Keepsake-Baby Hand and Foot Molds

Oct 31, 2019

When I had my first daughter someone gave me a coupon to take her to have a mold made of her hand. Then, with each one of my daughters, we got a mold of their hands. I love those little hands!!!!

They represent a time we can never get back. Remind me of how much they have grown and changed. I fondly remember my finger being held in that tiny little hand and how much I love my babies.

“J”‘s hand mold.
Look at that pinky! Also “J”‘s hand.
Look at those fingers! She is a pianist!
“K”‘s baby fist, 2 months old. She was really tiny!
Comparing her baby fist to her 22 year old fist.
“B”‘s fist Mother of my granddaughter.
“A”‘s fist
Comparing her 12 year old fist to her baby fist.

Our First Attempt

I wanted to do the same for my daughter and granddaughter. When she was 2 weeks old we tried to do a hand mold, but the kit we bought hardened really quick and was as hard as plaster. I don’t know how we would have gotten her hand out. It was too thick to get her hand into the mold.

The instructions said to put her foot in warm water, first. She wasn’t too happy about this process.

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Second Attempt

Unfortunately, my daughter and granddaughter live in another state, so it was nearly 2 months, before we were able to try, again.

I did some research and found dental grade mold making for body parts including baby! This one worked awesome! It does set up quick, so work fast!

Materials needed for baby foot and hand molds:

Dental grade mold mix
Water
Plastic or paper cup
Plastic spoons for stiring
mini bread pan (disposable)
Something to make mix in
A scale to measure is helpful
Plaster of Paris
Something to mix plaster in (disposable is best)
Exacto knife
Toothpicks
Glass dome for display purposes. (Check how much room foot and hand, if putting together, need for display.)

How to

Wear clothes you don’t mind possibly ruining. A onsie works pretty well for baby or just having her in a diaper.

Pour mixture into a container that baby’s fist or foot can be completely covered in. Careful to not touch the sides or bottom of the container. You will have flat spots in your mold, if you do. You will have to firmly hold baby’s arm or leg to keep it in the mold. It can be tiring and hard especially if baby isn’t very happy.

It is done when you feel the mold and it is a little wet, but closer to tacky feeling.

Gently loosen around the arm or leg and slide the cup/container away.

Mold Mixture

The mixture that worked best for us was 3 oz mix and 20 oz of water. We mixed it and then poured it into a cup to make the hand mold. We made more for the foot, because we needed more to cover the foot. Depending on your container, it may work to double these amounts. (A disposable bread pan works great for feet.)

Careful that there is molding under the foot or it will be missing the rounded shapes in the foot. Careful to have it deep enough that the top of the foot and the toes stay covered. I was a little worried, Little Miss O kept wiggling her toe and I could see the mold moving, before it was fully set.

Using the Molds

Make your plaster and pour into the molds. Be prepared to do this shortly after creating the mold. As you add the plaster to the mold, periodically shake and tap it, to bring air to the surface. You want to avoid having air pockets in your mold.

We left them over night, but wish we would have removed the mold, from the shape after it had taken shape. Our stuff said it could be done in 2 hours.

We broke apart the mold to get the plaster out of it.
It is very wet. You can’t use it again, it is okay to pull it away from the plaster.
They are so precious, even with the imperfections in the mold

I think the mold residue and imperfections would be easier to work with when it is more fresh.

They would have cleaned up easier if we would have removed them from the mold sooner.
Carefully using exacto knives and toothpicks rescued our hand mold from imperfections.

Clean It Up

The finished product need to be cleaned up a little bit. I don’t think it would have been so bad had we removed them from the molds sooner. It would have been softer and easier to remove the imperfections and to smooth out other areas.

Carefully we removed the residue from the mold.

But it was what it was and we worked with what we had. Using exacto-knives, toothpicks and a very fine grade sandpaper, we very carefully worked on the statues, because we didn’t want to ruin the shape or texture. Trying to preserve a model of how she is, at this time, in her life. We felt like sculptors!

If there are air pocket holes, use some fresh plaster of paris and carefully fill in the holes.

Gluing to a base with a dome helps to protect from dust. The dome was too shiny to photograph.

Good luck! It really is a precious keepsake!

Wedding Anniversary Cake Tradition

May 6, 2019

Our wedding anniversary cake tradition was in the plan, before we had our wedding. I really wanted the engraved knife and serving set to have at our wedding. My mom wasn’t on board, because you only use it once. I came up with a plan for using it (29 times, to date). It is a wonderful tradition and we have been able to share our anniversary, the start of our marriage and family, together with our kids, every year!

The Anniversary Cake

Our wedding cake was white with raspberry filling and decorated with pink and blue flowers. So, every year we try to have a white cake with raspberry filling and decorated with pink and blue flowers. It hasn’t always been possible to get close to that cake. One year it was chocolate and that is okay.

It was harder when I was first diagnosed with celiac, to find gluten free alternatives. We are so lucky to have a bakery near us that does gluten free well! I was able to get this gluten free cake from Avenue Bakery. (They are not a dedicated gf bakery, but we have never had symptoms from eating things from there.)

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Cutting the Cake

We somewhat re-enact cutting the cake. Unfortunately, we usually do it at the end of a long day and I never look my best.

Engraved wedding knife in hand and here we go! I do love this tradition, but even more, I love being married to my best friend.

This was truly, one of the best anniversary cakes we have ever had!

It is so nice and so much fun to get to share our anniversary with our children in this special way. I hope it is an example to them, that our marriage is important, a priority and our marriage is the foundation of our family.

The Originals!

Here is where we began, as well as the tradition getting started.

This is NOT part of our tradition! Cake up the nose once is more than enough!

I won’t say who started it, but short people have a disadvantage.

28 years and still in love!

Wedding Anniversary Cake tradition- Then and Now

1991- then and now 2019

Treasure Sandwiches- Family Financial Goals

May 3, 2019

It’s important to teach your kids about the family money, budgeting and saving. They need to know that you and the family in general has a finite amount of money to spend. In the words of a common idiom: “Money doesn’t grow on trees”. Setting family financial goals helps to teach kids some essentials in how to use, spend and save money.

There are several ways to do this and the kids don’t even know they are being taught a lesson about money!

Teaching about family money

1. Menus and Lists

Early on, being married, we found that preparing a menu and grocery list saved us money and time. Not only did we NOT have to go through the whole, “What do you want to eat?”/ “I don’t know” scenario (at least as frequently), but we had a plan, were a little more organized and saved money!

*My daughter, who is now an adult, said menus and lists have been incredibly helpful for her. She grew up with it and hasn’t had to learn it as an adult.

Remember to include meals besides dinner and snacks that your family likes and will eat.

My daughter, quickly learned about the grocery list. She would melt my heart when she would look at me with those big brown eyes and sweetly ask “Is this on the list?” Sometimes, I would give in and say yes, it is on the list! Since she couldn’t read yet, she didn’t know that I couldn’t say no to that sweet ask! She needed that win once in awhile and other times I would tell her not today.

I was teaching more than one lesson here. 1. money, 2. self-control, 3. flexibility, and 4. delayed gratification. She took the list seriously, because I took it seriously. She would sometimes scribble out her own list and I would ask her about her list and see if we could include things from her list on our main list.

Make a menu- make sure you add in some lazy or easy dinners or even plan a night to eat out. Be willing to move the menu around as needed.
Make a grocery list.
Stick to your list.
Check out money saving apps like ibotta
Look up online coupons or do couponing the old fashioned way.
Look for sales and stock up on things your family uses often.

We need:

So, my daughter understood the list at almost 3 years old. (She talked early and talked well.) She was carrying the fly swatter around and couldn’t find a fly to hit. At that point, she turned to me and said, “We need more flies. Put it on the list.” I asked why and she said because she wanted to hit them!

Another thing she thought should be on the list; trains, great big freight trains. Often when we would run errands we would see a train. She loved to see the train and her excitement took away some of the annoyance of waiting for the train to pass. If we didn’t see a train she was a little sad and wanted them on the list to get more.

Cheap Dinners

Plan some less expensive dinners. I cook a lot, since I am gluten free and make most of our stuff from scratch. Things that were cheap when we were eating gluten like: bread, pasta, and pizza aren’t as economical as they once were! Less expensive dinners for us include: breakfast for dinner with homemade pancakes, bacon or sausage and hashbrowns; Rice bowls with some stir fried veggies and a little meat or tofu; Chili with hot dogs; Mexican Ramen; and having a baked potato bar with things like chili, cheese, ham, broccoli, etc.

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Setting financial goals as a family.

Set a financial goal as a family for things you want to do or buy. It can be anything like a piano, new car, a home down payment, vacation, school clothes etc. Brainstorm as a family, the ways you can save, cut back or earn extra money. This teaches kids not only about money, but working together for a common goal. It helps them to look outside of themselves.

Kids might want to pick up a summer job and help out with their own expenses to relieve some of the financial burden from the family, especially older kids.
Decide to eat out less often
Eat out at cheaper places
Make more meals at home
Buy fewer name brands for clothes and shoes
Change phone and/or cable provider
Cut back on coffee, soda or whatever you do that is a regular extra
What are you paying for that you could do yourself?

How to set financial goals as a family

First, everyone in the family needs to understand the family finances to some degree. You don’t have to tell them how much you make, if you don’t want to. Explain it in percentages if that helps you to feel more comfortable. If children are very young, using some visual aids may be helpful.

The amount of money you make is 100%. What percentage goes to taxes and what does that leave you? What percentage are the bills that must be paid? What percentage is for consumables and has leeway? What percentage can you save?

What has to be paid

Teach them about responsibility and how you pay certain things every month: mortgage/rent, water, electricity, etc. If you have a car payment or other loans or credit cards, those need to be talked about, too. What is your debt philosophy?

What is flexible

We can decide how much to pay or put toward other things like: yard care, lessons, clothing, food, treats, etc. Cutting back or doing things differently may require a sacrifice.

Are the family financial goals worth it for everyone and how can it have meaning for everyone to participate?

This is why the family goal is made together. Everyone in the family should have a voice and an opinion. Brain storming helps everyone feel included and to see what one another is willing to do.

While brain storming, other issues, worries and concerns may arise. Address those concerns and worries. Come to agreements that all are willing to participate in.

In the Loop

Keep everyone in the loop. We made a family goal to get out of debt. We told our kids how much we have to spend on consumables. (We went over the budget and what has to be paid, but the important part is what we can spend. (That’s everything extra, including food and clothing needs.)

We keep a running tally in our kitchen, so everyone can see if we are on track. Recently, one of our daughter’s asked how we were coming on reaching our goal to get rid of this debt. They needed to see that the debt side was coming down. We had been focused on reducing spending, but hadn’t given feedback to how it was working. Everyone wants to know that their sacrifice is paying off.

Treasure Sandwiches

When our 3 oldest girls were 2, 5 and 8 we really wanted to take them to Disneyland for the first time. We set a goal and came up with a plan. One of the things we decided to do is to have a cheap dinner once a week. We would eat “treasure sandwiches”. (Of course, we did other things, too. This is just the most memorable and what we specifically did as a family.)

The name “Treasure Sandwiches” was mostly for me. Cheese sandwiches for dinner didn’t seem very appetizing. We explained to our girls that the cheese is like gold and the reward would be the trip. It gave us all a goal and a purpose. We were working together for something we all wanted.

Those dinners became fun. Treasure Sandwiches stuck. It is now a treat to have a Treasure Sandwich. The memories are now the gold!

Candy-Free Ideas For Easter

Apr 1, 2019

Easter -candy free ideas for small kids, pre-teen, and teenagers.

Kids get enough candy these days and can really get loaded up on holidays, like Easter. If you have dietary restrictions, this makes the holiday challenging, because so much of the holiday involves food! Here are some ideas to relieve some of the candy and food overload, for you and your kids.

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Easter Baskets and more

Every egg hunter needs somewhere to put their loot! Traditional basket or some other idea? There are so many things you can do! I like the idea of a new pail and shovel for an Easter basket, but you are only limited by your imagination. I recently saw cute backpacks stuffed with fun Easter gifts.

Plastic Eggs

Jumbo plastic eggs are great for some larger things. You can find plastic eggs in many sizes and can even find pre-filled options as well! How cute to have small stuffed animals in an egg!!!

Wanting to make sure things are “fair”; not wanting a lot of fighting for the holiday. We have rules left by the bunny. Some examples:

Eggs are marked with names or numbers and you need to only pick up your eggs with your name or number on it.
There are family gifts to find, but remember they are for the family and not yours alone.
Everyone has a certain number of eggs or treats to find. If you find more, (usually because you are older) don’t give it away to the younger ones, let them find them, too. If you have ever had a hunt with older and younger kids, you know it can be hard for the younger ones and the older ones want to grab all they can find and give away the hiding spots. Older kids can help younger kids, after they have had a chance to find things themselves.
Eggs easily seen are for the younger kids, older kids need to look a little harder.

Fillers

Party favors make wonderful little trinkets to put in eggs for kids. Be careful of the size of the trinkets, when filling plastic eggs, for small children. You don’t want to give them things they will choke on. That could really put a damper on the day.

Pre-Filled

If you aren’t into filling and finding the right size toys and other articles and matching the right size eggs, go for the pre-filled ones. These make things really easy!

Family Gifts

We always do some family gifts. These could be things like an Easter book, movie, newly released movie, movie tickets, a game or a puzzle.

My Grandparents’ Tradition

My grandparents made Easter a lot of fun! There was a plastic egg for each grandchild, with their name written on it. (21 grandkids) Inside the egg was a $1.00 bill and it was so much more fun than just getting candy! However, we weren’t totally without candy at grandma and grandpa’s house. They hid a Hershey’s chocolate candy bar, along with the egg.

An uncle, was usually sent to hide the eggs and chocolate. We knew we were to let the little kids find their own and only help them, if they got stuck and frustrated. It was so much fun that my grandparents did the same thing for my girls when we would visit them on Easter. My grandparents were awesome! (I miss them.)

Fill Easter eggs with $1.00 bills for the kids to find

She was beyond ecstatic to find a whole $1.00 in her plastic egg! She thought she had won the jackpot!

I like the idea and when I have grandkids, I think it will be a better use of the $20-$30 we would spend on toys and candy.

Let’s Practice That- Teaching and Modeling Proper Behavior

Jul 24, 2018

Let’s practice

Kids don’t intuitively know how to behave, they would behave like wild little wolf cubs, if let to their own devices.

They make mistakes and are impulsive. Children learn a lot from watching parents and in how the parents react to them whether good or bad. “Let’s Practice” is concentrated modeling of behavior. It takes time and you may even think this is tedious, but it works and it will pay off!

Example:

My daughter took a toy away from her sister and made her cry. B had her toy and K didn’t want her to play with it!

Intervene

I don’t believe in letting kids work it out, especially when they are young. I wanted my children to grow up and be friends and be able to interact with others in healthy ways. (Most of my kids are now in their 20s and they are friends with one another.) Kids don’t know how to work it out, when they have never been guided in how to do that. They don’t have the skills.

Typically the way kids work things out ends in either a lose/lose or win/lose situation. If you teach them when they are young you don’t need to interfere when they are older.

Explain

We explained to K that it was unacceptable for her to treat her sister that way. (Even if the toy was hers!) We talked to her about why she took the toy and how she would feel if someone did that to her.

I even pointed to the tears on her sisters face and talked about how sad she was that her sister grabbed something from her and how it hurt her feelings. “K, you don’t want to make your sister sad; she loves you and you love her.”

K said it also hurt her feelings that B would take her things without asking. To which we talked to B about how it makes K feel when she takes without asking. K often helped with the reasons why she wanted the toy: it is mine, I want to play with it, I’m afraid you will break it or hurt it in some way.

Modeling

Playing with the girls and their toys helps them to learn how to play nicely and respect one another’s things.

Next, we practice: First, parents model how to ask and how to react. Practicing with yes and no answers. In the case of younger child having older child’s toy: if the answer is no, what do you do when you need to get that toy, so they don’t break it? We practiced how to reason with the younger child. One tactic is to find something the younger child would willingly trade. Sometimes the solution is for the older one to play with little sister or to show her how to do something with the toy.

Practice

After parents model (with one another or with children), then they practice with one another.

We would either use the same toy or get a “practice toy”. The toy used depends on the attitude of the children and where they are emotionally. Sometimes they are so focused on the particular item that it is a distraction to the learning and so a practice toy works better. If a practice toy is used, then a last practice with the difficult item is worth a try.

Sometimes, we would have to remind the younger child that we are practicing. (Her instinct, once she had the much desired toy in her grasp again, was to hug it to her body and keep anyone from having it.) Soon, she would think it was a fun game. They enjoy asking, saying yes and giving the toy back and forth. Switching roles is also helpful where the younger child asks the older one if they can play with their toy. If the answer is no, we talk about what they can do instead: play together, find an acceptable alternative, etc.

Practicing yes and no answers helps them to not expect that the answer will always be yes. They also learn what to do when the answer isn’t what they want to hear.

Time to say sorry

We would then encourage “K” to apologize for grabbing the toy away. We strongly encouraged our children to;

Say “I am sorry” and
Say what you are sorry for: “for grabbing the toy away from you”.

Then, we would have younger sister apologize for her part in the problem: “I’m sorry I took your toy”.

Apologies should always include what they are sorry for. If both played a part in the problem, both should offer apologies.

It Works!

Our oldest daughter quickly caught on. Only once or twice doing this type of thing and she was problem solving herself. There was less fighting and more cooperation.

It does take time, but the payoff is big!!! They learn effective problem solving and there is less fighting.

We often tried to focus our children to the positive; looking for the good in one another.

Her sister wasn’t bad for wanting to play with her toy or even for taking her toy without asking. Little sister didn’t understand she needed to ask or how to ask and needed to be taught.

Reminders

Let's Practice That- modeling and teaching proper behavior

Another good reminder is that we have to play gently with little sister because she is smaller. We are still teaching her how to do many things.

Because they are children, they won’t always remember. Sometimes they need a gentle, reminder: “Did you ask K if you could play with that?” or “What do you think you should do?” “What do you think your sister might like to play with instead?”

I like to think of parents as guides for their children. Life is complex and it is hard to figure out how to get along, especially if you are without help or direction. Parents have the experience and the knowledge for how to do it better. Make sure you are passing your wisdom along.

Other Things to Practice

- What to do instead of hitting
- Boundaries (for example: “Don’t go past the mailbox”. Have them practice, showing you they know where the boundary is.)
- Throwing things- practice the right way to treat things, move things, put things away, etc.
- What to say instead of yelling
- What to do when they have something to say but you are busy or talking to someone

Parenting With Consistency Develops Trust and Obedience

Jul 2, 2018

Parenting with consistency is an important key to effective parenting. There are no shortages of reminders, as we go out and about, that many people either don’t know or don’t understand how important consistency is in teaching children to obey and behave.

The Very Loud Family

Just the other night we went out to eat and a little boy came in with his family. He was crying, whining and sometimes yelling. At first, it was somewhat understandable. This little guy was hungry and obviously was dealing with big emotions, the only way he knew how. However, after a while, one had to wonder where the parents were and why they allowed him to continue to disrupt everyone in the restaurant, for so long.

Image: Graphic Mama-team from Pixabay

Then, we heard the father. The child had begun to wander and occasionally have outbursts, between his parents who were ordering and a play area. The father yelled across the establishment to his son in order to get his drink order. The father gave his son 2 choices and the son kept yelling he wanted Dr. Pepper (not one of the choices given). I don’t know what the father ordered for him, but I really hope it wasn’t the Dr. Pepper. (Dad was giving two choices. I hope he only gave him one of those.)

The Apple Doesn’t Fall Far From the Tree

No wonder the child yelled throughout the restaurant, his father spoke very loudly! Not just getting the order, but all the way to their table (unfortunately right next to us.). Later, the dad went to get something else and ran into someone he knew. He was so loud that everyone kept turning their heads to see what was going on. At first, I thought he was complaining to the manager about something, but he was just a very loud talker who has never learned volume control!

Inconsistency

While this family waited for their food. It was chaotic. They had other children and they were all struggling. The father did lower his voice volume once he was at the table, but they were close enough for us to hear the threats. “If you scream again, we will go outside”. Son screams again, but they remain where they are. There were various other threats and nothing was ever followed through.

The kids had learned well. Dad and mom may bluster and threaten, but they don’t do what they say. Therefore, there are few consequences and the kids can do what they want and push the parents around, because they know mom and dad won’t follow through.

Consequences of Inconsistency

Children misbehave
Children fight
Children push and push for what they want- they have learned this is acceptable. No, doesn’t necessarily mean no and if you keep pushing it might turn into a yes.
Disobedience
Lack of respect for you and all adults they encounter;if they don’t have to respect or listen to their parents, why would they listen or respect any adult?!
Learn to mistrust and don’t believe what you say
They think it is acceptable to make threats and promises and not follow through.
Don’t understand what it means to keep their word

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Promises

Image: Peter 67- Pixabay

For 18 years my father-in-law was married to a woman who loved to make promises. She disappointed my children numerous times! Everything from promising to come by and see the kids to what she was going to buy them.

My children would wait all day for her and grandpa to come by. (I don’t know if he knew what she had promised.) My kids would be more and more disappointed as the day went on and no grandma and grandpa to be seen. Eventually, a phone call would come and she would tell us they ran out of time and weren’t going to make it. I was then left to console my very hurt and disappointed children.

I had to tell my mother-in-law that she was not to make promises to my children and that I would not make excuses for her. We ran interference as much as we could and didn’t tell the kids they had mentioned coming by.

My kids knew at a very young age that grandma did NOT keep her promises. She may say some nice and exciting things that you want to believe but she doesn’t follow through.

We were able to use her example as a teaching tool in what not to do.

We talked to our kids about how they feel when someone says they are going to do something and then doesn’t follow through. Then, we talk about better ways of handling situations. How important it is to be true to what you say. Whether or not you trust the person who flakes on you. We talk about what they should do in their lives and how important it is for them to learn from this experience and not do what has been done to them.

Consistency through promises and being true to what you say

If you promise something, do it! Now to a kid a promise isn’t necessarily saying the words “I promise”. They feel like, if you say you will do something, you are going to do it and that is as good as a “promise”.

For an adult to say, “but I didn’t promise”, only builds mistrust. They believed you and you let them down. That is what they will remember.

The world is often cold and harsh, don’t be the one to teach them that! There are plenty of people in this world who will let them down and soon enough they will learn the harshness of life. A parents responsibility is to teach them how it should be, teach them to be good people and who they can trust and rely on.

Don’t make promises you can’t keep.
Don’t make promises that you aren’t sure you can keep. This can be just as bad as making promises you can’t keep. It doesn’t matter that you would really like to do xy or z, the fact still remains that you didn’t follow through.
Mistrust is built if you don’t follow through
Builds trust when you follow through
They learn they can count on you
Your words mean something – they aren’t empty

Consistency through Punishments

Image: Annca – Pixabay

Be careful with threats! You should never threaten to do something that you either can’t or aren’t willing to carry out. Otherwise, you are just a storm without any power. They quickly learn that there are no consequences for actions and they can continue doing what they want until you really lose your temper.

My husband and I made some punishment rules, for us, as parents to follow:

It is appropriate to take a time out and discuss with one another what the punishment should be.
Don’t always hand out the punishment in the heat of the moment.
Ask the child if they understand what they did wrong or if they know why you are upset. If they don’t know, calmly explain it to them. If they are able to verbalize what they should do instead, next time or in the future it will stick more than you just telling them and lecturing. It can also help to ask them how they think someone else involved in whatever happened (for example if they hit another child) feels. This can be a teaching moment for empathy. Another good question would be to ask them how they would feel if someone did xyz to them.
Don’t inflict a punishment on your child that your spouse or someone else has to carry out! It isn’t fair to your spouse to ground your kid from media for the entire day, when they aren’t around to enforce it. (Unless of course, you both agree that this is an acceptable punishment that both of you are willing to follow through with.)
Often, it takes 2 to tango. The one getting in trouble often has a reason for doing what they did, but went about it wrong. So, if your kid hit because the other one hit first or was antagonizing the other, address both kids. Neither one was behaving appropriately!
Don’t inflict punishments on the whole family because of one kid. If you do it builds sibling rivalry and pits them against one another. For example, if you keep it up I am going to turn the car around! #1 don’t make this threat if you aren’t willing to do it. #2 Are you willing to punish everyone for one or two people misbehaving?
Punishments should help to change the behavior. Hitting because your child hit isn’t going to help them to not hit.
As my kids got older, I had a poopy attitude rule. A poopy attitude can be kids not getting along, not helping when asked, and just being difficult. Poopy attitudes get poopy jobs and I can find poopy jobs until attitudes change. It doesn’t take long for attitudes to change and they know I am serious. (clean up the dog pooh, clean the bathrooms, clean the oven, clean the garage, etc. any job that is undesirable or messy.)
If a punishment is delt out rashly and not handled right, a parent can apologize for their over-reaction and change the punishment. This shows that parents make mistakes and can be fair. There is justice and parents model apologizing. It doesn’t mean that there isn’t a punishment (though under the right circumstances that might happen), usually it is an adjustment in severity.

Children learn to obey through consistency. They know what to expect and what is expected of them.

If you haven’t been consistent, there is no time like the present. Be prepared for a battle, at first! They will push the boundaries and they will try to get you to cave, but don’t do it! Stand strong on what you say and it will pay off in a short time. In the long run you will be so happy that you took the stand to become consistent!

When Life Hands You Lemons. . .

Apr 17, 2018

“When life hands you lemons, make lemonade.” Isn’t that how the old saying goes?

Lemons

You might say we have had our share of lemons this year! It is only April and already the year has been loaded with stress!

Some of what we have been dealing with for the last 4 months:

Brother-in-law passed away
Making final arrangements
Dealing with my husbands extended family
Extra unexpected expenses
Shingles
There’s been an investigation at the University our daughter attends, involving her department
Dealing with my extended family

It’s hard to say what has been more stressful because all of them have been at the top of the list at one time or another or have alternated between which one is on “fire” today!

Handling the lemons

There are many ways one can handle a lemon.

Pucker up!

Cry- to an unhealthy degree
Throw a tantrum
Get angry
Yell at everyone
Cause a scene
Say the first things that come into your mind
Gossip
Wallow in the misery of what you are going through
Don’t talk to anyone/hold it all in
Make yourself and everyone around you miserable
With only partial information, make statements, and get involved where you have no business being

Sweeten the lemon

A healthier way to handle the lemons life hands to you is to sweeten it. You can make everyone miserable with you or, you can find constructive ways to handle the challenges.

Reach out and lean on those you can trust
Talk about- it can help you get perspective
Cry- it’s a great emotional release
Hold on to your faith- it helped me to pray, read scriptures, and study things said by my religious leaders
Be a problems solver- what can you solve, what do you have control over, what is your responsibility
Breathe deep
Be patient- wait for the details to come out or ask more questions/seek for clarification
Express your concerns/opinion in constructive ways and to the right people
Find the humor where you can

The lemon is misunderstood

Personally, I think the lemon gets a raw deal! Most people don’t like to eat lemons, and that is probably why people use this wonderful fruit to express something negative. The lemon causes most people to pucker and pull a face when they try to eat it. In fact, most people don’t enjoy eating lemons at all.

What we don’t understand about lemons

These are times for personal and spiritual growth. They can be character building.
Through our experiences we learn empathy- everyone goes through something sometime- we show more compassion towards others because of our own trials and difficulties
Our trials strengthen us in order to handle other difficulties we may face in life
They help us work through old problems that need healing
Sometimes they validate former decisions
Most importantly, they can be a catalyst to making changes for the better, in our lives

The Lemon Plan

So, we know we will have difficulties and things that will try us to our core. What is our plan to handle those trials? We know they are going to come, but we rarely know what they are going to be! Many times they are unexpected and really difficult to work through. How do you stay grounded? What is your fallback position?

Here’s mine:

Pray
Hold on to my faith with scripture study and other religious materials
Talk to my husband or someone I can trust
Write and organize my thoughts
Find all the information I can about what is happening- so I can move forward with an “educated” perspective (For example, the case at the University. Before writing to the dean, I read all I could about what was happening on campus. My daughter requested I wait to write a letter until the investigation was complete (and I’m glad I did). I was able to write a less emotional based letter and really say what I wanted to say with the right information and not conjecture.)
Engage with those involved, in a calm manner- if I can’t, I hold off until I can
Keep functioning and doing the things that need to be done (This can sometimes be hard. I love to work in the yard when I am stressed. Thanks to the crazy weather we have been having; I was able to sneak in some much needed yard time!)

In Defense of the Lemon

When life hands you lemons, sometimes you need more than lemonade. The lemon isn’t necessarily bad, it can be quite enjoyable. It just depends on how we use it. When life gives us lemons we can suck it down and pull faces or we can work on making it sweeter.

Even if you don’t like eating this fruit, there are so many other reasons why the lemon is a great fruit!

lemon water
freshens many drinks (water, soft drinks, etc.)
great on fish
lemon pie
lemonade
lemon chicken
liver detox
clean smell
cleaning agent
pretty, bright and sunny- great kitchen decor

Lemonade

In other words, we can find something to learn from the experience or something to be grateful for. Being able to find a positive attitude or something good to hold on to helps to make the situation more palatable than if we languish in the mire. It’s amazing how your attitude and perspective affects your experience.

That’s not to say it is going to be easy. Some things will never be easy or fun to go through, no matter how we look at them. There isn’t much I had power to change over the past several months. Believe me there were plenty of tears, anger and frustration, but mixed with the other coping mechanisms I have talked about it has been bearable. We have still been able to laugh and have great moments.

Only a robot could go through difficult, stressful situations and not have emotional reactions of some kind. We struggle to cope and hopefully the next difficulties will go a little more smoothly.

What helps you to stay grounded when things get tough?

Valentine’s Day Gifts For Kids That Don’t include Food Or Sugar!

Jan 10, 2018

Valentine’s Day Gifts

Everyone loves to be remembered and Valentine’s Day is a great day to do that. The gifts don’t have to be big or grand to show that you care. We have always given a small gift to our kids for Valentine’s Day. It makes the day fun for everyone!

Check on your favorite candies and chocolates to make sure they are gluten free. Sometimes the holiday varieties contain gluten even though they normally don’t!

None of these gifts involve food or sugar!

This post contains affiliate links. I include these links for your convenience to be able to find similar items to what I am using or interested in. I earn a small commission for the referral, but your price remains the same.

Valentines Gifts for Baby

Sweet Outfit for baby

Cute Stuffed Animal

Valentine’s Gifts for Kids

Light up stuffed animals

Books about Valentine’s Day

Valentine Lego Sets

Valentine night light

Gifts for Teens

Heart Puzzle

Socks

This is a favorite Valentine’s Day present for my girls! They LOVE socks!

Battery powered candles

Candles are so much fun for any room, at any age. My 15 year old daughter got some for Christmas and after putting them in her room she said: “I didn’t know I needed candles until I had them in my room!” She loves them! They come with a remote control and can be put on a timer, which makes them even better!

Classroom and Friend Valentines

Everyone gets tired of how much sugar there is given out on holidays and Valentine’s Day is no exception. Those with food allergies also dread all the goodies they won’t be able to eat. Here are some fun ideas that avoid all the food issues and too much sugar!

Rubber Ducky! You’re the one!

“Rubber Ducky you’re my very best friend it’s true!”

Bookmarks

Erasers

Pencil with Owl Valentines

Bracelets

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How To Teach Volume Control To Your Child

Oct 11, 2017

Too Loud!

Whoa! Little lungs can have a lot of uncontrolled volume!

Does your child talk too loud?

Kids don’t come, already knowing how to control their volume. Some are naturally quiet, not many, but some. Some have the volume turned up all the way, all the time! Some have a good volume, most of the time. Whatever your kid’s volume is, there is one volume that is certain; when they need to be quiet they will talk the loudest!

My child only has 2 volumes: All the way up or off

No matter how you shush or get after them they might not understand what their voices can do. They have to be taught how to hear the differences. Once this happens at church or somewhere where they have to be quiet; you understand that they don’t understand what it is to talk quietly.

Developmentally ready

My oldest started talking before she was 1 year old and was saying sentences by 14 months! My 2^nd was much slower to talk and it may have been because big sister often talked for her. So, we played the Inside Voice/Outside Voice when our oldest was younger because she was ready. However, #2 wasn’t ready until well after she was 2 and using more words.

The game works best once they regularly are using sentences to communicate.

Even though both girls talked at different times, they still had to learn volume control. Learning to speak at an older age didn’t change the need to learn volume control.

They won’t just catch on

It’s funny that we had to re-learn this with each child. We didn’t notice that they didn’t know how to whisper, until we needed them to; like at church or a movie. I think we thought the younger ones would catch on to how mom and dad and their older sisters whispered, but that wasn’t the case.

Each child had to play the game in order to understand how loud and how soft their voices could go and still be heard.

Inside Voice/Outside Voice Game

To teach volume control we would play a game called inside voice/ outside voice. Played like follow the leader. Outside voice is said at various loud levels and they are encouraged to match the voice level. Then various softer levels of inside voice are said. As they get better at it we change quickly from outside voice to inside voice. We talked about where and when to use inside/outside voices. We would also get into competitions over who could do the softest voices. It works!

You can help your child find a balance to their volume. Teach your child when it is okay to speak loudly and how to use a softer voice by making it a fun game.

The child and even older kids who help play along like to have a turn being the leader.

It took playing it a few times before they really understood.

Reminding them that it is inside voice time helped in teaching them when to use the quieter voice.

Do you have other tips for teaching volume control? Please, share in the comments.

25 Things On My Homeschool Wish List- 2017

Aug 1, 2017

As summer is coming to a close, it is time to gear up for a new school year. We are an eclectic homeschool family! We look for and use materials that fit into our schedule and what each person wants to learn! We already have a lot of materials and resources but these are the things I would like to add. My wish list for my teen homeschooler.

We take a break from school, so to speak, during the summer. Learning is ALWAYS ongoing but we don’t worry about lessons and assignments during the summer. We try and keep close to the school schedule, because it helps us stay on track and the kids can go do more with their public schooled friends when their breaks are around the same time.

A Few of Our Homeschool Favorites

All of our girls love to draw and so sketch books in several sizes are a must. We have a neighbor who is a very talented graphic artist and he has talked to my girls many times about their art. He told them to draw all the time. He said to find references and practice drawing what you see. All my girls do this and so sketch books in several sizes for each one are good to have around. They have a small book that they take to church (and everywhere for that matter) and bigger ones for more in depth projects at home. We like the spiral bound ones because the pages don’t come loose and it is easier to flip through and see past attempts, projects and how much they have improved!

My sister-in-law gave us this book, one year for Christmas and I love it! I wish we would have had it to read with our older girls! In fact, I loved it so much, I sent one to my daughter who is in college!

I love learning games and this is a fun one that is different, every time! This game teaches about economics (supply and demand), as well as strategy, the goal of the game changes each time you play. It took us a while to figure out the rules but it is quite fun to play.

Settlers has become a family favorite! We have used the robber in the game to talk about communism and how the robber can stop all progress. Rules have been made up, by our family, to make it even more like a communist ruler has taken over and how cards are or aren’t distributed when the robber is in play.

Did I mention I love games?! Boggle is a favorite and my girls are challenged to one day get more words than I do. This post is about other word games we enjoy and materials we use/have used for writing, grammar and reading.

My Homeschool Wish List

It can be expensive to homeschool! I have collected things over the years and every year we add more because each child has some different things they want to learn or learns in a different way.

Books

I also love parenting books! I have some other parenting favorites in this post. Unfortunately, parenting doesn’t come very easy and each kid is different and so books like this are really helpful. After all, we were all raised by first time parents who were going off of what they learned from their parents.

Getting help on how to better manage our family and work together.

This looks like a great book about how we see the world and what limitations we may be putting on ourselves and our kids. When we strive to self improve, our kids will too!

There are so many different ways of doing things and yet we get stuck in a rut and sometimes believe we have to do it the same way everyone else is or we and our kids will fail. I would like to help my daughter get a little further ahead during these high school years. This book is really high on my list, this year! I should just order it!!! (But I have already spent so much money today, I need to wait! Need to get it off of the back burner!)

Shortly after we began homeschooling I got really sick. I wish I would have had the capacity to do more with TJED! However, it is never too late and I believe things can be implemented in a way to work for us!

Ohhh! This would be another fabulous book to have! This youngest daughter of mine has always been a leader and has a take control kind of personality. However, as most teens grow they start to doubt themselves and be less sure of what they can do.

What we want is for our children to grow up and take responsibility for themselves. The teen years are a great time to give them practice in a controlled environment. Education is an individual activity. You can lead a child to the book but you can’t make them learn from it! This is a must have on my homeschool list for this year!

The teen years are a great time to learn time management. It is something I have worried about with some of my older kids as they have gone off to college. However, a resource like this could ease some of that worry.

I read “What Color is Your Parachute?” when I was in college and have talked about this and had some of my older kids read this book too. I am excited to find that there is one geared toward high school students!

Homeschool Writing

Writing is the struggle I am currently having with the youngest daughter! I’m hoping to light a fire under her, help her to see how writing can be an outlet, learn how to express herself and so much more!

One of the thinks I would love for my daughter to do is to start a blog! I think there are so many things she could write about! I have learned so much about my blog; it isn’t just about writing! There is the whole back end side of things with a blog.

Problem Solving, Math and Business

I want this book to see if the methods and tricks in this book would better help in understanding math. I wonder if this would bring a new element to our math studies and help put some perspective and fun into the subject?

I couldn’t find a picture ad to go with this book. It is very intriguing to me with all of the hacking and problems that accompany using the internet. Many companies and self employed opportunities are available online and it is good to know how to protect yourself against these modern day practices.

A Practical Guide to Teen Business and Cybersecurity – Volume 1: Cybersecurity and best practices, Great Leadership Qualities, How to Write a Press … Against Zero-Day Attacks, and much more.

Science

My daughter loves electronics! This has been on my list for a while and I just ordered it! I will do a review on it after we have used it a bit!

Tackling physics can be daunting. I am strongly considering this for one of our resources this year!

With the meteor showers in August and so many great celestial things to study, a telescope is an awesome tool for learning about the stars and night sky! Many telescopes can be hooked up to a computer or a camera to discover and photograph even more!

Foreign Language

Fun way to learn a new language. We also love using Dual lingo and You Tube!

Projects

I just might have to get this for my husband’s birthday! He and my daughter are always looking for projects to do together. They are currently planning an animatronic project for Halloween.

Games

Fun way to learn about the Constitution of the United States of America.

Great for all ages! Dice can also be used for other activities and games!

Just for fun!

This shirt is awesome!!!!

Ripples- When It Happens To One, It Happens To All

Jul 13, 2017

Have you heard of the ripple effect? This is the effect that one thing causes and it ripples out and affects several people or situations. It is well illustrated with throwing a rock into water. There is a ripple that is caused when the rock enters the water (disrupting and displacing it) and then consequent ripples take place from there getting larger and larger as it goes outward from the initial splash. So, one thing causes a reaction that continues after the initial thing started the ripple.

The Family Dog

*This was not the dog; I couldn’t find a picture of her. She was a white German Shepherd. We sometimes called her Snoopy because she often sat on top of her doghouse.

When I was 14, my 2 year old sister was attacked by our family’s German Shepherd. This German Shepherd was a great dog and well trusted. From the time my little sister was a baby, the dog often sat by her car seat and would steal her pacifier, when no one was looking. No one could have imagined that this dog would ever attack my sister.

Why did the dog attack? My dad had brought home another German Shepherd and didn’t know how to properly introduce and help them get along. So, both dogs ended up on zip lines or one in a dog run. Our dog that had always been able to run the yard was now a prisoner and didn’t understand why. Dogs often attack when they are frustrated or agitated in some way.

*** My husband and I worked with a dog trainer, with one of our dogs, and learned so much. Did you know that dogs tied up are more likely to bite than one behind a fence or running around?! The trainer told us that this is because a dog who is tied up doesn’t understand what is holding them back and they become frustrated. https://www.dogbreedinfo.com/chain.htm

Dog Bite Ripples

So, from this event came a big ripple:

Because we first went to a medical center, their staff was affected by having us come in. Traumatic to anyone to see a small child in that kind of condition.
Then there was the staff at the hospital.
My baby sister had to have a plastic surgeon put the stitches in. (Her lip was torn at the corner of her mouth and she had other bites and scratches on her face and neck.) She had to be hospitalized for several days.
Lots of family came to the hospital and were worried about her.
I had no shoes on and didn’t realize, until we had been at the hospital for hours. Someone had to point it out to me.
I felt like it was my fault, but I wasn’t supposed to talk about it. (It happened to my sister, not to me. Said to me, by my mom.)
My siblings were affected by this, but also never talked about how they felt or what they went through.
Mom was affected by this and angry that Dad didn’t come to the hospital right away.
Dad was affected by this because the message he got was my sister was scratched by the dog and it wasn’t a big deal.
Neighbors were affected by this. Everyone was upset and thought she had been bit by our next door neighbors Doberman Pincher who had attacked a few people in the neighborhood and injured our smaller dog that was a house dog. They were all shocked to find out it was our dog who bit her.
The people at the pound who had to put her down, after the wait to make sure she didn’t have rabies.

My sister is the one it happened to, but not the only one affected by it. Everyone who witnessed it unfold, lived with her, loved her, extended family, neighbors, doctors, nurses and even those who heard about what happened had a reaction to the event. Some felt guilt, sadness, hurt, anger, helplessness, etc. You would have to be a robot to not feel something, when something like this happens.

It happened to someone we love and so we are all effected

Any event in a persons life has the potential of rippling outwards and affecting those around them in many different ways! It’s never isolated to just the one person it happened to!

We feel our world disrupted, too, knowing that anything can happen at any time! After all, my sister and I were just playing in the backyard. It was a beautiful spring day. She loved to be outside! So, I took her out with me, while I jumped on the trampoline. (I don’t know how I got her away from the dog, but suddenly we were running and jumping in the car, racing to a medical facility.) It was just an ordinary day, until it wasn’t.

*Keep in mind that children, especially small children may not be able to understand everything that happened. They may have emotions they don’t know how to properly express and may need help working through them.

Unfortunately there is no shortage of the things that can affect us:

Dog attacks
Divorce
Health issues- sickness or injury
Job loss
Death of a child, spouse, sibling or parent
Car accident
Home invasion
Work place violence
Violence as you are out and about
Car jacking
War
Fire
Natural disasters

Why are we affected by other peoples tragedies?

We love them and it is hard to see them hurt
We re-live the event and think of all the things we could have done differently
We realize how fragile life and health are
We worry about the future (possibly theirs and/or our own)
We wonder if something like that could happen to us
It inspires fear
We realize the world isn’t as safe as we once thought
Knowing that anything can happen to anyone at anytime and we don’t have control over everything or anything for that matter

Coping with stressful events

Talk about it
Talk to your kids about how they feel and what they have or are experiencing.
Get a professional involved – some may have a harder time expressing what they are going through than others do.
Talk to your religious leader
Avoid self medicating (drugs, alcohol, and over eating)
Pray
Service- volunteer
Be a good listener to someone else- show compassion and don’t silver line.

https://www2c.cdc.gov/podcasts/media/pdf/CopingTraumaticEvents.pdf

How do you cope with stressful/traumatic events?

Changing Roles of Mom- They aren’t little anymore

Jul 7, 2017

I was not prepared for my role as mom to change so much over the years, especially the changes that have happened over the past 3 or so years! So much of it happened without much thought and I took on roles as my kids explored their passions and interests. Though I don’t go into it in this post, there are far more roles than those I am going to talk about! Some of those other roles are: chauffer, cook, maid, financial planner, therapist, doctor etc.

1st Time Mom

I was ready to become a new mom, at least to an extent. I don’t think you can be fully prepared for exactly what it means and feels like to be a first time mom. To hold your newborn baby in your arms and feel the responsibility of being their entire world. You really do, suddenly have the world on your shoulders. It’s the world of the precious child who now depends on you for everything. You, too, are their whole world!

I really did feel this weight. Not only about feeding, changing and clothing, but also loving, nurturing, and guiding this little person into being a wonderful grown up, someday.

Mom of several children

When I had my second child, I was no longer the mom of an only child. It was terrifying in a different way, than it was having my first. I worried and cried about whether or not I could love my second child as much as my first.

I’m not gonna lie! There were struggles. She was not a happy baby and it made it hard. I remember crying that I wanted to like my baby as much as I loved her. We definitely grew together through all of those rough times. It did take mental and emotional work and focusing on all the good; and it certainly helped to get all of her medical issues sorted out, but the love is and was definitely there.

I learned with my second, third and fourth that you love all your children, but not necessarily in the same way. We are silly to think we are going to love everyone exactly the same! Personalities work together in different ways. Different doesn’t mean more or less; it is just different.

My Roles and Changes

Having toddlers

It is amazing how much your toddler changes when you bring a new baby home! My oldest was 3 and I still saw her as my little baby. Then, we brought her sister home and I watched and realized how much my 3 year old had truly grown up and wasn’t a baby anymore! It really was a blink of the eye and there she was an independent, thinking and doing child who was growing up, so fast!

PTA Mom

One day, I realized how big my oldest was getting and realized that while I had toddlers, I wasn’t just a mom of toddlers. I had a daughter who was going to school and having very independent experiences of her own. Experiences I wasn’t a part of after being her world for the past 5 or so years!

When my oldest went into First Grade, it was hard on me and her sister. My second daughter’s sister and best friend was suddenly gone every day and she missed her like crazy. My girls are 3 years apart, but have always been really close and loved playing together. Number 2 wanted to be with her big sister so much and I, too, missed her all day long.

I volunteered to be a parent helper, during the first week of the first graders learning how to pick up their lunches. I was excited to be there and make sure my daughter got her lunch okay. I was assigned the 3rd day of lunches, so they had already had some practice. Oh, my disappointment when she waved me away and told me she was fine! I can still see her walking off with her lunch tray in hand talking to her new best friend as they found a seat together. I had to hold back my tears as I realized how big and independent my sweet little baby had become. She was no longer a baby and I suddenly felt so unneeded. I went home and cried.

Homeschool Mom

This came as a huge surprise. You can read our homeschool story to learn more about why we decided to go this route. I didn’t expect to enjoy this role as much as I have. It was a really hard transition, but has been worth it!

Gym Mom

My oldest had tried dance when she was 3 and hated it! She would ask everyday if today was dance day and when I would say no she would say, “Yeah!” and jump up and down. When I heard the other moms say their daughters asked every day if today was dance and when they said no, their daughters would get sad and sometimes cry. That’s when I knew that dance wasn’t her thing!

All my girls enjoyed gymnastics at some point. Some loved it and stayed with it and others moved on to try other activities that better suited them.

As a gym mom, I often watched practices, went to gymnastics meets, volunteered with fundraisers and other gym events and helped with being the gym photographer. I loved our gym life mostly because it was great to watch my girls excel in something they really enjoyed and did well in.

Daughter #2 wrote a great post for her blog about what she learned from gymnastics.

It was as hard on me when that part of our life ended as it was on them! Gymnastics was a part of our life for almost 20 years!

Mom with new baby

We repeated this role 4 times! I would say the last time was the easiest as far as having multiple children in the house goes. What a difference it made having a 10 year old and a 7 year old who were excited about the new baby and eager to help! (The 4 year old wasn’t very helpful and struggled the most in adjusting to a new baby sister.)

However, it became increasingly challenging to juggle a new baby and the activities of kids 10, 7 and 4 years old! Not to mention the serious complication and health issues I had after that last baby.

Soccer Mom and More. . .

Various sports were tried and during those times I was soccer mom, softball mom, archery, etc. Driving to practices, finding the field, I even coached basketball once, and sitting through games in the cold weather.

Art

I was the “my daughter is an art student mom”. My daughter had to go to museums and view pieces of art to fulfill her requirements and I often went with her. This was fascinating. She shared her interests with me and I got to see things through her eyes.

You can check out her art and writing blog here.

Dance, again. . .

I was dance mom again when #2 made the dance team at the high school. We would go to performances, make sure she had costumes listen to music she was considering using, take pictures and video. I went with her to see professional dance performances to fulfill requirements for her dance classes. I went with her to auditions.

Piano

Piano mom: I made sure they all practiced, went to their lessons, worked on music theory, learned notes, etc. However, my husband often helped with piano and singing with the girls. He is very musical and I actually barely read music and don’t really play an instrument. (Did I mention. . . several people in my family (the one I grew up in) are tone deaf?!)

Daughter #3 went to a performing arts charter high school for 1 1/2 years. The program didn’t fit her area of music very well and eventually she moved on. However, during that time we encouraged her to reach out to a famous pianist for an interview for one of her classes. David Lanz graciously gave her an over the phone interview. Definitely a highlight to this piano experience. You can read more about why my husband did more with helping with piano here.

Theater

I love that all of my girls have gotten to do some theater. I directed a play they were in, coached acting, helped memorize lines, run lines, driven to practice, gone to performances, and recorded through pictures and video their experiences.

Mom of teens

At one point, I had 3 teen daughters in the house! It really wasn’t too bad. There is so much hussle and bussle with teens and shuttling them to and fro! When I was a younger mom I didn’t believe mom’s who said they were busier with teens, until I had teens!

Looking forward to not having a brand new driver! It is sometimes really scary being in the passenger seat with a learning driver! This is my last learning to drive teen and I get so nervous! She is really a good driver, but I still get so anxious!

What I learned

I learned to like the things my kids were interested
I learned with them and that trying new things is important
I learned that they aren’t always going to like what I like; they have their own interests
I learned that trying several things doesn’t mean you are a quitter but rather you are trying to find your passion
I learned that I love whatever my children love (somethings more than others)
I learned that when my children love doing something it is not a bother, but when they aren’t enjoying it is hard on everyone
I learned to listen
I learned how to be the cheerleader they needed me to be (some needed more encouragement and others needed to just be heard)
It’s important to find time for yourself and the things you like to do
I learned that the only thing constant in life is change
I learned that change isn’t always a bad thing even though it can be hard
I love my family
Children and parents can have close, healthy relationships
Communication and not taking things personally is really important
Things often work out

Mother-in-law

Just last year, we got our first son! I became a Mother-In-Law. It has it’s adjustments to the whole family as another person is added and everyone tries to find their place and how everyone fits together.

More Roles

It won’t be long before grandma gets added in as a new role and what a blessed day and time that will be!

However, I don’t feel ready to be an empty nester. I find myself sad and wanting to cry as I write this. I love having my girls around and at home. I loved their growing up years. There are so many things I miss about when they were younger.

I know my time with my youngest is precious. We have a few short years to make count, before she heads off to college.

Strategy for moving into the empty nester stage

Explore interests I didn’t have time to do when the kids where young
I’m doing this blog
Work on my house and yard

I think I’m going to want a different house when my kids are all on their own. This house was great for raising a family but it isn’t a great “gathering” house.

Parenting

Our First Attempt

Second Attempt

Materials needed for baby foot and hand molds:

How to

Mold Mixture

Using the Molds

Clean It Up

Good luck! It really is a precious keepsake!

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The Anniversary Cake

Cutting the Cake

The Originals!

28 years and still in love!

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Teaching about family money

1. Menus and Lists

Remember to include meals besides dinner and snacks that your family likes and will eat.

We need:

Cheap Dinners

Setting financial goals as a family.

How to set financial goals as a family

What has to be paid

What is flexible

Are the family financial goals worth it for everyone and how can it have meaning for everyone to participate?

In the Loop

Treasure Sandwiches

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Easter -candy free ideas for small kids, pre-teen, and teenagers.

Easter Baskets and more

Plastic Eggs

Fillers

Pre-Filled

Family Gifts

My Grandparents’ Tradition

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Let’s practice

Example:

Intervene

Explain

Modeling

Practice

Time to say sorry

Apologies should always include what they are sorry for. If both played a part in the problem, both should offer apologies.

It Works!

Reminders

Other Things to Practice

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The Very Loud Family

The Apple Doesn’t Fall Far From the Tree

Inconsistency

Consequences of Inconsistency

Promises

We were able to use her example as a teaching tool in what not to do.

Consistency through promises and being true to what you say

Consistency through Punishments

Children learn to obey through consistency. They know what to expect and what is expected of them.

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Lemons

Handling the lemons

Pucker up!

Sweeten the lemon

The lemon is misunderstood

What we don’t understand about lemons

The Lemon Plan

In Defense of the Lemon

Even if you don’t like eating this fruit, there are so many other reasons why the lemon is a great fruit!

Lemonade

What helps you to stay grounded when things get tough?

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Valentine’s Day Gifts

Valentines Gifts for Baby

Sweet Outfit for baby

Cute Stuffed Animal

Valentine’s Gifts for Kids

Light up stuffed animals

Books about Valentine’s Day

Valentine Lego Sets

Valentine night light

Gifts for Teens