moonbridgebooks

We are tired of having our power go on and off due to recent ice storms. We have been very lucky not to lose electricity for too long, but it is a lesson for us who have become one with our computers… and to children used to watching TV when they are not playing on the computer or with electronic games. My youngest proclaimed that we were pretending to be Amish as we read together and played games by candlelight. I was thinking more of Little House on the Prairie as our house began to chill and we had to use the fireplace. Yes, it is kind of fun to be forced to relinquish the work and have nothing else to do but play with the kids, although the winter nights seem very long in the dark – makes you want to go to bed early.

Another unfortunate event around here put our small seemingly idyllic suburban town into the national spotlight as two kidnapped boys were found stashed in an apartment here the other day. Every mother and many fathers must have cried with relief to see the boys reunited with their families. It was a time to hug our children and tell them again to never let a stranger get near, especially when he is in a vehicle.

Well, the unfortunate events had a silver lining of giving us time together without the intrusion of electronics and work, and we are so happy that not one but two missing boys were found. Now I must get back on track with my New Year’s resolution to exercise. Losing electrical power is not an excuse for losing will power!

Linda Austin
“Cherry Blossoms in Twilight”
http://www.moonbridgebooks.com

Happy New Year! I have eaten all the leftover cookies and am ready to begin exercising to lose some weight. Forget the quarts of my favorite Oberweiss peppermint ice cream in the freezer. I have, for the past few days, been spending some time each evening working with 5-lb handweights. You can do a lot with those, combining arm exercises with leg squats and waist twists. I even do the arm exercises at the same time as the leg squats or twists in order to save time. And I can do this while watching Jay Leno! Talk about multi-tasking.

This brings the thought to my mind that exercising can be a family affair. My 10-year-old likes to lift those handweights, too – don’t ask me how her waifish body can hold up those heavy weights. I suppose I can buy her a lighter set and teach her how to handle them correctly. Another thing she likes to do is yoga. I took a few years of yoga classes at the excellent Health Advantage Center, Inc., in Herndon, VA. I tell people that yoga saved my life during a particularly stressful time. I learned how to breathe and relax. It is a wonderful thing to teach others. My daughter and her friend like to follow my lead, doing various poses while a scented candle burns nearby. I ought to do that regularly. Kicking a soccer ball around the backyard with the kids will take my breath away; I prefer briskly walking the dog – he’s family! – and my daughter and her friend like to come along, too. My goal is to make time for my health.

These days when the newspapers are crying warnings about overweight children (along with their parents) it might be a fun New Year’s resolution to get in shape together. The family that sweats together…

*click on the sidebar entry to visit Amazon’s books on yoga for children

Linda Austin
“Cherry Blossoms in Twilight”
http://www.moonbridgebooks.com