All posts by R.C. Liley

I'm an ex-mutual fund accountant who left the cubicle world to be a stay-at-home dad to my beautiful little girl, Avery, who entered our life on 11/15/13 and handsome little boy, Wes, who joined our family on 11/19/17. Also happily married to my wife, Kelley, as of 8/17/07. Sorry ladies... :) Fitness and nutrition is of the utmost importance in our family and we strive to reflect this in our daily life. I always prepare our meals at home and only go out if it's a special occasion, and even then I tend to not get much. Food should be fun and a joy to eat, not something quickly consumed from a fast food chain or scarf down before the next meeting. I have come from strictly logging high miles to train for the next marathon to keeping exercise varied and focusing more on strength. I still enjoy going for a run when I can, but nothing crazy, and I prefer hill sprints while pushing my daughter, Avery in the stroller. She loves it and I get a great workout! I want to show the world how to appreciate their body and feed it real, wholesome food while moving more throughout the day. In doing so, everyone would be healthier, happier, and we'd all live in a better place as a result. I blog mainly about my life as a stay-at-home dad and frequently include reviews, participate in campaigns, and share my thoughts on fitness and nutrition. If you ever have any questions or thoughts to share, please reach out as I'm always open to listening or helping others however possible. That is, when I have free time since Avery is and my wife are the number one priorities!

Life, Parenting

1st Week of NFL Football and I Don’t Care

09/14/2015 R.C. Liley 2 Comments

The 2015 NFL Football season has arrived! This means it’s time to gather round and sit in front of the TV to watch the big game….or a small one if you haven’t upgraded to an 80″ LED 2160p TV. 🙂

Going Mom and I enjoy watching a good game, but we don’t schedule our weekend (or a Thursday / Monday night) around it. For us, a new football season is exciting because of the changing weather and seasonal produce starting to sprout. We still care about football, but we don’t care about all of the excitement from the 1st week of the season. I was involved with sports betting a few years ago, and hated how much it ruled my life, so no more betting or fantasy leagues for me. Although, a lot has changed in the betting world since I dabbled in it. For example, now that sports betting tennessee websites are up and running, this would make it a lot easier for me!

Every year, as the football season approaches, you can feel the excitement all around with stores stocking their aisles with “the essentials”, new TV deals suddenly seem more abundant, and Fantasy Football drafts going on everywhere. And that’s completely cool, but over the years, I’ve found that I’ve lost interest in football hubbub.

Yep, years ago we used to chime in with the excitement, but with each passing season, my wife and I shared the dying of the football flame. Like I said, we enjoy watching football, but most certainly can not sit through an entire game, and will only watch if doesn’t get in the way of whatever else we’re doing.

Take, for example, this past weekend with the first week of the NFL season, we totally forgot because we were focused on cooking, exercise, landscaping projects, and enjoy the outdoors. When we weren’t pinned down by our crazy toddler that is.

Besides, we are more college football fans, and follow our Oklahoma Sooners more than any NFL team. We missed the game against Tennessee (see above reason), but got the highlights, and wow, sorry we didn’t see it! Go Sooners! Although, Avery’s reaction to Mommy’s OU jersey isn’t very promising that she’ll be a fan of our alma mater.

I grew up with a step-dad who sat around watching TV a lot which didn’t leave a good impression. Now, as a father myself, I don’t want Avery to see me staring at a TV when we could be playing together as a family or just sitting and reading to her.

We actually turned on part of a game this weekend and Avery fell silent and just stared at the TV. Our fun, rambunctious little girl turned into a zombie locked in on the bright screen with no awareness of what was going on around her. That was the end of TV for the weekend.

Again, we don’t hate football, and as I said already, enjoy watching a good game, but what I’m saying is that I don’t care that it’s the first week of the season. Probably won’t think much about the second week either. I’ll still root for the Cowboys (just checked and saw that was an awesome win against the Giants) since, by default, they’re our home team, and follow the Sooners a little more, but no matter the outcome, life will go on for us. I was involved with sports betting a few years ago, and hated how much it ruled my life, so more betting or fantasy leagues for me.

What did we do for the 1st week of the NFL season? Well, my wife planned out and started her next backyard landscaping project and I started a new strength routine along with cooking multiple meals including our local, pastured chicken from our CSA. I’m severely deficient with gardening and landscaping, so I helped in the form of manual labor. I see it as an extra workout, Kelley gets my help, it’s a win-win!

In sum, I feel it’s too easy to get wrapped up into the games as I have done in the past, and find it much more rewarding to keep away and be productive around the house. Then, once everything’s done, maybe we can sit down at night to catch the end of a good game.

Did you watch any football this weekend?

Excited about Monday Night Football tonight?

Do you like NFL or College better? Or, like me, don’t get too wrapped up in either?

Life, Parenting

Typical Conversations With Our Toddler

09/12/2015 R.C. Liley 2 Comments

At almost 22 months old (seriously, time, just stop for a change), our toddler daughter seems to increase her vocabulary every day. Not that it’s a big surprise with how much time we spend reading to her as well as her reading by herself.

Reading usually occurs sans animals, but Nana’s dog was adamant about sticking around for the ending.

I figured I would share some of the typical conversations we have with Avery at this stage in her toddler career. Obviously, they are less like conversations and more like us asking a lot of different questions with one syllable, hard to distinguish answers. Or just going through asking what noise *insert animal* makes.

When she’s getting fussy and we can’t figure out why or it’s just because she wants us to give her something she can’t have, we’ll bust out with the animal sound questions…

Us: What does the kitty say?
Avery: La (sometimes it’s more of a meow, but not quite yet)
Us: What does the owl say?
Avery: Who-who
Us: Ummm, what does the dog say?
Avery: ruff
Us: How about the pig?
Avery: very soft snorting noise I’m not sure how to spell out
Avery: getting fussy again
Us: Uhhh……what does the bear say?
Avery: rooaarrrr <—-cutest thing ever!

Just recently, when we’re changing her and just took off her pajamas, she gets upset if she’s not wearing a shirt.

Avery: Shit, shit, shit
Us: What?
Avery: *pointing at our shirt* Shit!
Us: Oh, you want a shirt?
Avery: Yesshh
Us: Okay, what color do you want?
Avery: Pink (this was the first color she could say, so it’s always her first color question response)
Us: Would you like this green one with the Ninja Turtles?
Avery: Yesshh
Us: We’ll put it on right after changing your diaper. What color diaper do you want?
Avery: Pink
Us: How about this one, what color is it?
Avery: Pink………bllluuueee
Us: Yes, good job dear! You’re so smart!
Avery: I smaahht

And then, quite often, there are times where it’s just a drawn out guessing game. She’s fussy and only getting worse by the second…

Avery: Uh, ugh, ugh….bla
Us: What do you want sweetie?
Avery: bla baaa, laa
Us: I don’t understand what that is, dear. Do you want another book?
Avery: nnnn, bla bla baaa
Us: Still don’t know, does something hurt?
Avery: *reaching up but not really towards anything* blaaa laaa
Us: *finally realizing…we think* Oh, you want water?
Avery: Yesshhhhh

So apparently “W’s” are hard to pronounce right now. No worries, we have plenty of time to learn. Since a toddler is usually around the ages of one and three, I see follow-up posts in our future, and maybe by then she’ll at least have “water” down.

There are plenty of other “conversations” we have with Avery in a day, but these seem to be the most frequent so far. But with a constantly growing list of words she can say, including high chair, bear, book, swing, slide, mow, squats, shorts, mom, glasses, phone, trash, pig, squash, and most of the primary colors, our talks are sure to get more interesting. Oh yeah, she started saying No, which is already proving to be a problem. Apparently for the both of us….

What are your little ones saying right now or what did they say when they were toddlers?

Any plans for the weekend?

Life, Parenting

Mom vs Dad: The Favorites Phase

09/11/2015 R.C. Liley 6 Comments

Is anyone else annoyed with how things that toddlers do are quickly labeled as a phase? Saying “Oh, little Susie took off her diaper and is peeing on the floor? Yeah, that’s a phase, it’ll end soon.” or “Tommy keeps hitting is dad in the privates. It’s just a phase, hopefully he’ll stop.”

Whatever the action, calling it a “phase” just seems like the easy way out. Hey, maybe it is a phase, but c’mon, maybe our kids are acting out for some other reason, maybe we’re not doing something right.

That’s how I feel when Avery acts appalled when I simply acknowledge her presence and ask her a question or just say “Hi”.

WTF?! What do you want, Dad, I’m busy clinging to Mom!

This usually occurs in the morning when Going Mom is home and all Avery cares about is being stuck to her side. I swear, she’s like lint on a fleece blanket right out of the dryer. I may or may not of just finished removing lint from said fleece blanket…..

Kelley reassures me it’s just a phase, as we’ve used to explained many things Avery has done and is doing, but it still hurts regardless. When you crouch down with arms open wide and ask for a hug from your kid and all they do is run the other way crying (seriously), it’s hard not to feel like scum.

It comes and goes in waves, but each time is no less severe than the last, I take it like a hard punch to the gut, only in my heart. I know, I know, not trying to be all “woe is me”, but I don’t get it. I’m on Cloud 9 when we’re playing like the best of buds and she’s giving high-fives like a pro.

Followed by a fun flipping session and you’d think we’re always inseparable.

But then there are times when I can’t even walk up to her without her building up to let out a scream of objection from me getting too close.

Thankfully, it’s not an all day phase. Usually in the mornings and early evenings, when Mommy’s home, is when she’s in her Daddy Dislike mode. The rest of the time things are cool, with or without my dear wife there. Really, who can blame her? I love being around my wife too, maybe she just has a gift I lack. Besides the obvious boobs, people!

It could be that she lets Avery play with her phone, and, if you look to the top left, you’ll see she comes “bearing” gifts.

Now I’m just trying to rationalize. Phase or no phase, I just want our sweet girl to remain sweet to the both of us and not be repulsed at one of us at a given time. Usually that’s me, very rarely is it Mommy.

Anyone else deal with or dealt with this from their kids? If so, do you have any advice or just want to tell me to shut it and deal with it because it really is just a phase and everything will be fine? Was that a semi-loaded question? Okay, I’m done………for now.

Have a great Friday and weekend! We’re just hoping to stay away from staph and hospitals!