Summer Begins….

with a virus on my computer! I have not been online much at all the past few days because of a nasty virus that attacked my computer. Thankfully my computer genius husband has me up and “blogging” again. Being offline has allowed me to clean out a closet that has been getting fuller and fuller since Zachariah was born. As most know we had about 6 weeks notice of this most wonderful addition to our family, and the closet has just gotten fuller since that time. This is what it looked like after I took everything out of the closet! Whew….good news! It has all either been recycled, donated, or stored in a more organized way!

So let me rewind a few days. Last Thursday, Levi’s friend Nathan came over for a most fun play date. The kids are pictured here…catching a show during lunch so that I could enjoy a rare conversation with an adult, Nathan’s mom ,Shannon over our lunch!!!

Then on Friday, we met more friends at a local new spray park! It is most fun to have finally reached a point where I can sit and visit with my friends and watch the children play and interact and not constantly be chasing them or “herding them back” to where they are supposed to be. I recently was watching the kids “pool side” and a mom came up to me and said…honey, it gets better. I thought to myself…Lady, this IS better!!!

This is a random picture of little missy that I just thought was funny and wanted to include it!

Its Working For Us!!

Well even though I admitted yesterday that my house in far from perfect….and I mean FAR…I do like things fairly organized. A sweet friend of mine who is a mom to 7 children shared with me months ago that she organizes all like items into baggies and or tubs. This makes clean up super easy and efficient. We live in a nice sized home, but we don’t have a designated “play room.” The children have plenty of toys in their rooms, but I don’t like them spread out all over the rest of the house all the time. (Despite what pictures may have shown, that doesn’t mean I like it that way:() All of our bedrooms are upstairs in our home, but the majority of our time is spent downstairs….So I had to find a solution for the “toy problem.”
I found the solution in Levi’s preschool classroom. Every morning he is so excited to get into the room. His teacher always has activities on the table that instantly engage him set up ahead of time on trays.
So I wondered…. Would this work at home??
The past week or so, I have been setting up our “Learning Table” the night before with 3 activities/toys the kids can do when they wake up.
This has changed our mornings! Instead of waking up and crying, fussing for food right away, the kids are drawn to the toys and play while I make breakfast.
I choose 3 tubs or toys that are alike and then I put them away after we are finished with them for the day. When I say away, I mean up in the closet out of sight, that keeps them “new” for the next time I might choose them for an activity.
Last Saturday, the kids played with the 3 things on the table off and on all day long. Yes, they are allowed to bring out other toys during the day, but they have to clean those up one at a time before getting something new out.
If you are reading my blog, there is a good chance, that I read your blog too……so please post something that is working for your family too!
Like I said in my last post…we mama’s have to work together…love each other…and encourage one another.
Here’s a glance at what I have picked out for tomorrow! I do try to find a book that goes along with the “tray theme” just to help promote their interest in reading! Oh, another thing that works really well…is if you have a DVD or movie that goes with the tub. At some point in the day, play the DVD…it has been fun watching my kids imitate with their toys what they are seeing on the screen.

Mother of Prestige, Power and Purpose…not perfection!

In the past 24 hours I have had two very inspiring woman talk and write to me about the unrealistic image that our society puts on the shoulders of young moms. For some crazy reason, we feel the need to keep up with the mom next door or even the blog next door! However, I am coming to find that the mom next door’s house…is probably NOT as clean as you think!

The first REAL mom that inspired me is a friend of mine who was recently a contestant on the show The Biggest Loser, Season 8. I met Tracey years ago when her oldest daughter Hannah was in my 2nd grade class. Tracey is an amazing woman who shared her story on Friday to a group of my MOPS friends at First Baptist Church, McKinney. I want to share what Tracey spoke to us about because it is so empowering.

Tracey writes:

I had the pleasure today to speak to a wonderful group of Ladies. I started out telling them that they are not just a MOPS group.. Moms of Preschoolers.. My husband asked me what is a MOPS group.. I just looked at him I said Really!!
They are MOMS of
Prestige
Power
Purpose
They are MOMS of Preschoolers!
I have been a mom of a preschooler for many years, seems like when one was out of diapers I had another.. From temper tantrums, to picky eaters, kissing boo boos and wishing the nap time would just last a little while longer. I never really got that aspect of a nap. They get to play all day and then they are the one's that get a nap, go figure huh! That nap time is usually consumed by the MOPS mom picking up toys, cleaning up the dishes from lunchtime, folding laundry, and fielding phone calls. I can relate to these women! This is my life too, and I love it. Whenever I feel overwhelmed I always think of Abby my fellow contestant from Biggest Loser. Abby tragically lost her husband and 2 small children in a car accident. I remember Abby telling me on the ranch how she would do anything to have that overwhelming feeling of being a mom again. I reflect on those words she said to me so many times. I am so thankful to have my family to be overwhelmed with at times and when I think of her and who she is what she has gone through and she gets up to live her life everyday, it makes me fight harder to be a better mom of the P's (prestige, power, purpose, patience) A MOPS MOM!
Today as I was speaking to the group, I saw lots of heads nodding, eyes lighting up, and serious thoughts as to how these women can incorporate themselves around taking care of their families. It is a balance and there may be dirty dishes in your sink and your house may not be perfect all the time! But it can be done and there is time for you to Live the Life You Love.
Lots of questions came today
How do I feed my kids healthier? Healthy tips?
cut up your veggies ahead of time have them ready in your frig, you and your family will choose to start making better choices if you have them ready to go!!
Peanut Butter, stop buying it in a jar, grind your own, they have it Market Street, Whole Foods, Kroger. jar Peanut Butter is processed!
Try to stop feeding you and your family processed food and start eating and fixing your own food. Stop eating food from a box!!
Get creative, stop buying juice, make smoothies
Tracey's Smoothie!!
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 cup frozen cherries
1/2 cup frozen strawberries
1 banana
1/2 cup Almond Milk(I use silk brand)
add water to thin out. if you use fresh fruit instead of frozen use ice in place of water
If you like it sweeter add in 2 packets of Truvia
blend it up and you have instant smoothie!!
My kids love it!
As Moms it is so easy to get caught up in the everyday of life, and so easy to not schedule time to get a manicure or to spend with your girlfriends, or to put off reading that book to your little one, or just reading to yourself. We always feel we just don't have the time.. Make the time, do it!! No one can make you feel bad about yourself unless you let them.... keep smiling all you MOPS mom's out there!! You are raising children that may be a President one day or a teacher or a nurse or a firemen, You are raising your names sakes, and you are teaching them valuable lessons each day! How to love and how to live and now it's time live life to the fullest. So go hiking up that mountain that you think is too steep, let them run through the mud puddles and get all dirty, and leave those dishes in the sink and walk away to go play and sing in the rain with your little ones and do the Barney song and sing really really loud AHHh Ahhh Ahhh if all the raindrops were lemon drops and gum drops ohhh what a rain it would be!!!!!!
It's raining outside today as I write this blog how ironic, I"m going to go play and sing in the rain with my kids right now!!
Live the Life you Love!
Tracey

Tracey’s website is http://www.traceyyukich.com/

My 2nd challenge came from my cousin Jayna who very wisely today blogged about choosing her Babies over her Baseboards! Love it Jayna!

You can read Jayna’s heart at

http://dairygodmothers.blogspot.com/

But I am challenged tonight, to love on the mom next door, not judge her, not try to one up her. We need each other! Sure, lets share things that work for us….share things that don’t.

Most of you know that one passion I have personally is finding lots of fun and engaging activities for my kids. I blog about it all the time. People have ask me…HOW do you find the time to do all that you do with your children? And in my cousin Jayna’s words….I choose my “Babies over my Baseboards!” Here is the proof!

Kitchen: Counters covered with tons of clutter…sippys….Roses..added touch left over from Mother’s Day!

Check out our very healthy dinner tonight…boxes still on counter hours after dinner…

My formal dining table covered in mounds of laundry!

Entry Way view from door….this site scares most solicitors away:)

Zach’s room

Levi’s ..note the open drawers

Ava’s room…more open drawers….

Ok….so everyone that dared me to do this….its your turn!!!

A Blanket of Love

In honor of Mother’s Day, I will blog about a blanket my mom made for me when I was a little girl. As a young girl, among many things, I loved Strawberry Shortcake. I had all the dolls, and I do mean all of them. I had the big strawberries that held all the dolls, the shoes, the dresses…the list goes on I’m sure. After I outgrew Strawberry Shortcake, as many moms do, my mom passed down the blanket to a my GA leader who has just had a baby girl.  I have many memories of my GA leader, but one of the best was after she had her new baby and she let me hold her. I remember feeling so grown up to be holding such a small miracle. Shortly after I had Ava…a package arrived in the mail….you guessed it the blanket. The blanket arrived with the original note that my mom had written to her. 

The note reads:

“I had this little blanket left over from Noel’s room. If you want it , you may have it for Anna Grace. If you can’t use it, pass it down to another little girl.”

I bet she never in a million years thought that next little girl would be her granddaughter.

Ava has just recently become interested in Strawberry Shortcake…and tonight for some reason I showed her the blanket. She was so excited. Yes, Nana has already bought her all the dolls, and I do mean ALL of them. I sold my set years ago…..but thanks to Ebay, Nana had no trouble finding what she “needs.”

Thanks Mom, I love you. Happy Mother’s Day!

Side note:  My mom does know how to spell my name. The above spelling is my “birth name”. I legally changed my name after getting bored one day in High School Chemistry….another blog another day.

Let’s Go Shopping!

Today, is one of our final days alone together before the boys are out of preschool for the summer. I had planned to spend the day at home catching up and planning for the summer…UNTIL I went outside to have a snack picnic with Ava. It is a gorgeous day in Dallas!

So I scrapped the day inside and headed north for a fun lunch WITH shopping on the McKinney Square.

One thing I love about my little girl is she loves to shop with me. Let me brag for a moment, she is not your typical 2 year old. I know this because I have had 2 other 2 year olds in the past 3 years. Granted they were boys. Ava loves to shop. She loves to look at this and that…and usually stays within in the boundaries I give her to “shop”

The first store we hit was Swanky Boutique. I tried a coat on Ava that she would not take off. Luckily, it matched a coat I already have for myself and was hoping to be able to purchase it for her so we could match this fall:) I was excited to find the coat on the 50% off rack today! Yippee!

After the first store, we went to lunch at my favorite place on the Square..

The Lavender House. She loved it! I told her this was a place for special little girls who had really good manners like Fancy Nancy..and she played her part fabulously! I was so proud of her:)

Then we found a very special store “ Sugar and Spice”….just her style:)

Great little store even has “Princess Camps” in the summer for Princesses in training for age 4 up. They have a day camp for Fancy Nancy Training, too. The owner told me some 3 year olds come…so hopefully by next Summer, Ava can go!

The most surprising thing about this store was that it was extremely affordable. Ava picked out 2 new bows and a sparkly wand..all for $9.

Such a FUN FUN DAY!

The Value Of Children’s Work

Almost 2 years ago, I began the quest of finding a way to display my children’s art work. I tried several methods, most of them fell down or fell apart. I have a friend who uses plastic frames all over her kitchen, and I love that idea, but I have tile walls in my kitchen. I do use every spare inch of space on my fridge. I drool over the Pottery Barn Kids catalog, but it is too expensive for my budget.

I take digital pictures of every masterpiece that comes home except coloring pages. I will one day make each kid a scrapbook of all their wonderful things.

However; ALAS….I found an affordable solution at IKEA I found these wonderful magnetic boards that can display their work and also work as a teaching board for letter time:)

Zoo Week

Yesterday, I took the kids to the Zoo for the monthly “FBC-Dallas Moms Group” time. It is so much fun getting together with other moms and let our kids play and learn together. A friend of mine told me recently that her son took a girl to the prom that he met when they were 2 years old. Its so funny to think that far ahead in my kids lives, but I am told it will be here tomorrow.

I have a bunch more Zoo Activities that we didn’t get to this week, because my girl has been sick this week. But here are a few of the “Z” activities that we did this week.

These are a few activities from the Letter of the Day section of

http://confessionsofahomeschooler.blogspot.com/

(note the special monkey scissors!)

I attempted to make the kids a Zoo Animals Sensory Tub, but I needed more rice, beans, pasta. They still had fun.

Then, the actual Zoo Day arrived. We only played in the children’s Zoo this time, but will go back soon to see more animals. I had a big event that night and I didn’t plan well as far as timing went.

Here are a few shots from our day at the zoo.

Then…..I went From

TO

in 2 hours…..

1:15 pm leave the Zoo

2pm arrive back home, put kids down for nap, shower, get dressed

3pm, call babysitter and ask her to bring blow dryer because I can’t find mine.

3:15 Leave fully dressed and drive back downtown

4pm..arrive at hotel for an After 5 Evening…..wow