Wordless Wednesday

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

I know it's "Wordless Wednesday," but when have I followed that rule??

3 Kids

+

2 Books

+

1 Snuggle Time

=

Priceless

Tips on Tuesday: Kid's Date Ideas, Part 2

Last week, I posted Part One of the ideas for date nights with your kids. I thought it was such great information that it needed to be put into two weeks. There are so many great ideas to absorb, I wanted to give the idea justice. Again, I want to give Kudos to my friend Heather for sending me these awesome ideas.

Heather said, "I was talking to a church friend about finding time one on one with our kids—specifically Daddy time. She had an idea for me. She has two daughters so they gave each daughter 12 gift cards or coupons…1 per month. They let the girls choose mom or dad to date(told them neither would be hurt not to be chosen). And they figured out their budget and worked accordingly. (This was the main Christmas present in their family for elementary/jr high aged kids.)"

Once again, here's the How It Works:

1. Figure out how many date nights you want in a month (1 per kid, 1 per parent, 1 per month in the family—so if you had two kids you’d give each one 6 cards; 3 kids would get 4 each).
2. Make a list of places you/they like to go and approx. amount needed for 1 adult, 1 kid.
3. Try to arrange so that each child has the same number and cards of interest to them and you’ve spent about the same (if that would matter to them). If it’s a family favorite, maybe everyone gets a card to use, but some options may be only of interest to that child.
4. Find a wallet or small photo book to give/keep the gift cards in (kept by Mom in safe place after unwrapped).
5. Either get the gift cards ahead and/or make them as coupons and spend just that much. (If you want to create your own certificates/cards, check out this site for lots of free printables that you can customize and use.)

Last week was a list of ideas of things to do to focus on you and your child spending time together. It was the things that THEY want to do as a kid. Things that are special to them.

Yet, Heather took the idea one step further and captured the goal of my heart as a parent. Yes, I love to go have fun with my kids for no other reason than they are fun people...but, I want to shepherd their heart towards service and having a servant's heart. Heather suggested using some (not all) of these dates to teach a little on service.

To use this as a time to teach serving:

• Have a baking lesson (a pie, cake, dinner) and deliver to an elderly or sick person at church and visit.
• Go do housework/yardwork for someone needing help and bring a treat to share.
• Make a special, homemade card for a friend, grandparent, etc. with a new stamp set.
• Make homemade treats and take to a homeless shelter to share.
• Have a free lemonade stand on your street (popsicles or homemade treats work well, too)
• Make Christmas, Valentine's Day, Easter cookies and deliver to neighbors.
• Make homemade jam, jelly, preserves and drop off on May Day or any day to friends.
• Make a scrapbook of an event (with another family, friend, grandparent) and deliver it.
• When a family is on vacation, go over and mow the lawn anonymously.
• Decorate the door of missionaries, military personnel, new moms, newlyweds, or a sick person returning home.
• Sneak into someone’s kitchen (with husband, kid, neighbor’s key) and put a meal in the crockpot for a wife/mom who needs a little break. (I do this when I leave someone’s house after staying over—if I can find a way.)
• Make a card for a service person (active duty, retired or veteran) and thank them for their service to our country.a (Can coincide with Veteran's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day--or any day!)

What a great way to spend quality time with your child and still make an impact on the world. I'm getting excited as I plan how we're going to implement this idea in our home. I hope you'll share your ideas, too!

Fun at the Barn

We found out about a barn where they have made everything accessible for kids with any abilities/disabilities. It was created specifically for autistic children, but they use OT/PT for their staff so anyone would benefit. We had the chance to go to a cookout and game night so we packed up the kids and off we went.

Andrew pushed Nathan on the tire horse swing.


Rebekah played with the cars and trucks on one of the sensory training playhouse. Everything in this one works on the different textures of things to get the kids to accept different textures more easily. On this level, there was astroturf as well as wood and material in another area so kids could play on the part that was the best feel for them.

Here's Nathan wheeling around in the recumbent bike. He loved spinning in circles.

Nathan and Andrew both climbed the big inflatable to get the flags. Nathan would climb up, take a flag and climb down with the flag. Then he would climb right back up to put the flag back at the top.

One of the highlights was the "hay rack ride without any hay". With allergies, wheelchairs and texture issues, hay isn't really great for these kids. She has the rack where hay would go and it's got foam mats on the bottom for comfort. She hooks it up to a 4-wheeler and pulls everyone around the property. This was a family favorite! We rode it a couple times. All the kids ended up smiling and laughing. A few were really nervous to try, but they all had a great time on the hay rack ride.

Nathan tried out the 'human gerbil ball'. It's a big inflatable ball that you get in and roll around. The first picture is the outside of the ball and the other two show Nathan rolling around inside.

Rebekah's favorite part was feeding and petting the horses.

I was really thankful that Andrew was a trooper. Most of the games and activities were geared for younger children. I thought he did well to play for a while, then he took a break and drew pictures in the car, then he came back to eat and play with us again. When the whole evening was over, we discovered the 'Enchanted Forest' on the property. If I would have remembered to look for it, I would have spent the evening there. I didn't have my camera when I was in the forest, but plan to go back another time and capture it on film. The trees are grown together at the top leaving a GIANT open area that runs the entire fence line of the property. She's got slides and seats and teeter totters, etc. in there. I would have grabbed a chair and a book and lost myself to the enchantment.

What an awesome place! Can't wait to go back.

Swab the Deck at the Pirate Pool

We had the chance to check out a 'new to us' pool and water slide. I've heard of it the past couple of years, but timing has never worked out to go. I tried to go with friends this summer, but the reality is one me and three kids (two of whom are non-swimmers) makes me nervous and tense. I figured the whole family was the only way to get to go.

We met up with friends at the Pirate Pool and Andrew & his buddy took off for the water slides. They did that most of the night. Rebekah & Daddy swam together most of the night. I talked to the other mom most of the night (tee hee) and watched Nathan splash in and out of the sprayers in the zero depth entry area.

Here Nathan and Rebekah are both going up the outside of the pirate ship (slide) and sliding down the deck into the water.

I did go down the water slides a few times before they closed. It was a fun evening and we're planning to head back next year for more pirate fun. Argh!

Tips on Tuesday: Kid's Date Ideas, Part 1

As the best blog articles go, this one is totally taken from an email of a dear friend, Heather. She emailed this weekend with these kid's date ideas and I knew I had to take it and run with it. Please make sure you know that I didn't think it up, I'm just going to use
it. (Be sure to check next week for part two of this great idea!)

Heather wrote, "I was talking to a church friend about finding time one on one with our kids—specifically Daddy time. She had an idea for me. She has two daughters so they gave each daughter 12 gift cards or coupons…1 per month. They let the girls choose mom or dad to date(told them neither would be hurt not to be chosen). And they figured out their budget and worked accordingly. (This was the main Christmas present in their family for elementary/jr high aged kids.)"

Ideas for Kid’s Date Gift Cards

How it works:

1. Figure out how many date nights you want in a month (1 per kid, 1 per parent, 1 per month in the family—so if you had two kids you’d give each one 6 cards; 3 kids would get 4 each).
2. Make a list of places you/they like to go and approx. amount needed for 1 adult, 1 kid.
3. Try to arrange so that each child has the same number and cards of interest to them and you’ve spent about the same (if that would matter to them). If it’s a family favorite, maybe everyone gets a card to use, but some options may be only of interest to that child.
4. Find a wallet or small photo book to give/keep the gift cards in (kept by Mom in safe place after unwrapped).
5. Either get the gift cards ahead and/or make them as coupons and spend just that much. (If you want to create your own certificates/cards, check out this site for lots of free printables that you can customize and use.)

Here are some suggestions:

• A cookie, pretzel, smoothie at the mall
• Tickets to movie
• Bike ride a new trail ($ for gear/snack)
• Bowling
• Skating Rink or skate park
• Chuck E. Cheese or Kid Arcade or arcade quarters
• Putt Putt Golf
• Batting Cages
• Fishing (maybe some tackle or bait money?)
• An ice cream cone run
• McDonald’s, Subway, (cheaper restaurant)
• Dress up date (sit down restaurant)
• Local attraction, Kids Museum, etc.--admission
• Apple Orchard, Berry Picking, Pumpkin Patch (usually free to enter, but take $$ to buy a little of what you pick)
• Pony Ride (check local venues) or Carriage Ride (downtown)
• Ferris Wheel ride
• Take a train (or other) ride at the zoo
• Climbing wall or activity center or paddle boat, toboggan, etc. in season
• Shopping for seeds, flowers for their own small garden (and plant it.)
• Shopping for supplies for a new craft project (embroidery, knitting, scrapbooking, etc.)
• Take a class together (art, sewing, cake decorating, cooking (Whole foods) etc.) (check hobby stores for classes to to take)
• Swimming (pool or water park)
• Sprayground date (just you and your child BOTH romping in the water)
• Kite flying (a card to buy a kite)
• Lego, knex, robot, or other kit (and make it together on your date)
• Scrapbooking (Local scrapbooking store, Creative Memories crop?)
• Ladies tea shop
• Pedicure/manicure or getting hair done in an up-do, corn rows, etc.
• Fixing up a bike ($ to bike part store)
• Building/woodworking (Lowe’s has Sat. classes often once a month and supply projects and Home Depot has children's classes but not as often)
• Photography shoot (cost of developing)
• Buy and put together a jigsaw puzzle.
• Buy or take and play a new board game, card game (maybe at Panera-for apple cider?)
• Buy a pumpkin and carve it (doesn’t have to be for Halloween)

Tune in next week for even more ideas for Dates with your Kids.

I almost left my monkeys at the zoo!

We (finally) made it to the zoo. It's been a long summer full of therapy for the boys and so the zoo had to take a backseat. It was a little warm and I wished we would have been able to go on some of the cooler days we had, but at least it wasn't 100 degrees.

We went without a stroller. That's the first time in 11 years that I haven't pushed a stroller at the zoo. We put the "Curious George Backpack" (monkey harness and leash) on Rebekah so we could track her. Andrew wanted the first turn walking with her. Ha!!! He wasn't ready and she took off running as fast as she could. She was dragging him down the sidewalk. All I could do was snap pictures and laugh!


The monkeys were out of control that day. We saw the outdoor Orangutans and then did the Gorilla complex. Two male gorillas were obviously having an Alpha-male battle to see who was the Alpha and who was the Beta. It was scary a few times as they would be chasing each other and stop to run at the glass and roar at all of us humans watching. What a show!!!




I'm now telling the kids when they get too rowdy that I'm going to take them to live with the gorillas for a while!! I thought about leaving my monkeys at the zoo, but thought it would be frowned upon. Ha ha (giggle)!

Rebekah loved the birds next to the glass. They were just her size!

We had to see the globe before we left. It's thousands of pounds, but it floats on water so you can move it with your finger. It's amazing. They love to make the earth spin the wrong way and put the poles in the wrong places. Kind of fun to be Atlas for a day.

Of course, we had to go see the butterfly pavilion. My mom LOVES butterflies and we all enjoy seeing them up close. My sister got a butterfly plaque in her honor at Christmas and we found it so she could have her picture taken by it. We also had to sit on the beautiful butterfly benches for a photo.

Lots of fun times and hopefully a memory or two!

Tips on Tuesday: Get Connected

In your life as a mom, have you ever felt disconnected or alone? Well, I found a place almost 12 years ago that helped me when I felt this way. I found a MOPS Group.

MOPS stands for "Mothers of PreSchoolers" and we define preschool as any age from birth through kindergarten. At a MOPS meeting, you have food (hooray), fellowship, a talk from a speaker or the mentor mom (an older and more experienced mom who has been there, done that), time to discuss the topic of the day and usually a simple craft.

I wasn't sure I'd really enjoy MOPS when I first went to a meeting. I was in some other clubs geared at moms and didn't really think I needed more. However, there's just something about a MOPS group that speaks to my heart. I love having a Mentor Mom so I can bounce ideas and questions off of somebody who already walked a mile in my shoes. The fellowship can't be beat and I made some dear friends through my participation. Since Rebekah heads to preschool this fall, I'm looking at the last three years of my MOPS career. I know by the time she finishes kindergarten it will be time for me to move on. However, I'm filled with sadness that my time is ending so soon. MOPS has been a central part of my life for the last 11 1/2 years. If you are in the MOPS Season of life, I hope you'll go to MOPS International's website and find a group near you.

Would you like to find a MOPS group? Click here and you can search by zip code, city, or country if you live outside of the United States. It's an International organization with mothers all over the world coming together to nurture and support each other.

Below is the logo for this year's theme, "Together on Planet Mom". The theme is based on the idea that we live on earth and have friends and a life. Then we go to the hospital to give birth (or go to the place where we meet our adopted baby) and suddenly find ourselves transported to a new place--Planet Mom. It's a place where the natives don't speak our language and we have to learn what they need and how to live with and raise them.

I hope you'll consider joining us as we learn what life is like "Together on Planet Mom."

Free Chocolate Friday

Every Friday through the end of September, if you register between 9am--Midnight, you might win a free candy bar. They give away 250,000 candy bars each Friday. You receive a certificate in the mail to take to any retailer and receive a free Mars Candy Bar.

Go to http://www.realchocolate.com/ to register.

Note: You can win up to 4 certificates per address each Friday, but each entry must have a different email account attached to it.

The certificates come really fast and you can use on all the M&M/Mars products including Sean's favorite...the Snicker's bar.

Enjoy!

I've got a 'thing' for sailor suits

True confession time...I have a 'thing' for sailor suits. I dressed the boys in all sorts of sailor attire. And now that we have a girl....


It's sailor dresses.

First Rebekah had to have a photo by her princess doll bed (yes, the bed that came back from Hawaii) with her toys. Then I moved her to the plain wall for better photos...but I've determined it's truly a genetic thing that little girls love to lift up their skirts.


And what photo taking experience would be complete without total Cheese Face and a half wink thrown in.



Finally, I get one I like well enough to stop the insanity.

Tips on Tuesday: ISS Sightings

Have you taken time to look for the International Space Station (ISS) streaking across the sky? The ISS is now large enough to be seen with the naked eye as it orbits Earth. When the shuttle is docked to it, it's even brighter in the night sky.

Sean discovered the NASA site for sighting spacecraft from your city. When you open this page, on the top left is a "Select Your Country" menu. From there, select your state and what city you are closest to. You'll be able to get a listing of spacecraft sightings in your area.





Recently, we were able to watch the ISS across our sky. We didn't use telescopes, just our eyes. It looked like a large airplane (not blinking) going across the sky. And let me tell you that it hauls hiney as it goes. When they tell you 3 minutes on the website, they aren't kidding. It was moving much faster than an airplane and was truly gone in three minutes. We watched it from horizon to horizon and then it was gone.





It happened just after bedtime for the kids so Sean ran up and opened their curtains so they could watch it go. They were so excited and we can't wait to do it again. I'm thinking we might try with our telescope next time. I'm not sure we could keep it in focus since it's moving so fast, but I think it would be fun to try.



So I encourage you to take some time and plan to do your own Spacecraft Sighting. There's even information on throwing an informal Star Party to share the fun. I'm not sure we'll throw a Star Party any time soon, but I loved the crafts and activities in the planning guide. I'm going to incorporate them into our next viewing.

Happy Star Gazing!

*Photo courtesy of NASA