Solomon-Strutz.com

Tonight I’m watching SKIN on Netflix. Yes, a very exciting New Year’s Eve at the Solomon-Strutz household. For those who have not seen the movie it is about Sandra Laing, a black child born in the 1950s to white Afrikaners, unaware of their black ancestry. I’ve seen several movies regarding apartheid South Africa but this one resonated with me since it focused on raising children that others indicate don’t “look” like you.

I know so many couple that are raising biracial children and many of them probably have heard several of the following comments: Is that your baby? Your baby has “good” hair! Your kids must look just like their father/mother. I know that my mixed children might encounter some hardships but we all do. What leads a biracial child to adopt a particular racial identity? I struggled at first thinking about how can I share both my heritage and my husband’s with my kids. Ultimately, as long as they are raised in a family where they are taught to celebrate diversity and appreciate an upbringing with various cultures they can only succeed.

Nicholas and Akilah

A couple years ago Jason took a stab at P90X. He ended up losing about 20 pounds and I loved doing the P90X workouts. However, once the kids demanded a bit more of our time sticking to the Nutrition Plan and fitting in daily hour long work-outs was difficult. Then the promotions for P90X2 began. Not sure what made Jason buy the latest set of workout DVDs but I’m glad he did. Now let’s see if we both can get ripped.

I had Jason take the infamous Day 1 pictures so I guess it’s time to get started.

175lbs my starting weight

My Thoughts about X2 Core vs. Core Synergistics: I loved loved LOVED Core Synergistics and watching Pam the Blam get down to business with Tony Horton. I could feel each set through my entire body and it really encouraged me that the workout was working. I couldn’t feel the burn on each exercise in X2 Core and a lot of that had to do with me not being able to finish all the sets. Perhaps some of that I can blame on just having led a 2-hour TKD class.

Nonetheless the X2 Core definitely takes balance and patience. So I’m encouraged that as I continue to work at it I can improve the number of sets that I complete. I’m excited to be able to actually do more than four Dreya Rolls with a medicine ball at a time. The DVD also encourages using a foam roller, stability ball and medicine ball so it seems to push the gadgets/equipments down your throat. Luckily I already owned a stability ball and medicine ball so there was not need to run to the store (might need to add some air to my stability ball). Then I modified the stretches performed with the foam roller but will more than likely spend $15 and grab one to get the full benefit. Not sure how I would have felt if I didn’t already own most of the equipment.

Jason is feeling under the weather so he’ll more than likely start after the holidays in 2012. However, I have already been testing out cooking a couple of the recipes in the P90X2 Nutrition Guide. Thumbs Up on both Bruschetta Chicken and Broiled Lemon Basil Salmon. Aside from the time (marinate for at least an hour) it was easy to cook and delicious. So far… so good. Looking forward to Plyocide!

It began Tuesday evening as I mixed up all the ingredients for my sweet potato pies and buttered the rolls. Yes, I decided that despite traveling to four different locations during Thanksgiving I would prepare a small meal on Wednesday. The menu was simple, cornish hens, green beans with potatoes and turkey ham, baked macaroni and cheese, the good rolls, salad and sweet potato pies for dessert. I love the frozen Rhodes rolls that have to rise for several hours prior to baking so I preheated the oven and filled two baking sheets. The sweet potatoes were boiled and begging to be a become delicious dessert. Overall I would rate the dinner a C-. The A average for the sides and dessert and then a D for the main entree.

Unfortunately, instead of just doing a traditional seasoning for the cornish hens or using the my old faithful Jamaican jerk seasoning I looked up a lemon juice herbed recipe. So the main entree was plenty bland but the sides and dessert received my blessings. Overall, friends and family were over and there was plenty of food so win-win. Next earlier morning drive to south suburbs for Thanksgiving lunch at my Momma’s. As the evening progresses will move over to the Deere’s to see my Dad and the Solomon family. On Friday it is off to the Quad cities to spend time with the Strutz family. Then we’ll finish in Champaign with Jason’s mom for another Thanksgiving feast.

It’s hard to ignore it with all the decoration in the stores. Halloween is approaching. As a child I don’t recall dressing up or going trick or treating. I spent most of my Halloween evenings at church and had a ton of fun. However, Jason did grow up dressing up and going trick or treating so I enjoy buying costumes for the kids. My son has a huge imagination like most children his age but unfortunately my sewing skills won’t fit the bill. So Nicholas and I spent the evening looking online for Halloween costumes for the family.

Nicholas’s first costume idea was “The Masked Retriever” based on the The Backyardigans episode. http://www.nickjr.com/kids-videos/backyardigans-the-mask-retriever.html However, I’m not very found of the Uniqua character in the show. I mean couldn’t they come up with another animal (penguin, moose, kangaroo, hippo and then Uniqua). I keep waiting for Nicholas to ask what type of animal she is and I’ll respond “whatever your imagination wants her to be”. Anyway a pink spotted librarian bounty hunter was too complicated a costume.

Next we moved on to movies that Nicholas enjoyed. I was shocked when he decided he didn’t want to be Lighting McQueen. So I suggested Dash from The Incredibles and then he proceeded to run around the house for 15 minutes. I teetered on the idea of the entire family dressing up for a photo opportunity but I quickly nixed that thought. Finally, Nicholas decided he wanted to be Simba from the Lion King and Akilah could be Nala. Now I guess I’ll let the kids polish off the left-over Easter candy this month so they can enjoy whatever they collect from trick or treating.