This summer Luke and I have been trying to do a science experiment a week but the most noteworthy science experiment by far has been his first which took 2 weeks in the making....
.....and it is the one I am most proud of him for!
At the beginning of summer Luke came to me complaining that he hated his little tummy...he has made comments before about it and it honestly breaks my heart that he even thinks about weight at such a young age (9 years old tomorrow..the 26th). He has always been a "sturdy" boy even as a little little guy...that's just his build. However, people have made comments about his size before in front of him...not meaning to be hurtful but I am afraid he is internalizing some of these words. Poor little guy even tried to stick up for one of his friends once at school who was being called "weirdo" and the bullies turned on him and said, "Be quiet fatty".....ooooh not a good night in the Foreman household as this mom was ready to knock some little kids block off!! ;)
So, as he shared with me earlier this summer his concerns again... we had ourselves a good little heart to heart and I shared with him that losing weight is actually just math and science (his 2 favorite subjects) and that it can actually be fun...add this, eliminate that, and over time you get results. He seemed intrigued by the concept. So, I proposed a 2 week "science experiment" of eliminating desserts and soda from our diets and seeing what results we would get after 2 weeks. He responded as I had hoped and told me, "Mom, that's a challenge I'm up for"....
I have to say Luke was so faithful and so determined...even reminding Toby at an Angel's game they went to that he did not want any soda while they were there! I also have to say the two weeks also coincided with many intense 2 hour baseball practices for All Stars which I am sure helped produce the results he got......but drumroll please.....after weighing himself on the Wii Fit both before and after the 2 weeks he lost nearly 3 pounds. He grinned from ear to ear when he saw it on the screen.
THAT....I must say was one very successful science experiment!!
And it was also a good life lesson about food in general, that eating is okay (he is definitely a 3 square meal kind of kid) but eliminating the "bad kind of foods" is important.
So presents my next topic.... Chef Luke and his Little Helper....
Just because one is not eating desserts or consuming soda doesn't mean one must starve. As part of our Camp Intentional plans Luke has been making dinner once a week. I give him a cookbook to look through and he decides what's on the menu for the night.... the pictures below were from the following menu...all chosen and cooked by Chef Luke.
The MenuCowboy Tri-tipSour cream mashed potatoesCorn on the cobFruit kabobs
This is what Luke called his "Mango Tango" drink creation...adding a little of this and a little of that to create a yummy drink which he insisted be served in champagne glasses ;)
As for little Reid...well....let's just say he didn't mind the dinner but preferred the placemat, sorry Luke! ;)
No matter what these two are doing or where they are they always end up snuggled together!
As we sat down for dinner Luke pointed out the time on our outdoor clock...7:15... remarking..."Geez, cooking takes a looooong time (He started at 5:00)...and I say Amen to that, now he has a little insight into moms day!!! ;)
That's what I call a yummy success!!
6 comments:
Love the "Einstein pic"...hilarious! :)
My little Carter, my athletic, can't sit still Carter, is just a thick boy. My other boys are so skinny, and I always wonder why he isn't. But I think its just body type, not fat!
I love all these pictures and again find myself with tears in my eyes reading your blog. I also know some kids that were a little chunky in elementary school and then thinned out as they started growing taller. I know how mean kids can sometimes be and it breaks my heart for sweet Luke to be called names by them. How great he is into cooking and took your challenge-good for him. I need to cut the sweets myself LOL!
Unfortunately, a lot of kids, young kids, are worried about their weight, and these are the ones who don't need to. Hence a whole generation of soon-to-be starved (= anorexic) adults is growing up.
And then there are those whose parents SHOULD seriously look at their kids' diet: the rate of obesity in the western world is catching up on those young ones too, and fast.
It's all a question of balance. Great lesson for Luke here! Brilliant idea.
And that kid has style: Champagne glasses??? Of course!
Way to go Luke! I was thinking as I read your post how many "treats" Caleb gets in a day. I think I need to encourage him to cut those back.
I loved your idea of having Luke cook dinner one night a week - it looks like he made a great dinner! You are such an amazing mom Cheri!
Hmmm you have given me some interesting ideas there Cheri! I should let WiiBoy make some dinners here. Although he did help me make pizza yesterday. he would seriously LOVE making his own drink concoction.
You know, he has a similar problem with his tummy. He doesn't mention it much so I don't either. His tummy has always been distended (possibly bowel trouble) but now he has some bad eating habits that compounds the issue.
It's never easy, eh??!!
I think I could benefit from your science experiment too! xx Jazzy
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