the mud pie makers

2012 Summer Family Fun in Greenville

2012-07-25T13:12:00.000-04:00

Whether you are local or visiting for a few days, there are many fun activities going on in the Greenville area this summer...and some are year-round. And much of it is FREE or very inexpensive!

If you're headed for beautiful downtown Greenville, your family can hunt out the nine unique mice sculptures hidden in surprising places along Main Street. The Mice on Main website gives clues for finding the cute bronze mice.

The fountain at Riverplace off S. Main under the bridge is a great place for kids to beat the heat running through spraying water.

There are many wonderful parks and playgrounds in Greenville, including the Children's Garden at Linky Stone Park (under the bridge at Academy St). This magical garden is full of life-size storybook characters!

We found a couple of new reading programs this year. Check out the Barnes & Noble reading program to earn a free book. Read 8 books, complete printable Reading Journal, and take into your local B&N store by Sept 4, 2012.
The Woodruff Rd B&N store offers children's storytime on Tuesdays at 10. The Haywood Rd location has story time Saturday at 11 am. Also, Barnes & Noble offers an online story time each month with a different author.

The local library offers great summer activities and exciting guest performers. Get signed up here for the summer reading programs which reward readers of all ages!

TD Bank will deposit $10 in a bank account for any child who reads 10 books and brings the completed form printed from their site into their local branch by Sept 29, 2012.

Fiction Addiction bookstore on Woodruff Road across from Costco has Children's Storytime Thursdays at 10:30.

Introduce your child to Shakespeare in a lively and engaging setting with Summer Shakespeare. This year's show is As You Like it...set in the 70s. It's an hour-long performance and young children who are able to sit that long are invited to attend. Tickets are only $5 and it is always a colorful, fun, and witty performance!

Get a couple of families together and set up a group tour at Great Harvest Bread (1467 Woodruff Road). Enjoy a sample of their delicious breads or bakery treats.

Beat the heat with a super cheap daytime movie. Regal Summer Movie Express has $1 kid movies on Tues/Wed mornings at 10! Greenville locations are Cherrydale or Hollywood on Woodruff. Check out all the details here for cheap summer movies when it is too hot or rainy to play outside! This deal applies to many areas outside Greenville, also.
Great Escape Theater in Simpsonville has free kids movies starting at 9:30 am Tues/Wed/Thur mornings. Download more info here.

Shakespeare in the park! This summer's performace is Henry V, opening July 12. If you haven't been downtown to see a free play at the Falls Park on the Reedy, then check this out.

If you are looking for a FREE family night idea, bring a picnic supper and enjoy the Furman Lakeside concert. Check out the schedule (Thursdays at 7:30) here!

The Shops at Greenridge will be showing FREE Drive-in movies Friday nights in August! Schedule is here.

If you live in Greer, be sure to check out the listings for FREE outdoor Moonlight movies on Thursday nights at Greer City Park.

And if you live in Simpsonville, head over to Heritage Park for some great movies this summer. The gates open at 7:30 and movies start around 9pm on the lawn.

Plan a family outing at Paris Mountain State Park. It is inexpensive and a great family place to play. Pack a picnic or food to grill, and enjoy a summer day of hiking, paddle-boats, swimming, and frisbee! And they have camping sites if you're up for an entire weekend in the great outdoors! Here is the main site.

George the Train is a historic mini-train that runs at the Pavilion. Rides are offered April thru October on Tues/Fri/Sat/Sun. Check here for more info.

Another local miniature train runs at Heritage Park in Simpsonville. You can climb aboard Sat/Sun. Contact info here.

Please leave a comment if you've found any other inexpensive kid-friendly entertainment in the area!

Creativity Corner: Make Mini Books!

2012-06-04T15:41:00.002-04:00

Last week my daughter was playing with a craft book. She discovered a wonderful cut-out page that created small books using only a few simple pages that we cut and stapled together. We loved them so much that I thought we should create our own from scratch!

The idea behind this is so simple, but sometimes kids enjoy making something that is entirely their own. There are many levels of learning and many directions you could go with this basic concept--the sky's the limit! To begin, I took one piece of cardstock and cut it into 3 equal rectangular pieces. If you want to let your child practice cutting, let her do this part; it doesn't have to be perfect!

Next, I folded each rectangle in half and asked Maddy to tell me a story. I thought she might need time to brainstorm but she had her basic story down and was drawing within a minute. For some reason my daughter was obsessed with "diamonds" on this particular day, so her story was all about diamonds. She drew a picture on her cover, then began a story on the inside. I was nearby to help, but for the most part she came up with each drawing (illustration :) and sentence on her own.
Once she had finished her drawings, I helped connect the book by stapling the center pages together. If you wanted to create a more attractive work of art or a gift, you could easily use a hole punch and ribbon or something more refined than metal staples. You could also create a thicker cover using cardboard (cereal box) and glue, etc. We will continue experimenting with this!

When we had the book in one piece I helped her fill in the words. To do this I wrote out the sentences, then she copied them onto her book pages. An older child should be encouraged to write entirely on his/her own. This simple project turned into a great learning activity as we wrote colors and words and learned about the basic layout of books, as well as reading from left to right. I think the fact that the pages are small kept her attention and helped keep her from feeling overwhelmed by a huge blank page!

For some reason my kids love tiny things, and I'm sure I will find this treasure buried away in a pink purse for many months to come. Maddy was very proud of the story and book she created almost entirely by herself and we will definitely be making many more of these in the future, most likely using different themes and more pages. What story will your child tell?

Monday Munchies: Simple Snacking Surprises.

2012-05-14T16:19:00.002-04:00

So, occasionally I'll see something like this:

or this:

....and I start feeling pretty crummy about the lame Wheat Thins or Goldfish I threw in a baggy at my kid just before heading into the van.

And while it is awe inspiring and really nice for a party or special occasion to spend an hour creating a snack masterpiece that will be devoured in approximately 5 minutes, I've discovered that just a little twist on an old (and inexpensive) favorite can result in a big smile and an unspoken understanding of love between me and my kids.

So, break out the Pretzel sticks.

Sometimes (especially for family movie night) I give my kids pretzel sticks for a snack. After Easter we had lots of egg candy lying around. When I dumped a few pretzels into the bowl and it looked like a nest, I put a few Robin Eggs chocolates inside and voilà! An exciting bird's nest snacktime was born.

Since our first bird's nest snack, I have tried a few different twists with things we have on hand. Marshmallows also make a fun surprise in your nest. And sometimes I arrange the pretzels to look like a little bonfire with a few marshmallows stuck to the ends like we are going to roast them on the fire. The kids LOVE this!

While I hope to keep aspiring to a level of superior child snacking such as this:

My kids are pretty happy with our little pretzel nests and pretzel bonfires. What are some simple snacking favorites in your family?

Thankful Thursday: Mercies Anew!

2012-05-10T09:05:00.002-04:00

Every morning that breaks

There are mercies anew

Every breath that I take

Is your faithfulness proved

And at the end of each day

When my labors are through

I will sing of Your mercies anew!

The sun came up fiercely today--it broke through the curtains and I was reminded just how much I have to be thankful for.

This morning we drove to school without music or distracted chatter about Legos and the Backyardigans. We had real conversations about baby calves that we passed in the field and the gorgeous Queen Anne's Lace that grows wild by the road. We laughed and when Griffin gave his brother a big kiss before he headed out the van door, I couldn't help praising God in my heart for mornings like this. For mercies anew.

This week I'm thankful for so many things.

~For more blessings in our lives in the form of new babies born into our family.

~For cool mornings and soggy dew.

~For a bountiful garden in the backyard.

~For an amazing husband and daddy who cares for us.

~For a 2 year-old who hysterically gains independence each day.

~For my big kids who are helpful and seeking and growing.

But most of all for this. A reminder that even when it is foggy and rainy and the sun isn't shining, God and his mercy is constant!

And Your mercies, they will never end

For ten thousand years they’ll remain

And when this world’s beauty has passed away

Your mercies will be unchanged

Mother's Day: One-Memory-a-Day Journal

2012-05-08T11:25:00.001-04:00

My children are growing fast...way too fast. And they do cute and funny little things every day, which I am already forgetting.

So I gave myself an early little Mother's Day gift this year: a One-Memory-a-Day Journal.

Confession: I am a wanna-be journaler. Truth be told, I am actually a wanna-be Memory-Keeper in several areas. Don't ask me how far my children's Baby books have progressed (one is unopened!) or how my scrapbooks are going (the photos are all there in Photoshop...not printed, not laid out digitally for a Photobook...just waiting...) And even my great intent to keep separate journals for the kids of all their funny antics is basically still a pile of notes on calendars that I need to get around to copying over to actual journals...

But this one is different. It's not intimidating at all. The goal is to write at least one sentence from the day. It keeps track of all the sweet little happenings that may not be Big Firsts or hilarious stories to share at future family get-togethers...just happy memories our family will cherish reading when the kids are grown.

I grabbed a little journal at Staples and started it May 1. So far, I'm still on track!

If you have young children or need a gift idea for a new or young Mom for Mother's Day, give her a cute journal with the instructions to jot One little Memory a day. She will love it forever!

Kid Creativity: Bounce Back Game Time.

2012-05-07T07:50:00.000-04:00

Sometimes a new game will spring up when we least expect it. I love it when my kids come up with something entirely on their own; I'm always happy to help point them down the pioneering path.

Since it was blazing hot by 9 a.m. on Saturday, our only outdoor option was to pull out the tiny inflatable baby pool and splash around. After a while my 6-year-old got bored with the little pool and started looking for another outdoor option.

We have two boys in our house, so we are constantly bouncing with bouncy balls. There are balls in every shape and size, from the least bouncy to the bounciest. I don't mind a bouncy ball one bit. I will take 10 totes full of bouncy balls over 1 harmonica or drum any day.

My boys have been on a ball kick lately and it is something that they enjoy playing together--even with their four year age gap, so that's nice. Since we have an endless supply of bouncing balls around the house, I let them bring a few outside and bounce them around. Eventually the bouncing balls found their way into the baby pool--large target. Then we started hunting for smaller and smaller targets: buckets, totes, cans. I finally remembered my awesome stash of yogurt containers that I had in the pantry. I have been saving them because they are just too great to throw away (*cough ~~hoarder~~ *cough) and yesterday we finally put them to use.

Once we set the yogurt containers around the baby pool, we circled them with chalk and put various numbers to represent points at each spot, depending on how difficult we thought each shot would be. Next, we drew a line for him to stand behind while throwing the bouncy balls and he drew a scoreboard for each player.

Once the game was all set up (which was really the fun part anyway) it was time to play. Griffin had fun bouncing the ball and attempting to steer the bounciness into the small yogurt containers. It was a challenging game and he was very excited even if the ball simply touched the container. Of course he also had to keep moving farther back.

Games are everywhere. If you encourage your kids to run with their own creativity, you'll be surprised how far they go with it. The yogurt/pool/bouncy game might not make it onto the shelves of Toys-R-Us anytime soon, but I had a great time creating something from nothing with my boys. What is a fun game that your family created or modified lately?

Thankful Thursday: A Trip to the Home Beauty Salon.

2012-05-03T11:08:00.002-04:00

This morning was low-key. I managed to sleep in until the glorious hour of 7 a.m. Shockingly rare. I enjoyed my coffee and some reading time. The kids have played nicely and we managed to get a few things organized before we head over to school for lunch duty with Griffin.

I was sitting on the floor watching my daughter accessorize a stuffed elephant when my little guy came over and asked if he could brush my hair. Sure, why not.

He started out gently and carefully brushing the back of my hair and gradually became more emboldened until I'm pretty sure he brushed away part of my left ear. Instead of screaming I started laughing which only caused him to brush harder and crazier.

He always keeps us on our toes--full of joy and finding adventure in every task and every moment. His moment of hair-brushing glory ended shortly after encountering this tangle on Maddy's head. He needs a little more practice in the art of gentleness.

As these simple moments pass, I am reminded that I am fortunate to be home with my sweet babies to cherish these casual mornings. I am blessed to see the joy in little faces, the discovery of new adventures, and even the tiny disappointments and daily failures.
I love these kids. I'm thankful for these mornings and know that they are fleeting. And as the calendar fills and Summer draws near, I'm reminded to "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice!" Philippians 4:4.
Not just sometimes. Always. What a challenge!

**top photos by Maddy, age 5**

Jump Starting My Week.

2012-04-24T08:49:00.004-04:00

Yes, even weekends can be crazy.

Sometimes it's impossible to get caught up on things over the weekend, and I rely on a lazy Monday to get things back on track. Yesterday was supposed to be our lazy Monday, but shockingly, things don't always go as planned.

We have been staying busy lately, which might partially explain my lack of blog posts. As school and everything else winds down, we have also found ourselves doing things such as:

Easter.

Learning to ride a bike.

Repairing a deck.

This awesome Mud Run with mom friends.

And on and on...

So yesterday, on our supposed lazy Monday morning, when I chose not to shower and get ready for the day before conquering breakfast with the kids and school, it is no wonder that the engine wouldn't turn when we loaded up at 7:35 in the morning.

It's no surprise that the battery was dead as a doornail, which by the way—have you ever wondered what that saying means? Look no further.

And it was unusually chilly yesterday morning; as I unloaded kids (2 of them still in PJ's) from the van and called my husband at work, I kissed ~~lazy~~ Monday goodbye. As I waited for our sweet neighbor to come with jumper cables, I scrambled to dress my little ones more appropriately for the weather and switched myself from PJ pants to jeans.

While we rushed over to school, then on to Goodyear to switch cars with my husband, followed by 3 consecutive shopping errands, I struggled to keep perspective on our Monday turn of events. While I worried over the fact that I might run into a familiar face in public with my ragamuffin kids and my day-in-the-life-of-a-mommy attire, my kids joyfully sang and played in the backseat and played eye-spy in shopping carts.

I am realizing more and more that these trivial upsets in my routine shape me more than any lazy Monday ever could. How can I really rate a dead car battery, a tardy kindergartner and an annoyance in my change of plans in the big scheme of things? I keep thinking back to one year ago when our little guy was hospitalized for viral pneumonia.

It was scary; it helped pull everything into perspective for us. It reminded us to be thankful for the truly important things and people in our lives. And you can bet we held them all a little closer and tighter that week.

I think of my friend Sarah who is a passionate advocate for the people of Sudan. I think of those woman and children near the Nuba Mountains who try to avoid bombs and famine while I sit here typing in my house, stressed about surviving until Season 3 of Downton Abbey.

http://www.bareearth.org/

I have to keep my own undesirable situations in perspective, and learn what I can from each tiny trial. And as our crazy Monday morning finally culminated in a spectacular moment of triumph when Mason used his potty in the front of the Camry in the Post Office parking lot because we were out of other options, I had to laugh.

And even though I'm pretty sure I sent at least one exasperated text yesterday morning using words like “blerg” and “annoyed,” I'm very thankful for these ~~lazy~~ manageable Mondays. And even though Mondays are the potholes in the road of life, it's true, these tiny potholes are molding and preparing me for who knows what. It's not very hard to recover from the inconvenience of a dead battery and a trip to the store in Pajamas and no make-up. I'm still trying to keep the big picture in check, remembering that these little warm-up stretches are hopefully making me more flexible for future, bigger potholes.

Toddler Toy: Upcycle a Wipes Tub

2012-04-16T10:59:00.002-04:00

This Huggies wipes tub was just too cute to throw away! I decided to recycle it into a fun little activity for my 2-year-old. (Incidentally, I recommend the Huggies tubs over other brands because of the rubbery opening that is softer on little hands.) Ever left your toddler alone with a tissue box or wipes tub...to come back later and find it had been emptied one-by-one? Yeah. The fascination of one little white corner appearing after another...

To fill my tub, I pulled out a bunch of fabric scraps and cut rectangles about the size of a small paperback book. I tried to find different colors and textures--velvet, satin, flannel, and corduroy.

Then I cut some different shapes--oval, triangle, circle, heart, and square. I even pulled out a couple of my son's favorite old t-shirts that were in the rag bag because of holes or stains and cut out the front picture. This is a great option for anyone who doesn't have fabric around. The nice thing about t-shirt fabric is that it won't fray around the edges either.

If you knew your child would play with this over and over, you may want to go to the trouble of hemming the edges of your cloths. I didn't bother.

When I gave it to my son this morning, he had a lot of fun with it and got some good practice naming his colors and shapes. To keep it interesting, we made up games, such as "Find me the green cloth!" and "Sort the shapes."

It's a quick "toy" to make, and something that can be pulled out for Quiet play when Mom needs to make a phone call or fix a meal!

A Fresh Batch of Lunch Love Notes for Springtime!

2012-04-11T10:14:00.002-04:00

It is hard to focus on school when it's sunny and warm and the green grass is calling.
I wanted to cook up a fresh batch of love notes for my big guy to remind him that the lazy days of Summer are just around the corner--he will make it! We all will make it!

It's time to finish strong; here are a few more love notes to print and place in your child's lunch or in his room or at the breakfast table as we finish out the school year!

Simply go here and print your own Lunch Love Notes! If you want to make re-usable notes, print on cardstock and laminate them--my son usually brings his notes back home with him. Hang in there....Summer is coming!

"Spring unlocks the flowers to paint the laughing soil."

~Reginald Heber.

Dyed Pasta: Multi-Purpose Entertainment!

2012-03-28T13:08:00.005-04:00

Who knew a couple of boxes of pasta and some food coloring could provide my kids with multiple fun and learning activities enjoyed over a couple of days' time?! One of my son's home school lessons this week showed how to dye pasta and make beads to string. We dug out several kinds of noodles and prepared several cups of colorful beads. But the necklaces were just a start...we have actually used these noodles for three more activities so far. And happily, it took a whole 10 minutes of prep with things I already had on hand!

First, for the dye job. Materials needed:

dry pasta in various shapes
vinegar OR rubbing alcohol (the vinegar smell will linger, but may be preferable option if you fear a noodle "taste-test")
small plastic ziploc bags
food coloring
paper towels on trays

Put a cup of dry pasta in a ziploc. Add 1 TBSP of the vinegar OR rubbing alcohol and several drops of food coloring to the bag. Close it up and gently smoosh it around to color all the pasta.

Empty it on paper towels to dry. Best to leave it overnight.

I only had food coloring gel around, and a couple of the colors didn't dye the pasta so well by this method. So I actually mixed the gel with the rubbing alcohol and a cup of water in a bowl and we let the noodles sit in it for 7-8 minutes until the color "took." Not too long or the noodles would get mushy. That worked much better for us.

Noodle Fun #1: Beading!

String the beads on plastic elastic cord for necklaces or bracelets. Love the bright colors!

Noodle Fun #2: Sorting!

Using the sorting idea from this post, I gave my 2-year-old a muffin tin and several colors of pasta mixed together in a bowl. I showed him how to sort the colors in separate tins.

He LOVED it and sorted over and over for an hour-and-a-half! My 4-year-old thought it was super fun and did it several times too...first by color, then by shape.

Noodle Fun #3: Math Manipulative!

Use the pasta to make patterns. I laid out a pattern of various colors/shapes on a paper, and then asked my daughter to copy it. I hadn't tried this before with her, and she really liked the activity. She even made a complicated pattern for ME to copy! Noodles=learning fun for everyone.

Noodle Fun #4: Easter craft!

I drew an Egg shape on colored paper, added some craft glue, and then had the kids decorate their Easter eggs. They loved their pretty eggs.

Gotta love when you can make several new and exciting activities for FREE with a few supplies from the pantry!

Giveaway! Original Bottle Cap Necklace + Bonus T-shirt!

2012-03-27T09:04:00.000-04:00

Alrighty folks. Here is a fun giveaway with a lovely reminder to enjoy all the muddy moments with your little ones now!
We are offering this one-of-a-kind bottle cap necklace which proclaims one of our favorite sayings: Long Days, Short Years.

Along with this charming necklace, we are also including one of our MPM T-shirts! Our logo is displayed attractively on the front corner, and our favorite saying is on the back as seen here:

There is only one size (A fitted woman's size Large!) so if it is the wrong size for you, give it to a friend!

Here is a glimpse at the giveaway goods: necklace and shirt together!

{The Rules!}

1. Leave a comment here. Post your favorite activity with your kids here for 1 entry!

2. For a 2nd entry, post this giveaway on your FB page and leave a 2nd comment letting us know!

Thanks and good luck to you all. This giveaway will end on midnight April 10th and we will announce the winner on Weds. April 11th!

Creativity Corner: Art in the Sky.

2012-03-21T15:45:00.000-04:00

I have always been mesmerized by clouds.
Before I became aware that lying on my back in prickly grass would result in dirty clothes or bugs-in-hair, I would gaze for hours up at the sky. The cloud-object game has been around forever, but to my 5-year-old, it was a completely new phenomenon.
Our recent cloud-gazing adventure was a wonderful activity and I really enjoyed sharing it with her!

Springtime is one of the best times to hunt for clouds. I took Maddy on the front porch so we would be slightly shielded from the sun, but we also had a great view of the open sky. This activity would also make a great field trip--literally, to a field! Or a park. At any rate, we headed to the front steps armed with several sheets of blue construction paper, a few white crayons and white pencils, and our best seeing eyes.

At first we simply sat on the porch and talked about what we saw. The sky was so blue and the clouds were perfectly white and fluffy... it was easy to get started. In the beginning, Maddy described the clouds without much creativity: A bush. A ball. A splotch. I tried to offer suggestions to help her use her imagination to SEE things differently and she quickly got the hang of it. Once she figured out how to play, she couldn't get her pencil to paper quickly enough, and she was loving it!

This activity was so interactive. We talked about how the clouds change so quickly and why. We also talked about our amazing Creator who makes each cloud unique and beautiful. Why aren't all clouds the same size and shape? Why do we have clouds at all? It was fun to see her really thinking and trying to take it all in.

**Artist Bonus**

If your child is older and interested in art, another idea would be to let them do a Contour Drawing of the clouds. This is basically an outline of the cloud itself without filling the inside. Another great exercise for any budding artist is Blind Contour Drawing which is a contour drawing that is done by only looking at the cloud and not looking down at the paper. This will really work your child's fine motor skills and enhance their ability to process what is going on in their eyes and brain and eventually transferred onto the paper. Blind contour drawing is always a great way to practice drawing no matter what the object!

Have fun with this--I enjoyed listening to all 3 kids pointing out cloud shapes all the way home from school today. Look up at the sky, you won't be disappointed!

God writes the Gospel not in the Bible alone, but also on trees, and in the flowers and clouds and stars.

~Martin Luther

Easter Sunday Tradition: The Hunt for Easter Baskets is ON.

2012-03-20T08:35:00.002-04:00

SO, while I am currently compiling a list of songs, videos, verses and illustrations to share with our kids in the weeks before Easter that focus on the reality of The Resurrection, I have already received several requests for hidden Easter Baskets.

I decided to hide the kids' Easter Baskets the night before Easter last year, then spent a few minutes drawing very SIMPLE pictures on cardstock--very similar to something you would see on Blue's Clues. While the kids were outside I hid the cards in familiar places all over the house. Each clue contained a drawing of where they would find the next clue/drawing. They caught on quickly and the energy and excitement built each time they discovered a new clue.

This is not award winning videography, but this is what our Easter Basket Hunt looked like last year!

This fun activity did not require much time or planning at all; my kids talked about it for weeks and still remember it one year later.
While I want to place much emphasis on the true meaning and celebration for Easter this year, I try to remember that my kids are simply kids. This is a great chance to bond and share an experience together!
Check out many more fun spring ideas HERE.

All About Me: Birthday Questionnaire!

2012-03-16T11:00:00.001-04:00

Last week we celebrated with my daughter as she turned 5. She is our only girl, and she loves everything about celebrations and parties.

I'm trying to do a better job commemorating milestones while my kids are little, and one way to do that is by printing this simple page and filling it out with them every year. I enjoyed the special moments we shared while my sweet girl answered questions about her current tastes and favorite things; I know it will be so fun to look back on her answers 5-10 years from now. It is easy to add a few more personalized questions to this list as well.

Maddy already loves her All About Me and this page is a perfect addition. I look forward to celebrating more birthdays with our special girl, and using this simple page to reflect on how she is growing and changing each year!
And in case you were wondering, it was a Zhu Zhu pet party--we had a lot of fun making these cupcakes together. Oh Pinterest, what did we ever do without you!?

Pretend Play: Felt Mail Envelopes

2012-03-13T09:51:00.001-04:00

My daughter needed a project one recent rainy day while her older brother was busy with school. Since she had just recently learned to sew buttons onto scrap fabric, I thought a "real" button sewing project would be fun for her...such as felt Mail Envelopes that the kids could use for pretend play afterwards.

These are super easy to whip up, whether you use a sewing machine or hot glue gun.

I cut 4 different colors of felt into 7" wide by 12" long rectangles. Then I angled one end to make it look like an envelope flap.

The button was to go on the end that still had square corners, about two inches down from the edge and centered. She chose her favorite buttons from my little jar and got to stitching. She was super careful and made sure the needle went back in the same side it came out...great progress from her first lesson!

Next I folded the end (with the button) up a little more than a third and stitched the side edges together. Hot glue would work great too, or a young seamstress could even hand stitch those seams.

Then I folded the Flap side down and cut a slit to fit over the button.

Finally, we cut out little felt Stamps and hot glued/stitched those on the front of our envelopes.

They've had fun writing notes and delivering mail to each other. Best perk of this project: my sweet little love notes!

Defend yourself! Create-A-Shield.

2012-03-06T12:40:00.000-05:00

Around here, we have spent the past few days playing with foam swords that I picked up (yes, impulse purchase!) at Target in the dollar bins. The intense indoor action has been just the energy release the kids (especially boys) have needed.

I expected the swords to break; they were $1 and we've invested in foam swords before. They last about an hour.
Last night I decided to wrap them in colorful Duck^® Tape to help make them last a little longer. I am in love with all the duct tape options out there! It is fun and my mind is spinning with all the things I can wrap and make with these tapes.

I also realized that by wrapping them with tape, I was turning our harmless foam swords into respectable weapons. So, this morning I decided we needed to create shields to even the playing field.

Although a pillow and belt make an excellent shield, I had some extra mat board that was perfect for the job. Of course any cardboard or old boxes would also work. First, I drew a simple design on the board and cut it out. Then I divided it into sections for my daughter to decorate. We did a quick search for some shield decoration ideas by looking at pictures online. My daughter colored hers with crayons and I did a few lines in duck tape for my little guy's shield.

For the handles on the back, I simply used an extra piece of mat board for the arm holder and cut a circular loop from an old yogurt container (I have 6 million of them in my pantry) for the small handle. I wrapped them in duck tape for extra reinforcement and we were ready for battle. It isn't very pretty, but it is strong!

At this point we ran out of the lovely blue and white tape and had to resort to my husband's plain black gorilla glue tape--it was super thick and I hope he doesn't mind that we borrowed it!

Once our shields were decorated and strengthened with even more tape, we were ready for battle! This project was a success. We combined artistic fun and creativity to make a useful toy of protection! I am sure these shields will last as long as the swords, and if/when they are demolished, I'm sure the kids will be thrilled to make a new shield!

Making Muddy Moments: Best. Day. Ever.

2012-02-27T09:07:00.002-05:00

What are little boys made of?

Slugs and snails

And puppy-dogs' tails,

That's what little boys are made of.

I was reminded again of the truths in this old nursery rhyme yesterday as my boys played in the dirt with their daddy for almost 5 hours yesterday afternoon. They worked in the garden with shovels, rakes, and wheel-barrows. They demanded drink breaks amidst their labors and complained of back aches and sore arms. When I looked out the window I saw them trailing behind their daddy in a line of male adventure that finally culminated in a crackling bon fire as the sun went down.

While I scrubbed--yes scrubbed, the dirt from the boys hands and nails before supper last night, Griffin looked up and said, "Mommy, this was probably my best day ever."

There is something so rewarding and necessary about my boys spending a day in the shadow of their daddy, walking to and fro across the yard and getting really, really dirty in the process. I love the fact that they could barely keep their eyes open because they were so exhausted from working all day. I love spending time with my boys, but yesterday was a great reminder that sometimes it's important to let them bond with Daddy, which often involves lots of muddy, dirty work. I love my guys and am thankful for them!

Learning From the Past: Potty Training Re-Visited.

2012-02-25T09:08:00.001-05:00

I realize now that although many things become easier and simpler as my kids get older, other things become more complicated, because we are always at the mercy of time. My first 2 kids were potty-trained before or by age 2, and although I like to think it is in part because of the mature capabilities and genius of my little ones, it probably also had a lot to do with the fact that we spent about 3 weeks mostly at home preventing accidents and learning how everything works.

With kid #3, everything is different. I don't have 3 weeks to stay home and sit with him and clean up messes, so I keep putting it off. We have to take Griffin to school and pick him up in the afternoon. We have errands to run and church and there is never a day when we can just sit at home. Potty training has definitely been on the back-burner, even though I despise diapers and I think he is ready.

Last week we finally found time to make some progress in this area, and I remembered the following blog that I wrote several years ago while potty-training my daughter. Hopefully nothing like this has happened to you before and we haven't had anything this nasty happen around here since. Even the neatest housekeeper and most organized mommy has to clean up a BIG mess every now and then. Hopefully you don't ever feel alone! Enjoy :)

When you run poopy pants through the washing machine, none of the clothes get clean.

(From January 14, 2009)

So, if you opened this hoping to find a political metaphor or a symbolic story, then you might want to stop reading now. Unfortunately, the title of this blog is a very literal statement about what just happened to a small load of laundry that is currently enjoying a 3rd soak and rinse in extremely hot water.

As a stay at home mom to two active toddlers, my life is rarely dull. Just when things start slipping into some sort of routine, I like to shake in a dash of something or other to keep us from getting bored. When Christmas ended and we rang in the New Year, I thought it would be the best time to introduce my 22 month old to a lovely diaper-free world. A world of cotton, toilets, rewards and being a “big girl.” It was all very exciting.

I started out using many of the same methods that had worked with my son when he was about her age, and everything was progressing beautifully. New Princess underwear? Yippee! A Pez in my Sleeping Beauty Pez dispenser whenever I go on the Potty? Hooray! Flushing the big potty all by myself? Oh, the joy. With only a few minor setbacks in the first 4 days, I began feeling confident. I could hear the extra cash already coming in from the money we would save from diapers. We would be able to pay for college. We could cut back to only eating 2 meals a week off the dollar menu instead of 3. I might be able to afford a drink from Starbucks. I was free of the bondage of changing tables and diaper rash, and my daughter was walking around with a new diaper-free swagger.

Just when I thought I would be receiving my award for “Best Potty-Trainer 2009,” we began to hit a series of set-backs that involved wet pants, mysterious spots on the floor and couch, and little things that fall on the floor that nobody wants to touch with their bare hands. I did a lot of laundry and used some SPOT SHOT--which I should really advertise for them, because that stuff is amazing—and we were learning from our mistakes.

After several great days in a row, we were on track and moving forward again. Then yesterday she had a tough little accident; we were both disappointed as I dumped the mess in the big potty and threw the dirty underwear in the laundry. Since I had just done two loads earlier in the day, I left them in there, waiting until there was a full load; I have two toddlers and typically need a Sherpa and supplemental oxygen to reach the top of my clean laundry pile.

Now my story gets ugly and confusing. When I passed through the laundry room on my way out with the kids this morning, I noticed the laundry room smelled rather raunchy, but I knew there was messy stuff in there and hoped the Spray-N-Wash was working. When I returned this afternoon, I decided it was time to run the wash, whether or not the load was full, so I put in a few random dirty things and turned it on.

I finally got the kids down for a nap and heard the washing machine beep that it was done, so I went out and opened the lid. Let's just say the lovely “Tide” aroma that I was expecting was not there, and I couldn't believe what was scattered all over the bottom of my washing machine and mixed in with my clean laundry. As I quickly grabbed an old bag and some wipes and did my best to get rid of everything that wasn't an article of clothing from the wet wash, I realized that I had not only kissed my “Best Potty-Trainer” award goodbye, but I must be a horrible housewife and mother. Who runs a load of laundry with poopy pants???

So, as I sit here reflecting on all that has happened this afternoon, wondering how many times I will have to wash the clothes before they are truly clean, if they are in fact ever really clean, I can assure you I will be checking multiple times before casually throwing anything into washing machine from now on, and laughing at myself for thinking that something like Potty-training could ever be simple and sanitary.

Thankful Thursday: A Dose of Heaven?

2012-02-23T16:03:00.000-05:00

When a man has found something which he prefers to life, he then for the first time begins to live.

~ G.K. Chesterton

I don't want to waste more than a few minutes sitting at the computer today because it's gorgeous outside; the wind is calling and the warm air is beckoning. There are soccer balls to be kicked and kites to be flown.

But I did want to pass on a few thoughts of thankfulness while my little guy naps. Several times over the past two weeks I've been impressed by the fact that this world is not my home. I get so overly attached to my life sometimes and I know my focus is all out of whack. I've wondered if even my mommy exhaustion is a reminder that my life is transient; my body is inadequate. Is my fatigue a reminder of my need for help--and yes, even a way to focus on heaven.

Do we ...grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing? (2 Corinthians 5:2)

I'm so thankful for the many joys we've experience in the past week:

Sweet Babies born to dear friends

Flip Flops in February

Joyful Jumps on a Trampoline

Superman Footy Pajamas

Slobbery Morning Kisses

Last week we finished reading The Jesus Storybook Bible through for the second time with our kids. I love the way Sally Lloyd-Jones finishes the story of Revelation, reminding us that the story is not over, that John didn't write "The End" but instead said, "Come quickly, Jesus!" Her paraphrase of John 1:12-13 is great for little ears (and big ears) as well:

For anyone who says yes to Jesus

For anyone who believes what Jesus said

For anyone who will just reach out to take it

Then God will give them this wonderful gift:

To be born into

A whole new Life

To be who they really are

Who God always made them to be--

Their own true selves--

God's dear

child.

I want to make the most of these moments and these days with my children. I want to be here now in the midst of their fleeting childhood. I want to be a part of their memory-making and work hard to love and nurture them. And I want to keep in mind that when I am tired, it is because this life is not THE END, after all.

I have come home at last! This is my real country! I belong here. This is the land I have been looking for all my life, though I never knew it till now...Come further up, come further in! ~C.S. Lewis

Imagination Booster: Cardboard Box Doll House

2012-02-22T11:35:00.019-05:00

My daughter spied an old wooden dollhouse in a thrift store last week that she begged to bring home...we decided to leave it there since it was in pretty bad condition. But since she has dollhouses on the brain now, I thought we'd work together this week on making a fun little home for her Barbies.

We had a perfect, extra-heavy square box around, and I pulled out the craft tub with fabric scraps, felt, lightweight wire, beads, chenille stems, a catalog, glue gun, and cardstock.

We turned the box on its side and cut off the top flap. She wanted the sides left for doors, and the bottom flap was left to extend the floor. For windows, I had her trace around a rectangle of scrap paper and then I cut them out with box cutters.

Now for the fun: decorating!!

She chose her favorite fabrics and we cut 2 rectangles of each. I turned the top edge under 1/2" and quickly stitched it to form a "rod pocket." Then I had my daughter thread both curtains on a chenille stem. I poked holes above and to each side of a window and poked the stem through.

Then on the outside, I hooked the stem through a paper clip on each end, which I had my daughter wind up tight to the box to hold the "curtain rod" securely in place.

Now the curtains could be opened or closed. She found a piece of ribbon and made tie-backs for one set.

For a mod little chandelier, we threaded a length of light-gauge wire through clear pony beads, looping it through each bead once, then coiled the length a few times to look like a light. A three-inch length of the wire was attached to the top and then poked through the ceiling. Again, we wrapped the wire around a paper clip to fasten it tight on the outside of the box. Admittedly, there was a little disappointment when it was discovered the light wouldn't actually work.

We had a piece of brick-colored felt that made a great fireplace. We cut it in half lengthwise, then used a black marker to draw a square at the bottom. We cut little "flames" out of red tissue paper, and yellow & orange felt (use what you have!). They were hot-glued over the black square to make a cozy fire.

For a mantle, we cut a rectangle of white cardstock and folded it to make a right triangle that could be glued in place. It took a couple of tries to get the angle right (my math teacher was right--I really WOULD use geometry after 9th grade!), but we finally got a straight shelf.

My daughter was then put in charge of Art for the room.

She drew a butterfly picture, which I "framed" by gluing it to black cardstock.

Then we shot a photo of one Barbie to hang over the mantle...I guess she's the tenant.

Cut-out catalog pictures function as more fireplace art.

The piece of checkered felt made a perfect area rug. Now we just need to make some cardboard furniture using Tara's clever suggestions here.

The Barbies, homeless until now, are quite enamored with the new digs, although I overheard the blonde say she wants her own place too. Guess I better go search out another box....

Photo Fun: Make Your Own DIFFERENT PICTURE Game!

2012-02-18T14:15:00.000-05:00

I've mentioned before that my kids spend many hours pouring over Where's Waldo and Seek and Find books.

Last week, as I was looking at some books, and some of the junky areas throughout our home, I realized it might be fun to set up the tripod and create a few Different Pictures from our own home! This is a fun project that can be as simple, or as complex as you want to make it. For our purposes today, I kept it simple.

I set up the tripod in several areas of the house where there was plenty of messy detail and added an object here and there. I chose to photograph the kitchen counter, a pile of laundry, a bookshelf, and a few things in the toy room. If you don't have a tripod, you can still make it work but it will be difficult to take a photo in the same location without altering positions.

I took my first picture, then went in and added or removed objects. It was fun trying to make some obvious changes, and other more discreet changes. For example, in the kitchen I replaced a pop-tart box, opened the coffee pot, rolled down the paper-towel, flipped the banana tree, etc. Depending on the age and observation abilities of your kids, you could add more difficult changes in your second picture.

I uploaded the pictures and put them in a collage format so that my kids could view them side by side. If you don't want to mess with that, simply print 2 photos and let the kids view them next to each other. Since I printed them on paper, I just let them circle the changes they observed and had them keep a tally on the side. My big guy has been working on keeping tallies at school and they have been counting things all over the house lately.

They had a great time observing all the differences and were especially thrilled when they caught something small that they didn't notice at first glance. I was thinking that if you wanted to save computer paper and ink (or if you just have a lot of time on your hands!) you might even order some inexpensive prints and put your photos into a little book as a gift or for your kids to do in the car. Another option is if you have any type of tablet, simply save the photos and let your kids make observations from the digital photos or on the computer itself.

This was a successful observation activity that the kids enjoyed and asked to do again!

Thankful Thursday: Simplicity is a Choice.

2012-02-16T09:03:00.002-05:00

I love this quote by Ann Voskamp: Simplicity is ultimately a matter of focus.

As we are coming down from the high of Valentine's Day parties, eating too many cookies and reading tiny cards that declare silly things like UR Fab! (Barbie) or It's Your Destiny to have a Great Valentine's Day! (Darth Vadar), today we are staying inside to stare at the rain in our comfy clothes. We're going to make crockpot potato soup and paint.

I've been reminded again to be thankful for the thousands of simple blessings in my life: new words spoken clearly, growth spurts, crazy post-nap bed head, amazing friends, a thoughtful husband, an upcoming 3-day weekend. And simplicity truly is choice; I'm learning to eliminate the unnecessary. Can I streamline my daily chores, errands, and outings to make the most of my time--these precious winter days spent at home? Are you writing down your daily blessings? What have you done to encourage simplification in your life lately?

And as much as I despise the game Break the Ice, I'd probably set it up all day to see this big smile.

Teach us delight in the simple things,
and mirth that has no bitter springs;
forgiveness free of evil done,
and love to all men beneath the sun.
— Rudyard Kipling

Valentine's Day: Baking Up Some Love.

2012-02-11T13:50:00.001-05:00

I don't normally post about baking or cooking (especially not cooking), but I had a successful cookie experience today that is Valentine's Day-related, so thought I would share it here!
I saw a cute idea on Pinterest to replace the classic peanut butter blossom cookies with heart-shaped Dove chocolates and today we tried it. They are cute and delicious. Success!
Around here I like to bake on Saturdays since we normally just hang out at home. I wanted to make something seasonal for Valentine's Day next week. Click here for the peanut butter blossom recipe I prefer, or use your own. The only difference here is to replace the traditional Hershey Kiss on top (after the cookies have baked) with a heart-shaped Dove chocolate. MMM. I may never go back to Hershey Kisses.

My original plan was to let the kids help unwrap the chocolates and roll the dough, but with runny noses all around, I decided to let them wait and only help taste-test this time. Letting the kids help, watch, or simply enjoy the fruit of the Little Red Hen's labor in the kitchen is always a great and tasty way to spend time together.

Try them out if you get a chance! These are great cookies to make for school, church, neighbors or friends. And don't forget to enjoy the words of wisdom found inside your Dove wrappers:

Mommy Martyr? Silencing the Crotchety Old Lady Within.

2012-02-09T09:09:00.006-05:00

Sunday afternoon we drove home from a lovely mountain getaway with family; our legs were cramped from hours in the car and our stomachs were nauseous from winding mountain roads. And after days spent relaxing and doing nothing, my motherly instincts kicked in immediately after we unloaded the car. So, while I was inside scrambling through the house, sorting laundry, unloading the dishwasher and putting things in appropriate drawers, I looked out the window and saw my husband joyfully pushing all 3 of our kids as high as he could on our swing set. So often my husband gets it right.

I hadn't even noticed what a gorgeous evening it was, or how urgently my 3 moppets needed to run. I joined my little family in the yard and spent some time playing. It is sad that I still have to remind myself of my true priorities so often. I am always chasing down balance, and it's tricky. And while I certainly don't intend to play good cop bad cop with my husband, why does it happen sometimes? Because somebody has to do the laundry and put things away?

It's no secret that I like to plan; I like to keep things together and fairly controlled in my life, but sometimes I catch myself in a moment like this—looking out a window at laughing kids while I'm unpacking suitcases and worrying about messes and supper and bedtime and I realize my balance has tipped the wrong way. Again. So often I am once again the party pooper who is only worried about everyone having clean fingernails and 9 hours of sleep.

As moms, not only do we find ourselves constantly dragging the chains of housework and food preparation, but we also might find ourselves yelling about dangerous games of horseplay, plastic Light Sabers that swing dangerously close to faces, climbing to dangerous heights on chairs and ladders, and on and on and on. We are protective by nature; we want our kids safe and our houses clean. At the same time, I want to guard against turning my natural motherly instincts into a complete fun zapper. If I am so focused on safe kids and a perfect house, I might get my wish, but I might end up with kids who fearfully tip toe around their own home. And the sparks of bitterness and resentment that sometimes ignite might eventually turn me into the dreadful crotchety old lady I fear I may someday become.

Sometimes I feel the crotchety old lady welling up inside me. Many of us have her. She is the voice that loves to bombard me with facts: the laundry needs done. The floor needs cleaned. The kids are due for a bath. She is the voice that says, my workday is never done and I never get enough sleep! She is the one who rolls her eyes when nobody helps clean up the kitchen after dinner and throws a fantastic pity party because she's the only person who ever does anything around here!

And while the crotchety old lady may be telling the truth and presenting legitimate facts, she needs a new pair of old lady glasses to take a real look at the present. I love the English word for the present—because it is a reminder that NOW is a gift. And when I let the ugly voice of an embittered old lady shout negativity inside my head all day, when I inevitably become a REAL crotchety old lady someday, who will be left to listen to my whiny stories about the injustices of life? Nobody wants to listen to that. I'm afraid women are particularly guilty of this. Granted, the monotony of these years and the lack of immediate gratification is often draining. And we might not get daily recognition for our dirty work and child-rearing responsibilities, but what can I do now to focus on the present—these many gifts before me that outweigh the infinite messes and endless discipline sessions?

I am the first to admit that some days the crotchety old lady in my head wins the battle. Sure, I would love to roll around on the floor with the kids all day instead of folding laundry or I wish I could sleep in until 9 just once in my life! I am trying to silence this cranky old lady with reminders of other truths. These days are fleeting. My babies already need me less each minute of every day. I am blessed. Not only are they watching my every move, but they actually still want to play with me and sit on my lap.

Obviously I don't think we should just let our home become filled with dirty laundry and dishes and cobwebs. There's no need to make bath night a semi-annual event, but we need to balance our responsibilities to our husbands and kids in a genuine attempt to enjoy and appreciate the present. I have seen what happens when women wallow in years of self-pity over the thankless job of motherhood, and it isn't attractive. When I am especially tired, I feel myself becoming the mommy martyr, the one who doesn't have time to sit and play with matchbox cars because there is just too much to do! It's just a matter of time before the mommy martyr becomes the crotchety old lady, because the patterns and selfish thinking are already there.

I am so guilty of this, and although one of my greatest fears is becoming the bitter, cranky old lady, I know that I need to focus on the truths of the present to keep her from eventually taking over. When it comes down to it, the crotchety old lady is my selfishness, telling me that the gifts of the present are never enough. These moments are temporary in every way; let's send the poor old lady to a place where she won't drag us down with her selfish, bitter thoughts again.

Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and sympathetic? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one heart and purpose. Don't be selfish; don't live to make a good impression on others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourself. Don't think only about your own affairs, but be interested in others, too, and what they are doing.

Philippians 2:1-4