Category Archives: Parenting

Squat Every Day Routine + An Open Garage Door Violation

09/19/2015 R.C. Liley 3 Comments

Both sound crazy, right? Who could/would squat every day, and what’s with getting a violation for having your garage door open?! Well, both are current happenings in the Going household, but only one is actually crazy.

Yeah, the violation for a freakin open garage door! Our neighborhood Facebook page was filled with comments from so many of our neighbors all fired up from receiving the same waste-of-ink-and-paper violation. One neighbor mentioned how she was just going in and out putting up groceries when they took a picture of her open garage door “violation”.

Seriously, are we paying dues to our HOA to have someone go around and take pictures of our homes and then send them to us in the mail saying an open garage door is wrong? All I know is that I will continue to have our garage door open as I please. The neighborhood is currently plotting how we’ll send our own violation notices to these people for things that actually pose a concern and detract from our neighborly appeal. I’ll let you know more as the plot thickens.

What’s even more irritating is that Avery and I actually were using the garage then. In fact, with the current strength routine I’m following, Cory Gregory’s Squat Every Day, I’ll be using it *gasp* every day. So, to our ever so protective HOA, here’s a calendar for you to see I will, in fact, be using my garage EVERY. DAY.

The day they took the picture, Monday, September 14th, was my first official starting day. If the photographer stuck around a little longer, they would’ve seen a Daddy-Daughter Duo rocking our squats.

She’s moving up from her body weight squat days and using a ~~wooden rod~~ Olympic barbell now. I had to correct her form a little and let her know to keep a serious face when “going heavy”. She did better on the next set…

Just to be clear, I wasn’t actually making her do squats. Like all kids, they absorb everything their parents do and she has taken to many forms of exercise to mimic Mommy and Daddy. Another good one is overhead press.

Watch out, boys, this girl can hold her own! So, to all parents, let your kids see you being active and healthy, including cooking in the kitchen, and chances are, they’ll want to do the same. Free tip o’ the day there.

Back to the Squat Every Day program, I’m loving it. I am one of those guys who has to do something active every day or I get irritable. It’s like a drug; one that only I can prescribe and follow. Only a week in, but I know I’m “addicted”.

This doesn’t mean it’s easy, squatting with a heavy barbell every day takes a lot of mental and physical fortitude, but that’s why it’s great. One of my favorite athletes, Dean Karnazes, has an excellent quote that I completely abide by.

Who’s guilty of doing this? I was years ago, but now I get out of my comfort zone on a daily basis which, ultimately, keeps me happier. Of course, this mentality is why I am still dealing with a stress fracture in my foot, but refuse to let it get me down.

Yes, I realize there is such thing as an unhealthy addiction to healthy things like exercise, and I can’t deny I’m on the borderline of this diagnosis. I’ve toned down what I do for exercise, though, and instead of high mileage running, I’ve found lifting to be better for me all around.

Over the course of my first week on the program, I PR’d on front squat at 210 lbs for one rep (1-RM). I felt good and could’ve gone for another 5 lbs at least, but figured I’d save it for the next week. My current back squat 1-RM is 280 lbs and I’m hoping to surpass that next week too. As a 160 lb 5’10 male, I’m happy with these numbers, but want more, and so far squatting every day seems like it might get me there.

Next weekend I will be going to the 20th Annual At-Home Dads Convention in Raleigh, NC and am getting pumped about meeting other dad of my kind and obtaining vast amounts of knowledge about being a father/husband from the more experienced dads/husbands out there. Not that I think I’m doing a bad job already. Right, Kelley and Avery? They seem happy enough….

Well, at least Going Mom does, Avery is too concerned about the outside all day every day (ha, like squatting!).

I’m excited about the trip for the convention, but can’t allow to put off my squatting every day, so hopefully the “free weights” our hotel has includes a squat rack. Otherwise, I’ll be on the lookout for a local gym. Anyone know of one? I will not miss a day!

More on the convention as it gets closer or just when I get back and have stories (all good of course) to tell. For now, we’re continuing our backyard landscaping project along with, you guessed it, squatting this weekend. Oh, and cue Beavis & Butthead singing Breaking the Law, because look what we’re doing…

Do you have any ridiculous HOA or other violations to share? Did you “comply” or continue to “break code”?

Ever hear of the Squat Every Day Program? Would you try or have you already?

Life, Monthly List, Parenting, Photo Journal

22 Month Photo Session + Posing As The 7 Dwarfs

09/18/2015 R.C. Liley 4 Comments

This month’s photo session was more rushed than most of the previous ones, so our picture count was minimal in comparison. Luckily, Avery graced the camera with several expressions earlier in the day that I felt compelled to share.

Okay, so I always feel compelled to share, but these pictures aren’t just like the random photos I always take. Fine, you got me again, they are, but after looking through them, I noticed a close semblance to The Seven Dwarfs. Some more than others, but close nonetheless.

All I was doing was snapping photos and never asked her to make any of the faces. This makes it even more astonishing (at least to me) that she hit mimicked the munchkin Snow White characters without having ever seen the movie. See for yourself and tell me if I’m just crazy or if you can see it too.

Doc – It’s like she’s listening with a stethoscope, and she’s obviously wearing a look of concern for others.

Happy – That smug look may not be an ear-to-ear grin, but you certainly can’t say she’s not happy here.

Sneezy – If “Scaredy” was the name, this would be more appropriate, but I would argue she’s gearing up for a big sneeze here!

Bashful – She even has those cute cheeks fluffed up from holding everything in.

Dopey – If you were to pose as Dopey, wouldn’t you do something like this too?

Sleepy – Spot. On.

Grumpy – Her face might say “Happy”, but just read the sign language for her true feelings…..

My first thought, when going through these pictures, was of the Three Wise Monkeys who “Hear no evil, see no evil, and speak no evil”, but then the dwarfs came to mind. The pictures for Doc (Hear no evil), Bashful (Speak no evil) and Sleepy (See no evil) were the ones I felt fit best. Yes?

Now for the 22 month photo session. I only have a few to share this month, hence my dwarf pose pictures above to fulfill the multi-pictures I usually do. First, we took her by surprise with a quick snap of the camera…

Avery quickly caught on and flashed us a grin as she raised her super flexible leg. She seriously puts her feet to face with ease, and does so quite often.

Then my wife and I both spouted out several pose commands at once while I waved my arms like a crazy ape in order to get her to smile. The result?

Not impressed, not the slightest. But, the mention of cheese (the actual food) made her smile and say it out loud. Going Mom was quick with the camera and caught the quick showing of her pearly whites which marked the end of our session.

Really, that pic should be her Happy dwarf pic. There you have it, our 22 month old posing as characters she’s never seen and giving one big grin for her monthly photo session.

Ack! I just thought of how we’ll soon be saying her age in years! Isn’t 2 the norm for when you do that? Or is it still acceptable to go by months? If so, for how long?

Do you have any pictures of your kids that bear semblance to movie (cartoon or real) characters?

Food, Going Healthy, Life, NuttZo, Parenting, WIAW

What My Toddler Eats In A Day 2 + WIAW

09/16/2015 R.C. Liley 1 Comment

I enjoyed the first What My Toddler Eats In A Day edition of What I Ate Wednesday so much, I thought I’d do it again. Since we don’t make special “kid menu” food, it’s basically what I ate too.

Not much else to say today, so I’ll get right to it. Hope you enjoy and have a happy hump day! Big thanks to the host for this week’s WIAW!

Breakfast – We started with the usual morning green smoothie, or most of it, followed by a giant bowl of chocolate pumpkin oatmeal with NuttZo mixed in and a big spoonful on top.

If you think that looks like a lot, that’s because it is, but Avery can freakin’ eat! Guess I’ll take it as a compliment to my cooking…..or NuttZo is just that awesome, which it is.

Snack – I had a pear from our CSA delivery that I was going to use for our green smoothie later, but figured I’d give her a few bites. It was her first time to try and she gave the sign for more in sign language, so it won’t be her last.

She also had a whole sardine fillet from Wild Planet with zero fuss!

I expected at least a head shake, but she ate it and followed up with “That’s good!” #ProudParents

Lunch – Black bean and coconut quinoa balls.

Okay, so I’ll put my foot in my mouth since I just said we don’t do kid menu food, but I’m only half guilty. It’s still the same food, but they formed into balls so easily and made it 100 times easier to feed the crazy toddler we call daughter.

After Nap Snack Attack – There was a little oatmeal leftover from the morning, so I saved it (so close to just eating it myself!) knowing she’d want something later.

Extra NuttZo on top and she had an awesome snack to fuel a little outside playtime.

Throwing balls like a boss. Then I “threw” her a few times for fun flipping action.

Only a few, we didn’t want to lose what she just had for a snack!

Dinner – Black bean spaghetti with homemade salmon salad with mustard, zucchini, and tomatoes on top. The black bean pasta may not look all fabulous….

….but I think it makes a great cold “pasta” dish (I love cold noodles!), and it complimented the salmon salad perfectly.

Avery and I both enjoyed the dish, but the black noodles just weren’t doing it for Going Mom. So that one’s off the list for things to make my wife. Good thing it makes our little one happy since the extra I made will be her lunch!

She’s still surprising us with the good food she’ll eat, and we’re still hoping she keeps it up. Then again, it should come as no surprise since we simply keep the junk out. Half the picky eater problems I hear about can easily be solved it they were given fresh, whole foods from the start. But that’s a whole other ~~blog post~~ novel.

Do you love hot or cold noodles the best? Plain or with something mixed in?

Sardine lover or hater?