SNOW DAY!!! I'm Hungry...

Last week there was an ice storm and I missed a couple of days of work. It was good to get some time with the family. There is one thing that I found that I was doing when I took Brooklyn outside. She has never walked on ice or snow and was doing a great job, then she started slipping. This is when I started laughing at her silently hoping she would fall. Not hoping she would get hurt, but fall on her but. When she did a few times she started getting mad at me for laughing.

Brooklyn: Stop it!

Me: You okay Brookie?

Brooklyn: Help!

Me: Okay sweetie

I woke up this morning to a small snow. As I stumbled into the kitchen I started the Notebook and logged in to check the road conditions. Covered roads all around and a major accident on the interstate. Oh joy... Well, I decided that I was not going to make it in to work today and was going to lay down for a bit longer. There's Brooklyn up and ready to start her day. 

 

Brooklyn: Get up?

Me: No let's go back to bed.

Brooklyn: Get up?

Me: Ugh... Okay, let's get up.

Brooklyn: Berries?

Me: Okay I'll get you some berries.

Well, so much for a small nap before I had to call in for work. 

This afternoon it started in again but with the wife this time. I'm chillin' out on the PC with my feet up on the couch and this came up.

Virginia: I'm hungry.

Me: ... *click*

Virginia: I want something to eat...

Me: Ugh... what do you want?

Virginia: I don't know...

Me: Okay... *click*

Virginia: So???

Me: What?

Virginia: You going to make something to eat?

Me: No... *click*

Virginia: I want salmon...

Me: Seriously?

Virginia: You can make it because you stayed home today because of the snow, you decided to be safe and get me things.

Me: HAHA! Get you things???

Virginia:...

Me: Ugh... Fine...

So here is the thing. Distractions are a must sometimes. We have been watching this season of "The Biggest Loser" and Virginia wanted to start from season one. So, the only place that has all of the seasons is Hulu but you need to have Hulu Plus to watch it. So I told her to purchase Hulu Plus and I'll get the salmon. Who wins? This guy because she forgot about the salmon and I bought myself some time.

A Learning Experience

 Over the last 13 years I have learned many things but over the last two years I have learned more about being a dad than ever. While I was in the military I didn't get much time with my oldest daughter. She grew up seeing me every once in a while when I came home and our relationship was not that close. I guess that is the price you pay for being in the military. Now that my daughter, Brooklyn, has turned two, I look back on the last two years and see how much I have learned. From the early mornings, to putting her to bed, I have built a relationship with her that is much different than any other family member. 

Every morning we get up and hang out before I go to work or all morning on the weekends. During the weekends we color, play blocks, eat breakfast, watch a couple of cartoons, and the list goes on. I have made it two years without her getting hurt or burning the house down so I am happy.

What I am really trying to say is there is a difference in the way I grew up versus how I am raising Brooklyn. When I grew up I rarely saw my Dad because he was out working, hunting, or fishing. When I was older I went with him some but most of the time I was with my Mom. I have changed that with Brooklyn by taking her with me if I go into town for a while, or just by hanging out on the couch. I don't really remember actually "playing" with my Dad. I understand now that he ws providing for our family, but still I wonder if things would be different if he would have been around me more. 

There are many men out there that have changed the role of the head of the household to spending more time with their children. They play with their kids inside and outside and the days of the man working in the fields or hunting and fishing for food are over. I do still enjoy to go outdoors and hunt and fish for some alone time, but not to the extent of the "old" days. 

There is not really a reason for this post today. It was just something on my mind on how life has changed in the last 30 years. 

One of the biggest changes in my life was the birth of our daughter Eden. She had a fatal birth defect called anencephaly, and she blessed us with 5 hours and 27 minutes of her life. Eden's life gave me more motivation to spend as much time with family as I can. I do not blame anyone or anything for her passing away and I feel honored to be her father. 

I believe I am going to change website up a bit and post more experiences from all dads around the world. 

What Is A Diet?

Since my family has changed our eating habits, there have been conversations with many different people about our "diet". Many people hear diet and they think about losing weight magically. Diet is not a strict “you can’t eat that” regimen, but rather a conscious effort to eat healthy, well-balanced foods that will benefit your body. Yes, you can lose weight with what you eat with exercise and yes you can gain weight as well. There are many people out there that are looking for a magical solution of losing weight with only eating as little as possible and not exercising. There is no solution for losing weight without exercising and starving yourself. With changing your diet (what you eat) and exercising, even if it is walking, I can tell you that you will start losing weight.


The Dietary Guidelines for Americans describe a healthy diet as one that:
• Balances calories with physical activity to manage weight
• Includes more of certain foods and nutrients such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fatfree and low-fat dairy products, and seafood
• Includes fewer foods with sodium (salt), saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, added
sugars, and refined grains

It is recommended that:
45% to 65% of your total calories come from carbohydrates.
20%-35% of your total calories come from fat.
10%–35% of your daily calories come from protein.


Staying hydrated is crucial for maintaining optimal health; however, the recommended amount
varies on the need of the individual. It is important to be aware of your body’s needs and be
consistent in your fluid intake. Avoid drinks that contain excess amounts of added sugar or that
will cause your body to be dehydrated, such as soda or energy drinks.

I am by no means a doctor or a professional that you should take dietary advice from, but there are resources available that you can educate yourself on what your body needs. We are a gluten free/organic as possible family and I am going to tell you that there is no miracle fix all and does take dedication. One of the hardest things I have dealt with while changing my diet is going gluten free. It takes a lot of hard work but makes a world of difference now that I am not tired all of the time and no more headaches or stomach issues.

Part 2 will be an explanation on exercise.

It's Never Too Early

Why Start Early? It's fun to experience the whole growing cycle as you watch baby seedlings grow into sturdy plants that bear delicious fruit. We often need to give plants a critical head start by germinating and growing seedlings in the warm indoors in early spring. Then when it warms up outdoors in late spring, we can plant out sturdy, well-established seedlings to bear fruit before cold weather sets in. Favorites like tomatoes and peppers are both plants that need a long warm growing period to set and ripen a good crop. Except in the most tropical areas, all U.S. summers are too short for them to complete their fruiting cycles before summers end if started directly in the ground, since seeds wont germinate until frosts have ended and weather warms up.
Seeds started indoors require the same basic conditions as those started outside. But since their environment must be artificially maintained, it takes a little more attentiveness. Just as for all plants, the three basic requirements are soil, light and water. But in each case there are special considerations.
When seedlings receive insufficient light they become tall and spindly or "leggy." Seedlings need a lot of light. Even if you have a window that receives full sun, you might need to supplement it with artificial light. Because our visual system is so sophisticated, people rarely realize the incredible quantitative difference between natural and artificial light. It would be all but impossible to recreate the intensity of direct sunlight. To compensate, you'll need much longer growing days. Use bulbs that are specifically made for growing plants and place them just a foot or so above your seedlings. You'll want to keep these lights on at least 14 hours a day. Fluorescent tubes are ideal because they won't produce as much heat which can quickly dry out your seedlings.
The third ingredient is moisture, and this is the one that will require the most attention. You want to keep the medium moist, but not let it become wet or soggy. In general, it is best to water from below, allowing the medium to soak up the water like a sponge. To promote germination, many gardeners cover the flats or pots with plastic wrap. This keeps the planting medium both warm and moist, but must be removed as soon as the plants sprout. Otherwise, you risk suffocating your young seedlings. I have already planted our tomato plants for this year and they are doing great under our CFL light.

I plan on starting some Swiss Chard the next few days along with some more tomato plants. The great thing about Swiss Chard is that it a cold resistant and it will live through a late frost. For right now this is all I have growing but I do plan on adding more within the next couple of weeks.