More than Adrift

I grew up in a culture where confidence was valued, the mantras often being repeated...."be yourself," and "never change who you are." I went to a private all girls school, where you would think that uniforms, strict schedules and rules would increase conformity, but it did the opposite.  We struggled to increase our uniqueness, to stand out, to be different, to be remembered.  We prided ourselves on being strong women who knew who we were, who weren't afraid to stand up in what we believed in. But here I am, 10 years later, struggling with the juxtaposition between a culture that says "Be yourself" but also the deep desire to be well liked, to fit in, to have harmony and unity within all of my relationships. I watch girly girl movies, read girly girl books.... often that have the theme of being true to yourself.  Don't be afraid to be who you are!  I pump my fist in the air and defiantly think.. that's right!  I don't need to...

I'm a laundry washer, folder, and put away-er.  I am an unprofessional chef, a personal shopper, and a maid. I'm a personal attendant in the bathroom, a dog walker, and a best friend. As a mom, one of my strengths is being able to to multi-task.  It's one of the great divides between my husband and me. I think that if you are a wife and a mother, it's a necessity to be able to do more than one thing at a time. Yet recently I'm wondering if my strength isn't also one of my flaws as a mom. So often, I begin playing with the kids, just to "be back in a minute" to check dinner just as we have started.  Or my phone rings, and I rush off to check if it's important, or I hear the laundry bell ding, or I hear my computer alert me to a new email. I tell myself I can multi-task.  After all, I am playing with the kids, throwing a load in the dishwasher, baking dinner in the oven, while balancing my computer on my arm to double check the recipe with my...

I have a flare for the dramatic, so it's no surprise to me that my children also love drama :-) Last night, I was putting D to bed and at his request for one more story, I chose to retell the Christmas story, but in a rather detailed fashion.... It included details that are not included in the Gospel accounts of Jesus' birth, but I don't think God would mind overly much. Tonight, for the very last challenge, I encourage you to retell the Christmas story. But not just by the book, REALLY re tell it.  Use puppets, or dolls, or better yet, use your FAMILY to act it out.  Encourage the kids to have natural responses by asking questions.... As an example.... last night I said to D... Look, there's a hotel!  It's so fancy, and has a pool and a hot tub.  Mary, wouldn't you like to rest there?  (no room, on to next hotel)  Oh well, this hotel still has a pool even if there is no hot tub... would you like to stay here? (no room....)  Well.... maybe th...

As I presented my kids with this play time, K & D both asked me "What is a sculpture?"    I guess I haven't exposed them to real art very frequently!! Oat Dough is so easy: 1 cup of Rolled Oats 2 cups of Flour 1 cup of water.  Mix it up until it's nice and doughy but not too sticky. This was a fun part for the kids.  They love measuring, pouring, and mixing.  Although D was worried that his hands were getting too sticky.  Go figure. Then I asked them what they wanted to add to decorate their sculptures.  I had a list of options for them and they chose to cut up pieces of straws (other ideas: googly eyes, gemstones, toothpicks) This was really quite a fun project.  It has a different consistency than other things we've tried, and it actually DRIES out and hardens!  So on Saturday they will have a sculpture to paint! I let them take the lead on what they wanted to make.  C was making a birthday cake, using the straws as ...

Tomorrow's activity is a little more involved but I really challenge you to DO this one.  I think this is the most fun activity we've done in quite awhile, and can be adapted in a hundred different ways. It's a great activity to teach kids some beginning physics language, and start building their skeletal knowledge of pendulums. Materials we used: A Tennis Ball Nylons A bar of some sort (we used an old wooden beam) Two chairs to balance the bar on  (the other way I've seen this activity done is hung by the beams on the ceiling if you have a ceiling that has tiles, we don't unfortunately!) Recycling boxes/cardboard tubes/any recycling material or light blocks So I helped D build this, but here is my word of caution: if you have younger children, set up a separate activity for them while the older ones build their towers.  When D built his tower, C continued to knock it down with his hands, throwing balls at it, etc.  It was quite frustrating for D. It w...

This activity is designed to keep your kids busy for a little bit while you finish wrapping/cleaning/packing for Christmas :-) It's so easy, and the most entertaining part of preschool for almost every kid I've ever met.  Sensory Bins! All you need is a rubber maid container.  Any size works, though one with a little depth and not too long is usually best.  Kids like being able to "dig in"  Currently we're using a large storage tote that Gibbs had his CD's stored in previously.....  I think they work just fine in a box though :-) Add flour, spices, measuring cups, spoons, maybe a cake tin or two, and that's it! Variations:  We currently have "cloud dough" in our bin.  It's 8 cups of flour, 1 cup of oil (baby oil for scent, but any oil works)  It is sort of like moon sand.  It is sifty like flour, but can pack together also. Noodles.  ANY noodles work.  If you have cheap spaghetti noodles on hand, put them in!  If you cook...

Only a few days left until Christmas!  I'll post the next few days' challenges all tonight, so you can choose which ones you want to do, and discard the rest. Just another note on why I'm doing this...  I really believe that families that play together strengthen relationships. Not only will the kids benefit from one on one (or one-on-five attention) but parents really gain appreciation of their kids through play. I recently visited a cute store in town and saw that they are selling "I Spy" Jars for 20 dollars!!!  I cannot believe this because all you need to do this at home is a recycling bin, some old rice/water/shampoo/anything really and some tiny toys that you no longer have use for! I have been saving up (read: hoarding) old spice containers, washed spaghetti jars, baby food containers for awhile now.  So there were lots of options for my kids to choose from. Then you can allow your kids to choose if they'd like a transparent material or an ...

Somehow I think puppets have gotten lost in the excitement of new fun toys.  Toys that make music, or light up, or make shooting noises fill up the shelves.  But despite my childrens' LOVE of all things loud, they still love puppets! This morning I asked D if he wanted to make his own out of socks, you should have seen the look on his face! He quickly ran down to the basement where our sock basket is and chose dad's largest socks.  Ssssshhh.... Gibbs will never notice! I asked him what he thought we should use to decorate them with.  Let me just insert here that I had it in my mind how this was going to go:  I was going to guide him into wanting to make fabric ears (envision lamb chop here...)  and sewing on buttons for eyes, etc.   But he thought quietly for a moment, and then SHOUTED "I have a GREAT idea!  I can use the permanent marker for grown ups!" So ... we did it his way :-) He then asked for some of the "beautiful stones, and c...

Yes yes, we do love candy at our house, maybe too much... so this challenge is a new take on the old Christmas favorite, making gingerbread houses! At preschool, we read a lot of awesome books about Gingerbread:  Gingerbread Man, Gingerbread Girl, Gingerbread Family (which talks SPECIFICALLY about gingerbread houses!)  Gingerbread Pirates.  Then we made our own gingerbread houses: This had the kids busy for DAYS!  I had printed off pictures from the internet of candy canes, lollipops, bubble gum, etc.  Then gave everyone markers and a glue stick.  The kids giggled and had some very serious conversations while making their own gingerbread house.  But it didn't end with decorating!  Most of the kids enjoyed acting out the books we read during their free play time in their gingerbread house! You don't have to have a HUGE box like we had to make this activity fun.  Most kids will squeeze themselves into a diaper box when given an opportunity....

I won't be around to post tomorrow's challenge, but I've already been busy thinking about it, so I'm posting it early! Hammer and "nails" are SO much fun for kids.  We have used real nails, but with K & C I most often let them use golf tees, and toy hammers rather than real ones.  In preschool, we also use tees & toy hammers. In preschool, we set out the activity during pumpkin week.  We had huge pumpkins, golf tees, and hammers, and let the kids have fun "pumpkin pounding" Then, I found this awesome activity (at playathomemom3.blogspot.com): We recreated this activity with #'s 1-7 at preschool.  All it takes: a styrofoam block, some golf tees (or any nails/screws for older kids) a marker,  and hammers (toy or real, depending on the child!)  You use a sharpie marker to write numbers on the block, with "touch" points on the numbers to have a tactile reinforcement for the numbers (two dots on number two, four dots on num...

I love Play Doh.  I think parents tend to forget how fun play doh can be, since it's been around for so long! I found this post while I was looking through a preschool website:  http://pre-schoolplay.blogspot.com/2011/06/spaghetti-towers.html So I set out yesterday to re-create the experience.  We didn't have cheerios, but I do have an abundance of colored noodles, and my kids LOVE to play with them. I set out: play doh, plain spaghetti noodles (thought they would break easily but they really didn't!) and the colored noodles.  The kids right away started threading the noodles onto the spaghetti, and once I stood mine up and declared it to be a sky scraper, the kids followed suit.  Though I believe D's was actually "pirate ship, sailboat, pirate ship, sailboat".  It's a fun way to introduce patterns, and work on fine motor skills for strengthening little fingers! My biggest surprise was little C!  He LOVED playing this.  He kept playing...

This post is pretty self explanatory!  Growing up, my cousin, J, was SO creative.  Every time we spent a weekend with his family he would build his own board game. At my ripe age of 6, the games were fairly simple.  But by the time J was 10 or 12, his games were amazing!  They would often be three dimensional, with trap doors, actual booby traps... it was way more fun to play his games than "real" board games that had become ... well... boring! For Halloween, we found a printable game that you can color and create a "Spooktacular" Halloween board game, and this has inspired many of our own home-made board games since. Since we don't have chutes and ladders, we made our own version last week. Ours is very simple, since it was made with a 3 year old and an 18 month old in mind! All I needed was a piece of cardboard, some markers, and eager children.  D chose the pattern (he is VERY into making patterns!)  so it's a nice blue and white color pattern, wi...

Wow...  A Day 10 challenge means that tomorrow there will only be ten days left until Christmas morning! This challenge is one that we haven't tried yet.  We have done various fun projects with contact paper though, and the possibilities are limitless! If this challenge takes you to the store, that's awesome!  Contact paper is pretty cheap, and can be used for LOTS of fun stuff with the kids. My kids love stickers.  When I am feeling a little under the weather, I usually reach into our sticker drawer and grab a bunch of stickers to give to the kids along with some paper that they can decorate.  This activity allows them to really use their creativity to make their own. Put a piece of clear contact paper down on the table.  Use masking tape to hold it on to the table, and don't take off the film that makes it sticky yet!  Let the kids draw on the top of the contact paper.  Help draw their names, any characters that you've been reading about...

I don't know a child under 16 who doesn't love a fort! We recently purchased glow sticks at Michael's (15 for a dollar!)  and it seems like the perfect toy to introduce with a fort!  That or flashlights, nightlights, etc.  ESPECIALLY if you have a nice dark basement to build a fort in! Everything you need for tomorrow's challenge you already have!  Ask your kids for ideas for what to use for the walls (we always rearrange our couches and kitchen chairs to assist us....) What can you use for a roof? (obviously blankets and sheets work the best, but let your children come up with some ideas of their own!)  D suggested we fill ours with pillows inside so he could nap in there.  I thought this was a pretty fun idea, so tomorrow for his FOURTH birthday he is allowed to have his "rest time" in his fort. Put a stack of books in the corner, some dolls, maybe a tea set so they can have a party. My kids will go back to the fort all day long.  Quiet pla...

This is no easy challenge for me, and I suspect for anyone reading this, it won't be too easy for you either! We are actually doing this tomorrow, and I am going to TRY really hard to do it every day until Christmas.  Then, we'll see :-) So I'll post the challenge up here, and then do a little thinking below. Feel free to skip everything BUT the challenge. Challenge 8: Turn your computer off tomorrow.  Go ahead and indulge in an early morning facebook check, make sure there are no emergency emails, and then turn the computer off until the kids are tucked into bed.  I know most of us have instant access on our phones, but attempt to NOT check facebook, don't go google-ing a question that's just burning a hole in your brain. I am surprised at how much my kids notice that the computer is a central part of my life. It's my best frienemy.   A way of instant communication, a research tool, an educational partner, a source of entertainment, and the number one...

I am constantly trying to find ways to introduce my children to a broader worldview.  Without having the excess funds to travel, and not living in the most.... cultural town, I have to be a little more creative! A fun challenge for tomorrow that is more fun with a little preparation: Take a "Vacation!"  Choose a country that you've always wanted to visit.  Google some pictures of the land, the people, some details.  Create your own passports for the kids that they can "stamp" when they get on the airplane. We chose to go to Australia.  I gave the kids their passports and tickets, had chairs set up as an airplane, and we flew off into the sunset!  On our way we sang some fun songs: I'm A Little Airplane    (Tune: I'm A Little Teapot) I'm a little airplane: (raise arms to side at shoulder height) I can fly, (turn right arm in front of you for propeller) Here is my throt-tle; (reach hand out to instrument panel) Give me a try. (push th...

One of my FAVORITE Things to do with the kids is having a dance party! If you've never tried it, you have to.  For at least 10 minutes. The kids think it's hilarious, and who else can you be so uninhibited in front of? I put on some Christian Rock, or 90's music.  The kids think I'm goofy but they totally get into it and burn as much energy as I do. Here are some fun ones to try out tomorrow: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoMafmhYKto http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_fo-DWB1nw http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_sPoEIpmwU http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TI18KxwbMk Turn it up loud, get your dancin shoes on, and teach your kids how to have a good time and burn some calories :-)

This was one of my favorite projects to do.  At first, I only was going to do it for K, my oldest. I first cut out a piece of cardboard from an old box.  I wrote "I <3 You"  and outlined them with a hot glue gun.  I thought the tactile reinforcement would help K know when to stop and how to write the letters and shapes. She loved tracing it with colored pencils, crayons and then highlighters.  She kept commenting when she would hit the hot glue side "oops, stop now!" Of course then the other boys needed one of their own.  So I made one for D with his name, and he had fun filling it in with markers. Then we made this one next, for C & Ry! This evening C traced them all with his fingers, and I would say what the shape was.  I'm not sure if he loved it or K loved it more... we'll call it a tie. It could be fun to do shapes, a name, a word that they are having trouble spelling at school, etc.  You could also make a road out of the h...

Alright, so has anyone tried the challenges yet?!  I am telling you, it will be WORTH the effort you put forth!  The smiles and learning that will take place will far outweigh the mess they'll make.  Though maybe with tomorrow's challenge you'll disagree! I call this the "Goo" Challenge We did this at preschool and it was a BLAST.  We also did this many, many times at home.  Messy, but definitely worth it. My favorite recipe is for Silly Putty: 1 cup LIQUID starch (I found it at Walmart) 2 cups white glue and food coloring if you want You knead it for about 5 minutes, REALLY working it, and it is so fun to watch it transform! D wanted his green.  K wanted hers pink.  How typical my children are!!  Will this rock stick? Can we stick together?? Some suggestions:  I recommend getting your kids down to their undies.  And a pair you don't mind getting really yucky.  It does wash out rather easily in the washing machine, ...

This post will be the TOMORROW challenge, but I thought I'd start posting them at night, so you could maybe have some time to prep the projects! There are SO many fun projects out there with great ideas on fun ornaments. My favorite ones are found here: http://playathomemom3.blogspot.com/search?q=ornaments The glue in the cookie cutter one is SO fun.  My kids thought they were getting away with something the first time we tried this.  You place the cookie cutter shapes on parchment paper, fill with any sequins, beads you want, then fill it up with clear or colored glue!  When it dries, you cut it out, poke a hole through the top, and voila!  A BEAUTIFUL ornament for your tree. The other one that is very fun is a Salt Dough ornament.  The website above has many examples, but it's so easy to find anywhere online. 4cups flour 1cup salt 1 1/2 cups water .  Add water slowly and knead together a LOT.  Then roll it out, and if it feels sticky, add...

Try to plan a Themed meal tonight.  You can either surprise your kids, or let them help you plan it. I'll tell you our plan, but change it to make it fun for your family:   We are doing a pirate dinner, in preparation for D's upcoming pirate birthday party.  So I'll have pieces of fried chicken buried in a bowl of cooked noodles (plain)  so they can search for their buried treasure. We'll have slices of oranges as our "gold coins"     I also have a few cardboard tubes around the house that will be our telescopes, and we're planning a pirate hat craft for this afternoon. Dig through your costume bin, and see what you have.  Have a "Zoo Meal"  Where everyone in your family has to dress up as an animal. Bring out your old makeup and let the kids decorate their faces.  Or a Princess Tea Party where you dress up in your prettiest dress, do your girls' hair, serve tea and little cakes, with tiny sandwiches. Or a Monster Meal.  You could...

Inspired by the fun activities we've been trying lately, I thought I would kick off the 20 day countdown until Christmas. I frequently hear parents comment that they wish they had more time, more ideas, more energy... to play with their kids.  So I thought I would throw a challenge out there to any parent, or spouse who still has an inner child like spirit within them! Each day, until Christmas Day, I'm going challenge you to do a fun family activity at your house.  We'll be doing the activities at our house, even on days that are busy, filled with preschool, and laundry.... because there shouldn't ever be a day that you're too busy to spend at least 15 minutes with your family having fun. I think you'll find that your effort will be well worth it. Your kids will look forward to a planned activity with you, and I think you'll be surprised how much you enjoy it too! At the end of each post, I'd LOVE to have people comment, post pictures, send me a...

If you've read a few, or all of my posts, I'm sure you know me well enough to know that I battle with a constant sense of discontentment. It's something I continually struggle with, pray about, come to terms with, and repeat. This week, I've spent a lot of time considering what I'd like the next step of my life to be. I've prayed, trying to discern God's Will for my life, knowing that He put this passion and drive inside of me for some  reason. What I've realized this week is that there really isn't anything I enjoy more than I enjoy quality time with my children. I don't love it all.  I don't love the dishes, or the laundry, or changing diapers.  I don't love mopping the floor, mowing the lawn, or making dinner while three kids are crying and pulling on my pants. But, I do love the talks. I love the dinner prayers.  I love the play dates, when I see D learning to make new friends. I love having lunch at school with K, and hearing h...