Say What?

While eating lunch I came across this headline on Canoe:

Canadian IDLE: Why our kids are flunkies
Is 6 hours of "screen time" too much? Hell yes! And that's not the worst of it.

Only 6 hours a week? I don't think that is excessive, I say to myself as I click the link for the full article.

TORONTO - Kids are putting in so much screen time - on computers, watching television and playing video games - that a report card on physical activity levels among children and youth is taking direct aim at the situation.

Active Healthy Kids Canada gave an overall grade of D in its annual report Tuesday, but in some subcategories, including physical activity and screen time, it awarded a flunking mark.

For screen time, the grade fell from D-minus last year to F this year. The report says the average child in the 10-to-16 age group typically spends six hours a day in front of some type of screen.

SCREEEEECH! That's me coming to a full and complete stop as I re-read that last sentence. Six hours A DAY ?!

Let's see, we have a child of about ten years of age on summer vacation. And we let them play some console game for an hour in the morning, a portable game like a Nintendo DS for an hour in the afternoon, and maybe a TV show after dinner before bed. Hell, make it a 120 minute movie and that's four hours. That would be my limit on "screen time" I think and even that is pushing it, perhaps only computer/console time once during the day instead of twice.

Still, in order to get up to six hours a day you pretty much have to let the kid do what they want and ignore them. What kind of parenting is that?

Sigh.

Sugar On Life Support

My trusty Toyota Corolla, Sugar, is on life support. Her engine is in rough shape due to long miles and hard rides, and a transplant seems to be the only practical solution. Unfortunately, that will cost a lot of money.

I'm looking to buy my parent's van from them to last us a year or so until we can get a newer vehicle, but that involves talking money with my father. Never fun at the best of times, especially tough now that our finances are still reeling from the IVF procedures.

On the up side, the boys and Kim are surviving at home, getting into a routine, and actually sleeping through most of the night. Lukas has been sleeping from 10 to 5 or more three nights in a row, and Sean getting up only once around 3 each night. That makes it easier on both of us and there is hope we might actually survive the summer.

Busy Last Week

Last week was extra busy due to the holiday Monday and working out of the office on Friday. Hence no blog posts.

Last week the boys and Kim went on a road trip to Belleville with Kim's mother to visit family. They survived for the most part and came back home Thursday night.

On the weekend my mother and aunt came up to help with our flower gardens which is good because without their help every year we would just have a weed garden. Or more lawn.

We seems to be getting into a routine with the boys but today is the first day Kim is alone with them while I'm at work. We'll see how that goes.

Sibling Rivalry

The boys had their doctor's checkup yesterday and Sean weighed in at just over 7 lbs while Lukas is growing much more slowly at 6 lbs and 10 ounces if I recall correctly. I don't know why Lukas is gaining weight more slowly than his brother, he seems to eat as much but his feedings must not always be as productive as Sean "the Consumer of Milk".

This weekend we are finally going to visit the Kids for the middle child's 10th birthday party. I'm looking forward to seeing them again, its been an extra long time since we last had them up for a weekend and I miss them.

Watching Weight

OK I admit it. I let myself go a bit (a lot) this past winter. Bad habits slowly crept in, watching what I ate on weekends went out the window, and slowly clothes seemed to get a little smaller and tighter. Funny how that happens, eh?

With the birth of the boys and three weeks of no exercise and lots of good rich foods, it really got out of hand.

This past Monday I began the crusade to return to form. Back in Jiu Jitsu, religious counting of points for weight watchers, and tennis with Andrew.

Last night was the first tennis game of the season and I'm sad to say Andrew beat me 7 games to 6. I blame my deplorable physical shape at the moment and plan for next week to better. If I have to hire a goon to take a crowbar to his shoulder on the weekend, so be it.

Ouch

I went to my first Jiu Jitsu class in 3 weeks yesterday. It was a killer of a class.

Not that we did anything too strenuous compared to normal, but I was so out of shape that I felt like my lungs were going to burst and I woke up in the middle of the night with aching calves to the point of requiring pain killers.

Today I'm just stiff as hell. Especially my thighs.

Fortunately if Christmas vacations are anything to judge by, I should be back up to speed by next week.

Side note: Tennis with Andrew starts this week.

Fatherhood

So far being a father has been easier and harder than expected.

Easier:
- Learning how to hold, change, sooth, interact with the boys. (Sean on the left and Lukas on the right in the above pic).

- Feeling like a father/parent.

- Although sleep deprivation has been rough, its not quite as bad as I expected most of the time.

Harder:
- Breastfeeding them is hard.

- Worrying about weight gain, poop frequency, pee frequency, rashes.

- Getting time to do anything before the next feeding.

- Going to the store.

All is all it has been a rewarding experience and the pride and joy I get showing them off is amazing. I so look forward to watching them grow and learn and become their own little people.