Family Fun Sunday

www.DrWeigh.com

The nice weather is finally here. I don't know how long it will last but I do know that I am taking advantage of every sunny second. The best part of Spring is the opportunity to (finally) get the kids out of the house. Every weekend, my family and I pick a different State Park, botanical garden, or college campus to explore. Today we brought the kids' bikes (a bike with training wheels for 6 year old Zachary and a tricycle for 3 year old Danielle). My mom even decided to join us, making the day that much more fun! Zachary and I have a tradition: we race at every opportunity. Of course, since he is on a bike and I am running, I don't stand a chance. His self-confidence SOARS every time he beats me- which is every time we race. And this year, for the first time, Danielle was able to participate. Last summer we strolled her in the stroller but this year we tried out the tricycle. We went on a three mile trail, thinking we would walk a little bit and then turn back. It didn't turn out that way! The kids were having so much fun that they wouldn't stop! Danielle tricycled the entire three mile trail. Desite a few falls along the way, she had a blast. We kept asking her if she wanted to walk a little but she was persistent. And God forbid we try to help her by giving her a little push. "Mommy, I can do it by myself!"

Of course, Zachary and I were faster since we were running/biking so we would go up a bit and then come back for the rest of the family. In all, we must have done 4 or 5 miles! And Zachary didn't want to stop either. I came to dread the phrase, "JET POWER" because I knew it meant that he was going to sprint forward and I had to use all my energy to try to catch him! It was a blast.

Even my husband was a total trooper! He woke up at 7:30 (which was like 6:30 due to daylight savings time) to play soccer with his buddies and he twisted his ankle in the game. He wouldn't let that stop him though! And my mom had already taken a sixty minute strenuous bike ride when we called to invite her to join us- but she was into it too.

The bottom line? We had a FABULOUS family day that included lots of 'exercise' that didn't feel like exercise. It felt like fun. And that is what Family Fun Sunday is all about.

Try it with your family. Go outside and explore some part of nature. You can walk, jog, run, bike, rollerblade, or even use a scooter (just be careful!) Just get outside and get moving!