Playing with costumes is one of the best family activities for my girls!

Over the winter when we’ve been couped up in the house so much due to bad weather, I figured I’d make a list of my favorite family time, a.k.a. rainy day activities. 

It’s always nice to get new ideas like this, because sometimes the same old routine gets dry and just downright dull.  One of the first things I love to do is make up our own stories.  Sometimes we’ll make our own books, to include illustrations, and sometimes we just sit in a circle and take turns, picking up where the person before left off.  Other times we’ll make our own play.  Both girls have a ball getting dressed up and acting out the parts. 

Another all time favorite is arts and crafts.  The girls have been really into clay lately and have made some absolutely beautiful bowls and pitchers.  It’s always fun to use these types of things to have a special tea party.  The girls still love to dress up as well.  I usually buy a few Halloween costumes on clearance so that we can have a ton of cool outfits. 

One of the girls’ favorite things to do is hair and makeup. I pick up clips, bows, etc. at the dollar store when I go in and crazy colored lipsticks and eyeshadows.  Vannah loves to do her makeup like a rockstar and sometimes we’ll even have a fashion show.  Who would have ever guessed this would make the girls so happy??!!

Finally, I love to just sit back, relax, pop a bag of popcorn, and watch a movie with the girls!  It allows all three of us an opportunity to relax together while doing something we all enjoy!  I think so often, we get wound up in our daily lives and forget to take time out for the most important people in our lives: our children. 

What do you do on a rainy day or lazy weekend for fun?  What are your family’s favorite activities?

I am, by no means, doing all I can for the environment. I still drink bottled water and use paper towels, but I have tried very hard to make some small changes. I work even harder to make sure the boys know about what I am doing and why. I know one day, hopefully a long time from now, when I am gone, they will still be here….on this planet. I want them to inherit grass and trees, not smog and garbage. I also want them to be aware NOW and be concisous about how what they do affects the earth and everything on it.

While we still do battle about the lights (not sure when that will end!) I have managed to get them accustomed to some other changes. We no longer use paper napkins. I bought cloth ones online and we wash them. They are even so used to it now that I can pack them in their school lunches and they remember to bring them home. I use a reusable bag for small shopping trips and a whole stack of them when we visit the commissary. When I first started using them, I made sure the boys noticed and I told them why. Now they ask me why everyone doesn’t do it.

Like I said, these are small things but I hope by doing them my boys will do them when they get older. I hope they choose to do some of these same things (and more) so my grandkids have a bright future, too.

What do you do in your home to help conserve? Any creative ideas how we can all make an impact?

We have done soccer, basketball, football and baseball.  While living here in Jacksonville, we have enjoyed participating in sports both on and off base.  We have had both good experiences and bad experiences.  Most importantly, Lincoln always has fun.

We have found that our favorite coaches are on the field playing and practicing with the kids.  We like coaches who involve the parents and invite parents to play with the kids.  We enjoy coaches who genuinely love sports and love kids.

Lincoln played football on base this past year.  On that team we had one of our very favorite coaches.  He was a young single marine who loved football and loved kids.  You could tell he genuinely loved the boys and teaching them about a sport he loved so much.  Most importantly, we loved how he made everything fun.  He didn’t get worked up when someone made a mistake.  He patted them on the back and gently corrected them.  If we could choose coaches for the rest of Lincoln’s years playing organized sports we would want coaches just like him!!

Sports are a great way to keep kids active and teach them about working with others and having fun.  It is a great way to teach them good sportsmanship and how we treat others…if they are on our team or aren’t on our team. 

As a family, we will probably spend most of our lives in the stands cheering for Lincoln.  I surely hope that we keep the process of sports fun while developing a good work ethic and good sportsmanship.

What has your experience been like while having your kids play organized sports?

I’ve tried two basic techniques to  stop the swearing.  The first was punishment.  This is very effective with one of my daughters, but not so much with the other.  Last time Vannah let one slip, I made sure to take the Wii and television away.  I haven’t had a problem with potty mouth ever since.  While this is effective with one child, it doesn’t work that well with Mallory.  With Mallory, if I completely ignore her (no attention whatsoever) she stops and realizes why she’s not turning my head. 

In addition, I’ve been monitoring what they see on TV a little more closely (could they have figured out the cable box behind my back?) I also talk to them about using appropriate words to describe your feelings, no matter how angry or sad you happen to be at that very moment.  Finally, I made sure to let them know that those types of words are harsh and can hurt the feelings of those around; there are much more gentle choices available to articulate their thoughts. 

How do you deal with potty mouth?  In what ways do you try and prevent it?  How do you stop this negative social influence?

We have never allowed them to play excessively. We have a timer that is set and they cannot go over 60 minutes per day. Sounds easy enough…..right? Not so fast!

The boys have to earn their time on the clock. They do things like go to bed on time (no whining), get ready in the morning (without being told 10 times to do s0) and they help with little chores. All of this earns them “daddy dollars” that they can spend on game minutes. One dollar earns them 10 minutes. This works well on the front end of game time….to get them started. It is when itis time to turn off the console that the real problem begins.

I hear “I need to finish this battle” or “Can I ride it just one more time?” It never fails. Not once has the timer beeped and immediately been followed with the controller down and game off. What has also never failed is that I do not allow the extra time so someone please tell me why they keep trying anyway??

I suppose it will always be like this….time is earned, timer beeps, groveling begins and I reply again “no, turn it off.”

Anyone else have little gamers to contend with? What is your strategy to limit time?

On a side note…anyone looking to create your own daddy dollars for an incentive here is the link.

Kids usually start losing their teeth when they are 5 or 6 years old.  They live in that awkward snaggle-tooth stage until they are about 12 or 13 years old.  By then, all of their permanent teeth have most likely erupted (except their wisdom teeth.)  Then they really enter the awkward stage and get those pretty silver braces stuck happily to their teeth. 

It is a big job taking care of our children’s teeth.  By the time they are 2 years old we should be scheduling their first appointment with the dentist.  There are two reasons for this, first is to be on top of their dental care and second is so they feel comfortable with the dentist.

Lincoln has started losing his teeth in the last couple years.  I have found myself  in such awe  watching his teeth fall out.  It is such an interesting process.  The tooth starts to wiggle a little, then it wiggles alot….then it is either pulled out or falls out somewhere crazy!!

As  parent’s, it is important that we take an active role in teaching our children the importance of their oral health care.  Here are a few tips and tricks to get them started making good habits to take care of their teeth.

- Have them brush their teeth morning and night.  If they are home for lunch, have them brush their teeth after lunch too.

-Kid’s should be brushing their teeth for two minutes.  Put a timer in the bathroom so they can set the timer while brushing.

-Have them floss their teeth once a day……they have so many cool kids floss products…take some time to check them out.

-Remind them to use round strokes while brushing and not to scrub their teeth too hard.

-Visit the dentist every six months for a cleaning and check-up.  Try to stick with the same dentist so they have a happy and healthy relationship with their dentist.

What has worked for you in terms of getting your kids to take good care of their teeth? Please share in the box below.

 Everyone made it through school this week, yet another miracle and I’m finally starting to feel human again now that there’s actually some daylight and sunshine!!  The girls were pretty upset after they got to talk to daddy, but I’m just glad that they received the opportunity hear his voice and know that he loves and cares about them.  They’ve been pretty good about it all; sometimes the subject of daddy being gone comes up at night as they’re getting tucked in.  They tell me they miss him and we talk about it.  I don’t want them to feel as though it’s not okay to be sad or miss him.  It’s perfectly fine; however, sometimes I think they use it as a crutch.  It’s kind of difficult to strike that balance. 

Uneventful is the best way to describe this week; I say that with a sigh of relief because there’s no telling what the next few days hold!

There are certainly a lot of options. And some parenting experts feel it’s best to expose your child to an array of activities so they can find what they like.  After the recent Winter Olympics, I personally aways find it intriguing that many of the athletes found sports that they loved so early in life.

Now while every child may not grow up to be the next Apollo Anton Ohno, Lindsay Vonn or even Picasso, studies show that engaging your child’s right side of the brain (the creative side,) can definitely lead to enhanced mental functionality overall.

Take a look at the video eHow has produced offering a variety of ways to stimulate creativity. While playtime is a focus in a child’s early years, it’s important to keep providing activities for creativity throughout their formative years and well into their adolescence.

What types of games and activities do you plan for your own kids? Please share in the comments below.

If Sam could say up until midnight, he would. If his school day could start around 3PM that would be just perfect. Sadly, that is not the world we live in so he (and I) are left to deal with some very rough mornings and even bumpier nights.  He does not want breakfast because it is too early. When I do get him to eat,  it is two bites. I can get a big glass of milk in him so I tell myself he is ready for his day.  :)He manages to get through school, but once we are home, in the late afternoon, is when he really wakes up.

I am a morning person like my oldest Jake. I want to get up, get moving and get some things done. Sam takes after my husband. The difference is, at 5, Sam is still a growing boy and he can’t afford a bedtime of 11PM. Getting him to understand that is the hard part. Both boys go to bed at 7:30. Jake is in dreamland by 7:35, but we often hear Sam chatting away to himself until 8:30 or 9.

I can’t force him to fall asleep, but I do know my job as a mom is to get him into that bed and tell him why his sleep is so important. I know I cannot let him come out and watch TV or push us to let him stay up “just a little more.” I know he and I will butt heads on this one as long as he lives under our roof. I will be pushing him to get ready in the AM so we aren’t late and he will be whining and saying how much he hates it. I also know I am doing the right thing and this is all just payback for my great sleeper Jake

Does anyone else have bedtime or morning issues? What do you do to combat them and ease the stress they cause?

Says Sarah:

I could use some advice on when and how to give my 10 and a half year old stepdaughter “the talk.”

Sarah isn’t alone. I could definitely use some advice on when and how to talk to Mini about birds, bees, etc.

I grew up with two brothers. My parents never really gave me “the talk.” So, to say that the whole idea of Mini getting closer to being a female teenager than a little girl tweenager scares me, is quite the understatement.

Mini has read a book called “It’s a Girl Thing” and my understanding (she wouldn’t really talk about it with me) is that it’s about the changes that a girl’s body goes through as she matures. Exactly how detailed the book is, I’m not sure.

What I am sure of is that I’m glad AM is here to help. I’m going to rely on AM to help me through explaining anything to Mini that she needs, especially regarding her body.

I think I can handle the emotional changes. Girls will like boys and vice versa. The important thing is that there’s no physical contact and if someone tries to touch her inappropriately, that Mini know what to do.

If only I could build a dungeon…

How did you parents handle “the talk”? How have you handled it? Leave your questions, suggestions and ideas in the comments. Please. I could use all the help I can get!