they were supposed to be but they were giggling and talking. Two sweet little sisters just having a grand time playing together. Keton and I were taking the moment of free time to workout together. In the middle of our weight session, I heard a loud scream! I go running into their room to find Gracie crawling out of Stella's crib, crying as loud as she could possibly cry. Stella is just sitting with a smile painted sweetly across her chubby little face. Gracie blubbered out that Stella bit her on the nose! And hard! I was about to tell her to toughen up when I saw the damage. Stella got her pretty good! Right across her little nose...
So to the bathroom we went (after a reprimand to Stella, which of course resulted in Stella being in tears over upsetting mommy...girls are such drama!). We cleaned out Gracie's "wound", gave her kisses, and reminded her that perhaps she should stay out of Stella's crib and out of her face. We never did get the reason WHY Stella bit her...
Case closed.

The VERDICT: Stella is guilty, and unfortunately she is verbally unable to defend herself. Therefore Gracie appears innocent (but we are not easily fooled!) and Stella is the little booger. For now anyway....
I am sure the tables will turn before the night is over!

Life in our little world...

This is a picture that Gracie took recently (she has started an interest in photography!). I was going through our pictures and when I came across this one I had to laugh. To her, Woody and Buzz are her friends, her companions. Both Gracie and Stella carry them all over, and talk to them about life. With Stella it is more jibberish talk, and with Gracie it is more "mother hen" bossy talk. Woody and Buzz are pretty lucky to have such loyal companions who truly care for their welfare. Isn't it funny how toys and stuffed animals become part of your "family" when your children care about them? I almost feel as though I have actually given birth to Gracie's bear Lovie, for he has become a valued family member over the years. Stella's bear Bella is making her mark in the family as well, for Stella has fallen in love with the little stuffed bundle. I believe God instilled in us a desire to not only love our children, but to love what they love as well. It is a lovely, rainy, Saturday morning here in our home town and I could not be happier to spend it snuggling my family in my pjs. Our lives can be quite busy, and it is a joy to relish in the moments where we have time to snuggle or take pictures of Woody and Buzz. I know all of you reading this completely understand what I mean! (Even if you don't spend time taking pictures of animated movie stars!).
I was reviewing our family's most recent photos and thinking about how much I love our little world! Which is where my inspiration for the title of this blog came from. See below!

The girls at Fashion Island on Christmas Eve!

Gracie's picture of us! Keton likes when she takes the pictures because he looks taller:)
Stella with her famous bedhead!
Gracie on her first big girl bike that she got for Christmas!
The girls love to jump and wrestle on the couch without the pillows...cheap entertainment for us!

Gracie getting to be such a big girl (she will be 4 next week!!!!!!!!)!
Our adorable little Stella at Christmas time...already 18 months and counting! Such a joy!

We are at the stage in life where we are afraid to let any moments pass without recognition. Time is flying and we are trying to cherish all of it...
Ah, the sun is coming out, and I am off to get my daily run in! (The working out is going really well, more on that to come!).
Love to all!

A New Challenge

Since I am turning 30 this year, I decided now is a good time to challenge myself in a way that I never have before. And so, I have signed up for that half marathon that I mentioned earlier. It is May 2nd, so I have oodles of time to get my behind (literally) in shape enough to finish the race. I am not going for a speedy time here people, I just want to finish while still in the running motion. Now this may not seem like a big deal to most of you, but I am a former softball player (not much cardio...) and the only race I have ever completed was a 5K. Some of my girlfriends at work have decided to embark on this project with me, and the support has been an absolute necessity for me! I have a training plan in place and a professional trainer that I am working with twice a week for strength training purposes. And let me tell you, this trainer is going to be the end of me. Last Monday I went through my first session with her, all circuit training activities, and Tues and Wed I could barely walk. At one point I had to bend down and get Stella's pacifier under her crib, and I honestly was not sure if I would be able to get up to get it to her. And of course, Tues and Wed had 2 mile runs scheduled so those runs were some of the hardest that I have ever gone through. The good news is, the workouts are working! Every muscle is being pushed and pulled and has been in pain at one time or another so I know that whatever it is I am doing is effective! And so the journey has begun...
The nice thing about a big race is that you have to take "time" to train before taking it on. This training period allows me time to learn how to workout effectively, and it is also teaching me how to eat healthier. For a few years now I have been a pretty healthy eater, and for about 4 years I have been a vegetarian. But eating for "running" is a lot harder than it looks. Each meal must have purpose, and all of the necessary fats, proteins, whole grains, etc. A lot of thinking and preparing which can be hard with two little ones and a full time job! But I have tried to make it a family issue, and so far it is benefiting everyone. We have been off of refined sugar for a few weeks and so far everything is going pretty well. Although walking past the donuts yesterday at work was a trial in itself...but I did it! I am sure I will be blogging about this experience, and it will include joyous moments and also moments of complaining, but it will be nice to have a place to vent about the project!
My running/workout schedule is as follows:

Mon= strength training and stretching with trainer
Tues=Run (2-3 miles at this point)
Wed= Run (2-3 miles at this point)
Thurs= Run (1-2 miles or light run) Strength training with trainer
Fri= REST
Sat= Walk or bike for 30 minutes, non-impact workout!
Sun=Long run day (about 3 miles right now)

For the eating part of this, I am eating 5-6 small meals per day, with some healthy snacks like apples or kids Clif bars pre and post workouts. The meals are challenging because there is a lot of prep involved, and I teach all day so eating can be hard to incorporate. But so far so good! I am proud to say that on this date I am almost 20 lbs lighter than I was on my wedding day, and I am about 25 lbs lighter than I was in college! I am happy to say that I am more fit and healthy AFTER having two little ones than before I had them, but it does take hard work that I often do not want to put in. But it is worth it...
Which leads me to another point for today's blog. For those of you out there that are starting your healthy resolutions, GO FOR IT! You can eat better, exercise to increase your fitness and health, and be in better shape all around this year! This is your year for it:) So get your behinds off the couch and get moving....
And resist the fast food and goodies....yes, you can do it. And you will love how you feel.

Dinner Conversation

Our oldest, Gracie, is turning four next month. I can hardly believe that fact. It almost stops my heart when I think about it. How can that be? When did she learn to dress herself, and brush her teeth, and write the letter "A"? It feels as though I blink and she is different. Just today I was looking at her while she washed her little hands, and I could not help but see that she has turned into a little girl. She has become somewhat of a string bean (and those of you that know her are aware of her picky eating...) which is such a change from the little round sweet pea that she was when she was younger. She is tall for her age and almost lanky at times. Her hair grows longer each month, and she learns so many new things each day that it is impossible to count them. I am caught between loving the little girl she is becoming, and mourning the little baby she used to be. Do all mothers feel this way? I am sure they do. The joys of her new found girlhood are endless though, and I must say that they are quite adorable as well. We hear a lot of "Are you kidding me?" and "You are trying my patience" on a regular basis. She has learned to art of placing certain phrases where they belong, and of course she loves to use Mom and Dad's favorite sayings whenever she can. I could write a separate blog just about the phrases Gracie uses...
Which brings me to my blog title. Gracie has been eating at the dinner table with us since she could sit up, but only recently has she been really a part of "dinner" with mom and dad, or whomever is visiting at our table. She eats with us, and joins in the dinner conversation at random. Just the other night we had our dear friend Heather over for dinner. Now you must know that Gracie just adores Heather, and is always wanting to talk her ear off. She showed her just about every new toy or movie she got for Christmas, and had to fill her in on all of the details of her little life. Heather was beyond eager to oblige and "hung" onto Gracie's every word. Which just made Gracie glow from head to toe of course! As Heather was telling us a story, she used the word "hideous" to describe something. Gracie immediately asked, "Who's Hideous? Is he your cousin?" Of course we all giggled and then tried to explain that hideous was an adjective (I cannot help it, I am a teacher!). Keton and I find ourselves having to cover our faces frequently in order to hide our smiles and laughter when Gracie is rattling on and on. It becomes very difficult when she has been inappropriate (but down right hilarious!) and is in need of discipline, no laughter. Dad struggles with this in particular, and therefore I often end up with two "kids" to reprimand (ok, so Keton doesn't really get a reprimand, but boy does he get the stink eye!). I love that just a simple dinner conversation has become such fun and that laughter flows through our house with abandon. What would life be like without moments such as these?
Who knew that dancing around in your pjs to a Miley Cyrus song could be so fun? Or that you can build a fort in your bed with only pillows and books? When we started on the journey to parenthood, we heard many words of advice and warning. I had an idea of what it would be like to be mom to Gracie and Stella, but I truly did not realize how sore my abdomen would be from the fits of laughter that they cause me to have daily!
Too bad the laughter is not effective enough to wipe out the need for crunches and pilates...