Monday Munchies: Simple Snacking Surprises.

So, occasionally I'll see something like this:

 or this:

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


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


So, break out the Pretzel sticks.


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


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

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

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

Jump Starting My Week.

Yes, even weekends can be crazy.

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

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

Easter.

Learning to ride a bike.

Repairing a deck.

This awesome Mud Run with mom friends.

And on and on...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

http://www.bareearth.org/

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

{The Rules!}

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

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

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

Making Muddy Moments: Best. Day. Ever.

What are little boys made of?

Slugs and snails

And puppy-dogs' tails,

That's what little boys are made of.

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

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

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

Date Time with your Kids

I probably tell my kids at least 10 times a day I love them. I know they know. But in this season of all-things-love, I want to make sure I remind my children often how much I like them and enjoy spending time with them.

 As with all kids, ours LOVE to go out for some one-on-one time with Mommy or Daddy. My husband and I try to get a couple of hours with one of them each month. It's sweet to see just how much they anticipate and enjoy this undivided attention. Even my 2-year-old gets giddy if he gets to go in Daddy's truck—just him and Daddy--for a simple errand to the hardware store.

Often our dates involve going out for a meal or dessert together. This provides great talk time. My daughter is 4, and she is happy just to get a cookie or visit the animals at the pet store.

We've done a few more creative things with our 7-year-old. He and I enjoyed a pottery-painting date one Saturday afternoon.

And my husband took him to a high school football game last fall. The stuff that bonds daddies and sons.
 Some other ideas we have for date times this year are:

• go for a bike ride
• take a walk together at a park
• go ice skating
• take a box of donuts to a neighbor
• go to a park and take funny/creative pictures
• make a project together
• plant something—flowers, seeds, a tree
• go on a long hike
• visit a hobby or pet store
• visit an art show
• make a fun video together
• do a random act of kindness together
• find a way to serve or minister to someone in need

Now that our kids are getting a little older, it's fun to find out what they think about the world. These are interesting conversation-starters for a date or even the family dinner table:

• If you could be famous, what would you want to be famous for?
• If you could invent one rule for the whole world to follow, what would it be?
• If you could change one family rule, what would you change?
• If you could keep your room any way you wanted, how would it look?
• What are the qualities that make a good friend?
• What do you think of my driving?
• If you could decorate our home, what would it look like?
• What do you think are the characteristics that make a good parent?
• What is the nicest thing a friend has ever done for you?
• What is the most enjoyable thing our family has done together in the last three years?
• If you could have any pet you wanted, what would you choose? What would you name it?

We are trying to use this special one-on-one time to be more than just activity time together...we want to use it to build strong communication foundations with our kids. If we're not open with them now, we know we can't expect them to want to talk to us when they're 15. I'm working daily on being a better Listener to my children!

A few years back, our friend passed along some really great questions to probe the heart a little when you have some uninterrupted time alone with one child. Some don't quite work yet for our young children, but I'm hanging onto them for a few years down the road.

• What conflicts are you and your brothers/sisters having when Mom and I aren’t around?
• How is your heart towards your brothers and sisters?
• Do you think your mom or I show favoritism towards one of your siblings? If so in what ways?
• How’s your relationship with Mom? How is she doing as a mom?
• What is God showing you about the way He made you?
• What can I do better in leading the family to love God and love each other?
• How are your devotions?
• What is God teaching you?
• In your own words, what is the gospel?
• Is there a specific sin you’re aware of that I can help you in defeating?
• Are you more aware of my encouragement or my criticism?
• What’s Dad and Mom most passionate about?
• Do I act the same at church as I do when I’m at home?
• Are you aware of my love for you?
• Is there any way I’ve sinned against you that I’ve not repented of?
• Do you have any observations for me?
• How am I doing as a dad/mom ?
• How have Sunday’s sermons/classes impacted you?
• Does my relationship with Mom make you excited to be married?
• On top of these things, with my older kids, I’m always inquiring about their relationship with their friends and making sure God and his gospel are the center of those relationships. And I look for every opportunity to praise their mother and increase their appreciation and love for her.                     
• Family Strategy questions by Rand Hummel/the Wilds

A little attention and time goes a long way...it's just hard to fit in sometimes. After the football game, my son came home with shining eyes, as well as a little hot chocolate still stuck to his upper lip. He told me it was his best night ever.  Later my husband recounted the evening to me and said he felt like even if he'd been the worst Dad in the world (and for the record, he's a fantastic Daddy!), that evening together would have redeemed him big time. It was a super special outing for both of them. And a reminder to make the effort to book these important times on the calendar before lesser things eat away our hours with our kids.

Harvest Hullabaloo: Make a Memory. Carve a Pumpkin!

Have you ever carved a pumpkin with your kids? It may not seem like a big deal to pick up a pumpkin. It doesn't take much to get your hands covered in messy pumpkin-goo, and it won't take long to make a few holes and place a candle inside, but to your child it is a fabulous memory-maker and a wonderful family tradition!
We have been carving pumpkins with our kids for at least the past 4 years. Sometimes we go to a pumpkin patch and select the perfect pumpkin for our family, but if funds (or time) are limited, they are just as happy with an equally perfect pumpkin thrown in the cart from our super-center. Kids really don't care.
The main thing is to create a memory with your kids, and the #1 rule is to have fun and don't worry about the mess. Tell yourself up front that it's a bath night and let them get involved in the process!

If at all possible, I have discovered the joys of pumpkin-carving outside. It is much easier to enjoy the process if everyone can dig their hands into the pumpkin, whether you are planning to keep your pumpkin "guts" or whether you are planning to launch them into the shrubs.
Before I begin basic pumpkin carving 101, let me recommend a few tools for the job. Of course any old knife and any kitchen spoon will work as a pumpkin carver and scraper, but if you are willing to splurge on the tiny carving sets (knife and scraper) sold in most convenience stores, you will save yourself a lot of time and energy.  It's important to scrape the inside as cleanly as possible.
I also discovered a GREAT use for an art tool I had lying around.  If any of you are really looking to take pumpkin carving to the next level, or if you have linocut printmaking in your past, track down your Speedball Linozip set like I did. It was so easy and fun to peel away the layers using my old printmaking tool!

Once you have carefully cut the top off your pumpkin and removed the insides (it worked really well to store ours on a cookie sheet!) then it's time to become an artist.  We normally download a free template, if you do a quick search you can find all kinds of ideas for your pumpkin.  My husband chose to use a Darth Vadar template this year, and right now my daughter is really into Swan Lake Barbie. I found a coloring page printable online and added some black and orange in Photoshop to help me see how it would look on the pumpkin.

I normally cover the backside of my printed template with a thick layer of pencil, tape it to my pumpkin and trace a heavy line (using the carbon copy method).  My husband prefers to tape his template to the pumpkin and poke small holes through the paper where he wants to carve through.  Either method works depending on how detailed you want to be!
Once our drawings were lightly traced onto the pumpkins we went to work carving. My husband used the carving tool to make all his cuts and was finished in about 15 minutes.  I made all my deep cuts, then went back in and peeled back the layers of skin from my pumpkin. There are several tutorials online for how to do this effectively. I wish I had watched one of them before carving, but it was still fun and my daughter was thrilled! 

My husband's Darth Vadar! We lost one of the eyes, but he still looks intimidating--especially at night!

We will not be entering any pumpkin carving contests anytime soon, but we had a great time digging our hands in the pumpkins and choosing the perfect thing to carve for and with our kids.  I would highly recommend making this a family tradition--this is the perfect week for you to go discover your very own Great Pumpkin rising out of the pumpkin patch.  We'd love to hear your favorite pumpkin carving or any tips you might have!

Leaves

by Elsie N. Brady

How silently they tumble down

And come to rest upon the ground

To lay a carpet, rich and rare,

Beneath the trees without a care,

Content to sleep, their work well done,

Colors gleaming in the sun.

At other times, they wildly fly

Until they nearly reach the sky.

Twisting, turning through the air

Till all the trees stand stark and bare.

Exhausted, drop to earth below

To wait, like children, for the snow.

Being Here Now

When my husband and I were first married, some wise mentor-friends challenged us with this advice:      Be Here Now.

I often forget to live in the present. I think, I will be happy with our house when we finally have new furniture. Or, I long for when I can sleep through the night without a hungry baby waking me. Or, I can't wait until I don't have to clean up spills under the kitchen table after every meal.

Really, those thoughts wish away precious time. I don't want to waste the moments I have with my husband, with my sweet children at today's stage of life.

We had kind of an impromptu family afternoon yesterday...loading up our bikes, renting a kid trailer for the younger two, and hitting a bike trail together as a family. It was wonderful, active family fun. My six-year-old was so excited about a real bike ride..not just the driveway.

Near the end of our trail, we stopped at a playground to let the little ones burn off some energy. As I watched them run from slide to swing to climbing wall to spinning toy with utter joy on their faces, I thought...they are totally living this moment. Children know how to Be Here Now. They put their All into their play, into this instant of time.

I think I forgot as I grew up. I was too busy looking ahead to the next achievement or event.

I'm trying to be better...to Be Here Now for my family. Not always looking ahead to the next stage, the next vacation, the next purchase. But to enjoy the simple pleasures of each day. The shared lunch, the interesting bug in the front yard, yet another game of Uno, the old furniture that is plenty comfy for cuddling together to read or talk.

Take hold of the moments that are Today.

Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. James 4:14

A Shout-Out to Shrinky Dinks!

I ♥ Shrinky Dinks. 

All weekend my husband made fun of me for talking about Shrinky Dinks nonstop--he thought I was making them up until we found them at AC Moore. The name is great! And the possibilities with this product are left entirely to the limits of your own imagination! Yes, it is hard to believe there is actually a product named Shrinky Dinks, but I assure you, that is what they are called. Here is the website!!!


Several weeks ago I stumbled across a neat charm bracelet on Pinterest that someone made by scanning in books and printing them on Shrinky Dink paper. I had never thought to do that before, so my mind started going crazy. My first idea was to create a "family album" using pictures of your child and loved ones to make a charm bracelet.

~~Shrinky Dink Charms Take 1!~~

Here are the supplies you will need: 

• I found this film at AC Moore --  Shrink Film and comes in a packet of 6 sheets 11 X 8.5.
• Please note the frowny face I inserted here. I thought my photo charm bracelet was award-winningly original.. evidently not. There was a photo of such a bracelet directly on the packaging--another notch down on the wall of creativity for me!

Here is how our first photo project went down.  I did not sand the film (even though the packaging recommended it.) It needs to be sanded.  
I also did not purchase the extra special printing ink that is made for this particular film. I don't think I would purchase the special ink unless I was really planning to go Pro with Shrinky Dinking. For now, I'll stick to amateur level.

At any rate, my normal printer ink never quite stuck to the film, resulting in a wet and tacky surface after shrinking :(

The little charms were so cute, I was bummed that they would not completely dry.  We moved on to Shrinky Dinks, take 2!

~~Take 2!~~

This time around, I sanded the film. Aah, much better. The film was more receptive to pencil, colored pencil, and marker. Hooray.  

Next, I printed out her name, traced it and colored it in. I also did a little "cartoon" of her face by tracing a large image.  Then I cut the letters leaving a little room around the edges.

In the meantime my daughter carefully drew and colored some special charms for herself!
You will need to have a hole punch to make the holes for your necklace rope or wire! Give yourself a little room at the top and place the punch where you want a small hole.

•  To bake your Shrinky Dink Charms, preheat the oven to 300° or slightly warmer depending on your oven.  Place your "charms" on a baking sheet--the directions tell you to use wax paper, but I have had great luck placing them directly onto the sheet.
• Wait until the charms curl slightly, then flatten back down.  Once they are flat, about 1/2 the size and much thicker, you can pull them out. It takes about 3 minutes.
• Let them cool and if you need to flatten them a little more, use the tip of a spatula.

You can see how big they are here. If you want them smaller, just make smaller letters and pictures!

Here she is wearing her necklace. I ended up using some of my bead "hardware" to finish this up, but running a  stretchy Pony Bead string or fishing line through the center holes will make most kids happy! We will add more beads and glam to our necklace on another day.

We had a fun time. There is something magical and exciting about peering through the oven door, waiting to see how your artwork will change.  I will most likely be posting on Shrinky Dinks again, in the meantime I'd love to hear about some of your own experiments... and mishaps!!!

The Root of the Matter.

There's never a good time for a root canal. I can think of about a billion other places I'd rather be sitting on a Monday afternoon than in the squeaky, plastic covered chair of an oral surgeon, but when pain wins out and teeth are dead, options are limited.

As a mom, it is especially difficult to run around to several dentist appointments in one day, sitting in chairs and receiving numbing shots. Thankfully my husband had the day off work, so while I sat in the last chair for close to an hour with my mouth forced open by plastic and rubber, wearing protective glasses to keep the shards of tooth and powder from spraying down my throat and into my eyes, I couldn't help thinking how silly I looked and how incredibly uncomfortable and awkward the whole thing is. And I honestly kept looking to my side, wondering if there was a tank full of colorful talking fish, offering advice on how the dentist should proceed.

During my hour of conscious “thinking time” while I ignored the chatter about drill sizes and cotton and the ever-present smell of nauseating antiseptics, I eventually found a happy place. I remembered that the previous Monday I had been in a different chair—an expensive cushioned chair, the chair that I visit four times a year.  Come to think of it I occasionally have my roots done there as well. That cushy chair smells like exotic shampoos and soothing oils; a chair where an expert gives me a relaxing scalp massage and nobody tells me I should floss more.

When at last the root canal was over and the last X-rays were taken, I sat up and checked myself out and paid the bill at the sterile counter. Then I fully realized that not only is it much less painful to have my roots done at Wisteria Salon, but it's a lot cheaper as well. In fact, I might be doing haircuts at home with safety scissors for a few years.

At any rate, I drove myself home with a numb, lop-sided face, filled my prescriptions, then came home to find my little guy was sick and my husband had already cleaned up one episode of the sick. I was reminded again that there is never a good time for a root canal.  (For instance, I had my first root canal as a freshman in high school when my tooth was knocked free during a Christmas Eve basketball practice. It was not ideal timing, and I have had a fake front tooth ever since.)

While the kids and I stayed inside for several days and licked our wounds, I realized more than ever how much my life resembles the book, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. I'm sure you know exactly what I'm talking about. It all starts with something simple, like my daughter asking me to draw with her at the easel. In order to get to the easel, I need to pick up 400 matchbox cars, which need to be organized by size and color. This allows me to find that long-lost yellow Uno Moo sheep that we couldn't find! I excitedly put the sheep away in the game box which makes me realize the game shelf is a mess, again. So I organize the games and in the meantime find a piece to the princess puzzle the kids started yesterday. Since we were only missing two pieces, this is great news. I place the piece in the puzzle and head back over to the easel to draw with my daughter, but then I notice the paper is unraveling on the ground, so I need a piece of tape to secure it. When I go to my drawer to find the tape I notice some coupons that are about to expire, and so on and so on.

I eventually ended up back in the toy room, marker in hand, facing the easel, sitting on a tiny yellow kid-craft folding chair with my knees scrunched up into my lap. As moms, we sit in a wide variety of all kinds of chairs throughout the week: perhaps you are currently sitting in the chair feeding a newborn baby and trying to catch a few minutes of precious sleep, or maybe you were just sitting in the chair in your minivan driving the kids to and from the store and piano lessons and school.  

And as much as I love a good recliner or those cushy chairs at Wisteria Salon, I'm pretty sure sometimes it's necessary to spend a few uncomfortable hours at the dentist to eliminate the root of the problem.  Since my tooth already feels 100X better than it did last week, maybe those chairs that cause some discomfort are ultimately what I need to take the root of the pain away. It's a stretch, but in another sense, spending a few minutes sitting in a tiny folding chair near an easel in the toy room while ignoring the mess in the room will be a lot more memorable for my daughter than if I spend the morning getting the house organized.  It's a lesson I seem to revisit daily.

So after a week of reflective recovery from our minor set-backs, I am heading into the weekend ready to plop down on the many chairs of motherhood and sink my mended teeth into some strawberry Laffy Taffy. Just kidding Dr. Swinderman!! Just kidding.  And for those who have never had a root canal, I leave you with a link to this video of what you are missing. Enjoy......

Now, most dentist's chairs go up and down, don't they? The one I was in went back and forwards. I thought 'This is unusual'. And the dentist said to me 'Mr Vine, get out of the filing cabinet. ~Tim Vine

Pretend Play: Breakfast on a Cruise Ship.

Yesterday we enjoyed a lovely morning on a cruise ship...and didn't even leave home for it. A scrapbook-paper-porthole on the wall and a couple of clipart seagulls circling over the table helped set the scene. Then I donned my white shirt, black bermudas, white gloves, and became a Cruise Ship Attendant for our morning o' fun.


I confess my first-hand knowledge of cruise ships is pretty much...nil. I have heard that your towels get folded into all kinds of nifty little animals each time you come back into your cabin, but I do not have those kind of folding skilz. So I kinda had to wing it as to the whole Cruise Ship scene.


The table was set with white tablecloth, lots of glassware (gulp!), and cloth napkins. Definitely a first at my breakfast table! I dusted off some cute little juice glasses and prepared a carafe of OJ.


Our breakfast menu included boiled eggs served in egg-cups, toast & jam, cut up fruit, and a yogurt parfait bar for the kids to make their own concoctions. Huge hit! And it was all served with silly Cruise Attendant antics. Oh, I meant to play some perky classical music in the background, but forgot to start the CD.


The kids loved it! After serving their breakfast (pretending to walk on a ship that was rolling slightly), I told them some of the activities that were available for their enjoyment today...
  
First up...Bingo on the ship deck. Happily, we each won a round.


Next we tried a little Art activity. This was a Stained Glass Butterfly project, an idea I found here. 
 

They turned out really pretty, and I learned a valuable lesson: washable markers are not as washable as expected when the one-year-old colors on the table and himself.


Finally, we left the ship on a little excursion and “rowed over” to a deserted island to enjoy a relaxing siesta. I made a blanket fort over a card table in our living room and set out books with special snacks and refreshing lemonade. We all piled in and read several stories together and talked about living on a deserted island. The consensus was that none of us would like it much...there was no access to ice cream.


It was such a fun morning! Have to confess, I don't always give my children a solid chunk of devoted, undivided attention and play time like I ought to—there's always laundry to throw in, floors to sweep, email to check. This Pretend Cruise was a blast for all of us.

...Even if there was not a single Swan towel in sight.


Linking to these great parties: