What a busy and wonderful week this has been! Monday was picture day for my little one at Sears Portait Studio in Orange. She did incredibly well and we ended up with some nice photos. In order to make things time efficient and cost effective we booked an appointment at 10am, which is their earliest appointment, and I used a coupon as well as my Smile Saver card with my purchase. Once that was all done we headed home where I met up with my husband and we set out on our weekly hike.
My husband and I hiked over 6 miles through Whiting Ranch/Limestone Canyon in Foothill Ranch. It was a beautiful hike full of plant life and a little stream through the center of it. We spotted squirrels, lizards, numerous birds, a roadrunner and some mule deer tracks. At least we believe they were mule deer, we aren't exactly trackers. After about a two and a half hour hike we were back at our car and heading home for a much needed shower.
Tuesday was a quieter day and we spent the morning at Citrus Ranch Park in Tustin. Since my girls tend to complain when I suggest we go on a hike I decided that we should try nature hikes during the week to get them accustomed to being out in nature. So before I let them play at the playground I had us walk the little nature trail there. It wasn't very long but it gave the girls an opportunity to follow a trail and look at the trees, go up a small incline, and look at the animals. Afterwards I let them lose on the playground where they spent an hour and a half playing with one another and some of the other children present. It was a bit warmer of a day so we ended about 11:30am and drove to the library to pick up some new books.
Wednesday was our weekly Pajama Day and ballet for my little one. She did much better this week after we went over the rules again about behavior in class. Try them out they work for most anything. First, don't leave class. And next, do as the teacher says. That's it. Simple and to the point. And though she did well she came out telling me that after ballet was all over she wanted to go back to taking ice skating. *Sigh* I have no problem letting my girls do whatever makes them happy I just wish they could do it closer to home and in a warmer building.
Thursday! Mom's pool day. Not my pool, since we seem to have misplaced our pool key, but my mom's pool. We were there for about two hours and I even got in so as to work on swimmimg skills with them. You can assume from that statement that I don't really do the whole swimming thing. I can swim well enough, so please don't think I'm somehow going to drown, I just don't like to be in the pool. Or the ocean for that matter. But we all do things for our children that we may not normally do and all children need to know how to swim.
On Friday I attended a mommy group meetup event at Newport Beach Back Bay. First of all, I was the only mommy from the group there which was a little funny since it was my first meetup with the group and there was no one to meet up with. And secondly, I must have missed the part about it costing me $10 to park there for two hours! I am a very frugal woman. The reason being is that there is simply not enough money for us to be throwing it around. So that $10 didn't exactly make my day but we were already there and I wasn't about to turn around and drive back home after my girls were all set to go in the water. Overall I thought it was nice enough but I don't anticipate going back there. The kids seem to have more fun at the beach and the parking is free.
Saturday went a little differently than expected. I joined another new meetup group so spent the morning walking/hiking just over 4miles. When I got home I had planned to do some things with the family but ended up sending my father-in-law to the doctor with my husband as support. The bad news is my father-in-law is in the hospital as we speak. The good news is he is doing better, we think we have avoided surgery for anything, and he may be home soon. With all that going on I focused on just keeping the girls busy. We started with an egg hunt. I have kept our Easter eggs from this year and last to use for a random snack hunt now and again. I filled 24 eggs with some snacks, treats, and coins then hid them in the grass and bushes in front of the house. Once they found them all they came in, had their snack, and we moved on to the next activity. Face painting! My youngest decided to have her whole face painted like a cat and the oldest wanted a unicorn across her cheek. I sat them by the computer, googled images for a cat and unicorn face painting, then let them pick what they wanted. After that I just did my best to emulate what I saw on the screen. Then we finally ended with some finger/brush painting. My husband brought home Mexican food for dinner and we all picnicked in the living room and watched The Goonies. Yes, there are swear words. Yes, we explained why they could not repeat them. And yes, they listened. Kids are awesome.
Holy cow we have come to Sunday. This morning we attended church then came home where my husband got a to go lunch ready for us all. I grabbed some things for the girls then sat down and had a quick lunch. After my lunch we were off to grandmas house where I dropped them off with their food and swim gear, talked for a few minutes, gave out some hugs and kisses, then ran out the door. I didn't want to be late for my appointment with the American Red Cross. Today was my day to donate plateletes. Donating took about two hours and went well enough. There was no pain just the usual fatigue and some light headedness but I'm feeling good now. And just as a side note plateletes are not the same as donating blood. I am unable to donate blood due to an extreme reaction that results afterwards. But plateletes are something inside my blood that they take then put the blood back in me. No nasty side efects. The rest of my night has been reading, resting, and some documentary and mars landing television. I watched the documentaries while my husband is currently watching the NASA channel.
Okay, lessons for the day: Hiking is awesome! Get out there and reconnect with nature. While you're connecting with nature make sure you connect with water as well. It's a great and gentle form of exercise and all children need to learn pool/water safety. Remember that Easter eggs can also be snack eggs. And donate! Time, money, blood, whatever you can and have. All we need is love and the world would be a better place if we all loved it enough to take care of all the living things in it. Giving blood or plateletes is free and only costs your time. You could save someone's life one day and all you had to do was watch a movie while they took some blood then eat some snacks when you're done. Reconnect, be creative, and give.
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Monday, July 30, 2012
The Beach, The Fair, And Everywhere
I'm admittedly behind a few days on this blog so I'm going to do my best to make this informative yet to the point so I can work on this week.
Thursday was Corona Del Mar beach day. We arrived at 10am and parked on Larkspur so we could avoid the parking fee. The walk to the beach was a lot easier now that I found I could ditch the large Ikea bag full of supplies and stuff it all in a backpack. That left my hands available to carry my spiffy new beach chair. No more craning my neck to eyeball the girls. The weather was nice and we hung out for the usual two hours before we headed home.
Friday was even more fun than usual. My husband and father-in-law took the day off and we all went to the fair. We showed up around 1pm so we could take advantage of the $2 deals they had going on. Although we couldn't escape the parking fee we got a deal going in. Our youngest was free, my oldest was discounted, my father-in-law received a seniors discount leaving my husband and I to pay full price. Once inside we had lunch. On Fridays many vendors at the fair offer food for $2. They are sample sized but for children that's perfect and if necessary you can buy another sample of food. So for $6 I had a sample of a tri-tip sandwich, a drink, and a soft serve in a cone. Considering I was seeing food for upwards of $9 not including drinks or desserts, I was pretty happy. Rides were also less expensive so the girls were allowed several rides and a game each for a discounted price. We also took advantage of the fair's reading for ticket ride incentives. If youre child reads two books and fills out the paperwork online about the books they can receive 3 free rides. So not only can you save a little money but you have another reason to encourage your child to read.
Saturday and Sunday was a blur. My husband and father-in-law went to Vegas for a day leaving the girls and I to campout in the living room. We watched Strawberry Shortcake episodes and had hot chocolate with rice krispie treats. The girls spent a night at grandma and grandpa's and then spent an afternoon swimming the next day.
I am happy to say that everyone is home and the men of the house brought back some cute gifts from their trip and some fun stories to tell. Everyone is safe, sound, and ready to get back to the norm.
What You Can Take Away: Be a kind beachgoer. Please try your best not to park yourself directly in front of another person. Especially if you plan on putting up a tall chair or setting up a tent or anything else of the sort. I get to the beach early and choose a spot that works for my girls and I so your being right in front of me makes it difficult for me to keep an eye on my girls. Just something to consider. Lastly, let your significant other have a mini vacation without you. It was my idea to send my husband away so I could have time with my girls. And it was only for the weekend. Give your loved one a break, it works for both of you. You'll also be apart just enough to miss eachother but not so much where you'd be upset over it.
This summer is flying by and I thank you for riding right along with me. I hope to continue sharing with you and hopefully inspiring you as well.
Thursday was Corona Del Mar beach day. We arrived at 10am and parked on Larkspur so we could avoid the parking fee. The walk to the beach was a lot easier now that I found I could ditch the large Ikea bag full of supplies and stuff it all in a backpack. That left my hands available to carry my spiffy new beach chair. No more craning my neck to eyeball the girls. The weather was nice and we hung out for the usual two hours before we headed home.
Friday was even more fun than usual. My husband and father-in-law took the day off and we all went to the fair. We showed up around 1pm so we could take advantage of the $2 deals they had going on. Although we couldn't escape the parking fee we got a deal going in. Our youngest was free, my oldest was discounted, my father-in-law received a seniors discount leaving my husband and I to pay full price. Once inside we had lunch. On Fridays many vendors at the fair offer food for $2. They are sample sized but for children that's perfect and if necessary you can buy another sample of food. So for $6 I had a sample of a tri-tip sandwich, a drink, and a soft serve in a cone. Considering I was seeing food for upwards of $9 not including drinks or desserts, I was pretty happy. Rides were also less expensive so the girls were allowed several rides and a game each for a discounted price. We also took advantage of the fair's reading for ticket ride incentives. If youre child reads two books and fills out the paperwork online about the books they can receive 3 free rides. So not only can you save a little money but you have another reason to encourage your child to read.
Saturday and Sunday was a blur. My husband and father-in-law went to Vegas for a day leaving the girls and I to campout in the living room. We watched Strawberry Shortcake episodes and had hot chocolate with rice krispie treats. The girls spent a night at grandma and grandpa's and then spent an afternoon swimming the next day.
I am happy to say that everyone is home and the men of the house brought back some cute gifts from their trip and some fun stories to tell. Everyone is safe, sound, and ready to get back to the norm.
What You Can Take Away: Be a kind beachgoer. Please try your best not to park yourself directly in front of another person. Especially if you plan on putting up a tall chair or setting up a tent or anything else of the sort. I get to the beach early and choose a spot that works for my girls and I so your being right in front of me makes it difficult for me to keep an eye on my girls. Just something to consider. Lastly, let your significant other have a mini vacation without you. It was my idea to send my husband away so I could have time with my girls. And it was only for the weekend. Give your loved one a break, it works for both of you. You'll also be apart just enough to miss eachother but not so much where you'd be upset over it.
This summer is flying by and I thank you for riding right along with me. I hope to continue sharing with you and hopefully inspiring you as well.
Saturday, July 28, 2012
The time, the time! Who's got the time?!
It's amazing how a week can fly right past you. I've found time slipping away from me this whole week and now I am here, almost at the end of it, attempting to rehash all that we have done.
Monday was another Pajama Day. If you need details as to what we did and played I couldn't remember for the life of me. What I have noticed is the girls becoming so much more independant this summer. A good example is how my little one did not need me to assist her with her ABCMouse.com web site. I turned it on, logged her in, and she asked to be left to her own devices. I absolutely encourage a childs independance so told her it was fine and that I'd be available if she needed me. To my surprise she never called me. I was so proud of her. I was a little sad at another way they have now learned to be without me. But such is life and we all did it to our parents as well.
Tuesday was a bit busier. It was a mommy group day so we attended a meetup at Turtle Rock Community Park in Irvine. This is a great park because it has two playgrounds, one for bigger kids and one for smaller, and benches right between the two. You can easily watch your children regardless of which playground they are on. There isn't a lot of shade so for the summer go earlier in the day and bring sunscreen. There is also a small creek just down the way and into the grass. There will be ducks and they will be looking food. My recommendation is that you leave them to fend for themselves. Although animals like this are cute we should remind our children that by feeding them we are disrupting their natural diets and allowing them to become dependant on humans for meals. Neither of those things benefit the animals. On a less serious note I give Turtle Rock 5 stars, if I had a 1-5 star rating system. My girls spent most of the time barefoot and either in the creek or up a tree. When they finally decided to come out there was a playground waiting for them. There is also a trail for those of you looking for a little more activity for yourselves besides watching the kiddos play.
Wednesday was movie day and everything in between day. Our movie for this week was Brave. Matinees at The District shopping center in Tustin/Irvine are $6 a person so with a $20 bill and snacks we set out to the theatre. Yes, I bring snacks. I feel like the prices at the movies, along with most everywhere else lately, have become too costly. I simply cannot justify something like $4 for a popcorn or soda. And since the girls are little I bring us all snacks. Once they're older I have no problem sitting through a movie without anything to snack on but for now it's fun to see them stuff their little faces and watch the big screen. Going back to the movie, Brave was a sweet and funny movie. There was no prince charming or best friend characters like we are accustomed to yet it was absolutely endearing. At its core it is a movie about the relationship between a mother and daughter and all the ups and downs that are a part of it. It's rich in color, brings a new culture to our children, and seems less grand than Disney's other movies allowing the viewer to really focus on the family unit depicted. The everything in between part of our day was all of us washing the car then taking my youngest to ballet and afterwards taking my oldest to Taekwondo. By the end of Wednesday I needed another cat nap.
For now covering those three days seems like enough for me. Hopefully tomorrow I'll be able to take some time to go over the rest of the week. On a side note I did finish reading a book by V.C.Andrews called Dawn of the Morning. I cannot sing my praises enough for this woman who was a very gifted writer. I have read several of her books and once I start find I have a hard time putting them down.
That's all for me. So, idea for the day: Check out Meetup.com It's a fabulous web site allowing you to search your interests and hobbies and join a group of others interested in the same thing. I myself am in four mommy groups just so I always have choices of things to do with the girls. And that also means someone else can do the research for events now and again besides me. And lastly, play like your kids. Don't just play with them but play like them. I found myself barefoot and in the creek along with my girls earlier this week and I'll admit it was wet, cold, and had a squishy/mossy feel to it (yuck) but I was in there and it made me laugh. And the girls loved my being there. Get out there and play! We all need to get away from the tech ridden LOL and really have a laugh out loud moment. I know I did and it was great.
Monday was another Pajama Day. If you need details as to what we did and played I couldn't remember for the life of me. What I have noticed is the girls becoming so much more independant this summer. A good example is how my little one did not need me to assist her with her ABCMouse.com web site. I turned it on, logged her in, and she asked to be left to her own devices. I absolutely encourage a childs independance so told her it was fine and that I'd be available if she needed me. To my surprise she never called me. I was so proud of her. I was a little sad at another way they have now learned to be without me. But such is life and we all did it to our parents as well.
Tuesday was a bit busier. It was a mommy group day so we attended a meetup at Turtle Rock Community Park in Irvine. This is a great park because it has two playgrounds, one for bigger kids and one for smaller, and benches right between the two. You can easily watch your children regardless of which playground they are on. There isn't a lot of shade so for the summer go earlier in the day and bring sunscreen. There is also a small creek just down the way and into the grass. There will be ducks and they will be looking food. My recommendation is that you leave them to fend for themselves. Although animals like this are cute we should remind our children that by feeding them we are disrupting their natural diets and allowing them to become dependant on humans for meals. Neither of those things benefit the animals. On a less serious note I give Turtle Rock 5 stars, if I had a 1-5 star rating system. My girls spent most of the time barefoot and either in the creek or up a tree. When they finally decided to come out there was a playground waiting for them. There is also a trail for those of you looking for a little more activity for yourselves besides watching the kiddos play.
Wednesday was movie day and everything in between day. Our movie for this week was Brave. Matinees at The District shopping center in Tustin/Irvine are $6 a person so with a $20 bill and snacks we set out to the theatre. Yes, I bring snacks. I feel like the prices at the movies, along with most everywhere else lately, have become too costly. I simply cannot justify something like $4 for a popcorn or soda. And since the girls are little I bring us all snacks. Once they're older I have no problem sitting through a movie without anything to snack on but for now it's fun to see them stuff their little faces and watch the big screen. Going back to the movie, Brave was a sweet and funny movie. There was no prince charming or best friend characters like we are accustomed to yet it was absolutely endearing. At its core it is a movie about the relationship between a mother and daughter and all the ups and downs that are a part of it. It's rich in color, brings a new culture to our children, and seems less grand than Disney's other movies allowing the viewer to really focus on the family unit depicted. The everything in between part of our day was all of us washing the car then taking my youngest to ballet and afterwards taking my oldest to Taekwondo. By the end of Wednesday I needed another cat nap.
For now covering those three days seems like enough for me. Hopefully tomorrow I'll be able to take some time to go over the rest of the week. On a side note I did finish reading a book by V.C.Andrews called Dawn of the Morning. I cannot sing my praises enough for this woman who was a very gifted writer. I have read several of her books and once I start find I have a hard time putting them down.
That's all for me. So, idea for the day: Check out Meetup.com It's a fabulous web site allowing you to search your interests and hobbies and join a group of others interested in the same thing. I myself am in four mommy groups just so I always have choices of things to do with the girls. And that also means someone else can do the research for events now and again besides me. And lastly, play like your kids. Don't just play with them but play like them. I found myself barefoot and in the creek along with my girls earlier this week and I'll admit it was wet, cold, and had a squishy/mossy feel to it (yuck) but I was in there and it made me laugh. And the girls loved my being there. Get out there and play! We all need to get away from the tech ridden LOL and really have a laugh out loud moment. I know I did and it was great.
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Playing Catch Up
Friday has come and gone and here I am trying to catch up with you.
Friday morning I took the girls out to Corona Del Mar. I am usually the last person you'll ever here offering to go to the beach. In the past year I've probably been between 4 and 5 times. But I promised my girls the beach and I wasn't going to let my bad attitude ruin something I know they love. So I got into my bathing suit, which is one of the things I hate about the beach, and got them into theirs. I packed our snacks, sunblock, towels, and who knows what else for the trip and off we went.
As you may have noticed I am a bit on the frugal side so I was not about to pay $15 for beach parking. I was just fine parking on a side street and having my girls and I hike ourselves in. Hey, I figure I can always use the extra exercise. We arrived about 10am and once I set out the towels and covered us in sunblock I unleashed the wild beasts that our my girls and from that point on rarely saw them unless it was for a snack or water break. Of course, i could see them but they didn't hang out with me like they did last year. They found other children on the beach and had a grand time in the water. Even my three year old was spalshing away which is something she'd never done.
Two hours later I took two tired and hungry girls home for lunch. They'd had a wonderful time and even I had managed to enjoy myself. Once I learned to relax a bit I found that maybe the beach wasn't so bad. As long as it didn't actually involve me going into the water.
Saturday was my husband's birthday. We started his day by going for a hike in Peters Canyon without the kids. I thought they'd enjoy the break and he and I could do a longer hike together on our own. So the girls had a playday with their grandfather and my husband and I packed up our things and headed out on our hike. We began around 10:30am, which is actually later than I'd like to start, and decided to do the whole darn trail. That meant we hiked just over five miles and it took us about two hours to complete. The first half of the hike had the most hills, which is probably for the best, and the last half was quite pleasant. There's not much shade so be careful not to go out on a super hot day. The view is gorgeous and we spotted a roadrunner along the way along with a squirrel and many beautiful plants, insects, and birds. I was very proud of myself for having completed the hike and would recommend it to anyone. We did see families out there so feel free to bring the kids when you head out. Not all the trails have such steep hills and you can always go a ways then head back the way you came. No one expects the kiddies to hike the 5 miles. But if they can then more power to the little super kid.
After a quick clean up in the shower we had a delicious lunch at Islands then dropped the kids off at my parents while we spent some time wondering around the Orange Mall. It was relaxing just wandering aimlessly through the stores and since I had a gift card, since last year, to JcPenney I decided to check out what they had. Turns out they had some things and I was ecstatic to buy them. After a few hours of wondering around we picked up the girls, came home, and just enjoyed eachother's company until bedtime. It was relaxing and peaceful and I think my husband loved his day.
Since my husband is so special, or so he tells me, he not only got a day but a weekend. I kept the girls busy this morning with church. Afterwards we came home for a quick lunch and change of clothes then headed to the Center for Living Peace, across the street from UCI, to take a class called Smiling Monkey Yoga. It's yoga for ages 3-7. We took it before and although I wasn't thrilled with the last teacher we still decided to give it a go. This instructor was a huge improvement and the girls had a great time dancing, stretching, and chatting with their teacher. Since the instructor asked the mommies to join in I ended up doing the class with the girls. And though yoga is not best done in a dress shirt and jeans I did my best and had a good time hanging out with them. I absolutely recommend trying this with your little ones. It's a good way to teach them how to center themselves, how to control their breathing, and how to pay attention to their bodies. And it's always just a fun way to spend an hour on a lazy Sunday.
Once we came home I pretty much passed out and stayed that way until dinner time. I had no idea I was out so long but sometimes a body just needs to rest. See, in one class I already learned to listen to my body and it told me to take a darn nap. Pizza was on the dinner menu along with The Water Horse for our viewing pleasure. I baked a chocolate cake for a belated birthday cake and we all enjoyed cake with ice cream for dessert.
We have finally caught up to the present. The girls are bathed and in bed after a chapter reading of Roald Dahl's "BFG" Big Friendly Giant and prayers and I am starting to wrap this up. I have nothing to read for tonight because I recently finished The Sister's Grimm by Michael Buckley and Angel's Fall by Nora Roberts. But tomorrow I hope to borrow a book from a coworker by Marion Zimmer Bradley.
What you can take away: Life can be exhausting. There are times that are exciting and times when you just don't have a darn thing going on. And don't get me started on all the things in between. But all you have is this time, right now, for better or worse. So take what you can from it. Remember, it doesn't matter if the cup is half full or half empty, if there's something in the cup just drink it. Thank you Nora Roberts for that metaphor in your book. Read more. Bask in some sun. And breathe now and again. It's all going to be okay.
Friday morning I took the girls out to Corona Del Mar. I am usually the last person you'll ever here offering to go to the beach. In the past year I've probably been between 4 and 5 times. But I promised my girls the beach and I wasn't going to let my bad attitude ruin something I know they love. So I got into my bathing suit, which is one of the things I hate about the beach, and got them into theirs. I packed our snacks, sunblock, towels, and who knows what else for the trip and off we went.
As you may have noticed I am a bit on the frugal side so I was not about to pay $15 for beach parking. I was just fine parking on a side street and having my girls and I hike ourselves in. Hey, I figure I can always use the extra exercise. We arrived about 10am and once I set out the towels and covered us in sunblock I unleashed the wild beasts that our my girls and from that point on rarely saw them unless it was for a snack or water break. Of course, i could see them but they didn't hang out with me like they did last year. They found other children on the beach and had a grand time in the water. Even my three year old was spalshing away which is something she'd never done.
Two hours later I took two tired and hungry girls home for lunch. They'd had a wonderful time and even I had managed to enjoy myself. Once I learned to relax a bit I found that maybe the beach wasn't so bad. As long as it didn't actually involve me going into the water.
Saturday was my husband's birthday. We started his day by going for a hike in Peters Canyon without the kids. I thought they'd enjoy the break and he and I could do a longer hike together on our own. So the girls had a playday with their grandfather and my husband and I packed up our things and headed out on our hike. We began around 10:30am, which is actually later than I'd like to start, and decided to do the whole darn trail. That meant we hiked just over five miles and it took us about two hours to complete. The first half of the hike had the most hills, which is probably for the best, and the last half was quite pleasant. There's not much shade so be careful not to go out on a super hot day. The view is gorgeous and we spotted a roadrunner along the way along with a squirrel and many beautiful plants, insects, and birds. I was very proud of myself for having completed the hike and would recommend it to anyone. We did see families out there so feel free to bring the kids when you head out. Not all the trails have such steep hills and you can always go a ways then head back the way you came. No one expects the kiddies to hike the 5 miles. But if they can then more power to the little super kid.
After a quick clean up in the shower we had a delicious lunch at Islands then dropped the kids off at my parents while we spent some time wondering around the Orange Mall. It was relaxing just wandering aimlessly through the stores and since I had a gift card, since last year, to JcPenney I decided to check out what they had. Turns out they had some things and I was ecstatic to buy them. After a few hours of wondering around we picked up the girls, came home, and just enjoyed eachother's company until bedtime. It was relaxing and peaceful and I think my husband loved his day.
Since my husband is so special, or so he tells me, he not only got a day but a weekend. I kept the girls busy this morning with church. Afterwards we came home for a quick lunch and change of clothes then headed to the Center for Living Peace, across the street from UCI, to take a class called Smiling Monkey Yoga. It's yoga for ages 3-7. We took it before and although I wasn't thrilled with the last teacher we still decided to give it a go. This instructor was a huge improvement and the girls had a great time dancing, stretching, and chatting with their teacher. Since the instructor asked the mommies to join in I ended up doing the class with the girls. And though yoga is not best done in a dress shirt and jeans I did my best and had a good time hanging out with them. I absolutely recommend trying this with your little ones. It's a good way to teach them how to center themselves, how to control their breathing, and how to pay attention to their bodies. And it's always just a fun way to spend an hour on a lazy Sunday.
Once we came home I pretty much passed out and stayed that way until dinner time. I had no idea I was out so long but sometimes a body just needs to rest. See, in one class I already learned to listen to my body and it told me to take a darn nap. Pizza was on the dinner menu along with The Water Horse for our viewing pleasure. I baked a chocolate cake for a belated birthday cake and we all enjoyed cake with ice cream for dessert.
We have finally caught up to the present. The girls are bathed and in bed after a chapter reading of Roald Dahl's "BFG" Big Friendly Giant and prayers and I am starting to wrap this up. I have nothing to read for tonight because I recently finished The Sister's Grimm by Michael Buckley and Angel's Fall by Nora Roberts. But tomorrow I hope to borrow a book from a coworker by Marion Zimmer Bradley.
What you can take away: Life can be exhausting. There are times that are exciting and times when you just don't have a darn thing going on. And don't get me started on all the things in between. But all you have is this time, right now, for better or worse. So take what you can from it. Remember, it doesn't matter if the cup is half full or half empty, if there's something in the cup just drink it. Thank you Nora Roberts for that metaphor in your book. Read more. Bask in some sun. And breathe now and again. It's all going to be okay.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Kiddle Karoo and...Who?
I had planned on taking the girls to Pretend City this afternoon. One of the mommy groups I am in set up a playdate there at 4pm. The incentive? The price was only $5.50 after 4pm. Turns out there was a catch. They are only open until 5pm. My youngest has ballet until 4pm so I decided the idea of driving to Pretend City and paying to play for 40 minutes was ludicrous. I ended up telling the kids that Pretend City was off the table. They handled it well. I think it had a lot to do with the fact they they'd never been so none of us had any idea what we may have been missing. After they were put to bed I began looking into what we could do.
Wednesday is just about the worst day to find activities for the family. I tried Michaels, Barnes and Noble, all the local theatres I could think of, the Center For Living Peace, and after all that came up with a big fat zero in the way of options. I finally tried Goldstar and found one event we could attend. You can imagine my relectance though when said event was titled Kiddle Karoo and the Silly Monster House Party. What was a Kiddle Karoo? And did I really want to attend a monster house party? After about another hour of coming up with nothing else I decided to buy tickets to a show I have never heard of and whose name I couldn't remember in its entirety. The cost ended up being $10 a person and it was held at the Encore Dinner Theatre in Tustin.
Now that my tickets were purchased I headed off to bed and had a horrible time sleeping. I should have taken that for a sign.
Now thet we are up to speed, this lovely Wednesday morning started off with me at the gym around 6:30am. After my workout the kids and I had plenty of time to get ready for the first event of the day, storytime at the Tustin Library. Storytime is always a blast and we have been attending on and off for about a year. It only lasts half an hour so we still had an hour left to kill before curtain call. We ran some errands in Old Town Tustin then had a light snack while waiting for me to decide when I'd tell the girls their big surprise. Even after all that we still arrived about 20 minutes early. There were waiters milling about and since I showed up early I guess they assumed we'd be eating lunch before the show. Nothing doing. I wasn't paying someone $6 for PB&J. I don't care how good it is. But then I started to feel guilty. Here we are in this nice dinner theatre waiting to see a show just for them and mommy was going to let them have nothing but a water. Needless to say I purchased the most indulgant thing on the menu, a choclate cake covered in chocolate frosting with chocolate chips all around the sides. Even I thought it was a little much. We all split the one piece and still couldn't polish it off. Which is probably for the best.
Once the show got started the kids kept busy dancing and following along with a woman called Kiddie Karro and her plethora of puppets. They seemed to be enjoying themselves and talked about it for the rest of the day.
I, unfortunately, must say that I was not impressed. Don't get me wrong. I wasn't judging the show from an adults standards. I know that shows geared towards children are completely different than those for adults. It's cutesy, quick moving, kitchy, etc. and all that is okay but this show was just not for me. Although I feel as if I should have gotten an award for the smile I plastered on my face every time one of my little darlings looked at me with a beaming face as if to say "Look at me! I'm partying with mosters!" All I could think of was the monster headache I was getting. That's okay though because I guess it didn't matter if I was amused. I didn't buy the tickets for me. So my mission of giving the kids a good time was accomplished. And it only took that hour out of my life. Forever. Never to return...but I digress.
After the show came the big movie break of the day. Today's feature was Disney's Robin Hood (I've always been quite partial to that movie). While they vegged I cooked dinner. Why does dinner need to be cooked at 2pm, you say? Because when ballet is at 3pm and then you have to do a big grocery shopping trip with the father-in-law as soon as you get home there's not a lot of time to put a meal on the table.
Ballet went fabulously and I watched my three year old running around the studio in a princess dress, hot pink of course. And shopping wasn't too bad either. I had my oldest grab what I pointed out to her then hand it to her sister in the front of the cart so she could dispense it into the cart. Before we knew it shopping was done. And Amen to because I was hungry.
Groceries were put away. Fish, rice, and veggies were served. Even some chocolate milk for the girls. None for me thank you the cake was enough for the day. And there you have it. A day fit for a princess, or two. And I am ready for a nightcap now that they are in bed, quiet, and the only sound I hear is the classical music in their room and my tap tap tapping.
So Goodnight, folks! And talk to you soon.
Wednesday is just about the worst day to find activities for the family. I tried Michaels, Barnes and Noble, all the local theatres I could think of, the Center For Living Peace, and after all that came up with a big fat zero in the way of options. I finally tried Goldstar and found one event we could attend. You can imagine my relectance though when said event was titled Kiddle Karoo and the Silly Monster House Party. What was a Kiddle Karoo? And did I really want to attend a monster house party? After about another hour of coming up with nothing else I decided to buy tickets to a show I have never heard of and whose name I couldn't remember in its entirety. The cost ended up being $10 a person and it was held at the Encore Dinner Theatre in Tustin.
Now that my tickets were purchased I headed off to bed and had a horrible time sleeping. I should have taken that for a sign.
Now thet we are up to speed, this lovely Wednesday morning started off with me at the gym around 6:30am. After my workout the kids and I had plenty of time to get ready for the first event of the day, storytime at the Tustin Library. Storytime is always a blast and we have been attending on and off for about a year. It only lasts half an hour so we still had an hour left to kill before curtain call. We ran some errands in Old Town Tustin then had a light snack while waiting for me to decide when I'd tell the girls their big surprise. Even after all that we still arrived about 20 minutes early. There were waiters milling about and since I showed up early I guess they assumed we'd be eating lunch before the show. Nothing doing. I wasn't paying someone $6 for PB&J. I don't care how good it is. But then I started to feel guilty. Here we are in this nice dinner theatre waiting to see a show just for them and mommy was going to let them have nothing but a water. Needless to say I purchased the most indulgant thing on the menu, a choclate cake covered in chocolate frosting with chocolate chips all around the sides. Even I thought it was a little much. We all split the one piece and still couldn't polish it off. Which is probably for the best.
Once the show got started the kids kept busy dancing and following along with a woman called Kiddie Karro and her plethora of puppets. They seemed to be enjoying themselves and talked about it for the rest of the day.
I, unfortunately, must say that I was not impressed. Don't get me wrong. I wasn't judging the show from an adults standards. I know that shows geared towards children are completely different than those for adults. It's cutesy, quick moving, kitchy, etc. and all that is okay but this show was just not for me. Although I feel as if I should have gotten an award for the smile I plastered on my face every time one of my little darlings looked at me with a beaming face as if to say "Look at me! I'm partying with mosters!" All I could think of was the monster headache I was getting. That's okay though because I guess it didn't matter if I was amused. I didn't buy the tickets for me. So my mission of giving the kids a good time was accomplished. And it only took that hour out of my life. Forever. Never to return...but I digress.
After the show came the big movie break of the day. Today's feature was Disney's Robin Hood (I've always been quite partial to that movie). While they vegged I cooked dinner. Why does dinner need to be cooked at 2pm, you say? Because when ballet is at 3pm and then you have to do a big grocery shopping trip with the father-in-law as soon as you get home there's not a lot of time to put a meal on the table.
Ballet went fabulously and I watched my three year old running around the studio in a princess dress, hot pink of course. And shopping wasn't too bad either. I had my oldest grab what I pointed out to her then hand it to her sister in the front of the cart so she could dispense it into the cart. Before we knew it shopping was done. And Amen to because I was hungry.
Groceries were put away. Fish, rice, and veggies were served. Even some chocolate milk for the girls. None for me thank you the cake was enough for the day. And there you have it. A day fit for a princess, or two. And I am ready for a nightcap now that they are in bed, quiet, and the only sound I hear is the classical music in their room and my tap tap tapping.
So Goodnight, folks! And talk to you soon.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
It's Pajama Time!
Today is what I like to call Pajama Day. That's really just my way of saying it's "stay at home so mommy can clean" day. In my experience I have found that the way you phrase things sometimes determines how your child receives them. So cleaning day became pajama day.
Pajama Day works like this; I start in one room and when I'm done cleaning I take a break. During that break I sit with the kids for a while reading or playing a game. Once we've done that for 15-30 minutes I start on the next room. I continue like this until the house is clean. This works great for the summer since it leaves the rest of my week free to do whatever we want. It also allows one day when the kids have total downtime.
Movie time was at the same time today, after lunch, and today's pick was Oliver and Company. This was viewed on the largest computer screen I could set up since our tv will not be fixed for another week. Darn the waiting for replacement parts. Actully, I'm not really bothered by the no tv thing. The only time I really used it during the day was for movie time. So as long as that routine is still in play, we're okay.
If you want to try a Pajama Day here are some suggestions for things to do during the period you are with your kids. Some will be applicable and some may not, use whatever works for you. Read, board games, face painting, jewlery making, educational web sites like abcmouse.com, workbooks, kids magazines like highlights, kids baking, etc. The list goes on and on. And since they may not get to go outside for the day make inside fun. Have a tea party for lunch. Or serve yourselves a meal in the living room while watching a family movie. Let them have a sweet snack that you'd normally never give them. Pull out a kids tent, or put up a makeshift one, turn out the lights in the room you're not cleaning and give them flashlights. We even have cd's with nature sounds or scary Halloween noises to put on. You're only limited to your imagination. Always explain to your kids that you'll be able to play on and off for the day so they have to give you a little time in between. And if you have babies use a carrier to keep them strapped to you while you clean. I usually did that when they were little if things like the play pen, bouncy chair, or swing didn't work.
Eventually we did end up leaving the house today but only to go down the street for my six year olds piano practice. I am lucky to have a niece who plays well enough to teach my daughter and who is willing to do it. While my oldest practiced with her cousin I set myself up in the other room with my three year old and my nephew and read to them until piano was done.
Although this may not have seemed like the most exciting day in our summer the fact of the matter is we all need a little time to do the regular day to day things. It's nice to take it easy and get the chores done. No money was spent. And the girls and I got time to ourselves without distractions. Except for the random tv repairman in the house who didn't actually repair anything.
Lesson for the day: Sometimes less is more. You don't always need to go out and spend money to enjoy time with the kids. And make sure you take the time to stay on top of those not so exciting chores, it'll only cause more stress for you if you let tasks pile up.
Pajama Day works like this; I start in one room and when I'm done cleaning I take a break. During that break I sit with the kids for a while reading or playing a game. Once we've done that for 15-30 minutes I start on the next room. I continue like this until the house is clean. This works great for the summer since it leaves the rest of my week free to do whatever we want. It also allows one day when the kids have total downtime.
Movie time was at the same time today, after lunch, and today's pick was Oliver and Company. This was viewed on the largest computer screen I could set up since our tv will not be fixed for another week. Darn the waiting for replacement parts. Actully, I'm not really bothered by the no tv thing. The only time I really used it during the day was for movie time. So as long as that routine is still in play, we're okay.
If you want to try a Pajama Day here are some suggestions for things to do during the period you are with your kids. Some will be applicable and some may not, use whatever works for you. Read, board games, face painting, jewlery making, educational web sites like abcmouse.com, workbooks, kids magazines like highlights, kids baking, etc. The list goes on and on. And since they may not get to go outside for the day make inside fun. Have a tea party for lunch. Or serve yourselves a meal in the living room while watching a family movie. Let them have a sweet snack that you'd normally never give them. Pull out a kids tent, or put up a makeshift one, turn out the lights in the room you're not cleaning and give them flashlights. We even have cd's with nature sounds or scary Halloween noises to put on. You're only limited to your imagination. Always explain to your kids that you'll be able to play on and off for the day so they have to give you a little time in between. And if you have babies use a carrier to keep them strapped to you while you clean. I usually did that when they were little if things like the play pen, bouncy chair, or swing didn't work.
Eventually we did end up leaving the house today but only to go down the street for my six year olds piano practice. I am lucky to have a niece who plays well enough to teach my daughter and who is willing to do it. While my oldest practiced with her cousin I set myself up in the other room with my three year old and my nephew and read to them until piano was done.
Although this may not have seemed like the most exciting day in our summer the fact of the matter is we all need a little time to do the regular day to day things. It's nice to take it easy and get the chores done. No money was spent. And the girls and I got time to ourselves without distractions. Except for the random tv repairman in the house who didn't actually repair anything.
Lesson for the day: Sometimes less is more. You don't always need to go out and spend money to enjoy time with the kids. And make sure you take the time to stay on top of those not so exciting chores, it'll only cause more stress for you if you let tasks pile up.
Monday, July 16, 2012
The Mission at San Juan
I love taking my girls out to the mission in San Juan Capistrano. Now that it's summer it seemed like the perfect time to plan our visit.
By 9:30am the girls and I were driving over to pick up my mom up for a morning down in San Juan. She was wonderful enough to take a day off work just to come with us. Traffic was more non existant than it was light so before 10am we were already parked in the lot by the train tracks and out of the car. (Just a note to any parents: every time we go out I like to bring 2 snacks for each child, sunblock, a full change of clothes for them, and a first aid kit. It all fits comfortably in a backpack.)
Our first stop was Zoomars Petting Zoo. This is a great little place to visit with the kids. You can feed the animals, ride a train, pan for gems, take a pony ride, and play on their little playground. I was lucky enough to find tickets for Zoomars through Groupon so the four of us had paid admission, two train rides, two panning for gems, and two feed baskets for $30. I added the two pony rides for another $10 because I am clearly a sucker for my kids. After a good long time of playing, with just about the cutest animals I've ever seen, we made a little stop at Hidden House Coffee where they make some delicious drinks and sat outside for a few minutes to relax.
Next was the mission. Now, I would normally have started at the mission but after checking out their web site I found out they had a kids craft going on from 11am-1pm. That meant if we started at Zoomars then headed over we would be right on time for the craft. The only discount we had at the mission today was the one they post on their website. So I got in for the senior price. But that's okay. My youngest is still free until her birthday so we only paid for three plus the two crafts. The girls ended up making lassos today. You can also use them as a jump rope but I guess they decided that wouldn't be as interesting. Aside from the lassos the mission was in full flower bloom today. It was gorgeous! And the Monarch butterfly's were everywhere. We even observed some of the caterpillers. The Koi pond is always a favorite stop as well as the vegetable gardens. Other than that they don't go into the rooms too much since they tend to look then leave not really reading much about the missionaries.
Finally we ended our visit at the Mission Grill ordering our usual burritos and chips. Where was the deal there? Simple, after reviewing the menu the girls shared a burrito, we all shared the chips, and we ordered small drinks since we were able to refill our own cups as often as we wanted. With children, the portion sizes tend to be too big so we have them split a meal. And why pay extra for a larger cup when I can just refill a smaller one? So with everyone's stomaches full, except for my three year old who seems to never be hungry, we walked to the car and began our drive home.
I rounded out my time at home with them by putting The Jungle Book on the computer for their viewing pleasure while I took a little cat nap. When my father-in-law took them to Taekwondo I got busy making dinner and getting ready for work.
So the lesson for today: Plan ahead! Check out web sites of where you're visiting in case they have any deals or events going on that may be of interest to you. And check coupon sites like Groupon or Living Social to see if there happens to be any discounts on a place you plan to visit. Also, watch what you eat when you're out. I frequently order from the kids menu as it's enough to fill me up and usually has a drink, a side, the meal itself, and a dessert for less that I can get with the adult menu. It also keeps the amount I'm eating in check. You'll find that if you just take a minute to go over the menu you can save a little money and maybe eat a little healthier.
There you have it. Another day in out life.
By 9:30am the girls and I were driving over to pick up my mom up for a morning down in San Juan. She was wonderful enough to take a day off work just to come with us. Traffic was more non existant than it was light so before 10am we were already parked in the lot by the train tracks and out of the car. (Just a note to any parents: every time we go out I like to bring 2 snacks for each child, sunblock, a full change of clothes for them, and a first aid kit. It all fits comfortably in a backpack.)
Our first stop was Zoomars Petting Zoo. This is a great little place to visit with the kids. You can feed the animals, ride a train, pan for gems, take a pony ride, and play on their little playground. I was lucky enough to find tickets for Zoomars through Groupon so the four of us had paid admission, two train rides, two panning for gems, and two feed baskets for $30. I added the two pony rides for another $10 because I am clearly a sucker for my kids. After a good long time of playing, with just about the cutest animals I've ever seen, we made a little stop at Hidden House Coffee where they make some delicious drinks and sat outside for a few minutes to relax.
Next was the mission. Now, I would normally have started at the mission but after checking out their web site I found out they had a kids craft going on from 11am-1pm. That meant if we started at Zoomars then headed over we would be right on time for the craft. The only discount we had at the mission today was the one they post on their website. So I got in for the senior price. But that's okay. My youngest is still free until her birthday so we only paid for three plus the two crafts. The girls ended up making lassos today. You can also use them as a jump rope but I guess they decided that wouldn't be as interesting. Aside from the lassos the mission was in full flower bloom today. It was gorgeous! And the Monarch butterfly's were everywhere. We even observed some of the caterpillers. The Koi pond is always a favorite stop as well as the vegetable gardens. Other than that they don't go into the rooms too much since they tend to look then leave not really reading much about the missionaries.
Finally we ended our visit at the Mission Grill ordering our usual burritos and chips. Where was the deal there? Simple, after reviewing the menu the girls shared a burrito, we all shared the chips, and we ordered small drinks since we were able to refill our own cups as often as we wanted. With children, the portion sizes tend to be too big so we have them split a meal. And why pay extra for a larger cup when I can just refill a smaller one? So with everyone's stomaches full, except for my three year old who seems to never be hungry, we walked to the car and began our drive home.
I rounded out my time at home with them by putting The Jungle Book on the computer for their viewing pleasure while I took a little cat nap. When my father-in-law took them to Taekwondo I got busy making dinner and getting ready for work.
So the lesson for today: Plan ahead! Check out web sites of where you're visiting in case they have any deals or events going on that may be of interest to you. And check coupon sites like Groupon or Living Social to see if there happens to be any discounts on a place you plan to visit. Also, watch what you eat when you're out. I frequently order from the kids menu as it's enough to fill me up and usually has a drink, a side, the meal itself, and a dessert for less that I can get with the adult menu. It also keeps the amount I'm eating in check. You'll find that if you just take a minute to go over the menu you can save a little money and maybe eat a little healthier.
There you have it. Another day in out life.
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Marathon Summer
I had this crazy idea just now to document my summer. Essentially using this like the journal it was meant to be, except I won't tell mom if you read it. So hold on to your shorts and get ready to follow me and my family on our daily adventures and hopefully you'll find some useful information on things to do and where to go when you find yourself with a little extra time.
Today is Sunday. In our house that means I get myself and our girls ready for church. No, I am not religious. Yes, I understand the irony. There is obviously a bit more to it than that but I'll save that for another post. The fact of the matter is that the particular church I attend I also once worked for. So when I left my position I found my children asking me every Sunday why they no longer got to attend their Sunday school. I eventually decided that my personal religious beliefs, or lack thereof, didn't seem like a good enough reason to deprive my children of the routine they had become accustomed to for over a year and a half. On my first day at the church I stayed with my girls in Sunday school visiting with old co-workers. I quickly decided that unless I was on payroll I was really just a distraction to the lovely ladies working. This is how you'll now find me in a pew every Sunday singing songs, taking communuion, and even making my donations. My girls are quite content playing with their friends and they enjoy the activities and play time that they get during my time in mass. So if you are someone who is of any kind of faith and you have a church that you have thought about attending go ahead and look into it. And be sure to check out their services for children. It has been in my experience that nowadays almost every church has someplace for the little ones to go. It gives them a place to continue working on their socialization skills and gives both you and your child a break to focus on your own development as a person.
After church we headed home and got ourselves ready to visit my parents. My family and I all live very close together but since I am incredibly fortunate to also have extended family living in my house and helping me with watching the girls my daughters rarely get to see my parents during the week. That means grandma and grandpa are thrilled to see them on Sundays from around lunchtime to bedtime. If you have family nearby, and you like them, see if they can babysit now and again. Maybe just a few hours a week. Or one day a month, whatever works. Again, give you and your little one that time to recharge. You'll all be better off for it.
While my girls were at my parents swimming and causing a general rucus I was out with my husband and father-in-law watching Snow White and the Huntsman for only $5 a person. Not a bad deal if you ask me. It was a good movie and you can rarely beat the price. And don't think that this was a special summer deal. Our theatre offers discount movies twice a week for the whole day. Save yourself a little money and if you really want to go out for a movie find out what the deals are at your local theatre. Whether it's a matinee, a summer deal, or an AARP discount, every place has something to offer. And don't feel like you have to trek to the dollar theatre if it's 3 cities over. It's not really worth the gas, money and time. Of course if you happen to be very fond of said theatre then drive away. I personally want to save in every way I can meaning time, money, and gas.
Oh, I almost forgot our lunch date as well. Holidays and birthdays are a great time to remind people of places you like to shop or eat at. My husband received a gift card for the Olive Garden and we all ate there. Lunch was great and we got it at a discount, in a way, thanks to the generosity of the gift giver.
After the movie our night out was just about wrapped up so we headed over to Trader Joe's and did a little shopping for a fun evening at home. I also decided to surprise my husband by running off and buying flowers and a card when he wasn't looking. Yes ladies, your husband will appreciate flowers even if you don't think so. Who says the woman can't be the romantic? Besides the flowers, wine, meats and cheeses were purchased for the intent of waiting till the kids went to sleep then bringing them all out for snacks, drinks, and good music. Since our television is out of comission this seems like a wonderful alternative.
So my message for today is this: find a weekly habit that allows you to be more introspective i.e. church, yoga, etc. Let your kids be without you and vice versa for a few hours because we all need a break from one another. Make sure you've done a little research on the places you frequent and see if there's a way to save money there. And lastly, turn off the tv. It's amazing how capable we are at real conversation (says the woman blogging).
Today is Sunday. In our house that means I get myself and our girls ready for church. No, I am not religious. Yes, I understand the irony. There is obviously a bit more to it than that but I'll save that for another post. The fact of the matter is that the particular church I attend I also once worked for. So when I left my position I found my children asking me every Sunday why they no longer got to attend their Sunday school. I eventually decided that my personal religious beliefs, or lack thereof, didn't seem like a good enough reason to deprive my children of the routine they had become accustomed to for over a year and a half. On my first day at the church I stayed with my girls in Sunday school visiting with old co-workers. I quickly decided that unless I was on payroll I was really just a distraction to the lovely ladies working. This is how you'll now find me in a pew every Sunday singing songs, taking communuion, and even making my donations. My girls are quite content playing with their friends and they enjoy the activities and play time that they get during my time in mass. So if you are someone who is of any kind of faith and you have a church that you have thought about attending go ahead and look into it. And be sure to check out their services for children. It has been in my experience that nowadays almost every church has someplace for the little ones to go. It gives them a place to continue working on their socialization skills and gives both you and your child a break to focus on your own development as a person.
After church we headed home and got ourselves ready to visit my parents. My family and I all live very close together but since I am incredibly fortunate to also have extended family living in my house and helping me with watching the girls my daughters rarely get to see my parents during the week. That means grandma and grandpa are thrilled to see them on Sundays from around lunchtime to bedtime. If you have family nearby, and you like them, see if they can babysit now and again. Maybe just a few hours a week. Or one day a month, whatever works. Again, give you and your little one that time to recharge. You'll all be better off for it.
While my girls were at my parents swimming and causing a general rucus I was out with my husband and father-in-law watching Snow White and the Huntsman for only $5 a person. Not a bad deal if you ask me. It was a good movie and you can rarely beat the price. And don't think that this was a special summer deal. Our theatre offers discount movies twice a week for the whole day. Save yourself a little money and if you really want to go out for a movie find out what the deals are at your local theatre. Whether it's a matinee, a summer deal, or an AARP discount, every place has something to offer. And don't feel like you have to trek to the dollar theatre if it's 3 cities over. It's not really worth the gas, money and time. Of course if you happen to be very fond of said theatre then drive away. I personally want to save in every way I can meaning time, money, and gas.
Oh, I almost forgot our lunch date as well. Holidays and birthdays are a great time to remind people of places you like to shop or eat at. My husband received a gift card for the Olive Garden and we all ate there. Lunch was great and we got it at a discount, in a way, thanks to the generosity of the gift giver.
After the movie our night out was just about wrapped up so we headed over to Trader Joe's and did a little shopping for a fun evening at home. I also decided to surprise my husband by running off and buying flowers and a card when he wasn't looking. Yes ladies, your husband will appreciate flowers even if you don't think so. Who says the woman can't be the romantic? Besides the flowers, wine, meats and cheeses were purchased for the intent of waiting till the kids went to sleep then bringing them all out for snacks, drinks, and good music. Since our television is out of comission this seems like a wonderful alternative.
So my message for today is this: find a weekly habit that allows you to be more introspective i.e. church, yoga, etc. Let your kids be without you and vice versa for a few hours because we all need a break from one another. Make sure you've done a little research on the places you frequent and see if there's a way to save money there. And lastly, turn off the tv. It's amazing how capable we are at real conversation (says the woman blogging).
Saturday, July 14, 2012
A Place In The Sun
I haven't written for this blog in ages and now that my television has decided to stop working (it involved a loud popping sound) I feel that it's about time I began again.
Although most everything I wrote about involved crafts I have decided to widen my spectrum of writing. Since this is meant to be everything to do with parenting I should be writing about all our little family events, crafts, expeditions, and so on. So today I'm starting with my concern over my children's nature deficit disorder and what I decided to do about it.
Being in my 30's I did not grow up in a time when kids played outside until the sun went down. I did not run out the door with my baseball glove, unless it was to practice, nor did I have a swimming hole I could while the summer away in. There was no playing in the woods, all nighters at a local beach, or anything else that involved nature for the most part. I grew up having a sibling or babysitter watch over me at all times. All outdoor play was monitored and at man made playgrounds. That's if I was taken to a playground to begin with. Don't get me wrong, I have some great memories of camping with the family. And as I grew older we occassionally took large family trips to places like Yosemite but with time that grew few and far between. And truth be told, I don't blame my parents. Nowadays most homes need a dual income so no one is around to have these kinds of outings. And even when you are out it's rare when you can really call a place you're in NATURE. Our parents were fortunate to have those memories and I am determined to do my best to make sure our family is instilled with the same love of nature that we, as adults in this household, have.
I have been wanting to begin hiking with our family for some time. Now that my husband has found time in his schedule to go I have been planning some of our mornings around short hiking trips. Our first trip was a hike through Irvine Park. We picked a trail and headed out hiking for about an hour. I had a backpack full of snacks, water, extra clothes, and a first aid kit. We hiked for about an hour taking breaks whenever necessary and the kids did as well as I expected. There was some whining but we took it nice and slow and I distracted them by reminding them about the train and zoo tickets I had waiting for them. I even threw in a pony ride just to sweeten the deal. That seemed to do the trick. All in all we hiked for an hour, watched the kids on their pony rides, boarded the train, then visited the OC Zoo. By the time we got home we had been gone for about 3 hours and the girls were happy to just sit quietly and relax.
This weekend I thought we'd take it a little slower for them so as not to turn them off from my new found hobby. I planned today's trip to be geared more towards them so we drove out to Anaheim's Oak Canyon Nature Center for a Saturday morning nature walk led by one of the naturalists. It started out in the eduaction center where the girls played with puppets and looked over live animals as well as not live ones. That was followed by an hour long walk through the beautiful and wonderfully shaded trails of Oak Canyon all the while listening to the informative tidbits our naturalist had to offer.
Our girls recieved this type of "hiking" quite well and my hope is that by slowly introducing them to the great outdoors we can continue to increase their desire and comfortability with, and for, nature.
Nature is not the only thing I am a huge fan of. Arts and crafts are something I enjoy sharing with my children and doing myself and since our morning walk was quite easy going I decided to have a nice lunch at home followed by a trip to Michael's for a make-it-take-it event. What this means is that you show up with your child and Michael's provides all that you need to create whatever craft they have set up for the day. Today was a Japan inspired craft. My girls colored a koi fish which they then glued to a paper kite before adding glitter and a string. The only thing that might have improved the craft was if they had given the children little take home sheets about the koi fish and how they are connected to Japan. Then again I suppose the parent can do that themselves at home. By the time we finally got home it was after 2:30pm and we were able to rest before attending a family get together.
So make a mental note, friends. Nature is good. Get out more and teach your kids about all the wonderful things that exist in what was once their own backyard. It's costs little and will last a lifetime. And craft! Get those creative juices flowing. Children nowadays are too stressed and not allowed to be as free and creative as they should be. Exercise the body and the mind. And do it often.
Although most everything I wrote about involved crafts I have decided to widen my spectrum of writing. Since this is meant to be everything to do with parenting I should be writing about all our little family events, crafts, expeditions, and so on. So today I'm starting with my concern over my children's nature deficit disorder and what I decided to do about it.
Being in my 30's I did not grow up in a time when kids played outside until the sun went down. I did not run out the door with my baseball glove, unless it was to practice, nor did I have a swimming hole I could while the summer away in. There was no playing in the woods, all nighters at a local beach, or anything else that involved nature for the most part. I grew up having a sibling or babysitter watch over me at all times. All outdoor play was monitored and at man made playgrounds. That's if I was taken to a playground to begin with. Don't get me wrong, I have some great memories of camping with the family. And as I grew older we occassionally took large family trips to places like Yosemite but with time that grew few and far between. And truth be told, I don't blame my parents. Nowadays most homes need a dual income so no one is around to have these kinds of outings. And even when you are out it's rare when you can really call a place you're in NATURE. Our parents were fortunate to have those memories and I am determined to do my best to make sure our family is instilled with the same love of nature that we, as adults in this household, have.
I have been wanting to begin hiking with our family for some time. Now that my husband has found time in his schedule to go I have been planning some of our mornings around short hiking trips. Our first trip was a hike through Irvine Park. We picked a trail and headed out hiking for about an hour. I had a backpack full of snacks, water, extra clothes, and a first aid kit. We hiked for about an hour taking breaks whenever necessary and the kids did as well as I expected. There was some whining but we took it nice and slow and I distracted them by reminding them about the train and zoo tickets I had waiting for them. I even threw in a pony ride just to sweeten the deal. That seemed to do the trick. All in all we hiked for an hour, watched the kids on their pony rides, boarded the train, then visited the OC Zoo. By the time we got home we had been gone for about 3 hours and the girls were happy to just sit quietly and relax.
This weekend I thought we'd take it a little slower for them so as not to turn them off from my new found hobby. I planned today's trip to be geared more towards them so we drove out to Anaheim's Oak Canyon Nature Center for a Saturday morning nature walk led by one of the naturalists. It started out in the eduaction center where the girls played with puppets and looked over live animals as well as not live ones. That was followed by an hour long walk through the beautiful and wonderfully shaded trails of Oak Canyon all the while listening to the informative tidbits our naturalist had to offer.
Our girls recieved this type of "hiking" quite well and my hope is that by slowly introducing them to the great outdoors we can continue to increase their desire and comfortability with, and for, nature.
Nature is not the only thing I am a huge fan of. Arts and crafts are something I enjoy sharing with my children and doing myself and since our morning walk was quite easy going I decided to have a nice lunch at home followed by a trip to Michael's for a make-it-take-it event. What this means is that you show up with your child and Michael's provides all that you need to create whatever craft they have set up for the day. Today was a Japan inspired craft. My girls colored a koi fish which they then glued to a paper kite before adding glitter and a string. The only thing that might have improved the craft was if they had given the children little take home sheets about the koi fish and how they are connected to Japan. Then again I suppose the parent can do that themselves at home. By the time we finally got home it was after 2:30pm and we were able to rest before attending a family get together.
So make a mental note, friends. Nature is good. Get out more and teach your kids about all the wonderful things that exist in what was once their own backyard. It's costs little and will last a lifetime. And craft! Get those creative juices flowing. Children nowadays are too stressed and not allowed to be as free and creative as they should be. Exercise the body and the mind. And do it often.
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Oh my, oh my, oh exercise
It was a Saturday and for some unearthly reason I decided to wake up early, as usual, don my workout clothes and go for a walk. Not just a walk but a bit of a jog. This is the norm for those chosen few. Those wonderful people who eat healthy, exercise, and take in every bit of life they can suck in while they sweat out the bad stuff. Essentially, not me. I'm not in horrible shape mind you. I'm an average weight. I have an average endurance. I eat average size meals and am moderately active. Nothing to write home about. But one day it happened. I put on my jeans and realized that they did not quite fit the same. In fact, I seemed to be slightly smooshed into them. Yes, smooshed. Did the dryer shrink them? Absolutely. Was I somewhat bloated? Why not. I could have eaten too much for dinner the night before. Sounds reasonable. The problem was I knew I was lying to myself. A big, obvious, bold-faced lie. And it was ugly. I had gained weight. Five pounds to be exact. Perhaps not the end of the world. But for someone all of 5'4 and who wears fitted clothes five pounds can be a little unsettling. Not only was I heavier but I suddenly noticed that I wasn't as tone. When did that happen?! It's like I hit 30 and my body decided to rebel. I suppose it happens to all of us. You can't have those candy binges you once did. Have your fourth meal of the day at 10pm or even later. Never have thought of a gym or exercise unless it involved having to walk because you were too young to drive a car and didn't know anyone else who could. Nope. Those days are over. At least they were for me.
Sometime in November I decided I'd had enough. I was tired of making excuses for why I didn't exercise. I was tired. I couldn't go out because I had the girls all day. There wasn't enough time. I couldn't afford the gym. Blah, blah, blah. Even I knew I was full of it. I just didn't have the drive. So I forced myself to. I turned on our Wii, which was ironically purchased years ago for the purpose of exercising at home, put on the Wii Active and began my 30 day workout. It's a program where you set your difficulty level, answer some questions about yourself, and begin training. It tries to customize itself to what it thinks you need. And I loved it. It wasn't always easy to get up and exercise. I do all my working out around 11pm and sometimes that means a day with the girls, a night at work, then still working out. But the way I would feel afterwards was great.
I completed my 30 day workout. Didn't lose a pound. But I can see a difference in tone. My stomaches flatter and my arms have muscle. So the scale can take a hike for all I care. I think they're a horrid invention anyways. Does anyone really need a scale to tell them what shape they're in? I find that if I look into a full length mirror I pretty much know where my problem areas are. Another giveaway of my need for exercise was the fact that jogging to the corner winded me. The corner! Not even a far corner. So again, scale bad. Keep your self esteem. Workout for you not for the number on the scale.
I am currently working out with the XBOX Kinect Your Shape game. I prefer the Wii but am happy to try new things just to keep it interesting.
I workout with a console 4-5 times a week. I jog on the weekends. My goal? A healthier me. I am sharing this so you're goal can be a healthier you. We all have the energy for the excuses. Save the talk and lets all get up and sweat out the bad. If all you can muster is a daily walk then I say walk on. But move your body. We get one body and one life there's no sense in wasting either one. So let this health blog be all about exercise. I will be posting more blogs as I go along about my mission to create a better me. Physically, mentally, and spiritually. I hope they can encourage at least one person out there to want to create a better them.
Sometime in November I decided I'd had enough. I was tired of making excuses for why I didn't exercise. I was tired. I couldn't go out because I had the girls all day. There wasn't enough time. I couldn't afford the gym. Blah, blah, blah. Even I knew I was full of it. I just didn't have the drive. So I forced myself to. I turned on our Wii, which was ironically purchased years ago for the purpose of exercising at home, put on the Wii Active and began my 30 day workout. It's a program where you set your difficulty level, answer some questions about yourself, and begin training. It tries to customize itself to what it thinks you need. And I loved it. It wasn't always easy to get up and exercise. I do all my working out around 11pm and sometimes that means a day with the girls, a night at work, then still working out. But the way I would feel afterwards was great.
I completed my 30 day workout. Didn't lose a pound. But I can see a difference in tone. My stomaches flatter and my arms have muscle. So the scale can take a hike for all I care. I think they're a horrid invention anyways. Does anyone really need a scale to tell them what shape they're in? I find that if I look into a full length mirror I pretty much know where my problem areas are. Another giveaway of my need for exercise was the fact that jogging to the corner winded me. The corner! Not even a far corner. So again, scale bad. Keep your self esteem. Workout for you not for the number on the scale.
I am currently working out with the XBOX Kinect Your Shape game. I prefer the Wii but am happy to try new things just to keep it interesting.
I workout with a console 4-5 times a week. I jog on the weekends. My goal? A healthier me. I am sharing this so you're goal can be a healthier you. We all have the energy for the excuses. Save the talk and lets all get up and sweat out the bad. If all you can muster is a daily walk then I say walk on. But move your body. We get one body and one life there's no sense in wasting either one. So let this health blog be all about exercise. I will be posting more blogs as I go along about my mission to create a better me. Physically, mentally, and spiritually. I hope they can encourage at least one person out there to want to create a better them.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Happy Chinese New Year!
I hope you enjoyed another New Year's celebration with your family. My girls and I had a wonderful time celebrating the year of the Dragon at my daughter's school and did a craft or two on our own.
Chinese New Year celebrates the beginning of a new year according to the lunar calendar. This year is the year of the Dragon. The Dragon signifies good fortune for yourself and your family. So many blessings to you all. My nephew happens to be a dragon in the chinese zodiac so I expect he'll have a wonderful year times two. Lucky little guy. For the rest of us we'll just have to learn to be content with plain old good fortune.
At my daughter's school she was served sweet, sticky rice, orange slices, popcorn, a fortune cookie and an almond cookie. To my understanding these are common things given during this time all symbolising good fortune. They also had a parade where they carried their dragon in one hand and their dragon mask in the other. The younger siblings where allowed to follow behind with tamborines. We made our rounds through the school wishing everyone a happy new year.
Why am I telling you all this? Because there is more to life than crafting. You can explore the world with your children in other ways as well. For ethnic holidays serve traditional foods. Read them books related to the subject matter from the library. If people have a parade get some of your friends and their kids together and have one yourself. Get into it. Really get to know other cultures and you will find that not only are you spending quality time with your child but you're teaching them tolerance not to mention introducing new foods, teaching them geography, maybe language (if you choose to learn a few native words), etc.
A craft my girls and I did do at home were paper bag dragons. They're simple and you most likely have all the materials at home. You'll need the following:
A paper grocery bag
Paint
Paintbrushes
Scissors
Tissue paper/Streamers
Glue
Chinese New Year celebrates the beginning of a new year according to the lunar calendar. This year is the year of the Dragon. The Dragon signifies good fortune for yourself and your family. So many blessings to you all. My nephew happens to be a dragon in the chinese zodiac so I expect he'll have a wonderful year times two. Lucky little guy. For the rest of us we'll just have to learn to be content with plain old good fortune.
At my daughter's school she was served sweet, sticky rice, orange slices, popcorn, a fortune cookie and an almond cookie. To my understanding these are common things given during this time all symbolising good fortune. They also had a parade where they carried their dragon in one hand and their dragon mask in the other. The younger siblings where allowed to follow behind with tamborines. We made our rounds through the school wishing everyone a happy new year.
Why am I telling you all this? Because there is more to life than crafting. You can explore the world with your children in other ways as well. For ethnic holidays serve traditional foods. Read them books related to the subject matter from the library. If people have a parade get some of your friends and their kids together and have one yourself. Get into it. Really get to know other cultures and you will find that not only are you spending quality time with your child but you're teaching them tolerance not to mention introducing new foods, teaching them geography, maybe language (if you choose to learn a few native words), etc.
A craft my girls and I did do at home were paper bag dragons. They're simple and you most likely have all the materials at home. You'll need the following:
A paper grocery bag
Paint
Paintbrushes
Scissors
Tissue paper/Streamers
Glue
Take the paper bag (get a plain one if you can) and cut the front of the bag in half. Then cut the sides on a diagonal. Next you'll make eye holes for your little one. After it's all set up go ahead and let them decorate it. We used paint but markers or stickers work just as well. Once they're done cut up the tissue paper length wise and glue them to the back as streamers.
Okay, so our dragon looks a bit on the lack luster side. Nonetheless the girls had a blast running around the house growling at everyone.
Besides what the school did and this craft we did get to do one more activity. Although we were set to make frames at our local library today we ended up making kites. Apparently the Chinese were the first to make them and they were originally used during wars. There's a little something for you. This craft was also super easy and fun. You'll need a plastic store bag, skewers (or some straight sticks), tape, string, and scissors.
Start by laying your plastic bag flat. Now cut across the bottom so that way it opens from either end. Next, you'll cut only one side completely from top to bottom so it can be laid open and flat. Place your sticks in the center just like any other kite. One horizontal and one vertical. Don't lay the horizontal one directly in the middle though. Lay it down a bit towards the top. Tape them in place. Take your string and tape one end to the top of your stick. Tape it again on the next point and so on. You want to reinforce the shape of a diamond by taping the string to each point of your stick/skewer. Cut off any excess. Now that you have the diamond shape take your scissors and cut around your diamond leaving only about an inch all the way around. Save the excess plastic. Fold over the sides and tape them down in the shape of a diamond. Cut the excess plastic into long strips them tie them together end to end. That will be your kites tail. Attach it to the bottom of your kite with the tape. My girls taped a photo to the front of their kites. You can do the same. The finished project should look something like this.
Hopefully you were able to follow all my directions and have a wonderful time making your own kites and dragons. And although the big Chinese New Year celebration has passed you can still enjoy these crafts. As my husband says "It's a new year, all year".
Happy New Year, and happy crafting!
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
I Have A Dream
Many years ago a very wonderful man made a very powerful speech. It touched many people then and still touches us now.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day was yesterday and although I am sorry I did not have my girls craft sooner so I could post it for you I will post it now. I look at it this way, any day can be Martin Luther King Jr. Day as long as we remember his message of love, peace, and acceptance. So try out this craft. Do a little research with your children about him. And on the powerful message he once gave us to pass down to another generation.
What you'll need for this craft:
A computer and printer
Paper
Scissors
Glue
Crayons (or any kind of coloring medium)
Copy and paste the following link http://www.daniellesplace.com/html/martinlutherking.html and it will take you to the page where you'll find the I Have A Dream craft. The rest is self explanatory. I used white paper to print out the craft but you could jazz it up a little by using colred paper if you like. You could also give them stickers or anything else to adhere to the finished project just for fun. Here is what the activity looks like.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day was yesterday and although I am sorry I did not have my girls craft sooner so I could post it for you I will post it now. I look at it this way, any day can be Martin Luther King Jr. Day as long as we remember his message of love, peace, and acceptance. So try out this craft. Do a little research with your children about him. And on the powerful message he once gave us to pass down to another generation.
What you'll need for this craft:
A computer and printer
Paper
Scissors
Glue
Crayons (or any kind of coloring medium)
Copy and paste the following link http://www.daniellesplace.com/html/martinlutherking.html and it will take you to the page where you'll find the I Have A Dream craft. The rest is self explanatory. I used white paper to print out the craft but you could jazz it up a little by using colred paper if you like. You could also give them stickers or anything else to adhere to the finished project just for fun. Here is what the activity looks like.
Have your kids color the people before they cut them out. Then simply cut and paste. There is a quote on the bottom of the page that did not come out in the photo. It reads as follows "I have a dream that one day...little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers."
While my daughters worked on coloring and cutting I told them a little about Martin Luther King Jr. Depending on the age of your child will depend on how you explain to them who he was and what he did. I kept it simple letting them know that many years ago our country was very different. How we didn't treat everyone the same due to the color of our skin. I gave some basic examples such as not serving certain people at restaurants. Not sharing water fountains or swimming pools, etc. And how not everyone believed it was right. Again, keep it simple. You just want to get the lesson of being kind to everyone across. After all that was done we had a finished project.
And there you have it. One more holiday down. One more lesson taught and one more reason to feel good about being a parent. Because you have someone to teach the beauty of love and friendship to.
We will be working on Chinese New Year next and hopefully give you plenty of time to complete that one at home, or wherever you are. You can also look forward to our nature birdhouses, Valentine's Day, and health blog.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Felt and More Felt
Here we are ready to tackle felt boards. And after having to re-felt my felt board I realized that even the simplest task can be made more difficult. But after a bit more patience and perserverence I finally finished my board and 5 Little Snowflakes story. To make this a part of your educational collection you'll need the supplies shown below. A foam board, felt, glue gun, glue sticks, scissors, colored felt for characters, and puffy paint or markers (to give your characters a face).
Next, you'll need to visit one of my favorite web sites:
where you will find the story and templates necessary to complete this activity. Below is a picture of my finished project.
Of course, you can make your sun and snowflakes any way you like. I just find it faster for me to use the templates. Once you've got your felt board squared away you'll be able to build on it by occassionally adding new stories.
Now that we've talked a bit about our felt board we can now review some more activities we received over the holidays. Below is a cardboard house which is made white so it can be colored.
These houses seemed to be advertised everywhere this Christmas so it was only a matter of time when my oldest asked for one. Wouldn't you know it? Santa heard the request. So although this house is made more for my three year old, due to its size, they both had a blast helping me put it together then coloring it. It wasn't that hard to put it up and just as easy to store it back into its original box. So I give it 5 stars.
We also received some art sets, which I am always a fan of. Below is my little ones finished water color.
This is an oversized water color book based on the Nick Jr. characters. I'm not normally a fan of children and water colors. I just find that the colors all end up black and used up by about the second use. But ultimately my feeling that all children should be exposed to art overuled my thoughts of wasted art supplies. And she did me proud. Her paper was bright and the colors still look in tact.
My oldest received a travel art easel with acrylic paints, canvases, and brushes. Here she choose to paint a knight. Although it wasn't completed I thought I'd post it anyway.
The best thing about these kinds of activities is that children can truly learn to express themselves through all kinds of mediums. So if paint is not your thing try clay, or oil pastels, or colored pencils, etc. You and your childs options are limitless.
On my next blog we will revisit our Christmas gift crafts and then work on our bird houses. All you'll need for this craft is one small bird house, glue, glue dots, paint (if desired), and a basket/bag. This will be more about getting outdoors with your child than about being in the house so be ready with your walking shoes and camera.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Happy New Year! Happy Crafting!
Happy New Year, parents! To kick off such a wonderful occassion my girls and I thought we'd work on a craft we received at Christmas. Pictured below is a felt sewing craft. These are perfect for children ages 3 and up. What you usually find in these kits is felt for the design, thread, a craft needle, and stuffing. You may need scissors and glue as well before beginning.
\As a side note, make sure your thread is untangled before beginning. I had the girls all set to go and ended up taking about 15 minutes to get the thread sorted out. With younger children I recommend starting the craft for them then letting them take over. You may need to do the end of the craft as well. They can become bored of all the sewing. The gluing and sticking should be all them, though. Here is the finished craft that my youngest completed. My oldest decided to read instead of waiting for mommy to figure out the thread.
So there you have it, Mr. Frog, as he is so affectionately named. Let your felt dry for 30 minutes to an hour before handing it over to your little one. And make sure they play gently with them. Although a craft like this is meant to work motor skills and helps with learning patience the small, decorative pieces, are not likely to stand up to rough play.
The next craft we will be working on will be our felt boards. Just to get you prepared for this one let me give you the list of supplies now. As we will be working off of a winter snowflake poem you will need the following: a foam board (any color), a large package of felt (enough to cover the board and then some), a hot glue gun, glue sticks, colored felt pieces (you choose the colors), puffy paint, and printouts from the following web site
Make sure you read through the web site so you can decide what color felt pieces you'd like to purchase and what color puffy paint you'd like to use as accents for the felt characters.
May the New Year find you all in great health and spirits. I look forward to the next few blogs on kids crafting and parent health. Remember, we can't be at our best for our children if we're not at our best for our selves.
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