A journey of a thousand miles

begins with a single step ~ Lao Tzu

... then it is only 10000 steps (a day) to better health !

I am now more than half way (64%) through my virtual Northern territory outback adventure. The '10,000 steps' goal puts a focus on the accumulation of activity across the whole day instead of the pressure to do it all in one burst.

I have done approx 319,284 steps since 20th October...199284 in November. I thought I was fairly active running around after twin toddlers and doing housework but I was wrong.

Some days before I do my official walk (including pushing them in the stroller) of about 5000-6000 steps - 45mins-1 hr , I can barely manage 4000 steps or even less. This surprised me ... I am often exhausted by lunchtime and all I want to do is sit and chill .(shhhh ok I confess I do for a bit more for a read and a blog I don't watch much TV anymore)

These are the National Physical Activity Guidelines for Adults

1-3 recommend the minimum amount of physical activity you need

to do to enhance your health. They are not intended for high-level fitness, sports training or weight loss. To achieve the best results, try to carry out all three guidelines and combine an active lifestyle with healthy eating.

Guideline 1
Think of movement as an opportunity, not an inconvenience.
Where any form of movement of the body is seen as an opportunity for improving health, not as a time-wasting inconvenience... so picking up after your children is good for you.

Guideline 2
Be active every day in as many ways as you can.
Make a habit of walking or cycling instead of using the car, or do things yourself instead of using labour-saving machines.

Guideline 3
Put together at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on most, preferably all, days.
You can accumulate your 30 minutes (or more) throughout the day by combining a few shorter sessions of activity of around 10 to 15 minutes each.

Guideline 4
If you can, also enjoy some regular, vigorous activity for extra health and fitness. ... see below

So I am inviting you to join in ...

Hi 'Valued friends & readers' ,

I have found this great website that has heaps of physical activity information as well as a free Step Log where we can record and keep track of our steps. I thought that you might like to check it out.

Tips and tricks to stay motivated


Q - How do you record other activities in steps

Recording Other Activities in Steps
10 minutes of moderate intensity activity = 1,000 steps

Moderate Intensity Activity causes a slight, but noticeable increase in breathing and heart rate. You should be able to maintain a conversation.
10 minutes of high intensity activity = 2,000 steps

High Intensity (or Vigorous) Activity makes you “huff and puff” and is where talking full sentences between breaths is difficult. ... does making l o v e count ?


Tips and tricks to stay motivated

Advice of the day

1. Buy a pedometer ... beats counting. I got a new one today ((under $30 from Rebel sport) and new walking shoes...Don't even think of taking your pedometer to the beach. A walk on the beach is purely for pleasure (but no-one told me how hard it is on soft sand) and a freak wave or rather the salt water ruins pedometers.
2. Wear sensible shoes - the best you can afford in a style you like. Reflexologists will tell you true relaxation begins with the feet.
3. To assist you in reaching your goals and to get into a routine - schedule your daily walking or exercise goals and extra activities in your diary, like you would an appointment (best if you don't reward yourself for meeting your goals with chocolate or edible treats but then again at least you worked a bit of it off if you do sometimes).
   
See your Dr if you have any concerns about starting an exercise program and start with small steps ...

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Lao Tzu

PS .I wish someone would design a chart to tell me how many steps a certain chocolate bar or other treat was worth ...then I could decide if it was ...

PPS I can't talk about Menu Plan Monday & food today ...we have both been to the dentist- I had an extraction of an extra tooth (it's been at the back of my jaw at an angle for years(?) and Dh had a filling ... dare I mention the dentist says to floss every day.
He also asked me was I still breastfeeding (I am twice a day) and told me Breastfeeding is good for my children's immune system. I was very impressed this coming from a man.

Never miss a post

Sticky Fingers and Sour squirms

I have learnt to live with the stickiness of my little munchkins fingers - over everything. Then there is the constant exploring of all things with buttons .

So now all the finger marks are higher and they can reach more things.Sadly , his crawling days are almost behind him ... my babies are now fully fledged toddlers.

S & J love of pressing my buttons hasn't diminished ... the television (but they don't watch it -only to press the buttons on/off) ,remotes, dishwasher , the front loader and my mobile phone. OM gosh the tantrums when I refuse to let them have it or if one happens upon it ( they look for it now too) and the other tries to snaffle it ...

Today, I thought I had lost my mobile phone. My eldest DS and I were looking everywhere.I was ringing the number but we couldn't hear it. I had just been to the post office to collect a parcel (tell you about that tomorrow). I phoned the Post Office via the stupid 13 number ... after they made me press 50 buttons I finally got to speak to a person and then after another 20 mins got transferred to my local PO. Then waited while he apparently went looking for it. Nothing. So we looked again and DS found it - where I told him it was all along.

During the day my husband had also called the land line (house phone) and I wondered why ... and why I missed a few other calls. O'Duh ... The phone was set to silent ...thanks J - he has a real knack at working those buttons. I have to learn the key lock feature or keep it out of reach and to leave DH or DS number as last calls so if he calls them it won't cost me.

S is now more confident with walking and even more so climbing. Saturday night he pushed the dining chair over to the kitchen sink stood on it and looked as if he was planning to wash the dishes when he reached for the dish washing liquid.... good training. It was very funny and cute - he was grinning as if to say I am very clever.

I discovered my little S loves sour tastes ... yes he is the one who won't eat real food ... one day it was lemons, cumquats and today it was sour lollies called squirms (jelly worms with sour coating)

We had a eye appointment checkup for J at the children's hospital. When I get J out - S raises the roof and wants out too. I was prepared today.

The face S makes is priceless when he eats them , and I made sure I saved a few of them. The sticky fingers and the quiet were worth it. He was very good today ...once I gave him the squirms. J's eyes were all good too. Next appointments for their eyes is March.

I am going to buy a bucketload of sour lollies tomorrow. They are from Natural confectionery food company people in case are wondering about the artificial colours and flavours - nil. They are yum. My Mum loves sour worms too.

This boy takes after me ... he can smell the chocolate a mile away too but he really only likes a little taste (that's all he is allowed LOL). J wanted a squirm too but he isn't as fussed on the sour stuff.

I also must pick up some real toothbrushes for S 's 4 teeth if I am to break my rule about never giving them lollies /candy etc .... oh well I tried. On the tooth front J is also cutting another top tooth (#6) and tonight he wanted a lot of lovin'. Poor Bubba

Happy Birthday Darling & tummy bugs

It has taken all day but finally I have to wish my dear husband , a man in a million ,a very Happy Birthday Darling
I love you more today than I ever have. You are my all.
I am so sorry you were not feeling well today ... so there went the special birthday dinner . Lucky we had a cake (thanks to my Mum) and solitary candle last night so the boys (everyone) got to sing Happy Birthday to you.

A little prelude...
Saturday, I woke up early feeling blurgh (? spelling) and DH left for work early. I felt worse and had a little hurl. I had to drop my eldest to a birthday party at midday so I took the babies to bed for a nap. I had called my mum but she had a busy day planned so I didn't tell her I was feeling sick. It took a while but finally ....zzzzzzz

S & J had a touch of diarrhoea but thankfully no vomiting. Poo I can handle (when it is inside a nappy).You can't teach babies or small children to aim either end.I hated changing all the bed linen /clothes when I was a real nurse, let alone when I had to do the washing.

Later , I pulled out the disposable nappy samples my friend and I collected from the baby expo ... brilliant that I still had a small stash. I was in no condition to do any more washing or rinsing with my little squirt eeewww!

I got up to take DS to his party and blurgh ... hurl..hurl ..hurl..(last nights dinner). I laid back down to gather my strength ... and got him to put the babies in the car and my bucket. He got there 40mins late for this and other reasons (...see Friday).

We went home again and I sat in the rocker in the contained play area watching the ABC. S & J played and intermittently came to sit on my lap (both at same time usually) and nurse. I still fed them because I didn't know if they had the tummy bug or not and they aren't big drinkers of other fluids.

We even had a short play outside because they were going feral inside. Then they both feel asleep in my arms/ my lap in the rocking chair .Of course it was time to go pick up my older one ...I wasn't in a hurry though. I dragged myself out of the chair .I arrived and I rang to tell them I was in the car waiting (the birthday kid's sister answered).

I felt so em.bar.assed ...again ...when the 'mom' came out too ... OMG she must have wondered if I had been on a bender (never) and had hangover. I felt it ... well I don't recall having many hangovers (true) my hair was a mess (ratty and bushy), pale faced , with my bucket on the front seat, dressed in daggy clothes and incoherent (well that was when I dropped him off -I said something really dumb). So NOT funny then but I can laugh at myself now.

My DH was still working on the Central Coast 2 hrs away.I knew I should begged my Mum off her hot date with her 'partner' ... as she now calls him. She would have come to my rescue .

Yesterday,I washed out but on the mend.DH did a lot of the cleaning, washing and I helped a bit.
S & J seemed fine.Today S delivered puddles of molten gold over the play area floor and down his leg ... the nappy wasn't tight enough. Bath time.

Tonight, he ate some rice and then was a bubbling brook when he either gagged as he often does on a fruit lump in the yogurt or he has what I had/Daddy has. I had to scrub out the highchair Elder DS was on the verge of an eruption too. J - Dh said smelt of sour milk too ... Gosh I hope not ...

I digress ... Happy Birthday present ... this year DH got a cool present, a new mini hi-fi with a sub wolfer (don't ask I don't know what it does but at least I am sure to hear it ) the old stereo is stuffed. (No not with anything by the twins though if they could reach it I am sure they would have tried posting like our older son did with the VCR and Car stereo).

Oh and this weekend S has almost been walking everywhere ...when he wants too.

Sam is almost walking and Joel almost running

Just had to brag that S is almost walking. Over the weekend he took about 5-6 steps or more in a row independently. He can walk longer holding one finger.S is much more cautious and less confident than J ... unless he is climbing.

S takes more little side steps between things and walks to his father and I or others only if wants to. He knows he is very clever and is so excited he starts to lunge (& fall) and/or drops to his knees and crawls again. He still prefers to crawl at the moment unless we encourage him.

I think he is now realising Joel has the upper hand and is far quicker off the mark to the toys, ride on car and faster at chasing Mummy.


Joel is so confident now and hardly crawling at all. My heart melts when he follows me around and runs up to me ...saying Mum,mum mumm holding his pudgy little hands up to me and hugging my legs.

Today, I think Joel was saying 'dog' ... it was a 'd' sound and I am sure he has been saying[shouting] his big brother D's name for ages [ he hears me scream it (too) often ..oops ... better watch my mouth from now on]