My Husband "Subvet" says that when our first son "Sonshine" was born the sun rose on our world, when our second son "Gator" was born the sun laughed and when our daughter "Sugars" was born all the flowers bloomed. That says it all.

"Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass...
It's about learning how to dance in the rain."
Anonymous

Your mind is the garden, your
thoughts are the seeds, the harvest can either be flowers or weeds. — William
Wordsworth

Thursday, August 21, 2008

rainy days

Well, it's rained for a week straight,

needless to say the kids and Subvet are getting a bit restless as they haven't had their daily hour or two out in the bounce house and pool.

So, I decided yesterday it was haircutting day.

I started cutting everyone's hair about a year ago when we were looking at how to lower our expenses. At $15 a cut and 3 guys who regularly need cuts we figured this was a good way to pinch a few dollars. I bought a set of clippers for $45 and watched closely as the barber trimmed the guys' hair. It's really very easy....first go around one direction then go around perpendicular to the first time...clip back and ears and you're done.

(now go try it on 3 and 4 year old boys and you too can see just how EASY it is!--Subvet does sit still)

I also took a tip from the kids cuts only place and put a chair in front of the TV and turned on a new movie to watch while I cut. This does help...for the most part. (in case you're wondering I spread a sheet out on the living room floor, put the chair in the middle of the sheet for easy cleanup without clogging the vacuum)

So, anyway, 2 haircuts later and a rainy afternoon had been disposed of. (yes, I'm slow)

So then tonight Subvet ran off to church and a Knights of Columbus meeting and here I am with another rainy night and 3 kids who've OD'd on TV all week.

Mightymom's solution??





This is actually another "therapy activity"......but don't tell the kids that!!

I told them we were gonna play "follow the leader"...just so happened I was the leader and I had them going through all of Sunshine's therapy stuff while making laps up one blue line and down the other. (That's just painter's tape on the floor by the way)

OOOOOOO YEAHHHH!! I'm Mean Old Mommy fur sure!

First we "walked with straight feet like a tight rope" which helps him as he tends to walk duck-footed, this also helped him keep watch over what his feet were doing as another of his issues is running into and over things and people because he has decreased awareness of his surroundings.

Next we "tippy-toe walked" for a lap, this increases the strength in the itty bitty muscles in the feet and helps him develop arches as he's flat footed.

Then we "bear-walked" a lap. This is walking on hands and feet and increases balance muscles, coordination, what they call motor planning which means knowing what you're gonna move next and upper body strength.

Last we "wheel-barrow walked" a lap. This is the hardest of all. It's where I hold their feet and they walk on their hands. The level of upper body strength required increases as the feet are elevated.

By then (along with a few laps of just flat out running interspersed----come on, you didn't REALLY expect them to follow the leader did you??? not my kids!) they were all tuckered out and ready for bed.

Wonder what we'll do tomorrow??

Oh and 6 days left till SCHOOL, We'll be dancing down the hall after dropping them off!

5 comments:

ellen b. said...

I'm ready to go to sleep after that work out!! Way to be creative MM!

Humble wife said...

Yes we too clip everyones hair at home, as it is a big savings.

Love the tape program for the kids in the room...I used to put all the pillows out and have the kids leap from one "island" to the next...talk about workout for the kids!!And they loved it!
Jennifer

Stephanie D said...

And you--were you all tuckered out after that, too? lol

ABNPOPPA said...

MM,

That ,follow the leader thing was pretty neat, I would have never thought of that. Then again there is a lot of things I would have never thought of. ABNMOMMA says you should have been a Peds nurse!

... said...

you wrote this on thursday and i'm just now reading it... sorry! some how i missed it.

your follow the leader game is very sneaky. i love it! hope you're getting some sun by now.