A Full Body Pumpkin Workout for the Family

10/31/2015 R.C. Liley 2 Comments

Happy Halloween! If you partake, that is, otherwise, happy weekend! I’m just dropping in to share a fun and quick full body workout the whole family can do. Just choose the pumpkin appropriate for your level and get to it!

With the fall and winter season among us, we all have pumpkin on the mind. Carving for Halloween, eating for Thanksgiving and Christmas, and every day in between (at least for me). The odds are you have one of these globular gourds in your home.

Why not put it to use before carving/eating for a full body workout you can do anywhere there’s a pumpkin laying around? Whether you do one round or ten, it’s sure to get your blood flowing!

Perform each of the following:

10 x Bent Pumpkin Row
10 x Front to Back Lunge on Right Leg Holding Pumpkin to Chest
10 x Front to Back Lunge on Left Leg Holding Pumpkin to Chest
10 x Squat to Overhead Pumpkin Press

That’s one round. Rest 30 – 60 seconds and show that pumpkin no mercy! Here’s the video in case a visual reference is helpful, or if you just want to laugh at me exercising with a pumpkin.

The pumpkin you saw in the video will be gutted today and will be Avery’s first time getting her hands dirty with guts as we perform our first family carving. I’m keeping it tradition with triangle eyes and a jagged tooth this year, but I promised something better next year.

Hope you and your family all give this full body pumpkin workout a try. If you do, please let me know how you liked (or didn’t like) it. Of course, if you don’t have a good squash laying around weights, a medicine ball, or body weight will work too.

Have a great weekend!

Life, Parenting

Four Words Per Picture 3: October in Review

10/30/2015 R.C. Liley 2 Comments

I know the most exciting day in October is tomorrow and I’m missing out on reviewing our full month, but I’m sure our Halloween adventures will be enough for their own post. Besides , this is the last Friday of the month, so I’m sure all anyone wants to do is look at pictures, not read paragraphs from the mind of some stay-at-home dad. Although, I hear he’s a pretty cool guy…

These are mostly in chronological order, but I’m not making any promises, if you even cared. 🙂

Mom was not home.

No time for cooking.

Testing her balance skills.

Our backyard project helper.

Where did she go?

Moving up in strength.

Seesaw with the family.

A visit to G-Ma’s.

Bored in the kitchen.

She feeds herself breakfast!

And returns the plate!

Camping with my love.

My wrist never hurt.

Back ride on Mommy.

Special delivery from NuttZo!

Almost independent at dinner.

Two year molar terror!

Helping Daddy make pancakes.

I love G-Ma’s hair!

Working abs with Mommy.

Breakfast at MY table!

Our crazy pumpkin family.

Still squatting every day.

Our pumpkin has grown!

That concludes our pictures for October, minus the last day, Halloween, which will obviously have its own post.

One update I figured you don’t want a picture for is that I had another lapse of staph. Thankfully, I recognized the pain in my ass and my very intelligent wife made me go to the doc. I’m currently on freakin’ antibiotics (not a fan but know they are needed for this) and hopefully they’ll wipe (pun intended) the staph clear.

Hope you have a great weekend and be safe trick-or-treating. We’re taking Avery out, but not collecting candy.

Are you going trick-or-treating?

Any other plans for the weekend?

Throwback Thursday

How Much Will A Pumpkin Grow in A Year? #TBT

10/29/2015 R.C. Liley 2 Comments

For her first Halloween, we dressed Avery as a pumpkin, and this year we’re using the same costume again. For one, it saves money, and two, we’re taking advantage before she has a say in her choice of costume.

It’s already happening with her clothes and diapers, and if we pick the wrong color, you’d think the apocalypse had arrived! Just like last year, Going Mom’s work had a fun Halloween event for the kiddos, so Avery and I made a trip to the event to see Mommy and friends/co-workers.

Selfie with my little pumpkin before going in to Mommy's work! — Selfie with my little pumpkin before going in to Mommy’s work!

She might’ve been in the same costume, but a lot changed since the first year. The biggest change was that she could use her own legs to walk around instead of carrying her everywhere. We thought she’d be shy around all the other kids and adults, but she proudly stated “I’m a pumpkin” when people asked, and she was quite playful.

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She even played football with a baby boy.

He was clearly not interested in the oblong ball as his costume makes it apparent he’s into basketball.

We had a few breakdowns while there, mainly because she wanted to go up and down the stairs (just like her dad!), but all in all, it was a great time. I enjoyed seeing/meeting everyone and getting to show off our beautiful, constantly growing pumpkin. Here she was in the costume last year…

….Fast forward to this year and….

Whoa, it takes a totally new camera angle! So, to answer the question of how much will a pumpkin grow in a year, I’d have to go with A LOT!

Our family pic with “the pumpkin” last year looked a little like this…

When compared to this year’s pic….

…..yeah, must be something in the good food and breast milk. Not only did our pumpkin grow more than double in size, she grew in terms of crazy too.

Or, maybe we all did. Who knows? Isn’t that just part of being a parent?

Have you reused the same costume for your kid or yourself before?