Milestones

 We've reached some serious milestones here at the Argo household lately.
Caleb is making his mama proud by eating an ice cream cone all by himself.

 We're still working on our proper technique.

 Judson is all about standing up these days.

 We call him our little wild man because he often falls over like this:

(I didn't mean to take a picture of him falling, but he just so happened to fall just as I was trying to capture a picture of him pulling the pan out of the cabinet.)  But the good news is that he usually gets back up and returns to whatever he was doing.  His perseverance is inspiring (and sometimes annoying).
 Mission accomplished!

 Next up:  surfing!  Or maybe just walking.  I am predicting that he will be walking before his first birthday (in just a few weeks!). 

Wren is standing up too, although not with the fervor that Judson has.  She's perfectly content to crawl around for now.
Wren's hair is getting long, and it hangs right in front of her eyes.  I try to pull it back with a hair tie or a bow, but that little girl can expertly pull those things out like it's nothing.  I guess the mother/daughter struggle over hair styling has begun.

One thing both babies love is their little red car.  We'll often find them both crammed inside it vying to be the "driver."

I guess they're used to being crammed together in tight spaces.

I don't want to hear them complaining about having to share a car when they turn 16!  They've done it before, and they will do it again!
Every day is full of excitement around here, waiting to see what new skill one of our children acquires!  Before too long, they will quite literally all be running circles around us (while probably eating ice cream cones)!  Heaven help us.

Four Minutes

Think you don't have time to exercise?  Do you have four minutes to spare?  That's all it takes to make fitness improvements using Tabata training!

What exactly is Tabata training?  It's where you do twenty seconds of very intense exercise followed by ten seconds of rest for a total of at least four minutes.  When I say "very intense,"  I mean very intense - as in, twenty seconds is about all you could do of that particular exercise at that intensity level.  You should need a break after twenty seconds.  After your ten second break [let's be honest - ten seconds isn't exactly a break, but it should feel good (albeit short) after your intense exercises], you repeat it all again seven more times (for a total of eight sets).

You can do the same exercise for each set.  For example, you could do jump squats for all eight sets.  Or you can mix it up, doing different exercises each set.  The key is that each set is as intense as you can make it for those twenty seconds.

When I do Tabata training, I like to mix up the exercises for some variety and to make sure that I can really give it my all each set.  Keep the exercises simple and effective.  Here's the group of exercises I did last week during a Tabata training session:

1.  Jump Squats

2.  Mountain Climbers

3.  Lunge Jumps

4.  Burpees

5.  Lateral Jumps

6.  Single Leg Burpees

7.  Single Leg Burpees (on the other leg)

8.  Plie Squat Jumps

If you only had an extra four minutes for exercise in a particular day, you could do this and be done. 

The reason Tabata training is so great is that you can accomplish in four minutes what it would have taken you to accomplish in 30 minutes of steady state cardio (like walking at a moderate pace).  You burn more calories during the workout and after the workout because of the after burn effect of this type of training.  Plus, because you are working at such a high intensity, you're increasing your fitness level - much more so than steady state cardio.  I also like how quickly it moves, making it less likely that you'll just quit because you get bored. 

If you had more time on your hands and were looking for a serious sweat session, here are some other options: 

1.  String two or three sets together (for a total workout of eight or twelve minutes).  If you're going for this long, I recommend varying the exercises, as 16-24 sets of anything is a bit much (and increases your chances of an overuse injury).  A note of caution here:  the longer your Tabata session goes, the more likely it is that you will not be working at the intensity level needed for it to actually be true Tabata training (because you may be too tired to really push your limits).  If your intensity level starts to drop, next time stick with a shorter session but maintain that high intensity throughout.  Twelve minutes in a row should be your max of this type of training.

2.  Work in Tabata training into your weight lifting session.  Last week, I had about 45 minutes to fit in weights and cardio.  So I warmed up on the elliptical for a few minutes, then I did three super sets of three weight lifting exercises.  After completing the three super sets, I did one round of the exercises listed above (for a total of four minutes).  Then I did all of that two more times (using different weight lifting exercises for each round).  By the end, I was tired and sweaty - the way you should be at the end of a workout! 

The next time you're short on time but need to fit in a workout, try one of these options.  The only rules:  warm up for a few minutes before starting, keep the intervals intense (remember, you should need that ten second break), and keep the exercises simple and effective (the more complicated, the less likely they will be intense enough). 

I promise, you'll never want to go back to long steady state cardio sessions again when you have this as an effective and efficient alternative!

Working from Home

Most weekday afternoons I either close the door to my home office or head into the office to work, and Tony is left with being the sole caregiver for our three munchkins, at least for the few hours after nap time.  When I'm working at home, I can often hear the craziness and shenanigans going on from my office.  (Sometimes I have to go hide in my closet to make a phone call to a client or colleague - Maybe I'm wrong, but I think they would not appreciate the moving rendition of the ABCs playing loudly in the background as we discuss important legal matters.)  Tony never loses his cool though.  He takes it all in stride and never once complains about his difficult job. 
One day last week, I had gone into the office for the afternoon.  I came home to an empty house.  Both vehicles were accounted for.  Where was my family?  This was the sight I was greeted with coming down the road to our house:

He was single-handedly pushing all three children (in two different strollers) through our very hilly neighborhood (without a shirt on, to my neighbors' delight, I'm sure).  He's amazing!
Sometimes when I'm working from home, a straggler will get lose and break into my office when he's preoccupied with one or two of the other children.  Usually it's Caleb.  He loves to sit in my lap while I type (do you have any idea how difficult it is to type a cogent motion for summary judgment while a three year old is sitting in your lap trying to type on his own?).  Sometimes he'll go into the other office chair and say he's "working."  Daddy is usually not far behind to hurry him back to whatever activity he was doing. 
The other day, I heard a series of thuds approaching my office door as though someone were crawling towards it.  I turned around to find this:

 "Excuse me, ma'am.  I've come to apply for the office assistant position."

"I heard the dress code was business casual, so I even wore a bow in my hair to dress my outfit up a little." 
After an afternoon of working, I'll usually find everyone in our playroom or gym in the basement.  My favorite is when I can hear the music from the training montage from Rocky IV blaring from the speakers in the basement. As I make my way down the stairs, I can hear Caleb yelling, "...Seven...Eight...Nine...TEN!"  As I turn the corner into the playroom, I see Judson vigorously jumping in his jumper and Wren doing sumo squat jumps in her jumper.  Then I come into the gym to see the reason for Caleb's yelling out numbers at the top of his lungs:  he's doing pull ups, assisted by Daddy, of course.  Then as the music reaches its climax, they drop from the pull up bars and securely position the big exercise ball against the cable machine and start punching it like a punching bag, ending with the knock out blow to win the match!  Then comes the victory lap with arms raised triumphantly overhead!  (OK, maybe I was the one doing the victory lap at this point - I'm a sucker for that Rocky music!)  One thing is for certain:  all of our kids are going to ace the Presidential Fitness test when they get to school if they're already working on their pull ups!
While I'm technically the one "working" during these afternoons, I'm pretty sure that Tony's doing all the hard work, but he does it with pizazz and without complaining.  And I couldn't ask for a better person to be taking care of our kids when I can't be there.  I hope they inherit his creativity, his ability to go with the flow...and his love for Rocky-style workouts. 

Watermelon Babies

What's the best way to cool off when it's the dog days of summer?

You could go on a walk when it's just about to start pouring rain.

Our intent wasn't to get soaked, but it sure did work to cool us off.  Wren, however, did not enjoy running downhill in a serious downpour. 
Perhaps something a little less wet and a little more sweet would work...
It's unanimous:  watermelon is the most delicious and cooling summertime treat...especially when it's fresh from Papaw's garden.  The babies had one bite, and they were hooked.

 I think they each had about four of these!  This was clearly the best thing to ever cross their lips.

 Their little bellies were so full I thought they would pop! 

And they were sticky from head to toe.  But their eager anticipation of the next juicy bite made the clean up completely worth it!

Caleb's First Day of Preschool 2016

Believe it or not, this little guy started preschool today.  He was so excited and nervous this morning.  He was just a ball of nervous energy while we were trying to get him to eat breakfast.

Once we pulled up to the sidewalk at the end of the carpool line, he was ready to go.  The nice lady at the preschool helped him out of the van, and off he went.  No tears from him.  Mommy, on the other hand...

When he got home, I tried to pry from him what he did at school, but his lips were sealed.  But he seemed to have fun, and he's looking forward to going back next week!
Now if you'll please excuse me, I must go finish our homework for next week (I had no idea that would start so early!)...

Reflections on College and Beyond

 My cousin Madalyn left to go to college this week.  She was born when I was 16 - still practically a baby myself.  It's hard to believe that she's already old enough to be leaving the nest (and that I'm old enough to remember when she was a baby!).
We had a party to wish her well on her new adventure in life this past Sunday, complete with pizza, lasagna, cake and lots of babies, of course!

All of this hubbub got me thinking about my college and law school experience (the good and the bad) and about what advice I would give to my eighteen-year-old self (and to Madalyn and my kids), so here it is:  my top eleven pieces of advice for starting college:
1.  Remember where you came from!
2.  Remember why you are there...to learn!  Yes, you're there to learn about whatever your classes are about, but you're also there to learn about the world and yourself.  Take notes!
3.  Branch out in your friend selection.  It's easy to flock to people who are just like you, but you're in a setting that is extra-diverse.  Take advantage of that and meet different types of people.
4.  Step out of your comfort zone.  You'll never know if you like ballroom dancing or opera unless you take that class (yes, I took both of those classes in college!).
5.  No amount of studying can replace a good night's sleep.  When you're tempted to stay up cramming for your midterms, put the books down, set your alarm for a little earlier than normal, go to bed, and then get up refreshed and finish your studying.  This worked for me all through college, law school, and studying for the bar exam.
6.  Show grace to your roommates whenever you can.  You're going to be tempted to get mad when so-and-so doesn't empty the dish washer or so-and-so doesn't ever take her clothes out of the dryer.  Remember, there's going to be things that you're going to do that annoy your roommates too, and you're going to want them to cut you some slack.  This will serve you well later in life...especially when you get married.
7.  Study abroad!  It will change your perspective on life.
8.  Don't forget to take care of your body as well as your mind.  You need good food, water, and exercise for your body and mind to work at their peak.  Man cannot live on pizza and wings alone!
9.  Go to class.  Yes, some professors don't have any attendance requirements, but there's something about just being present during a lecture that makes a world of difference when it comes to studying and taking exams.
10.  Don't live in yoga/pajama pants and t-shirts.  When you go to class, put in a little effort to look presentable.  I really think you learn better that way.
11.  There's no place like home.  After you've been away from home for a while, you really come to understand this.  When things don't go your way (and trust me, they won't always go your way) or you just miss your mom's spaghetti, you can always go back home for a little while to be with the people who love you most.

Make us proud, Madalyn (I know you will)!  We'll be praying for you!

A Boy and His Guitar

Ever since Caleb saw Grandpa's, Mr. Tim's, and John Caden's guitars (and Mommy's viola and banjo), he's been intrigued by musical instruments.  Tony made him this makeshift "guitar" from a pizza box and rubber bands:

It didn't last very long, so we decided to make the ($30) investment for the "real" thing (in actuality, it's a ukulele, but it's the perfect size for Caleb!).  He plays it every day and especially enjoys tuning it (or perhaps I should say un-tuning it).

Perhaps this is the beginning of a beautiful relationship between this boy and his guitar.