Summer Bucket List- Item #3: Get my family jogging…….and maybe liking it?
My sister forced me into today’s bucket list item. I hate running. Always have. Always will. So, why would my sis come to me and “ask” me to run a 5K with her? And WHY would I say yes? Believe me…..I have asked myself that question MANY times in the last coouple months! Although, it went more like this, “WHY, LORD……OH, WHY ME?”
So, as every great wife/mom would do, I thought, “If I have to do this….then my husband and boys are going to do it, too!” Share the misery, baby….. I mean…. (clearing throat)….it would be a healthy lifestyle for our family. 
As I contemplated how I would motivate everyone to run, I knew that, “It’s good for you,” would only last about a block! At last, I stopped trying to be creative and resorted to our old stand-by motivator: sugar. They will do anything for it.
First of all……a laugh!
Just in case you are wondering…..this girl is not me! I had to resort to a stock photo. You see, I saved you from seeing a picture of me jogging. This is my “I want-to-be-like-you-when-I-grow-up” picture. Instead, when I run, I look like a fish out of water….flailing, soaking wet, and gasping for air!
Getting The Boys Jogging- The Rules
- We set goals for my boys. Each one has a different goal, based on his ability.
- At the end of each run, if they reach their goal, they will receive two chocolate chip cookies.
- After their goal becomes easy, they will set a harder goal.
The Photos
Step 1: Make the cookie dough. (Yes, I let them make it all by themselves. Aren’t you excited to eat it?)
Step 2: Using a cookie dough scoop, make the cookies into balls and place on a cookie dough sheet. Make sure they aren’t touching each other. Freeze the balls for about two hours.
Step 3: Once the dough balls are frozen solid, take them off the cookie sheet and place them in a ziploc bag. Return them to the freezer.
Step 4: Go jogging! (I’m sorry.) After completing their jogging goal, we go home and grab some of our dough balls out of the freezer. My “true children” will choose to eat the dough balls frozen solid. (just like mama) My patient children will ask me to bake the cookie balls for them. (they didn’t get that from me) If the balls are frozen solid, they will take a few extra minutes to cook.
My Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
2 sticks real butter, softened (not margarine)
1/2 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 cup chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350. Mix together softened butter, brown sugar, white sugar, egg, vanilla, soda, and cinnamon at medium speed until light and fluffy. At low speed, beat in the flour until well blended. Fold in the oats and chocolate chips. Scoop dough onto cookie sheets, 2 inches apart. Bake 10-12 minutes.
Do you jog as a family? Any words of wisdom for me…..as I approach my first 5K?
Remember to check out some other summer bucket lists from my friends below……..
Honey @ Sunflower Schoolhouse
Joy @ My Home in the Smokies
Tonya @ The Traveling Praters
Jennifer & Melissa @ Sisters ‘n Cloth
Tara @ Feels Like Home Blog
Lisa @ Creativlei
Nancy @ Proverbs 31 Jewels
Kelli @ Adventurez in Childrearing
Now that is an awesome idea! Except, I am the one that really needs to start walking/running. Perhaps if I set little goals and reward myself with a cookie dough ball, I will get the exercise I need! Thanks for sharing this!
Joy,
I can’t say that I was all that excited about the running part, either! I blame it all on my sister! She is very persuasive!
Thanks for visiting!
Jennifer
While I have no intention of jogging myself, this might be the perfect motivation to get my kids to do some of those things that they fight me on. I love chocolate chip cookies. They are actually one of the things on my summer bucket list.
Did you know that one time (about time about 10+ years ago) I made peanut butter chocolate chip cookies using bacon grease because we had no butter/margarine? They were the best cookies, ever. We can’t have peanuts anymore since my youngest daughter is allergic to them (we don’t allow any nuts in the house).
Blessings
Honey
Honey,
Bacon grease? Wow! Never would have thought of that! Very interesting! Cookies are a great motivator, though!
Jennifer
Oh goodness! There is no way I could put jogging on our Summer Bucket List. Maybe a winter, fall or spring bucket list? lol The heat is just to much for *me*! Kudos to you for making such a great choice for yourself and your family, though! And who doesn’t love chocolate chip cookies??
Melissa,
I agree about the heat! I should have thought through the timing a little better, huh? I have had to get up super early or go out right before dark in order to pull it off! Spring would have been a much better choice!
Thanks for stopping by!
Jennifer
I’m not doin it. that’s all I have to say about that.
lol – I love the cookie recipe though – pinning!!! (I have a linky on Tues – open all week called Kids in the Kitchen- this is a perfect fit)
just in case you wanna link up (don’t worry about the button or anything:
http://www.adventurezinchildrearing.com/2012/07/kids-in-kitchen-link-up-22-chewy-sugar.html
Kelli,
HA HA! See…..that it what I SHOULD have told my sister! Not doin’ it. I need to practice those words for next time……not doin’ it….not doin’ it…..
I am brand new to blogging (four months!)….so I don’t know all of the ins and outs yet! So, forgive me if I sound stupid…..A linky? Is that just a link that I would place somewhere….in your comments? on my site, linking to yours? Tell me how to do it…..and I would love to! (Please forgive me for my lack of knowledge!) Oh….I haven’t looked at your link yet…maybe that will tell me…….
Jennifer
I love your blog!!! I have three boys. These ideas are so inspiring to me today. Thank you.
Naomi!! Thanks for visiting me in my virtual home!
Jennifer