More Fun Than Allowed…with Kids

Boogie had a “family project” for school a couple weeks ago.  The assignment was to create a snowman from recyclable things around the house.  We ended up using a gallon juice jug for the body and made the head from newspaper, in the form of paper mache’.  We then found different scraps of foam leftover from other projects and used those for the eyes, buttons, nose and a hat.  When it came time to “color” the body and head, my original thought was paint, but in keeping with the recycle theme, we ended up using plastic grocery bags with the logos cut out.  The head was a little wobbly, so I used some left over felt and inserted into the bottom of the head to help attach it to the bottle (body), using the extra to make a scarf.  Boog was very pleased with his creation and that is all that matters.

Paper mache’ head while drying 

 Completed snowman minus the scarf.

See what you can make using only recycled materials around the house…Have Fun! 

Through my blogging endeavors I’ve met up with a couple of great Moms and entrepreneurs.  I have recently been assigned the title of Editor in Chief for the Tidewaterkidsguide.com, a subsidiary of Us Family Guide.  Originally a Colorado based website featuring all things pertaining to kids, Us Family Guide is branching out to cities nationwide and putting together sites for busy parents to find resources on everything from vacation spots to pediatric dentists.

I look forward to building my site to be the number one resource for parents in my area as well as potential vacationers and those moving into the area.  We are surrounded by military personnel, so I feel this could be a great tool for anyone with children.  Look for things to do in your area or possible vacation spots to make informed decisions.

US Family Guide is currently looking for editors to help complete their vision of having a guide in every city across America.  If you are interested, you can go directly to US Family Guide and get more info.

I won’t get any parenting awards for my behavior yesterday, but boy did we laugh and have fun. 

A friend sent me a youtube video that I knew the kids would enjoy.  We jumped on the web through our Wii so it could be on the “big screen” rather than us all loaded up around my laptop.  The kids cracked up at the video and wanted to see more.  We stayed in the general vicinity of the original video and clicked “relevant” or similar videos.  Some had to be played more than once.  It was early in the morning, Hubster wasn’t up yet.  When he did come down, he gave me that look of “Is this really what we want to teach our children?”  I smiled, the kids were rolling, and he started to laugh himself.

Here’s the video that got us started

Now click over at the right and enjoy some good clean (they’re in the tub, right?) fun.

If you get to the “singing hippo” as my daughter calls it ( singing Lion Sleeps tonight)…oh, never-mind here it is

She ran around all day singing the dogs part and insists it’s singing ”Window Butt”.

Like I said, it won’t get me Parent of the Year, but they may as well get all the laughing over body functions now,  while it’s still appropriate.  As for Hubster and I?  We were merely laughing at the kids laughter…I swear!

My kids love to dress up.  We have a very attractive straight haired bright pink wig and another super cute curly blue hair wig that have been worn by my children and every child that has entered the house.  They were each $1 at the dollar store.

For the last 2 years I have been proactive with the Halloween costumes and ordered them plenty in advance, and then Boog wears his everyday for  the 3 weeks leading up to Halloween.  His Spiderman costume from this year, still gets some play about every 10 days.

Puddin Pop makes up her own costumes.  She finds miscellaneous pieces around the house and becomes a super hero

…or puts on a skirt and becomes a ballerina, twirling around the house.  For Christmas Mi-ma and Papa surprised her with a Tinkerbell costume that she just had to put on right away.  It was precious and will be missed when she outgrows it.  She wore that thing all day and has worn it several days since.  How can i say no to this…

Playing dress up is a great way for kids to use their imagination and become someone else.  If you’ve ever watched your child playing the parent to a beloved doll or stuffed animal, you’ll see a little of yourself in there.  It’s a good way to see what lessons and actions your children are being taught by watching and listening to you.

I recently became aware of a new music video site just for kids, although I rather enjoy it myself, (don’t tell the little ones).  Jitterbug.tv is a music community delivering classics from our favorite movies (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang) as well as new pop songs by artists like Barenaked Ladies and Dan Zanes.

I had the opportunity to check out some videos with my 2 year old and she was all about Elmo and Chris Brown singing the Signs song.  I loved Elmo and Norah Jones.

The community allows you to join for free and suggest and rate videos for the site.  Instead of looking all over the internet, you can make Jitterbug.tv your one stop for new music videos to enjoy with your children..

There’s a great interview with one of the founders over at Out With the Kids.com.  Great insight into a vision of two parents to help make music for children more readily accessible.  Check out the interview, then go directly to Jitterbug.tv.  You won’t be disappointed.

I think being a parent is the most creative job there is.  Constantly trying to keep harmony while still doing what we know is right, is a great balancing act and requires an avid imagination.

My children have never been neglected sweets, but I’ve noticed that they ask for them when they are visible, and don’t if we don’t have any, (at least to their knowledge).  Take cake and/or ice cream for instance.  If it’s just after a birthday party, and they know that we have cake, they want it for breakfast.  Same for ice cream.  Why not?  I’ve found a way to be the coolest mom on the block by allowing my children to have these forbidden treats for breakfast.

How?

Simple.  Kids want the things that look like sweets.  So I make banana or zucchini bread…but not really bread, instead I make cupcakes.  I put a little frosting on the top, and now it’s good enough for breakfast.  Add a frozen yogurt (I usually freeze gogurts, since they are easiest for the kids to eat) and some grapes, and all the neighborhood kids want to have breakfast at my house. 

Sure, I could just say “No.”  But aren’t we, as parents, already saying NO a lot?  Why not say “yes” and use some creativity to make it good for all of us.

Boog really wanted to learn the Twelve Days of Christmas and to help him out Hubby made a cheat sheet with pictures and numbers so he could remember.  He is not really fond of singing the song from the beginning, but instead likes to start at the end.  He’s been singing it for days.  When I asked how he got so good at remembering all twelve days he told me he had been practicing on the bus, at recess, and at bedtime.  He is very proud of himself, and so am I.  Maybe he can teach me the twelve days.

His sister is not so enthused with the spotlight not being on her, but she tolerates it, as you can see.

Enjoy!

My son did this project at school for a “countdown” to their Holiday Party.  His sister was a little envious, so we did one at home, so she could count down the days until Santa arrived.

Cut out strips of paper to make a chain.  glue or staple the “correct amount” of links to form a chain.

Cut out (or have child cut) a bell and attach at the top of the chain.

The saying we put on our bell is this (modified from son’s bell):

     December 1st through 25th

     Is the longest time of the year.

     Seems as though the fun and gifts

     Never will appear.

     Break a link every night

     As the sandman casts his spell

    And Christmas morning will be here

    By the time you reach the Bell.

The kids each have one in the doorway of their rooms, and break a link each night before going to bed.

Do NOT hit! 

That’s what we teach our children.  We also set the example.

I do not believe that there is any good lesson in spanking my children.  The only thing it teaches is that bigger people can physically harm smaller ones, and for what reason?

The old “I was spanked when I was a kid, and I turned out okay” rhetoric gets to me every-time.  I used to walk across the room to turn on the TV, change the channel, and adjust the volume.  Technology has made it easier, I don’t do those things anymore.  I use a remote.

Pediatricians and Psychologists now warn against striking our children due to the harmful repercussions it can cause, but as a society, we are slow to believe and trust in this technology and it disturbs me as to why.

No where in our adult lives is it okay to strike another.  When we are upset with a co-worker’s performance, or a neighbor’s meddling, we don’t hit them, and we would definitely suffer consequences if we did.  So why would we spank children? 

If they are misbehaving, showing a lack of self control, aren’t we showing a similar lack of self control by striking them?  If we really waited for the situation to deescalate, calmed ourselves and our child down, would we really still feel like a spanking was what they needed?

I understand that for some it is a religious belief, and I’m not trying to tell anyone how to raise their children.  Just think about what the real lesson is, and what you want your child to learn from it.

In 20 years, we can get our families together and see how my unspanked children compare to those that are physically punished. I have every confidence in myself as a parent, that my children will succeed in anything they put their mind to, they will be self confident, and they will never even dream of striking their children.  It will NOT be how they were raised.

PS:  Thank you so much to The Mom Buzz for promoting my previous post here

http://www.ohanamamablog.com/2008/11/ohana-mamas-monday-mom-buzz.html

You Rock!

I found an easy recipe for baked Ornaments and we spent the day, literally, decorating the two dozen I made the night before.

ornament recipe

4 cups flour

1 cup salt

1 1/2 cups warm water

Mix together to form a dough.  Roll out to about 1/4 in thickness and use cookie cutters to cut out desired shapes. Use a straw to cut out a hole at the top for ribbon to hang.  Put 4-6 on a microwave safe plate and heat for 3-5 minutes (depending on microwave).  Repeat until all ornaments are cooked.  Decorate.

We used washable tempura paint, glitter glue, and sequins to decorate ours.  I made the ornament the night before after the kids were in bed.  Next time I’ll let them help cut them out.  I had the table set with the ornaments and all the supplies when they got up in the morning.  Boogie had school and Puddin’ Pop had 2 friends come over in the morning.  The girls spent about 45 minutes decorating before they moved on to something else.  They returned to the craft table just after lunch and worked for another 45 minutes.

When Boog got home from school, he and the neighbor girl came righ in for Hot chocolate and decorating.  They spent about an hour decorating theirs and it was quiet time for me.  Overall the project was a success.  All our guests for the day got to take home their ornaments and we will put ours on the tree and use some for gift tags.

I think it worked out well to have the table set up all day rather than a timed activity and the kids keep begging me to make more.